1 CD
✓ in stock |
€ 19.95
|
Buy |
Label Challenge Classics |
UPC 0608917288223 |
Catalogue number CC 72882 |
Release date 23 September 2021 |
"The accompaniment on piano and guitar is top class and blends seamlessly with the vocals. It holds you, also because of the very good sound quality. The vocals are very dynamic (...) This is a highlight and a romantic light during the dark holidays."
Music Emotion, 03-12-2021Philippe Elan: Following my symphonic chanson album with Het Residentie Orkest, this new recording «Quelques mots d’amour» takes me back to the roots of my singing, accompanied by Reyer Zwart with whom i have been collaborating for the last 19 years. After our initial collaboration in 2002, i started to ask him, not to say, push him, to accompany me in a tour de chant where he would play guitar and piano, according to the nature of each song and to what we thought was the best colour of accompaniment for it. This collaboration grew further through the years to reach a level which fulfills me as a vocalist, as a chansonnier, in a way that when I sing accompanied by Reyer, i feel as free as a bird to express myself musically and to phrase my text without any constraint. The last year and a half has been difficult for most singers and musicians…Yet, amidst this painful time period, Reyer and I were able to give a few concerts, some of them being fortunately recorded. We added a couple of studio recordings to our selection of concert performances and I am very pleased that Challenge Records International is releasing this collection of songs. «Quelques mots d’amour», the title track of the album, written by Michel Berger, is my sincere message to all of you dear listeners…I just want to sing for you these few words of love, today and tomorrow, in between all the vicissitudes of our lives.
Na zijn symfonische chanson album ‘Ma France’ met Het Residentie Orkest, keert Philippe Elan met dit nieuwe album 'Quelques mots d'amour' terug naar zijn muzikale roots. Alle liedjes op dit album vertellen op de één of andere manier zijn verhaal. “...anders zou ik ze niet zingen”, aldus de chansonnier. Hij wordt hierbij begeleid door Reyer Zwart met wie hij al 19 jaar samenwerkt.
Elan en multi-instrumentalist, arrangeur en producer Zwart realiseerden zich dat ze allebei van veel verschillende soorten muziek houden. Ze genoten in de loop der jaren, luisterend naar elkaars favoriete platen, bijna net zoveel van de autoritten naar hun concerten als de echte concerten zelf. Dit bracht hen nog dichter bij elkaar en resulteerde in een nog beter begrip van elkaars wederzijdse muzikaliteit.
Philippe Elan was born in Gascogne, in the south west of France, in 1960 and moved to the Netherlands in 1986. In that same year he was off to a flying start by winning the chanson competition of the Alliance Française.
Ever since, he has frequently given solo programmes of French chansons in theatres together with arranger, producer and regular accompanist Reyer Zwart. He also appears with artists such as Cor Bakker, Louis van Dijk and Laura Fygi. In 2013 Philippe joined forces with the Amstel Quartet, a unique saxophone formation that gives concerts all over the world. Besides working with jazz and pop musicians, Philippe has frequently appeared on classical venues with groups such as the Gemini Ensemble, the Holland Symfonia (2009), the Johan Willem Friso Kapel (2013) and the Metropole Orkest (2015). Philippe is a frequent guest on radio and television programmes, where he champions the French chanson.
Over the years, Philippe has made 12 albums and 2 DVDs. In 2014 he released the single L’été est là, an up tempo pop number produced by Eddy Ouwens. This cheerful chanson placed him in the top ten of the Dutch Top 40.
In 2015, he was a soloist in the successful operatic production Vive la France, and appeared in collaboration with the Amstel Quartet. Together they released a CD, Sax avec Elan. Together with the Gemini Ensemble, Philippe received an Edison award for their album Chansons classiques.
A performance with the Amstel Quartet in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam in July 2016 was followed later that year by a series of concerts with Thérèse Steinmetz, and their joint CD production Amsterdam-Paris (Philippe’s eleventh album), under the musical direction of Nico van der Linden, was greeted with jubilant reviews.
In the spring of 2017 Philippe was a soloist in the operatic production Vive la France #2”, which toured 50 Dutch theatres. In autumn 2017 Philippe was again on stage in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, this time with Thérèse Steinmetz.
The summer of 2018 saw the issue of the successful single En rêve on se voit and Philippe immediately set out on a long concert season, one which continued until the end of August 2019!
In February 2019 Philippe gave an exclusive concert with the Residentie Orchestra in Paard, in The Hague, conducted by Jurjen Hempel, and in March his new EP came out, a joint effort with Thérèse Steinmetz and the Amstel Quartet, Manège à trois.
The accompaniment on piano and guitar is top class and blends seamlessly with the vocals. It holds you, also because of the very good sound quality. The vocals are very dynamic (...) This is a highlight and a romantic light during the dark holidays.
Music Emotion, 03-12-2021
Beautifully and intimately recorded, many goosebumps moments.
Mania, 08-10-2021