Poulenc, Fauré, Komitas
Astrig Siranossian – cello and Théo Fouchenneret – piano
The modal melodic vein, flexible, as lyrical as it can be, the ornaments and inflections are made out of pure emotions. Serenity, a sense of fulfillment, self-assurance and joy – all of these expressed feelings are magnified (not to mention the beautiful variations of the 7th melody Kele Kele). Astrig Siranossian, whose authentic singing perfectly blends with the sound of her instrument, confirms her rare qualities.
Musicologie | 13.06.2016
…This first recording gives a new visibility to two young artists noticed on stage…They deliver here a clever and very personal selection of compositions, alongside with an outstanding performance and a beautiful mastery…
ResMusica | 08.04.2016 | CD-Besprechung Poulenc-Fauré-Komitas, Claves 2016
Full of energy, with a strong sense of sound poetry.
Pizzicato | 08.04.2016 | CD-Besprechung Poulenc-Fauré-Komitas, Claves 2016
…a very promising start to their recording career.
Music Web International | 03.04.2016 | CD-Besprechung Poulenc-Fauré-Komitas, Claves 2016
The French-Armenian cellist’s first record confirms her talent through the cuddly and capricious moods of Poulenc’s sonata, through Faure’s melodious waves and Komitas (the Armenian Bartok) collection of transcribed folk music. The sobriety of Astrig Siranossian and her pianist Théo Fouchenneret intensifies the emotions.
24 heures | 12.03.2016 | CD-Besprechung Poulenc-Fauré-Komitas, Claves 2016
Cello rarities…The young duo invest his respectable musical mastery and incredible sense of precise characterization in this lively interpretation.
While interpreting Poulenc’s sonata, they had to follow the sudden mood swings of the stylistically very capricious composer. Gabriel Faure claims (and obtains) a delicate lyrical vibe in five charming pieces, including the touching “Sicilienne”.
In her interpretation of thirteen relatively simple folk songs, but touching each in their own way, arranged by the Armenian folk songs collector and polymath Komitas, the cellist excels in her role of speechless singer.
Basler Zeitung | 15.02.2016 | CD-Besprechung Poulenc-Fauré-Komitas, Claves 2016
For their first recording, Astrig Siranossian and Théo Fouchenneret chose an exclusive program that shows their deep knowledge of music. The almost unknown Poulenc’s Cello Sonata (1948) is an entertaining masterpiece that captures the echoes of the 1920’s Parisian music-halls and cleverly and tastefully sublimates it.
When it comes to Fauré, they didn’t opt for one of his two late Cello sonatas, but rather for melodious and quite concise character pieces that ingeniously lead us to Komitas pieces, whose real name was Soghomon Gevorki Soghomonian (1869-1935) and who is considered the founder of modern Armenian classical music. He collected about three thousand Armenian folk songs that he mostly arranged for voice and piano among which he selected thirteen pieces for cello and piano, performed by the young duo Siranossian and Fouchenneret for this recording. The duo stands out through a specific style close to chamber music. They manage to connect two instruments with sharply contrasting sounds through a similar interpretation of the phrases and a homogeneous articulation.
Their convincing interpretation brings out the unity of different tones, which gives this recording a spontaneous vitality that makes the music, especially the arrangements of Komitas, far richer and more varied than we could ever imagine. If we add a strong sense of the individual and specific tonal gradation of the compositions to it, through which the incredible musicality of their interpretation is revealed to us…In short, a promising start!
FonoForum | 05.2016 | CD-Besprechung Poulenc-Fauré-Komitas, Claves 2016