Much like the character Gil’s experience in Woody Allen’s film Midnight in Paris, listening to La Belle Excentrique is like stumbling into a music hall in 1920s France, complete with the idiosyncratic accordion accompaniment. Soprano Patricia Petibon’s latest CD release is a mixture of divine and absurd French art song, ranging from a languorous interpretation of Poulenc’s ‘Hôtel’ to the kooky ‘Ba, be, bi, bo, bu’, with delectable offerings from Satie, Hahn, and Fauré along the way. Petibon’s unusual voice is an excellent fit for this repertoire in which she gives us a lesson in versatility. Her top notes are effortless and beautiful, and, when the music calls for it, Petibon seamlessly morphs into a guttural and comic chanteuse.

Accompanied by pianist Susan Manoff, and with occasional appearances from violinist Nemanja Radulovic and actor Olivier Py, Petibon and team deliver a number of charming rarities amongst the well-known gems, such as Manuel Rosenthal’s ‘Chansons du monsieur Bleu’, and Léo Ferré’s ‘Jolie môme’. The Ferré is a particular highlight, and sets the scene for an enjoyable romp through twentieth-century popular and classical art song. Now in her mid-40s, Petibon is a confirmed star of the international classical music scene, with numerous solo recordings for Deutsche Gramophon under her belt. She has already traversed quite a range of styles and eras, from Mozart to Berg to Bernstein, but in this French repertoire Petibon seems most at home.

For those travelling to Europe over the coming months, I urge you to attend one of Petibon’s many solo recitals featuring music from La Belle Excentrique. For the rest of us here in sunny Melbourne, enjoy the recording, baguette in one hand and un verre de vin rouge in the other, and make like Gil to Montmartre’s La Folies Bergère and revel in the splendor of the Parisian cabaret world.

Alexandra Mathew