Songs and Dances - music by Berio, Bartók and Ravel with soloist Lotte Betts-Dean

With the luminous and expressive voice of Lotte Betts-Dean and youthful energy of Chromatica Orchestra's players, Eastern European folk melodies and French Baroque dances are reborn in three richly coloured 20th-century masterpieces that are moving, raw, spirited and beautiful.

Berio’s Folk Songs offer a spellbinding journey through traditional music from around the world. Melodies from Armenia, Sicily, and the American South are reimagined with modern harmonies, blending classical instrumentation with raw, earthy vocals that channel the expressive power of the human voice into a vivid and emotionally resonant chamber work. Lotte Betts-Dean’s striking voice and expressive depth reveal both the raw beauty and contemporary edge of these songs. Drawn from authentic field recordings, Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances burst with rhythmic vitality and rustic charm, capturing the spirit of Transyvanian village life with irresistible flair. Each dance pulses with life, inviting listeners into a world of fiddles, footwork, and fiery celebration. Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin balances lightness and gravity in a graceful homage to French Baroque style that echoes the elegance of 18th-century dance forms. Ravel’s crystalline textures and delicate ornamentation evoke the spirit of Couperin and his contemporaries. Composed during World War I, each movement is dedicated to a fallen friend, blending grace and restraint with quiet emotional resonance.