The melodie is the French equivalent of the German Lied and it too has its masters, some of whom wrote little outside the genre (in this respect we may compare Duparc with Wolf) and others who enriched wider fields of music, such as Faure, Debussy and Ravel. The recital here offers an unusual choice from this repertory; indeed, of the composers of melodies so far mentioned, only Faure is represented, by three songs. Given the title of this CD I regret the absence of a cycle by Debussy, Faure or Ravel though we may hear Jose van Dam in the latteis Don Quichotte songs in a fine Ravel compilation on two discs (EMI (CD) CDS7 47638-8, 9/87), in which other singers also take part. But it is only fair to judge this well-filled issue for what it is rather than regret what it is not. The Don Quichotte music by Ibert, destined for the same 1932 film as Ravel's cycle (and, unlike the Ravel, used in it), is a welcome novelty, sung with wit and tenderness—and agreeably Ravelian too.
Coming before that, Berlioz's Les nuits d'ete makes an attractive start; he is claimed by some to be the first major composer of melodies. These songs were written originally with piano in 1841 (not very idiomatically, it must be said) and only 15 years later given their more familiar orchestral form. Though he sings them skilfully, van Dam's vocal maturity and shrewdness are not entirely right for the ''Spectre de la rose'' or the other songs in this cycle (which was written for mezzo or tenorffor though he has a lovely sense of line, there's a trace of strain in the higher register for this singer (often described as a bass, though here as a baritone). But he is splendidly suited to Poulenc's country matters, Chansons gaillardes, where ''L'offrande'' is charmingly ultra-obscene. The Guy Ropartz Quatre poemes of 1899 are also done well and these rather serious songs, inspired by Heine and framed by a piano prelude and postlude, are well worth hearing, though rather lacking in contrast.
Throughout, Jean-Philippe Collard is admirably alert and sensitive as a piano partner and the recording is good. Altogether a worthwhile recital that will be desired by all amateurs de la melodie, though newcomers to this repertory might prefer a recital covering more mainstream material.'