LES CHANTS DE LA MER

Philippe Gaubert: an all-round artist! The true calibre of Philippe Gaubert - a man who was a close friend of Honegger, Caplet, Lubin, Cortot, Thibaud, Paul Valéry, Barthou, Giraudoux and Tristan Bernard, to name but those - can only be fully appreciated when he is set in his historical and cultural context. His musical activities were multiple, but his teacher Paul Taffanel described him as 'the greatest flautist of his time'. The pieces presented on this recording show the ease and boldness of his playing and his wonderfully mellow tone. Of his interpretation of Madrigal, Edward Blakeman wrote: 'This is a highly individual performance with supple control of legato phrasing and changes of tempo. The warm flute tone displays an effective but very discreet use of vibrato.' Through Paul Taffanel Gaubert was engaged to stand in for musicians of the Orchestra of the Paris Opéra (violin and later, when he was only sixteen, principal flute). In 1905 Philippe Gaubert became assistant conducto