Jessye Norman

The first time I heard Jessye Norman was when I was about 14 and had just purchased an LP of Ravel's song cycles recorded by Pierre Boulez for CBS.  She was singing the Chansons madecasses, it is still one of my favourites and I still have the LP.  

I'd like to pay tribute today for her birthday with another of her Ravel recordings, this time from his dreamy Sheherazade - the first movement - Asie.  

For all of her operatic recordings and there have been many terrific performances, Sieglinde x 2, Dido, Jokasta, Carmen, Salome to name only a few, I find Jessye Norman most at home in the genre of song.  Ravel in particular.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

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