In 1884, Paul Verlaine published an anthology entitled Les poètes maudits, a work paying homage to French Parnassianism and giving meaning to the concept of the poète maudit (accursed poet), so specific to the period towards the end of the nineteenth century and to the angst of its writers. Their names – Verlaine, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, de Lautréamont, Corbière, de Nerval and Mallarmé – and their existential malaise are reflected in the works of the musicians of their time.

This is Inge Spinette’s fifth release with Fuga Libera, and this time she is joined by the talented soprano Lore Binon. In this album, the duo focus on the enduring link between poetry and music, applying their talents to works by Claude Debussy and Reynaldo Hahn, in dialogue with the American composer George Crumb. They create a perfect alchemy in which the hues of these composers are revealed in all their delicate nuances.