Elizabeth Sombart “Singing the Nocturnes”

When you’ve been immersed in the world of music for as long as Elizabeth Sombart has, your relationship with every element of the craft is as sterling as it is tested. Since the age of seven years old, Sombart has been a student of the medium, training under the Strasbourg Conservatory and initially performing at a mere eleven; in her new album, Singing the Nocturnes, she pays tribute to Chopin and the material that would ultimately shape her style and technique in expert fashion. Between Op.s 55, 72, 27, and 9 alone, she exhibits a talent at the keys that goes unrivaled among her peers this winter, and further makes the influence of Chopin all the more relevant in 2022, for a new generation of classical enthusiasts. 

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/sbibelle?lang=el 

You can appreciate the impact of Sombart’s traveling when listening to her take on “Op. 27 No. 1-7 in C-Sharp Minor” and “Op. 15 No. 1-4 in F Major,” as both of these arrangements reflect a profound exoticism I wasn’t initially expecting to hear in this record. Although she’s avoiding the temptation to experiment with the compositional parameters of this content, there’s no denying her personal touch on the lot of material that fills every movement in the tracklist. Hers is a more disciplined approach to the works of Chopin than some of her rivals have been able to keep up with, and to me, it’s the right way to celebrate this particular collection of compositions as they stand under her command. 

The balance in this LP is impeccable, especially in terms of the melodic depth in “Op. 9 No. 1 in B-Flat Minor,” “Op. 48 No. 2-14 in F-Sharp Minor,” and “Op. 55 No. 1-15 in F Minor.” There’s never a sense of overwhelming moodiness behind the keys, and without having to invite an entire orchestra into the fold, we still wind up with the same lurching, neo-symphonic vibe that we would from something a bit more complex. Sombart strikes me as someone who places significant value on the intimacy of her sound whilst also respecting the benefits of going on as efficiently as possible when it comes to crafting something inside of a recording studio, and it is to this end that Singing the Nocturnes feels like a masterpiece in every department that counts. 

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/elizabeth-sombart/20763218 

A captivating journey for fans of Chopin both old and new the same, Singing the Nocturnes demonstrates why it’s so pivotal to have the right maestro at the helm of a project when taking on material as detailed and thoughtful as the Nocturnes are. Elizabeth Sombart is an absolute gem here, crushing melodic discord with a smooth hand that seems to know exactly where to go when we need it the most, and whether it be the simplistic strut of Op. 37 or the first few bars we discover early on in Op. 9, I can personally vouch for this being an exceptionally difficult LP to set down once you’ve picked it up and put it on the stereo for the first time. 

Joshua Beach 

Melbourne, AUS

1/2022