Barbara Hendricks
In 2023, VF Gold, a joint initiative of the Verbier Festival and Deutsche Grammophon, released its debut album. Embracing storytelling as a central element of many festivals, this album brings together two remarkable performances from early summers in Verbier. The collection opens with Jean de Brunhoff's classic narrative, 'L'Histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant', narrated by the renowned Peter Ustinov. The story is brought to life by Roger Vignoles' graceful interpretation of Poulenc's piano accompaniment. The second part features a stunning performance of Fauré's 'La Bonne Chanson', in which the celebrated soprano Barbara Hendricks, together with the Carmina Quartet, lends her unique charm to the wonderful poems of Paul Verlaine.