01/01/2024
Marchand Menneteau Lange/Hiri/Musiques Têtues/2023
Erik Marchand is of course a legendary figure in Breton music from his work with Gwerz, to his many other imaginative projects over a long and very productive career. Here he combines forces with Eric Menneteau and Youenn Lange, two younger well-regarded male singers, for this recording of unaccompanied kan ha diskan (call and response) vocal music. The tight, somewhat nasal vibrato vocal styles and overlapping end notes of the phrases as the line passes from one singer to the other let the listener immediately know that they are in a firmly traditional Breton aesthetic space.
The material is mostly traditional Fest Noz dance tunes. The 15 tracks include Gavotte, Plinn, and Fisel suites, a rare Plinn-Fisel suite and also a Gavotte Pourlet. Highlights include Marchand and Menneteau paired for a gavotte suite (Dañs tro), Menneteau and Lange for a Plinn suite (Dañs Vañch) and finally Marchand and Lange for the Fisel (Suite tro blavez) tunes. Hiri ends with Boñjour deoc'h plac'h yaouank, performed with the full trio coming together for a piece from the Vannes region.
To the uninitiated this type of material can sound like alien warbling and quickly wear out its welcome, but for this listener at least, over time its unique charm has won me over - if it is done well. It is done extremely well here. These three all have well-deserved reputations as great singers and they show it here - crisp articulation, powerful and nuanced delivery and perfect intonation.
The album is on the Musiques Têtues label, with which I was previously unfamiliar. To get the physical CD you have to go to: https://musiquestetues.com/boutique/marchand-menneteau-lange/
It’s 15 Euros, but shipping is free, even to North America. The CD comes with the lyrics in Breton and translated into French, but not English.
- Fañch
