This sublime recording of Henri Duparc's complete mélodies spans the entirety of the composer's musical career - a career tragically cut short by mental illness. Duparc was plagued by nervousness, and his frequent changes of opinion or of heart led him to destroy most of the music he composed, leaving relatively little to posterity.What we do have are a collection of songs wonderfully varied in style and inspiration, balancing the composer's French roots with the German influences that were so often predominant in his oeuvre. From the intensely Wagnerian 'Au Pays où se fait la guerre' to the distinctly Gounodian 'Sérénade'; from the drama of the 'Chanson triste' to the seductive yearning of the 'Sérénade florentine'; from the feverish 'Le Manoir de Rosemonde' to the solemn and moving 'Lamento' -these settings of more than a dozen different poets carry us enthrallingly through Duparc's ever-changing poetic universe.Andrea Mastroni and Mattia Ometto have an established track record in performing 19th-century chamber music together, particularly Schubert Lieder. 'Golden-touch' pianist Ometto (American Record Guide) also recorded the complete mélodies of César Franck for Brilliant Classics in 2013. Bass Andrea Mastroni is one of the foremost young vocalists of Italy, he performed at world famous stages like La Scala Milano, La Fenice, Bayerische Staatsoper, Theatre de Champs-Elysées, Opera National de Paris. He is expertly seconded by pianist Mattia Ometto, a well known soloist, here in the role of a sympathetic duo partner.