Par CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO MARIO. Born into a family that had lived in Florence since the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968) entertained only a distant relationship with the music he heard at synagogue. It was only when he discovered Schelemo, a rhapsody for cello and orchestra written in 1916 by Ernest Bloch, that he began to understand what ' Jewish music” could be. In the mid-1920s, the young composer found a collection of prayers set to music among his maternal grandfather' s papers. Something clicked, and from then on, Jewish tradition would become a source of inspiration for Castelnuovo-Tedesco. In 1928, two years after publishing the Dances of King David, he wrote this Vocalise-E tude for medium voice and piano at the request of vocal teacher Amédée-Landély Hettich, who wanted to include it in the Répertoire moderne de Vocalises-E tudes published by Leduc. The piece became so popular that several instrumental adaptations were soon created, published under the title Chant hébraïque (for violin and piano: AL17 713- for cello and piano: AL 17196). Divided into three sections, this wordless melody opens with a ' sad and impassioned” chant that appears to grieve the tragic fate of the Jewish people. A folk dance follows, in which a ' lively and stubborn” movement has great panache. The third section returns to the initial poignant theme before briefly reiterating the dance motif, allowing the piece to conclude on a hopeful note. The composer himself would adopt this proactive stance, refusing to yield to resignation when, fleeing Mussolini' s anti-Semitic laws, he decided to emigrate in 1939 to the United States, a land of refuge to which he would remain faithful until his death some thirty years later./ Etude / Voix Moyenne et Piano

Having been considered as a 'fashionable' and 'cliché' composer of his day Hahn's compositions are possibly not as well-known as they ought to be. If My Verses Had Wings! for Voice & Piano however is one of many compositions that shatter these prejudices held representing the engaging diversity of the composer's music. Venezuelan-born Reynaldo Hahn (1875-1947) entered the Paris Conservatoire at 10 years old. He received a high standard of musical education from Decombes Lavignac Dubois and Massenet before becoming a prolific and versatile composer himself writing works for all genres. For Hahn music was amagical art and his compositions often contain expressions of his otherwise hidden emotions and moods. If My Verses Had Wings! is based on the poetry of Victor Hugo. Moreover this edition of Hahn's If My Verses Had Wings! contrains transcriptions in three different keys making it versatile to a range of voices. Hahn's If My Verses Had Wings! contains a variety of different features making for a pleasant and evocative work for singers and pianists.