Chanson du Soir
Long Beach, California, United States
Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
By Jim Ruggirello
Published: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 1:37 PM PDT
Don’t you love the guitar?
The only thing more pleasing would be the combination of guitar and soprano, and that’s what was featured on the latest offering by the Long Beach Classical Guitar Society the other night at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
The performers were the ensemble known as Chanson du Soir, consisting of the husband and wife team of David Isaacs and Chelsea Camille.
They managed to put together a varied, interesting program of music written for this delightful pairing of voice and instrument, a juxtaposition not often encountered in the concert hall.
Isaacs is a wonderful guitarist, sure of technique and in possession of a truly beautiful, colorful sound. He is able to coax out whatever timbre the music demands, and he provided a many-layered cushion of support for Camille’s voice.
What a voice it is.
The tone is incredibly pure — clear as a bell and remarkably lovely. Her impeccable intonation and a sensitive musicality only add to the listener’s pleasure.
The program opened with a couple of tunes by the Elizabethan composer John Dowland, including the famous “Come Again.” These set the tone the entire evening: tasteful, intimate and enchantingly expressive.
Music by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco followed, a set from the intriguingly titled “The Divan of Moses Ibn Ezra” along with a couple of Shakespeare songs. Camille introduced each with chatty, informative remarks that had something for everyone, general audience and guitar geeks alike.
Three songs arranged by Mauro Giuliani from arias by the now-forgotten Simone Mayr (his opera “Adelaisa ed Aleramo”) ended the first half. Here Camille unveiled her considerable dramatic and comedic chops for a welcome change of pace.
Isaacs took the opportunity provided by a couple of solo pieces by Manuel Ponce to display his own range, tonally and expressively.
And the jazz- and blues-inflected “Entre Guitarra y Voz” showed both performers in a more popular vein. This is a really cool piece, and it received a really cool performance.
The duo’s performance of Heitor Villa-Lobos’ ubiquitous “Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5” almost made me like this composer’s music, which I usually can’t stand.
But the combination of Camille’s bewitching voice and Isaac’s assured accompaniment won me over, at least temporarily. Their reading of the piece was fabulous, just fabulous.
Composer Brian Madigan, who was in attendance, wrote the closing set and dedicated it to Chanson du Soir.
The three songs, set to texts by three different poets, vary greatly in mood and style; Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “A Fable” ended the evening on a humorous note.
I’m sure the performers deserved, and would have appreciated, a larger audience.
These concerts by the Long Beach Classical Guitar Society (did you even know there was such a thing?) are just the sort of intimate, high-quality musical event that you can find around town if you look hard enough.
You just have to know where to look.
- Grunion Gazette
Discography
Melancholie et Espoir
listen at www.isaacsguitar.net/chansondusoir.html
Photos
Bio
Chanson du Soir is comprised of soprano Chelsea Camille and classical guitarist David Isaacs. Established in 2005, the Southern California natives, have quickly garnered national recognition as a premier guitar and voice duo by being featured artists on concert series throughout the United States. In April of 2007, Melancholie et Espoir, their debut studio recording, was released on Abet Music and has been receiving airplay on KIRN in Los Angeles and on Dayton Public Radio’s “The Intimate Guitar.”
Ever since she began to form her own thoughts, Chelsea Camille always adored the arts of storytelling and entertainment. Back then it merely involved keeping her family in stitches, whereas now she is comfortable with audiences much larger in size. She completed her Bachelor’s in Acting at California State University, Fullerton and has been the professional soprano soloist at Belmont Heights United Methodist Church in Long Beach since 2001. Chelsea is currently developing her music theory and history background and studying voice with Dr. Nicole Baker en route to earning her Master’s degree in Vocal Performance. In addition to her extraordinary voice, Chelsea is a masterful seamstress, the creator of her own line of jewelry, and can be found performing as an actress on Southern California stages.
David Isaacs has performed throughout the US and Greece as a soloist, in a guitar duet, in a guitar and voice duet, and as part of the California State University, Fullerton Guitar Orchestra. In October of 2006, David was signed to Eroica Classical Recordings and in November of 2006 released his debut studio recorded solo classical guitar CD, Structures. This CD has been featured on KIRN in Los Angeles, “The Intimate Guitar” on Dayton Public Radio in Dayton Ohio, on Wisconsin Public Radio, and on WGTE FM91 in Northwest Ohio. David earned his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Classical Guitar Performance at California State University, Fullerton under the tutelage of David Grimes. Now residing in Long Beach, David runs the Long Beach Classical Guitar Society, Long Beach Classical Guitar Academy, and Southern California Classical Guitar Workshop with his co-founding partner Michael Nigro; writes sheet music reviews for Soundboard; judges for guitar festivals and competitions; and teaches at Cerritos College, Morey’s Music, Bellflower Music Center, Oakwood Academy, Masterclasses and at his home studio.
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