Cécile Chaminade Saisons d'amour presents a selection of 22 songs composed by the leading exponent of the salon music style in the late-nineteenth-century. Chosen by mezzo-soprano Katharina Kammerloher, this collection conveys a cyclic form that takes listeners through the various seasons of life and love among men and women while moving through the seasons of the year. The seasons of love come unexpectedly, much like in real life, and propel the listener through joy, longing, grief, restoration, anticipation, happiness, loss and unrequited love. Chaminade had an affinity for nature, which inspired many of her compositions and can be heard throughout this album. Starting with spring, the album reaches its climax at the halfway point, track 11, ‘L’Été’ (Summer). ‘L’Été’, the album's only arrangement, catches listeners’ attention by introducing the violin for the first time. The album continues its journey through autumn and winter, until spring makes its return in the final two tracks, which are again accompanied by the violin.

Although she was one of the most prominent composers of her time, Cécile Chaminade (1857–1944) remains virtually unknown to many musicians today.Footnote ¹ She has an impressive body of work, with nearly 400 compositions, the majority of which were published during her lifetime. Her repertoire consists primarily of solo piano pieces and vocal works, including approximately 130 vocal compositions.Footnote ² While Chaminade's father did not allow her to study at the Paris Conservatoire, she studied privately with its professors.Footnote ³ Although she composed orchestral works, chamber music and an opera, by the 1890s her focus turned to smaller forms for piano and voice. After her father's death Chaminade supported her mother and herself by publishing and promoting her music. In 1908 she embarked on her first American concert tour. Her willingness and preference to perform her own works while touring helped popularize her works among audiences of the day. Chaminade adhered to the harmonies and compositional techniques of the Romantic Era and although she lived well into the twentieth century, she never changed her compositional style.Footnote ⁴ Although she had published songs as early as 1878, her song publishing was at its peak in the late 1880s and early 1890s, and the majority were composed and published during the 1890s, while she toured and concertized frequently. Song texts were inspired by a number of well-known and obscure poets such as; Armand Silvestre, Charles Foster, Pierre Reyniel, Robert Myriel, Rosamond Gérard and Victor Hugo. Chaminade drew inspiration from poetry, nature and tales of exotic lands.Footnote ⁵

Joining Katharina Kammerloher are pianist Johann Blanchard and violinist Jiyoon Lee. Munich-born Kammerloher has performed numerous roles at the Berlin State Opera and with orchestras around the world (liner notes, 6). Kammerloher's high mezzo voice and her use of dynamics and phrasing are delightful, and she collaborates masterfully with her colleagues. Johann Blanchard, who has won numerous awards at international competitions (liner notes, 6–7), has released a solo album of works by Chaminade, Cécile Chaminade Piano Works on the MDG label.Footnote ⁶ In this collaboration Blanchard displays his expertise of Chaminade's style with his finesse of dynamics, phrasing and touch. Jiyoon Lee, first concertmaster of the Staatskapelle Berlin, who plays a 1701 Stradivarius here, provided an unexpected, yet delightful addition to this album (liner notes, 7).

Saisons d'amour showcases several of Chaminade's best-known songs, such as ‘Portrait’ and ‘L'Ete’, mixed with lesser-known works. This collection excludes Chaminade's earliest vocal works, including only works published from 1886–1910. ‘Plaintes d'amour’ (Plaints of Love) starts the collection with a quick and light introduction. This work sets the tone for the cycle by bringing forth a charge of love and discussing how love changes from spring to autumn. The text says love is born in the spring, comparing it to flowers, and that it perishes with the cold of autumn. This work calls love a ‘season of delight’ and prepares the listeners for love and loss throughout the seasons of the year.

Spring arrives in the second track, ‘Avril s'eveille’ (April Awakens) and describes lovers sharing a private moment in nature. Spring is the most represented season in the collection, with nine tracks at the beginning and two at the end. Spring arouses a mix of emotions and takes the listener through flourishing love, longing, restoration, joy, dreaming and separation. Spanish influence can be heard in tracks 5, 6 and 8 through rhythmic motives, Spanish harmonies and accompaniments reminiscent of a strumming guitar. ‘Serenade Sevillane’ (Seville Serenade), track 6, begins with an enticing piano part which has its own pleasing melody apart from the vocal line. Blanchard and Kammerloher's conversational interaction is beautifully executed. This piece requires a wide range from Kammerloher and allows listeners to hear her deeper, dark, moody range and well as higher, lighter pitches. The song itself is sombre, centred around the Guadalquivir River in Spain and portrays a person waiting to die before finding their peace restored. Spring comes to an end in track 10, ‘Mon cœur chant’ (My heart sings). This piece is in ternary form, with contrasting A and B sections that evoke both joy and heartache in the listener. The collaboration is flawless and Blanchard perfectly supports Kammerloher's register, dynamic and tempo changes throughout this piece.

The cycle's climax, ‘L'Ete’ (track 11), is the only arrangement on the album and the first time the violin is heard. This version of ‘L'Ete’ was arranged for voice, violin and piano by composer, arranger and musical director Christian Dellacher. ‘L'Ete’ is an uplifting work which welcomes summer and describes a happy husband and wife. This is not only one of Chaminade's best-known songs, but also one of the most challenging. Challenges for the vocalist include quick transitions between registers and articulations. The pianist also faces challenges such as quick scale passages and large octave jumps. Dellacher's arrangement was the perfect engaging choice for the albums climax. Kammerloher, Blanchard and Lee made this work appear easy with their subtle attack of the notes and tuneful performances. Track 13, ‘Chanson naïve’ (Naïve song) concludes summer with memories of a loved one who passed away. Kammerloher and Blanchard approach this piece with a sombre tone fitting of the text and Blanchard lets the words shine by keeping the piano as a soft, subtle support.

The other seasons are not welcomed as obviously as spring and summer were, nor do they end as distinctly. A deep dive into the text reveals subtle ideas leading from one season to the next. Summer ends sadly with the text ‘moves away and goes to die’, which also helps signal the end. Autumn arrives just as subtly in ‘La Fiancée du Soldat’ (The Soldier's Bride) with haymaking and plowing – activities associated with the season. The text portrays the pain of waiting by describing a girl waiting for her fiancé to return. Like summer, autumn is only three tracks long.

Track 17, ‘Berceuse’ (Cradle Song), transitions from autumn to winter as the text welcomes ‘winter's cold too soon’. This is a fast-paced lullaby about a parent rocking their son to sleep. Blanchard conveys a rocking motion through constant left-hand eighth notes and welcomes winter with a subtle build. Winter guides the listener through each stage of life from infancy with the mother rocking them asleep, to elderly as the man admires his wife and dreams of love and days gone by.

Spring returns in track 21, ‘Infini’ (Infinity), along with the violin. The text recounts days gone by and reflects on a life well lived while finding solitude and rest. While no notated music was found incorporating flute or violin into ‘Infini’, there is a recording from 2009 which includes flute. Published by Vocation Records, the 2009 recording is from the album Cécile Chaminade and features Michèle Mastrani, soprano, Jacques Lesburguères, flute, and Michèle Lougarre, piano.Footnote ⁷ ‘Portrait’ concludes the collection. The same light, upbeat feeling from the opening track returns as the poet speaks of his lover's attributes and his admiration for her until we find out that the love is not returned. The collaborators chose to end with unrequited love, perhaps to keep the listeners on hold and waiting for what is to come next. ‘Portrait’, was composed in 1904 for voice and piano. In 1905, Chaminade wrote a transcription of ‘Portrait’ which also included flute. For this recording, Lee performed the flute part on violin.

The selection and sequence of works is well-balanced and well-chosen. The attention to detail and relationship between the piano and voice is a critical part of Chaminade's songs which Kammerloher and Blanchard executed perfectly. This collection significantly represents Chaminade's variety of styles, her love for nature and the large influence Spain and Spanish culture had on her. ‘Avril s'eveille’ (April awakes), ‘Madrigal’ and ‘L'Ete’ (Summer) were influenced by nature and include events that occur in nature such as budding trees, blossoming flowers, fluttering birds and birds in flight. ‘L'Absente’ (Absence), ‘Serenade Sevillane’, ‘Wish’ and ‘Jadis!’ (Once!) all showcase Chaminade's Spanish influence through their harmonies, rhythms and accompaniments. Love and nature are intertwined throughout this collection.

Performing and recording these works is challenging because not all of the scores are easily accessible. Nine of the pieces recorded are either out of print, not available for purchase or cannot be found online. Collections like this are critical because there are few, if any, recordings of these works. The collaborators have done a great service by recording these works. The collaboration by Kammerloher, Blanchard and Lee is just outstanding. The artists respect the score and stylistic characteristics of Chaminade through very musical performances. The arrangement and inclusion of the violin on additional tracks was unexpected and added intrigue and variety to the collection. The liner notes were thorough and well-written, and included song texts in French and English. The collection wonderfully highlights and allows us access to some of Chaminade's lesser-known vocal works. The cycle and variety of works is appealing and hopefully entices more vocalists to include them on concert programs.