GUILLAUME DE CHASSY & CHRISTOPHE MARGUET WITH THOMAS SAVY /  Record Design

The Issue of Love

This album concludes an exhilarating creative trilogy.

Since our first collaboration as a duo 10 years ago, we have been searching for sources
of inspiration outside the musical realm.

After wandering in the company of Shakespeare (Shakespeare Songs with the saxophonist,
Andy Sheppard, and the actrice, Kristin Scott Thomas) and a tribute to Marlene
Dietrich (Letters to Marlene, again with Andy Sheppard), we decided to explore the most
universal and complex question of all: The Issue of Love.

To set the scene, we were looking to create a dialogue among French-speaking and
English-speaking poets. From the 17th century up until present day, from France to
England to America, what are they telling us? We observe the same eternal themes:
desire, pleasure, anguish, wonderment, hope and desperation.
Embodied by the voices of Delphine Lanson and Lambert Wilson, a collection of
12 poems inspired our music.

Following our modus operandi, we composed four-handed, allowing time and space for
each piece to mature, weaving an intimate rapport between text and voice.

And, our guest, Thomas Savy, joined us for this album, jumping in with characteristic
fervor and zeal.

As you can imagine, this quest holds a special significance for the three of us, recognizing
that no one can claim to respond with certainty to the Issue of Love, nor completely
escape from its torment…

Guillaume de Chassy & Christophe Marguet

Guillaume de Chassy: piano
Christophe Marguet: drums
Thomas Savy: bass clarinet
Poems read by: Delphine Lanson and Lambert Wilson
Recorded in October 2022 at Studio “Gil Evans”, Amiens by Maiköl Seminatore, assisted by Bertrand Härdi.
Mixed in October 2022 by Maiköl Seminatore.
Mastered in October 2022 by Marwan Danoun.
Project administration and coordination: Sidonie Lerer.
Produced by Mélodie en sous-sol
Photos: Jérôme Prébois.
Graphic Design: Christian Kirk-Jensen / Danish Pastry Design.
Contact: contact@melodiensousol.com
Thomas Savy plays on a Henri Selmer Paris bass clarinet, and uses Vandoren reeds, ligatures and mouthpieces.
Guillaume and Christophe want to thank: Thomas, Delphine Lanson, Lambert Wilson, Maiköl Seminatore, Marwan Danoun, Benoit Delaquaize, Stéphane Ichai, Bertrand Härdi, Drac Centre-Val de Loire, Spedidam, Adami, SPPF, CNM, Jean-Marie Chesnais and Babeth Slootman, Jean-Pierre Vivante, Philippe Balin and Agnès Rigal, Sidonie Lerer, Floriane Soule, Chloé Cailleton, Fabrice Radenac, Gaëtane Rousseau, Jérôme Prébois, Jean-Michel Daudon, Luc Genetay, Dominique Abdesselam, Olivier Acosta, Éric Fery, Elsa and Laurent Naouri, Carla de Chassy, Isabelle Marguet.
Our deepest thanks to Andy Sheppard for his priceless contribution to this project.