Fanfare Magazine
May 1, 2009

This disc is unusual on three counts. First, it presents music by Messiaen that is little known and rarely recorded. Second, all this music dates from his earliest period, the 1930s. And third, we are given performances not by a defective vocalist who is a “specialist” in modern music, but rather by a highly gifted and well-respected Baroque specialist.
(...)
The most fascinating work on this CD, for me, is La mort du nombre, a nine-minute cantata for soprano, tenor, violin, and piano. More than any piece I’ve heard by Messiaen, it owes a heavy musical debt to Debussy and, in some respects, Wagner, particularly in the final piece where the soprano and violin ascend to a sort of “trembling ecstasy.” Here, LeBlanc’s performance is indeed emotionally involved, and appropriately so. Tenor Lawrence Wiliford, like LeBlanc, has a beautiful timbre and is, in fact, a more intense interpreter. I’d love to hear him sing Pelléas.
I wasn’t personally enamored of the Chants de terre et de ciel, perhaps because as the beginning of Messiaen’s more mystical period the music seemed to me more experimental and less focused. Nevertheless, it was interesting to hear this transitional work in context, realizing that it was a bridge to the Quartet for the End of Time. (...)
this is a disc of high and unusual musical interest, highly recommended.
Lynn René Bayley - Fanfare Magazine

Opera Canada
February 1, 2009

As the Messiean centennial was winding down, little from the recordings really stood out, except reissues. From the first five seconds of listening to this, however, I knew I was on to something special. Quebecois soprano Suzie LeBlanc is renowned for her strenghts in 17th- and 18th-century forays into her Acadian roots. But her crystal-clear, true soprano works equally well here in early vocal music by Messiaen. LeBlanc is magical in capturing the mystical, sensual traits of this music, which in her hands shows Messiaen as the continuation of the line of French mélodies by Fauré, Duparc and Debussy. Tenor Lawrence Wiliford, featured on one track, continues to show his versatility-from comic opera clown to serious recitalist. Violonist Laura Andriani, first violin of Quatuor Alcan, beautifully matches the clear, almost vibrato-less sounds of LeBlanc and Wiliford. And pianist Robert Kortgaard, in there busy, rich piano parts, again proves he is one of Canada's finest piano partners-sensitive, nuanced, supportive and complementary.
Highly recommended.
Rick Phillips - Opera Canada

BBC Music Magazine
December 1, 2008

This lovely collection of works from the 1930s focuses on the voice, primarly soprano Suzie LeBlanc in notably the composer's second song cycle, Chants de terre et de ciel, written in part for Messiaen's first wife, Claire Delbos. (...) LeBlanc has a strong pedigree in Baroque repertoire, and her clear, fresh voice is especially effective in the Trois mélodies and as the pure 'first soul' in La Mort du nombre, Lawrence Wiliford providing a robust foil.
Chrisopher Dingle - BBC Music Magazine

La Scena Musicale
November 1, 2008

★★★★★
As musicians around the world celebrate Olivier Messiaen's centenary birthday with an abundance of concerts and recordings, here we have a disc that showcases some of his lesser-known early works. Composed in the first few years of his marriage to violonist Claire Delbos, his works reflect a tine of uncomplicated happiness before her eventual psychological decline. It is interesting to hear a different side of Messiaen; he is often associated with his later experiences as a prisoner of war in Germany and his innovative compositional techniques. This disc shows a young Messiaen growing into his own voice with works rooted in impressionism and traditional French lyrism, recalling such composers as Debussy and Poulenc. Although she specializes in 17th and 18th century repertoire, Canadian soprano Suzie LeBlanc inhabits these difficult works with ease, imbuing the lyrics with pure and exquisite tone. Seldom recorded, the dramatic cantata La Mort du nombre is one of the most interesting works on this disc, ranging from lyrical to dramatic. Written for piano, violin, soprano and tenor, the piece explores the theme of love between man and woman, human and god with lyrics written by Messiaen himself. He weaves a rich tonal tapestry, at times evoking Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande. Tenor Lawrence Wiliford lends a compelling voice, flowingly expressive with a large dramatic capacity. The young composer's originality later blossomed into extraordinary vision.
Hannah Rahimi - La Scena Musicale

Le Devoir
October 18, 2008

Le CD Atma Chants de terre et de ciel de Messiaen avec Suzie LeBlanc est intéressant. Il offre une perspective -- des Trois Mélodies de 1930 aux Chants des années 1937-38 -- des années 30, où se dessine le style du compositeur. En complément, deux oeuvres pour violon et piano et La Mort du nombre, courte et rare cantate avec ténor (Lawrence Wiliford) et violon. La voix de Suzie LeBlanc convient bien à l'ambitus expressif et stylistique de ce bel apport à l'année Messiaen.
Christophe Huss - Le Devoir
 

Le Journal de Montréal
October 10, 2008

★★★★
La soprano montréalaise Suzie LeBlanc célèbre l'univers du compositeur Olivier Messiaen. Dans un registre qui nous fait penser à La Mer jolie (ATMA), elle appose sa magnifique voix cristalline à une série de mélodies et de poèmes qui feront fondre les plus endurcis! De la haute voltige, classique et littéraire.
Christophe Rodriguez - Le Journal de Montréal

Voir
October 9, 2008

La soprano Suzie LeBlanc nous offre un très beau recueil d'oeuvres de jeunesse d'Olivier Messiaen, dont on célèbre cette année le centenaire. Des musiques composées entre 1930 et 1938, qui gardent la saveur impressionniste du tournant du siècle, mais dont certains passages devaient commencer à faire grincer des oreilles dans les salons. Mais ne craignez rien, la voix est exquise, le pianiste Robert Kortgaard est toujours là où il faut, et la violoniste Laura Andriani, qui partage deux instrumentales avec lui, tirerait des larmes à une chaise. On a même la seule pièce de Messiaen comportant une partie de ténor (Lawrence Wiliford) et des notes de Jean Boivin. 
Réjean Beaucage - Voir
 

The New Jersey Star Ledger
October 8, 2008

The records marking the centenary of French modernist Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) have been disappointingly thin, being mostly multiple versions of his "Quartet for the End of Time." So, this thoughtfully conceived, beautifully realized recital disc does a great service. Featuring French-Canadian soprano Suzie LeBlanc, the program highlights the songwriting of the young Messiaen, when he was enraptured with his first, short-lived wife and under the spell of Debussy.
There is an ecstatic quality to the cycles "Trois Melodies" and "Chants de Terre et de Ciel" (Songs of the Earth and Sky), all swooning lyricism and moonlit atmosphere. These are deeply French, high-art songs, crafted like jewels. But they also have an effortless naturalism, especially with a singer like LeBlanc. The soprano, in her mid-40s, has specialized in Baroque repertoire, but she has also explored the folk tunes of her Acadian heritage. Her tone is silvery, clear and floating (with the barest vibrato), her phrasing intimate like she's singing just for you. These qualities are ideal, as Messiaen's songs are about romantic faith and spiritual love.
The piano parts are rich, with Messiaen giving impressionistic harmony a modernist update. The composer's first wife was a violinist, and he wrote several pieces for her, including the ravishingly lyrical "Vocalise" for violin and piano, played lovingly here by Laura Andriani. Also included is the melodious "Theme et Variations" for violin and piano, with Andriani taking it at flowing pace while managing the most poetic close.
The rarity here is "La Mort du Nombre," a dramatic mini-cantata for soprano, tenor, violin and piano by the 21-year-old Messiaen that shows the influence of Wagner's love music through the prism of Debussy's "Pelleas et Melisande." Lawrence Wiliford may sound a bit callow next to LeBlanc, but they entwine intensely enough, the piece ending with shimmering, love-struck piano.
Linda A. Fowler - The Star Ledger

The Toronto Star
October 7, 2008

★★★★
The Acadian soprano unleashed her almost ethereal voice and artistry on some of this program at the Sharon Temple this summer. The songs are just as mesmerizing on disc, accompanied with exceptional grace by Robert Kortgaard on piano. Toronto lyric tenor Lawrence Wiliford makes a welcome cameo, as does violinist Laura Andriani.
John Terauds - The Toronto Star