Claire has recorded her first album, THE DREAM, a collection of Russian romances by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. More information below the image!

THE SONGS 

1 – A Dream, Rachmaninoff, 6 Songs Op.38 No.5, words by Fyodor Sologub.

2 – Softly the Spirit flew up to Heaven, Song number two from Tchaikovsky’s 7 Romances Op.47, words by Aleksey Tolstoy.

3 – Lilacs, Rachmaninoff, 12 Songs Op.21 No.5, words by Ekaterina Beketova.

4 – I wait for thee, Rachmaninoff, 12 Songs Op.14 No.1, words by Mariya Davidova.

5 – Does the Day Reign, from Tchaikovsky’s 7 Romances Op.47 no.6, words by Aleksey Apukhtin.

6 – None but the lonely heart, from Tchaikovsky’s 6 Romances for Voice and Piano Op.6, words by Lev Mey.

7 – Sing not, O lovely one, Rachmaninoff, 6 Songs Op.4 No.4, words by Alexander Pushkin.

8 – Sleep, poor friend, Song number four from 7 Romances Op.47 and is song number four in Tchaikovsky’s composition, words by Aleksey Tolstoy.

 

THE STORY

The songs are not formally connected with each other, but Claire thought of their arrangement as an unfolding story. She invites the listener to engage their imagination and travel with her through these hints of events:

1 –  (A Dream), the audience hear that it is going to be about a dream.
2 – (Softly the Spirit flew up to Heaven), a soul in heaven asks to go down to earth to comfort someone.
3 – (Lilacs), the soul is allowed to watch a love story unfold – her own. First she sees herself as a young girl waiting for love.
4 – (I wait for thee), then she has met the love of her life and is looking forward to their next meeting.
5 – (Does the Day Reign), she tells of how much he means to her.
6 – (None but the lonely heart), suddenly they cannot meet very often any more (maybe she is ill?).
7 – (Sing not, O lovely one), she was ill after all, and now she is dead and her lover is remembering her and thinks he occasionally sees her ghost.
8 – (Sleep, poor friend) she, as the spirit from heaven from the second song, is allowed to comfort her lover as he goes to sleep.