Following acclaimed albums devoted to Britten, baroque lute songs and German lieder, Grammy Award-nominated tenor Nicholas Phan continues to spread his wings with Illuminations, an album featuring compositions by Benjamin Britten, Claude Debussy and Gabriel Faure who were each inspired by the poetry of two nineteenth century French literary titans, Paul Verlaine and his prot?g? and eventual lover Arthur Rimbaud. The intertwined lives of the French poets and composers manifested themselves in Faures impassioned Verlaine-inspired La bonne chanson and Debussys Ariettes oubliees drawn from Verlaines Romances sans paroles. Just decades later Britten was inspired by Rimbauds influential prose-poetry Les Illuminations. Critical acclaim for Nicholas Phan has been widespread. One of the most beautiful young lyric voices around. (Opera News) So many strengths a dapper, cultivated timbre, splendid enunciation, and keen intelligence and musicianship. (WQXR)
