Veronique

1. Veronique

2. Night Song

3. Firefly

4. Rainbo Dreams

5. Jenny's Theme

6. Battlescar Galorica

7. The "Phun" Theme

8. Breakphun

Veronique,Phuntaine,PPL Records USA

Véronique Gens - Nuit d'étoiles (Mélodies Française) / Vignoles

Average customer rating:

Lovely
An unexpected glimpse of happiness.
Enchanting recital of French Melodies
Nuit d'toiles - Melodies Francaises/ Gens, Vignoles
An Outstanding Vocal Performance

Véronique Gens - Nuit d'étoiles (Mélodies Française) / Vignoles
Gabriel Fauré , Claude Debussy , Francis Poulenc , Véronique Gens , and Roger Vignoles
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Véronique Gens ~ Berlioz - Les Nuits d'été · La mort de Cléopatre
Reneé Fleming & Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Night Songs (Fauré, Debussy, Marx, Strauss, Rachmaninov)
Tragédiennes
Forgotten Songs: Dawn Upshaw Sings Debussy
Poulenc - Melodies / Ameling · Gedda · W. Parker · Sénéchal · Souzay · Baldwin

ASIN: B00003ZKR9
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

Apres un reve, Op. 7 No. 1
Sylvie, Op. 7 No. 3
Au bord de l'eau, Op. 8 No. 1
Lydia, Op. 4 No. 2
Le papillon et la fleur, Op. 1 No.1
Mandoline, Op. 58 No. 1: 5 Melodies de Venise
Clair de lune, Op. 46, No. 2
Les berceaux, Op. 23 No. 1
3 Chansons de Bilitis: I. La flute de Pan
3 Chansons de Bilitis: II. La chevelure
3 Chansons de Bilitis: III. Le tombeau des Naiades
Fetes galantes: I. En sourdine
Fetes galantes: II. Fantoches
Fetes galantes: III. Clair de lune
Nuit d'etoiles
Beau soir
Fleur des bles
La Belle au bois dormant
Noel des enfants qui n'ont plus de maison
BANALITES: I. Chanson d'Orkenise
BANALITES: II. Hotel
BANALITES: III. Fagnes de Wallonie
BANALITES: IV. Voyage a Paris
BANALITES: V. Sanglots
2 Melodies de Guillaume Apollinaire: I. Montparnasse
2 Melodies de Guillaume Apollinaire: II. Hyde Park
Les chemins de l'amour - valse chantee

Customer Reviews:

Lovely.......2005-08-30

I recommend this to any art-song lover, and really, anybody at all. Gens does an excellent performance of a great collection of beautiful French songs. Her voice is enjoyable all the way, she has great expression, and a convincing mastery of the genre.

An unexpected glimpse of happiness........2001-07-21

Stendhal wrote that "the sight of anything extremely beautiful, in nature or in art, brings back the memory of what one loves, with the speed of lightning. That is, ... all that is beautiful and sublime in the world takes part in the beauty of what one loves, and this unexpected glimpse of happiness immediately fills the eyes with tears. This is how love of the beautiful and love give each other life." This is what Ms. Gens will do to you when you listen to this CD.

Enchanting recital of French Melodies.......2000-07-07

This is a most enjoyable release, all the more so because Veronique Gens, who is generally considered a baroque specialist on the lyric stage, may well be a torch-bearer of the elusive art of the French song in the coming decades. The voice of Gens, which is solid and well-integrated with an alluring dash of vibrancy embedded therein, is eminently suited to the repertoire represented in this new Virgin Classics release. Her secure technique (just a hint of strain in one or two high notes) also renders it possible for her to fine down her voice in the ending of phrases to a charming effect. Being a native French speaker certainly helps, too. Although hers is perhaps not the most strongly-etched of readings, she is able to inflect the text intelligently, and her subtle but heart-felt stresses on particular words not only serve to illuminate the poetic prose, but also meld beautifully with the notes that she sing.

The CD opens with songs by Faure, and while Gens may not possess the charm and naturalness of utterance of Maggie Teyte, whose recordings of Faure's songs are, in the opinion of this reviewer, unsurpassable, she can conjure up the right kind of feeling for every song as no one can. Her tempo for the popular "Apres un reve" is a trifle too laid back. Yet, she conveys to perfection the dream-like quality of the song, as well as the sense of confusion and regret at awakening. Her singing of "Le papillon et la fleur" is delightfully vivid, and her evocation of the feeling of sadness being kept in restraint in "Les berceaux" makes the performance both intimate and touching.

The Debussy group is no less impressive. Despite the innovative idiom in which most of these songs are composed, Gens is able bring them off effortlessly and stylishly. She is in total command whether in the serenity of "Beau soir", the romanticism of "Nuit d'etoiles", the rustic charm of "Fleur des bles", or the harrowing grimness of "Noel des enfants qui n'ont plus de maison", the last one composed when Debussy was being haunted by the atrocities of the Great War. In "Fetes galantes I", although the vocal and piano parts are often independent of each other, Gens's remarkable interpretation succeeds in unifying the two strands into a picturesque and colourful whole. The "3 Chansons de Bilitis", which are composed very much in the style of PELLEAS ET MELISANDE, also find an ideal interpreter in Gens where, blessed with a keen sense of rhythm, she succeeds in propelling the texts forward with musical grace and dramatic import. She would surely make a wonderful Melisande.

The Poulenc is equally fine. The young soprano is able to do full justice to the diverse moods in "Banalites", which, according to Olivier Opdebeeck, who penned the CD notes, is composed in a "part-melancholy, part-joyful tone with a barb of irony which the composer identified in the poet". The "2 Melodies de Guillaume Apollinaire" are sharply contrasted, one (Montparnasse) languid and brooding and the other (Hyde Park) gusty and piquant. Gens's singing of "Les chemins de l'amour", a cross between a Viennese waltz and a cabaret song, is loveliness itself and provides a delicious end to an enchanting recital.

The major reservation that this reviewer has involves the accompaniment of Roger Vignoles. While he is able to provide secure support for the singer, his playing is uncharacterful and even bland. Besides, the piano tone seems to be rather thin at times. Nonetheless, this should not detract one from the sensuous beauty of Gens's performance. This reviewer hopes that Virgin Classics would be encouraged by the success of this release so that they can present this most promising singer in further volumes of French songs by, say, Chausson, Ravel and Duparc.

Nuit d'toiles - Melodies Francaises/ Gens, Vignoles.......2000-06-13

Not being a professional, but loving the genre of French melodies I'll avoid technical commentary; I have become a collector of these in recent years and find this one extremely satifying and appreciate the variety this CD presents.

An Outstanding Vocal Performance.......2000-05-01

This ranks as one of the very best recordings of French 'melodies' that I have yet heard. Unlike most other singers, Gens gives the words drama and meaning. Too many singers perform these works in a detached 'artistic' manner that often makes them all sound almost alike. I say this not to belittle Gens' voice (which is superb), but to indicate that this disk will take you beyond the 'standard' interpretations of these works. I had a chance to compare one of the melodies with another recent recording by Schafer, another singer whom I respect Both were being featured in a local record store. It was hard to realize they were actually singing the same piece. I recently saw Gens perform much of the same program at a recital in NYC. This was the best recital I had heard in a very long time (I go to many). The disk is almost as good. It suffers a bit from a very unnatural recorded sound: the microphone is much too close to the singer and the piano is much too forward. Also the accompaniest in NYC was clearly better. Nevertheless, it would be hard to find a better recorded performance. The more I listen to the disk, the less I notice these drawbacks. The choice of repetoire is also well done. I particularly liked the Debussy 'Trois chansons de Bilitis.' She ends with 'Les chemins de l'amour' which Poulenc wrote for Jean Anouilh's play 'Leaocadia'. This has become very popular outside the normal recital circuit. If you get only one disk of French melodies, this is the one to get.

Average customer rating:

at once ancient and modern...
The best performance of this opera
Monteverdi's first composition
The First Great Opera

Monteverdi: L'Orfeo
Ian Bostridge , Patrizia Ciofi , Alice Coote , Natalie Dessay , Véronique Gens , Sonia Prina , Emmanuelle Haïm , Claudio Monteverdi , Carolyn Sampson , and Paul Agnew
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Purcell: The Fairy Queen
Handel - Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno

ASIN: B0001BFIMS
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Tracks:

Toccata
Ritornello
Dal Mio Permesso Amato
Ritornello
Io La Musica Son
Ritornello
Io Su Cetera D'or
Ritornello
Quinci A Dirvi D'Orfeo
Ritornello
Hor Mentre I Canti Alterno
In Questo Lieto E Fortunato Giorno
Vieni Imeneo, Deh Vieni
Muse Honor Di Parnaso
Lasciate I Monti
Ma Tu Gentil Cantor
Rosa Del Ciel
Io Non Diro Qual Sia
Lasciate I Monti
Vieni Imeneo, Deh Vieni
Ma S'il Nostro Gioir Dal Ciel Deriva
Alcun Non Sia Che Disperato In Preda
Che Poiche Nembo Rio Gravido Il Seno
E Dopo L'aspro Gel Del Verno Ignudo
Ecco Orfeo Cui Pur Dianzi
Ecco Pur Ch'a Voi Ritorno
Mira Ch'a Se N'alletta
In Questo Prato Adorno
Qui Le Napee Vezzose
Vi Ricorda O Bosch' Ombrosi
Mira, Deh Mira Orfeo
In Un Fiorito Prato
Tu Se' Morta Mia Vita
Ahi Caso Acerbo
Ma Io Ch'in Questa Lingua
Chi Ne Consola Ahi Lassi?
Ritornello

Tracks:

Sinfonia
Scorto Da Te Mio Nume
Ecco L'atra Palude Speranza
O Tu Ch'innanzi Mort' A Queste Rive
Sinfonia
Possente Spirto E Formidabil Nume
Ritornello: Violino I & II
Non Vivo Io No, Che Poi Di Vita E Priva
Ritornello: Cornetto I & II
A Lei Volt' Ho Il Camin Per L'aer Cieco
Ritornello: Arpa
Orfeo Son Io Che D'Euridice I Passi
Sol Tu Nobile Deo Puoi Darmi Aita
Ben Mi Lusinga Alquanto
Ahi Sventurato Amante
Sinfonia
Ei Dorme, E La Mia Cetra
Nulla Impresa Per Huom Si Tenta In Vano
Signor Quell'infelice
Benche Severo E Immutabil Fato
O De Gli Habitator De L'ombre Eterne
Quali Grazie Ti Rendo
Tue Soavi Parole
Pietade Oggi Et Amore
Qual Honor Di Te Fia Degno
Ma Mentre Io Canto (Ohime)
O Dolcissimi Lumi Io Pur Vi Veggio
Ahi Vista Troppo Dolce E Troppo
Dove Te'n Vai Mia Vita?
E La Virtute Un Raggio
Ritornello
Questi I Campi Di Tracia
Ma Tu Anima Mia Se Mai Ritorna
Tu Bella Fusti E Saggia
Hor L'altre Donne Son Superbe E Perfide
Sinfonia
Perch'a Lo Sdegno E Al Dolor Impreda
Padre Cortese, Al Maggior Uopo Arrivi
Troppo Troppo Gioisti
Si Non Vedro Piu Mai
Saliam Cantand' Al Cielo
Vanne Orfeo Felice A Pieno
Moresca

Amazon.com

It seems natural that of all mythological heroes, Orpheus, a singer endowed with matchless musical gifts, should appeal to so many opera composers. L'Orfeo, which premiered at the Court of Mantua in 1607, was Monteverdi's first opera. This fairly new genre sought to combine performing practices of Greek and Roman antiquity with music capable of arousing and expressing emotions through a dramatic text. Alessandro Striggio's libretto gives the story an unusual perspective: it focuses on the power of music, but also on the need for self-discipline. Orpheus, having conquered the forces of death and Hades, is undone by his inability to accept the transience of mortal joy and to control his own impulses. Thus, the opera ends differently from the myth, as well as from the more famous opera by Gluck: Apollo, Orpheus' father, appears and offers him eternal bliss in Heaven. The music is enchantingly beautiful. The vocal lines are cast in the rhetorical "speech-song" used at the time, which carries the dramatic action and expresses the emotions of the characters; however, there is much elaborate coloratura and ornamentation at crucial moments. Instrumental "ritornellos" alternate with the vocal sections in infinitely varied, imaginative combinations, and the wonderfully rich-sounding chorus, impersonating shepherds, friends and furies, adds commentary in chorale-like or contrapuntal settings. The performance is superb. In the prominent part of Orpheus, Ian Bostridge is riveting, changing and coloring his voice to express joy, hope, pleading, passion, anguish, despair; even the intricate coloratura passages add to the emotional impact. Also outstanding are Natalie Dessay, Alice Coote, Mario Luperi and Christopher Maltman. The orchestra is a crucial element, supporting the singers, sometimes with answering and echoing solo lines, setting mood and atmosphere in the instrumental sections; the brass choir passages---solemn, somber, gloriously triumphant---are especially striking. Interestingly, though the strings play without vibrato, the singers mostly use full, vibrant voice. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

at once ancient and modern..........2007-05-20

Although I am quite familiar with orchestral music of the great composers, I have never really made much time for opera. Although I am only familiar with a few great operas, I really enjoy this one which is ancient-I guess the first modern opera of all time.

Montiverdi seems to touch upon something here that is at once ancient and modern. The music is urgent and passionate and the subject matter is classic as a song of love and death.

Although I am not familiar with any of the artists, I strongly reccomend "Orfeo" by Monteverdi as a piece that, given an even chance, you may like very much.

The best performance of this opera.......2007-04-10

I own 3 other audio CD versions and 5 DVD versions of this great, great opera, and can tell you that this CD set is the best of the best. The ornamentation and timing are superb. A nice aside about this recording is that when you import it into iTunes to put onto your iPod (or listen via your computer) the 80 tracks come out sequentially numbered, despite the fact that there are 2 CDs. Having that many tracks (and they are appropriately labeled) makes it easy to jump to your favorite spots.
The tempi and inventive percussion use on this recording are other reasons to love it, besides the world-class singing, especially of Bostridge, Dessay, and the magnificent Alice Coote.

Monteverdi's first composition.......2006-02-18

Excellent service from Amazon - this arrived in time for a family get-together and the music was thoroughly enjoyed. Not excatly my cup-of-tea but the majority of those gathered thoroughly enjoyed the quality of the recording and being able to hear it in a family music group.

The First Great Opera.......2004-05-08

Claudio Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, composed in 1606, is widely considered the first great opera. As an art form, opera was created not quite 20 years earlier, in an attempt to recapture the musical and dramatic ideas of ancient Greece. Jacopo Peri had apparently initiated that great experiment with his work Euridice. Monteverdi used the same story, one that naturally lent itself to depiction with lots of singing, and created a masterpiece that has endured for four hundred years. The story is from Classical mythology; Orpheus, a gifted singer, is to marry Euridice, but before the nuptials she is killed by a snake. Orpheus descends to Hades to plead with Pluto, God of the Underworld, for her return. Moved by Orpheus's song, his love, and the entries of his own wife, Pluto agrees to allow Euridice to return on one condition. Euridice is to follow Orpheus back to the surface, but he must not look back at her, he must trust Pluto's word. Of course, doubt clouds Orpheus's intentions and when he ultimately turns, Euridice is lost to him forever. The final act provides the obligatory happy ending, in which Apollo appears and takes Orpheus with him to the Heavens.

The whole is extremely mannered, there's no attempt at naturalism in this opera. Each act primarily portrays a single emotion--joyous love in the first, despair in the second and fourth, hope in the third and again joy in the final act. Most of the action takes place offstage--in fact, there's very little action at all. The story essentially exists so that Orpheus can sing, and sing he does.

There's a fine moment in the first act, in which Orpheus sings about how sad he was before he met Euridice, who has filled his life with joy. Considering the fate soon to befall him, this is an especially ironic bit of text. In the second act, the highlight is the moment when Orpheus is told of Euridice's death, and his haunting lament, Tu se morta; Thou art perished. Monteverdi's makes fine use of word painting that is definitely worth noticing. As Orpheus sings "morte" (death) or that he will go down to Hades "N'andro sicuro a piu profondi abissi" the melodic line descends; as he sings farewell to the skies and sun, ("a dio Cielo, e sole a dio") the line rises. In the third act, I'm amused by Orpheus's song to Charon, the ferryman across the river Styx. Unable to move Charon with the depth of his entreaty, Orpheus eventually suffers the fate that far too many musicians have done--he unexpectedly sings Charon to sleep! But for Orpheus, this unanticipated lullaby is a blessing in disguise, as he takes advantage of Charon's somnolence to ferry himself across the river of the dead. I can't help suspecting that Monteverdi and his librettist shared some amusement at this plot twist.

Ian Bostridge, who overall is quite convincing, sings the role of Orpheus. Tu se morta is one of my favorite pieces of music of all time, and I have to admit that Bostridge's interpretation of that particular aria doesn't chill me. Another highlight of the third act is Euridice's lament, when Orpheus has just turned around, resulting in her eternal banishment from the world above. Originally all the women's roles would have been sung by castrati; men who had intentionally had their testicles removed before their voices changed to preserve their high range. Fortunately this practice has been abandoned and the role of Euridice is beautifully sung by Patrizia Ciofi.

For a host of reasons, and surely not primarily the lack of castrati, purists will argue about the authenticity of the entire performance; it is an admittedly emotionally expressive one, a touch Romantic in nature at times, with occasional rubatos that seem musically plausible if not historically accurate. It's a matter of some musicological debate, but for most listeners, purely academic. What really counts for most of us is whether the music captivates us. Personally I'm particularly taken not only by the melodic lines and the modal harmonies, but also by the fascinating sounds of the Renaissance instruments. L'Orfeo is the first known work in which instrumentation is specified; and it's a hugely rich variety of sounds, with violins, celli, viols, recorders, lutes, harpsichord, organ, and a very strange looking strummed instrument called a theorbo. There's more-for the act in the underworld Monteverdi employs cornetti (early trumpets, more or less) and sackbuts, precursors to the trombones. The instrumentalists do a fine rendition, although in a few odd moments the bass is uncharacteristically boomy and I'm not entirely convinced by some of the instrumental timbral choices in a few spots. Soloists and choir sing beautifully and although I've commented on the Romantic flexibility of tempo, this should not be misconstrued to mean the vocal approach is Romantic. It is not, there are no wild Verdian vibrati; pleasantly, Bostridge and his colleagues do not consider themselves Pavarotti pretenders.

The opera concludes with a dramatically unconvincing Deus ex machina; that convention of early drama in which one or more of the pantheon of Gods would descend from the heavens, lifting the tragic hero out of his despair and raising him skyward. In L'Orfeo's final chorus we are told that obedience to God rewards sorrow with grace. It's not a very compelling message from the modern perspective, but remember this harks from a time where royalty was believed divinely granted, and the composer surely needed to court his patron.

Offenbach - Orphée aux Enfers / Dessay, Naouri, Fouchécourt, Beuron, Podles, Petibon, Smith, Gens, Cole, Minkowski
Average customer rating:

Should be illegal - way too much fun

...is but to fall in love with Offenbach himself!

BEST EVER

BRAVI TUTTI

Never tired to listen to

Offenbach - Orphée aux Enfers / Dessay, Naouri, Fouchécourt, Beuron, Podles, Petibon, Smith, Gens, Cole, Minkowski
Jacques Offenbach , Marc Minkowski , Natalie Dessay , Jean-Paul Fouchécourt , Choeur et Orchestre de l'Opéra , Orchestre de Chambre de Grenoble , Laurent Naouri , Patricia Petibon , Yann Beuron , Lydie Pruvot , Ewa Podles , Etienne Lescroart , Jennifer Smith , Virginie Pochon , Véronique Gens , and Steven Cole
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00000I3U8
Release Date: 2002-11-11

Tracks:

Orphee aux Enfers: Ouverture
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Premier tableau: la campagne aux environs de Thebes - Qui suis-je? Du theatre antique... (L'Opinion Publique)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Premier tableau: la campagne aux environs de Thebes - Chanson: La femme dont le coeur reve (Eurydice)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Premier tableau: la campagne aux environs de Thebes - Dialogue: Il est sorti! (Eurydice, Orphee)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Premier tableau: la campagne aux environs de Thebes - Duo du concerto: Ah! c'est ainsi! (Orphee, Eurydice)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Premier tableau: la campagne aux environs de Thebes - Dialogue: Oh Venus, belle deesse (Eurydice, Orphee)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Premier tableau: la campagne aux environs de Thebes - Monologue: J'ai peur... (Eurydice)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Premier tableau: la campagne aux environs de Thebes - Ballet pastoral
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Premier tableau: la campagne aux environs de Thebes - Chanson d'Arist?e: Moi, je suis Aristee
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Premier tableau: la campagne aux environs de Thebes - Dialogue: Voila! Voila ce que je dis... (Aristee, Eurydice)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Premier tableau: la campagne aux environs de Thebes - Dialogue : Allons ! Allons ! (Aristee, Eurydice)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Premier tableau: la campagne aux environs de Thebes - Couplets: La mort m'apparait souriante (Eurydice)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Premier tableau: la campagne aux environs de Thebes - M?lodrame: Crac! c'est bon! (Aristee)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Final - Libre! o bonheur! (Orphee, Choeur)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Final - Couplets de l'Opinion Publique: C'est l'Opinion Publique
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Final - Viens! a l'Opinion (L-Opinion Publique, Choeur, Orphee)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Final - Duettino: Viens! viens! c'est l'honneur (L'Opinion Publique, Orphee)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - Entr'acte et choeur du sommeil: Dormons, dormons (Choeur)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - Les Heures
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - R?veil des dieux et couplets de Diane: Par Saturne, quel est ce bruit (Jupiter, Choeur, Diane)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - Dialogue: Ah! Pauvre Acteon! (Diane, Cupidon, Junon, Jupiter, Venus)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - Rondo-saltarelle de Mercure: Eh hop! Eh hop!
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - Dialogue: Et Pluton? (Jupiter, Mercure, Junon)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - Entr?e de Pluton et des Furies: Salut au puissant maitre
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - Air en prose de Pluton: Heureuses divinites
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - Dialogue: As-tu bientot fini (Jupiter, Pluton)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - Choeur de la R?volte: Aux armes (Diane, Venus, Cupidon, Choeur des dieux, Jupiter, Pluton)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - Dialogue: Une sedition! (Tous)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - Rondeau des m?tamorphoses: Pour seduire Alcmene (Minerve, Choeur, Diane, Cupidon, Venus, Pluton)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Deuxleme tableu: L'Olympe - Dialogue: Je suis a bout de forces! (Junon, Pluton, Mercure)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Final - Il approche! Il s'approche! (Pluton, Les dieux, L'Opinion Publique, Jupiter, Orphee, Mercure, Cupidon, Diane, Venus)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte I - Final - Gloire! gloire a Jupiter (Tous)

Tracks:

Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Troisieme tableau: Le boudoir de Pluton - Entr'acte
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Troisieme tableau: Le boudoir de Pluton - Couplets des regrets: Ah! quelle triste destinee (Eurydice)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Troisieme tableau: Le boudoir de Pluton - Dialogue: Voila deux jours que je suis seule (Eurydice, John Styx)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Troisieme tableau: Le boudoir de Pluton - Couplets du roi de B?otie: Quand j'etais roi de Beotie (John Styx)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Troisieme tableau: Le boudoir de Pluton - Dialogue: Va-t'en, je te dis, tu sens le vin (Eurydice, John Styx, Pluton, Jupiter, Cupidon)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Troisieme tableau: Le boudoir de Pluton - Couplets des baisers: Pour attirer du fond de sa retraite (Cupidon)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Troisieme tableau: Le boudoir de Pluton - Dialogue: A la une... a la deux... a la trois (Cupidon)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Troisieme tableau: Le boudoir de Pluton - Duo de la mouche: Il m'a semble sur mon epaule (Eurydice, Jupiter)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Troisieme tableau: Le boudoir de Pluton - Dialogue: Ah, je le savais bien (Eurydice, Jupiter, Pluton, John Styx, Cupidon)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Troisieme tableau: Le boudoir de Pluton - Ballet des mouches: galop
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Troisieme tableau: Le boudoir de Pluton - Entr'acte
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Quatrieme tableau: Les Enfers - Choeur infernal: Vive le vin! Vive Pluton
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Quatrieme tableau: Les Enfers - Allons, ma belle bacchante (Cupidon, Venus, Choeur)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Quatrieme tableau: Les Enfers - Hymne ? Bacchus: J'ai vu le dieu Bacchus (Eurydice, Diane, Cupidon, Venus, Les deesses)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Menuet, galop infernal et choeur - Maintenant, je veux (Jupiter, Pluton)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Menuet, galop infernal et choeur - Menuet: La la la. Le menuet n'est vraiment si charmant (Tous)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Menuet, galop infernal et choeur - Galop infernal: Ce bal est original (Tous)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Menuet, galop infernal et choeur - Dialogue: Et maintenant, fuyons (Eurydice, Jupiter, Pluton)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Menuet, galop infernal et choeur - Dialogue: La position se tend (Pluton, Eurydice)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Menuet, galop infernal et choeur - Dialogue: Oui, je suis convaincu (Orphee, Jupiter, Pluton)
Orphee aux Enfers: Acte II - Menuet, galop infernal et choeur - Final: Ne regarde pas en arriere! (L'Opinion Publique, Tous)

Amazon.com

The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of opera's most potent archetypes, the subject of the earliest experiments in the genre by Peri and Monteverdi. But Offenbach's wickedly witty operetta uses it as a vehicle to lampoon stuffy artistic conventions as well as the social and political realities of Paris in the Second Empire. In this sublimely ridiculous scenario, Eurydice is a flighty flirt only too happy to be separated from husband Orpheus, a dullard violin teacher, when Pluto kidnaps her into his realm. At the promptings of the moralistic figure Public Opinion, Orpheus reluctantly plays out the prescribed mythic pattern of trying to reclaim his wife, while a depraved assortment of gods intervenes. The collision here of sacrosanct myth with opera buffa seems almost to anticipate aspects of Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos; there is, to be sure, no mistaking an artistic lineage that leads to the romps of Gilbert and Sullivan. Marc Minkowski teases Offenbach's over-the-top parodies (an irreverent quote of Gluck's "Che faro senza Eurydice," for example) and stylistic gear-changes into an irresistibly fizzy concoction, using essentially the original 1858 version with additions from the expanded score of 1874. The orchestra brings out the exuberance of Offenbach's persistent dance rhythms--whether waltz based or in the famous can-can galop of the bacchanalian finale--as well as the tune-rich nature of the score. And the cast sparkles, featuring the crystalline acrobatics of Natalie Dessay's Eurydice, Ewa Podles in dusky, scornful contralto as Public Opinion, and Laurent Naouri as a horny Jupiter--to mention just a few of the treats in store here. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Should be illegal - way too much fun.......2004-01-21

This CD should be illegal - everyone from the singers to the musicians obviously had way too much fun - and so will you! Natalie Dessay shines as Eurydice and Laurent Naouri is a delightful (if rather roving) Jupiter, while Yann Beuron makes Orphee come alive. Ewa Podles gives Public Opinion exactly the right amount of santimonious self-rightousness.

A truly delightful recording - even if you aren't an opera lover, you owe it to yourself to listen to this wonderful romp to Mount Olympus and the Underworld...a case of Heaven in Hell!

Great performances all around, great sound...doesn't get any better (or more fun) than this.

...is but to fall in love with Offenbach himself!.......2003-08-30

I do not believe there are any cd's in my entire collection that I have listened to as many times as I have listened to this one! Tableaux Troix is nearly worn out! Thanks to a slight taste of the english lyrical versions of Offenbach on Lesley Garrett's 'Soprano in Red' album, I new I had to have more, and if Garrett was a taste then Desay is truly the meal! Everything about this album was great. The preformance of all the cast to the sound quality (which seems always to be of a high caliber with EMI) go beyond excellence! I can not recommend this cd but demand that you hear it and you will know what I am talking about!

BEST EVER.......2003-08-05

I recommend this to everyone I meet who is into music of any kind. I recommend getting the DVD of this performance as well..it's absolutely hilarious. If you're a fan of Dessay, Petibon, Podles, and Fouchecourt like I am, then what are you waiting for? It's time to order, yo!

Love,
Chris

BRAVI TUTTI.......2002-01-11

Excellent all around! Dessay and Podles stand out.

Never tired to listen to.......2001-12-28

I love this opera and this particular CD. For me the highest mark goes to Natalie Dessay for her pure voice and her expression. Against the purists, I really miss the ouverture-pot pourri that you listen sometime on the radio.

Average customer rating:

What you will hear at the gates of Heaven
I can't believe all the 5-star reviews...
maybe too much perfected?
Herreweghe and Bach
Excellence in recording; One of my favorite discs

Bach: Mass In B Minor
Veronique Gens , Peter Kooy , Christoph Pregardien , Andreas Scholl , Collegium Vocale , and Philippe Herreweghe
Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: Matthaus-Passion (St Matthew Passion) BWV 244 /Bostridge * Selig * Rubens * Scholl * Gura * Henschel * Collegium Vocale * Herreweghe (+CD-Rom)
Bach: St. John Passion
Cantates pour alto
Bach: Weinen, Klagen - Cantates, BWV 12, 38, 75
Bach: Mit Fried und Freud - Cantatas

ASIN: B000005Z2W
Release Date: 1998-03-10

Tracks:

Mass In B minor: Kyrie eleison
Mass In B minor: Christe eleison
Mass In B minor: Kyrie eleison
Mass In B minor: Gloria in excelsis Deo
Mass In B minor: Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis
Mass In B minor: Laudamus te
Mass In B minor: Gratias agimus tibi
Mass In B minor: Domine Deus
Mass In B minor: Qui tollis peccata mundi
Mass In B minor: Qui sedes ad dexteram patris
Mass In B minor: Quoniam tu solus sanctus
Mass In B minor: Cum sancto spiritu

Tracks:

Mass In B minor: Credo in unum Deum
Mass In B minor: Patrem omnipotentem
Mass In B minor: Et in unum dominum
Mass In B minor: Et incarnatus est
Mass In B minor: Crucifixus
Mass In B minor: Et resurrexit
Mass In B minor: Et in spiritum sanctum dominum
Mass In B minor: Confiteor
Mass In B minor: Et expecto
Mass In B minor: Sanctus
Mass In B minor: Osanna
Mass In B minor: Benedictus
Mass In B minor: Osanna
Mass In B minor: Agnus Dei
Mass In B minor: Dona nobis pacem

Amazon.com essential recording

This recording is, quite frankly, a marvel. In the opening bars of the Kyrie, where tradition dictates a powerful, agonized cry for mercy, Philippe Herreweghe offers a gentle, awestruck plea that took this listener's breath away. Extroverted movements like the Gloria, Et resurrexit, and Sanctus lack nothing in excitement; Qui tollis and Dona nobis pacem feel like fervent prayers. Herreweghe's luminous Collegium Vocale and skillful, sensitive instrumentalists make every gesture, large and small, seem exactly right. The soloists have attractive voices that blend with the period instruments and each other; while each is exquisite, tenor Christoph Prégardien and alto Andreas Scholl are magnificent. Underlying the entire performance is a sense of contemplative wonder that suits this deeply religious music perfectly. -- Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

What you will hear at the gates of Heaven.......2007-04-16

Though I generally prefer OVPP (one voice per part) performances, Herreweghe's rendition of the Sanctus transcends any other performance I have ever heard -- and I have heard and own most of them.

I understand the one reviewer's quibble. Herreweghe lacks the overarching dramatic momentum of a Gardiner. And, taking the performance as a whole, I too prefer Gardiner, Rifkin, Parrot and especially Junghanel.

But...

What Herreweghe brings to Bach's work is a sublimity and tenderness uniquely his own, a feeling that suffuses the whole with a transcendent spiritual glow. Nowhere is this transcendence more awe inspiring than in his Sanctus.

Forget the desert island. When I die, this is the music, this Sanctus, that I am taking with me.

I can't believe all the 5-star reviews..........2006-12-01

...because this is by far the most boring, lifeless, soporific of all the HIP recordings of the B minor mass that I know. Go for the Gardiner, Parrott, or Koopman, or the Rifkin for something more extreme.

maybe too much perfected?.......2006-06-20

In many ways this Mass in B is an improvement over Herreweghe's first recording on Virgin.
Quicker tempi in some parts like the "Gloria" which is also a bit more outgoing than his earlier Gloria. (although most parts are slower, but not noticeable)

Better soloists and even better orchestral playing.
His reading on Virgin was already pretty special because of Herreweghe's attention to the orchestra and its sound, compared to most other versions in which the orchestral part didn't seem that important, everything was focused on the singers and choir - but the orchestral part on Herrweghe's 2nd acount is even better, even more detailed and with character.

But what this reading sets apart from every other reading I heard is the recorded sound which is excellent.
Virgin's recorded sound of Herreweghe I was already superb, especially when compared to rivals like Parrott, Gardiner and Christophers which readings sound small, thin and bass shy, a definite lack of warmth.

The sound of this Herreweghe II is outstanding: big and sumptious with rich textures, instrumental timbres and amazing dynamics.
The "Kyrie" has very great impact, because of the sudden dynamic change, I didn't expect it to become even louder near the end.
Not that the sound is perfect: in the openingchorus "Kyrie" for instance the treble vocals (sopranos) in the left channel distort quite a bit - a cracking noise - as if the sound was recorded too loud.
It reminds me a lot of Herreweghe's 1st St. Matthew Passion, a very nice recording, but in every single air the sound would crack when the soloist suddenly sang louder.

Also the placement of some instruments in the stereo-image isn't alway that ideal: timpani in the "Gloria" (rather bass-heavy in this recording) are placed in the left channel.
This is not a problem when I'm listening through speakers, but when I'm wearing headphones it beats directly into my left ear (I obviously prefer bass and beat in the middle)
But overall it has the best recorded sound of any Mass in B I heard.

So this must be the best Mass in B then?
No.
I still like his 1st account better.
There's something about his Virgin recording - just like his first St. Matthew in comparison with his later account - that is very special.
I sense a greater 'searching' commitment and devotion which I do not hear that obvious in his later account.
Maybe it's just me, having lived with his 1st recording for so much longer than this newer one, and are terms like stronger "devotion" and "commitment" simply not true and valid, but do they exist only in my head.

Well ok, at least for me, just subjectively speaking (like every other ordinary guy would just give HIS opinion), this newer Harmonia Mundi recording does have all those qualities of his older account, but maybe too much perfected? Could it be?

Oh well, along with Herreweghe's 1st recording this one will remain my favorite Mass in B for a very, very long while.

Herreweghe and Bach.......2005-09-17

If you don't like HIP and prefer massive choruses and thick lush sounds you will probably not like this recording! That said, although Herreweghe is clearly in the camp of HIP, he doesn't overdo it. I find that when you listen to his recordings of Bach you can grasp and marvel at what is going on compositionally, without being left cold by lack of emotion. That is certainly true here.

Many other reviews have commented in detail, I will not add my voice to theirs in analyzing each and every aspect. I will tell you that if you are at all HIP oriented or open minded about a variety of performance styles AND are willing to really sit down and listen, you will find it a wonderful recording to own.

Excellence in recording; One of my favorite discs.......2005-07-14

I have several recordings of the Bach b-minor mass (Gardiner, Shaw, Harnoncourt and Herreweghe). Herreweghe's recording is the favorite hands-down. His artistic choices are excellent; The orchestra and chorus of Collegium Vocale Gent offer a broad and intense palette for Herreweghe's brush. This small chamber orchestra balances the voices beautifully and more succesfully than a large orchestra (Shaw). What is sacrificed in instrumental blending is more than compensated by the pronounced character of each instrument and the resulting dramatic effect. Rather than use brute force in tutti sections, Herreweghe offers subtly of line, emphasizing the genius of Bach's counterpoint with clarity. At times, an almost-spartan string section acts as a haunting backdrop for the soloists and chorus (best example 'Agnus Dei'). This is not to say that instrumental force is lacking; plenty punches through in the 'Gloria' and 'Et Ressurexit' where required, but the voice reigns supreme.

Chorus texture blends beautifully, at times sounding like powerful 4 and 5 part solo work rather than an ensemble; they lend enough force to carry through the full orchestra. Soloists are remarkable, delivering the text clearly and audibly throughout with solid intonation. I applaud the maestro's choices of sopranos Johannette Zomer & Véronique Gens (beautiful work in the 'Christe Eleison') and countertenor Andreas Scholl rather than the more common choice of a female alto; Sorry ladies, but the b-minor demands the purity of a countertenor. Scholl's voice is a perfect pairing to the oboe d'amore in 'Qui sedes ad dexteram patris' and the plaintive organ in 'Angus Dei'. Tempi are a bit fast throughout compared to other recordings but used to good effect.

I would recommend this as a first recording to anyone who is new to the b-minor mass , or as a second (third, fourth, or fifth) recording for those who own other performances. Through his period ensemble and sound judgement, Herreweghe elevates the beauty, expressiveness and drama of Bach's secular mass to a sacred status.

Average customer rating:

best recording of a Mozart opera, period.
A box of sweets lined with lace
Wonderful re-vision of my favorite opera
Wonderful performance, beautifully packaged

Mozart: Così fan tutte

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro / Gens · Ciofi · Kirchschlager · Regazzo · Keenlyside · McLaughlin · van Rensburg · Abete · Rial · Concerto Köln · René Jacobs
Le Nozze di Figaro
Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito
Mozart - Le Nozze di Figaro
Mozart: Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute)

ASIN: B000A169JU
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Amazon.com

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

Too long considered an erotic trifle, this masterpiece of psychological insight is on a par with Shakespeare's bittersweet comedies. The keen, witty direction of René Jacobs brings us a magnificently bracing, but never fussy, period-instrument interpretation. And the bonus CD-ROM allows you to explore the context and character of Mozart's opera in fascinating detail. --Thomas May

Amazon.com essential recording

However the characters of Così fan tutte behave, interpretations of the work certainly belie its title ("They're All Like That"). And this is one of the most bracing, exhilarating new recordings of a Mozart opera to come along in a while. Here you won't find any of the self-conscious uptightness that mars too many period-instrument undertakings. Rather, the attention that René Jacobs and his performers lavish on "historically informed" Mozartean style is as gloriously revealing as the brightened contours of a freshly restored fresco. Just take the startlingly crisp attack in the overture's first bars: it announces what will prove an unfailingly energetic, tart, and witty approach to Mozart's score, and one with an ultimately moving payoff. The Concerto Köln--including some giddily inventive accompaniment on period pianoforte--plays with hair-trigger precision and stints neither on the ironically winking nor the elegiac moments. Jacobs has assembled a superlative, stylish cast, from Pietro Spagnoli's mordantly cynical Alfonso to Véronique Gens's winning way with the high-flying opera seria poses struck by Fiordiligi. Most importantly, this cast forms a true ensemble: there is incandescent sotto voce singing in the Act I farewell scene, while at the end of the opera the antics boil over into a scene of poignant reconciliation. Finally, this set includes a bonus interactive CD-ROM crowded with information about the opera's structure, background, and interpretation, all of it engagingly presented. This is a package no lover of Mozart should miss. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

best recording of a Mozart opera, period........2007-06-24

If my username doesn't say it all (yes, folks, in this one Don Alfonso is a major player), let me add: if anyone out there knows of an opera recording better than this, I'd love to hear it.

A box of sweets lined with lace.......2006-04-09

The linear quality of the music in this recording is so well drawn out and detailed that I heard lines of music I had never heard before. It's very graphic and at the same time very coloristic. The vocal performances are extremely well proportioned and balanced creating an elegant ensemble whole. The pianoforte accompanment is like a lace lining to the work. As one other reviewer has said the feeling is like seeing a favorite fresco re-cleaned.It is an exquistely balanced and proported interpretation which creates a symmetrical musical whole in an intimate "repertory type" company production. It is also an interpretation that opens up views into the past(the Baroque) and forsees the future (Romantic). I think this comes from Jacobs' long successful work with Renaissance and Baroque opera, and with his work with late Haydn. There is a sense of the infinite in this interpretation. It has captured something of the endless potential inherent in the work. This recording together with the Bohm/Schwarkopf version will give you a sense of the potential of this work. (P.S. I found that the page numbers in the index of the accompaning book beside the track numbers to be all wrong (bad proof-reading) Shame on you Harmonia Mundi!

Wonderful re-vision of my favorite opera.......2006-03-29

This is one of my favorite recordings of Cosi. I love how fresh and transparent it sounds. Even though the singers aren't superstars like Schwarzkopf or Fleming, they certainly give them a run for their money. This is the most intimate and light of all the Cosi recordings I own, and one that focuses on the drama the most.

The only complaint I have about this set is the quintet in Act I (Deh scrivermi). The tempo is grotesquely slow here, which is almost shocking, considering that the rest of the recording moves along at a healthily brisk pace.

All in all, it's a very satisfying and pleasant recording, and deserves to be one of the top-ranked Cosi's of all time. But I'm not sure it's a good first-timer's choice, because its somewhat atypical. For one thing, Jacobs encourages his singers to employ appoggiatura (improvised decorations of the vocal lines), far moreso than most conductors; the results are somewhat mixed, because, though it definitely gives the performance a unique and distinctive feel, I feel that sometimes the singers make some poor choices in their improvisation. But that is only a minor point. Also, the pianoforte, which usually only accompanies secco recitatives, can be heard chiming in during other times, along with the orchestra. I felt it was a charming and original touch, but I can imagine some people might find it too odd for their palate.

In short, I think this recording is a must-own, along with the Bohm, Solti, and Mackerras versions. None of these recordings are perfect, but they each have an element that is the unrivaled best.

NOTE: This is just the re-release of this recording: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000I8DY/qid=1143623562/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/102-8917568-4027355?n=5174

Wonderful performance, beautifully packaged.......2005-12-26

I have a good collection of opera CDs, but this is fast becoming my favorite. Rene Jacobs has become justifiably famous for this interpretation of Cosi Fan Tutte (as well as his Le Nozze di Figaro). This rivals the classic recordings with Bohm and others and may even eclipse them all. I intend to try out his Le Nozze soon. If HM packages it like this Cosi, that would be all the better.

Harmonia Mundi has done a spendid job of packaging this "Mozart Edition" version as a slip-sleeved jewel case sized 278 page hard bound book with the three audio CDs in separate CD sleeves at the front and back. This is the best presentation of any multi-CD recording in my library. If only other music publishers would take a lead from Harmonia Mundi here, we could be forever rid of the fragile and user unfriendly plastic CD jewel case. The book includes libretto as well as commentary and synopsis in four languages with plenty of colorful images.

This is a beautifully presented treasure.

Purcell - King Arthur / Gens, McFadden, Piau, S. Waters, J. Best, Padmore, Paton, Salomaa, Les Arts Florissants, Christie

Average customer rating:

Possibly the best recording of a Baroque opera on CD
Don't miss this!
One of the best baroque performances on disc

Purcell - King Arthur / Gens, McFadden, Piau, S. Waters, J. Best, Padmore, Paton, Salomaa, Les Arts Florissants, Christie
Jonathan Best , Mark Padmore , Petteri Salomaa , Susannah Waters , and François Bazola
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mozart - Die Zauberflöte / Mannion, Dessay, Blochwitz, Scharinger, Hagen, Les Art Florissants, Christie
Purcell: The Indian Queen
Purcell - Dido & Æneas / Gens, Marin-Degor, N. Berg, Brua, Daneman, Fouchécourt, Mechaly, Les Arts Florissants, Christie
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas / James, Lewis, Baker, Herincx
Handel - Saul / Joshua · Bell · Zazzo · Ovenden · Saks · Slattery · RIAS Kammerchor · Concerto Köln · Jacobs

ASIN: B000005EEH
Release Date: 1995-06-06

Tracks:

King Arthur: Overture - William Christie
King Arthur: Air - William Christie
King Arthur: First Act: Woden, First To Thee - Chorus
King Arthur: First Act: The White Horse Neigh'd Aloud - Chorus
King Arthur: First Act: The Lot Is Cast, And Tanfan Pleas'd - Veronique Gens
King Arthur: First Act: Brave Souls, To Be Renown'd In Story - Chours
King Arthur: First Act: I Call You All To Woden's Hall - Chorus
King Arthur: First Act: Come If You Dare (Iain Paton) - Chorus
King Arthur: Second Act: Hither, This Way, This Way Bend - Claron McFadden
King Arthur: Second Act: Let Not A Moonborn Elf Mislead Ye - Hither, This Way, This Way Bend - Jonathan Best
King Arthur: Second Act: Come, Follow Me - Mhairi Lawson
King Arthur: Second Act: How Blest Are Shepherds - Chorus
King Arthur: Second Act: Shepherd, Shepherd, Leave Decoying - Veronique Gens
King Arthur: Second Act: Come, Shepherds, Lead Up A Lively Measure - Hornpipe - Chorus
King Arthur: Second Act: Second Act Tune - Air - William Christie
King Arthur: Third Act: Prelude - William Christie
King Arthur: Third Act: What Ho! Thou Genius Of This Isle - Susannah Waters
King Arthur: Third Act: Prelude While The Cold Genius Rises - What Power Art Thou - William Christie
King Arthur: Third Act: Thou Doting Fool - Susannah Waters
King Arthur: Third Act: Great Love, I Know Thee Now - Petteri Salomaa
King Arthur: Third Act: No Part Of My Dominion - Susannah Waters
King Arthur: Third Act: Prelude - William Christie
King Arthur: Third Act: See, See, We Assemble - Dance - Chorus
King Arthur: Third Act: 'Tis I That Have Warm'd Ye; Ritornello - 'Tis Love That Has Warm'd Us - Chorus
King Arthur: Third Act: Sound A Parley - 'Tis Love That Has Warm'd Us - Chorus
King Arthur: Third Act: Third Act Tune: Hornpipe - William Christie

Tracks:

King Arthur: Fourth Act: Two Daughters Of This Aged Stream Are We - Sandrine Piau
King Arthur: Fourth Act: How Happy The Lover/Ritornello - For Love Every Creature/In Vain Are Our Graces - Chorus
King Arthur: Fourth Act Tune: Air - William Christie
King Arthur: Fifth Act: Trumpet Tune - William Christie
King Arthur: Fifth Act: Ye Blust'ring Brethren Of The Skies - Petteri Salomaa
King Arthur: Fifth Act: Symphony - William Christie
King Arthur: Fifth Act: Round Thy Coast - Chorus
King Arthur: Fifth Act: For Folded Flocks, And Fruitful Plains - Jonathan Best
King Arthur: Fifth Act: Your Hay It Is Mow'd - Jonathan Best
King Arthur: Fifth Act: Fairest Isle - Veronique Gens
King Arthur: Fifth Act: You Say 'Tis Love - Jonathan Best
King Arthur: Fifth Act: Trumpet Tune - Warlike Consort
King Arthur: Fifth Act: Saint George - Chorus
King Arthur: Fifth Act: Our Natives Not Alone Appear - Chorus
King Arthur: Fifth Act: Chaconne - William Christie

Amazon.com essential recording

The Fairy Queen may be the most famous of Purcell's "semi-operas" (spoken dramas with extended musical items incorporated--not to say dropped in), but King Arthur, with text by John Dryden, is undoubtedly the most satisfying. Not only is the music captivating on its own terms, it's unusually well-integrated into the action--for example, one musical scene depicts the heathen Saxons performing a pre- battle ceremony; another shows good spirits guiding King Arthur and his men through a dark swamp while evil spirits try to mislead them. The first three acts have a lot of vivid battle and pastoral music, but the real goodies come on the second disc: the first duet of Act IV, in which seductive sirens Sandrine Piau and Claron McFadden attempt to lure Arthur into a stream ("come, come naked in, for we are so..."), and the masque in Act V in honor of Britannia, which includes (in addition to winning music) a Chamber-of-Commerce-like paean to British products such as fish, wool, and wheat, a rowdy drinking song with some pointed anticlerical sentiment, and the famous song "Fairest isle" (beguilingly sung by Véronique Gens). The multinational cast handles the English text well; other standouts include the marvelous tenor Mark Padmore and bass Petteri Salomaa. This recording was prepared right after Graham Vick's wildly successful production of the full Dryden/Purcell text at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris (the booklet has some impressive photos); not surprisingly, the performances have an extroverted theatrical energy usually missing from concert versions of this music. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Possibly the best recording of a Baroque opera on CD.......2006-10-01

There is a marvellous sense of energy and joy which comes from this recording. I have the Pinnock recording of King Arthur and I used to have the Gardiner recording (it was stolen from me). I enjoy many things in all the recordings of this work, but Les Arts Florissants's recording is very special. I sang in a performance of this work two years ago and I played both the Pinnock and Christie recordings to my fellow chorus members and all agreed that the Christie recording is just brilliant in every way.

The cast of this recording is superb, all the usual LAF suspects are here - Véronique Gens, Claron McFadden, Sandrine Piau, Mark Padmore, Petteri Salomaa and others - and the orchestra and chorus are in top form.

Needless to say, there is some irony in this work, in that the music is very French in its form, structure and effects - the Cold Genius aria was plagiarised from one of Lully's operas! The opera is, of course, a semi-opera and would have included a considerable amount of spoken dialogue. However, the music Purcell composed for King Arthur or The British Worthy is in a class of its own. Only his French contemporaries Marc-Antoine Charpentier and André Campra penned music of the same quality.

I highly recommend this beautiful and exciting recording to all music lovers.

Don't miss this!.......1999-04-04

Per Gramophone, this recording is one of the 75 best opera recordings of all time. I couldn't agree more. Bravo, William Christie. At least one other recording by Christie is also on this list (I didn't check, maybe there are more): Charpentier Medee.

One of the best baroque performances on disc.......1999-03-08

As with many other Les Arts Florissants recordings, this one followed a live production, and it shows: the vocal and orchestral characterization of the music is all the more expressive and meaningful. King Arthur, like most other Purcell's "operas," is a combination of spoken drama and "incidental music" to accompany it. Les Arts Florissants presented the entire four-hour spectacle on stage, but committed to disc only the musical part. Yet, even without the spoken word, every scene feels complete. Especially memorable are the scene of sacrifice in the first act, the famous scene of the Cold Genius (wonderfully sung by Petteri Salomaa); and the succession of vocal numbers in the fifth act, including "The Fairest Isle" (in which Veronique Gens simply shines) and the incredible ATB trio "For Folded Flocks" (Padmore, Paton, Best). Incidentally, here as elsewhere, Christie adopts a lower pitch of a' 392 Hz in order to enable high tenors (hautes-contre) to sing alto parts. This has become Christie's signature practice, and it is perfectly borne out by the latest scientific research into authentic baroque performance methods. This recording won a major Gramophone award in 1995, a very deserved recognition of excellence!

Rameau - Platée / Ragon, Smith, de Mey, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski

Average customer rating:

Magic Minkowski
Superb entertainment - frogs' chorus and all

Rameau - Platée / Ragon, Smith, de Mey, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski
Veronique Gens , Guillemette Laurens , Guy de Mey , Gilles Ragon , Caroline de Corbiac , and Bruno Cocset
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rameau - Platee / Agnew, Delunsch, Beuron, Naouri, Le Texier, Lamprecht, Minkowski, Paris Opera
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Strauss - Daphne / Güden · Wunderlich · King · Little · Schöffler · Böhm
Rameau: Les Indes Galantes
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ASIN: B000009IU9
Release Date: 1992-01-27

Customer Reviews:

Magic Minkowski.......2003-08-23

It seems that Marc Minkowski and his Ensemble Vocal Francoise Herr accompanied by Les Musiciens Du Louvre are incapable of putting on a poor performance. If you have a penchant for Rameau, this recording is one of Minkowski"s best. The soloists are all superb and the music inspired The ensembles are a particular delight. Well recorded.

Superb entertainment - frogs' chorus and all.......2003-07-13

Even the most committed Rameau addict may admit that some of his (mythological, pastoral, supernatural, etc.) plots are less than gripping for today's audiences, however richly he served them in musical terms. Platée, however, is a wicked comedy that has kept its bite, and that Rameau appears particularly to have relished setting to music. It has in abundance everything that's most engaging in this most engaging of composers: invention, colour, pathos, wit, charm and surprise.

Marc Minkowski seems to have something of a Midas touch. He has given us some of the best available performances of Händel and Rameau and - who knows, prompted perhaps by the sending-up of Olympus in Platée - has gone on since to give us an excellent Belle Hélène, indeed with one or two of the same singers in a successful new take on "crossover."

This set is, in my opinion, one of the finest ever recordings of baroque opera and should be snapped up while it's still available. Jennifer Smith's performance as La Folie alone is worth the price, and is just one of an abundance of musical and comic gems, from a love song to an owl ("le plus beau des hiboux" - Jupiter in disguise, of course) to a chorus of enquiring frogs.

Rameau - Hippolyte et Aricie / Fouchécourt, Gens, Fink, Feighan, Smythe, Naouri, Massis, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski
Average customer rating:

Great listenning experience

Racine, Rameau et Minkowski : le chef d'oeuvre

The Baroque opera you must have - if you're serious about Baroque opera!

Rameau - Hippolyte et Aricie / Fouchécourt, Gens, Fink, Feighan, Smythe, Naouri, Massis, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski
Jean-Paul Fouchécourt , Jean-Philippe Rameau , Marc Minkowski , Véronique Gens , Bernarda Fink , Thérèse Feighan , Annick Massis , Laurent Naouri , Russell Smythe , Jean-Louis Meunier , Jacques Loiseleur des Longchamps , Jérôme Varnier , Sagittarius Vocal Ensemble , and Les Musiciens du Louvre
Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rameau: Castor & Pollux

Rameau - Platée / Ragon, Smith, de Mey, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski

ASIN: B0000057EU
Release Date: 1995-09-19

Tracks:

Ouverture
Prologue - Scene 1: Shour Des Nymphes: Accourez, Habitants Des Bois! (Choeur)
Prologue - Scene 1: Entree Des Habitants De La Foret
Prologue - Scene 1: Air Et Choeur: (Sur Ces Bords Fortunes Je Fais Regner La Paix)
Prologue - Scene 1: Air Et Choeur: (Vous Etes Dans Ces Memes Lieux)
Prologue - Scene 1: Air Et Choeur: Quels Doux Concerts Se Font Entendre? (Diane, Choeur)
Prologue - Scene 2: Au Doux Penchant Qui Les Entraine (L'Amour, Diane)
Prologue - Scene 2: Duo: Non, Je Ne Souffrirai Pas (L'Amour, Diane)
Prologue - Scene 2: Invocation: Arvitre Souverain Du Ciel Et De La Terre (Diane)
Prologue - Scene 3: Descente De Jupiter: Diane, J'etais Pret A Defendre Tes Droits (Jupiter, Diane, L'Amour)
Prologue - Scene 4: Nymphes, Aux Lois Du Sort il Faut Que J'obeisse (Diane)
Prologue - Scene 5: Peuples, Diane Enfin Vous Livre A Ma Puissance
Prologue - Scene 5: Air En Rondeau Pour Les Amours - Plaisirs, Doux Vainqueurs (Un Suivant De L'Amour)
Prologue - Scene 5: Premiere Gavotte - A L'Amour Rendex Les Armes
Prologue - Scene 5: Deuxieme Gavotte - La Tranquille Indifference N'a Que D'ennuyeux Plaisirs
Prologue - Scene 5: Premier Menuet - Deuxieme Menuet - Premeir Menuet
Prologue - Scene 5: Par De Nouveaux Plaisits Couronnons Ce Grand Jour!
Prologue - Scene 5: Marche
Prologue - Scene 5: Entr' acte: Reprise De L'Ouverture
Act One - Scene 1: Prelude - Temple Sacre, Sejour Tranquille
Act One - Scene 2: (Princesse, Quels Apprets Me Frappent Dans Ce Temple)
Act One - Scene 2: Hippolyte Amoureux M'occumpera Sans Cesse
Act One - Scene 2: Je Vous Affranchirai D'une Loi Si Cruelle!
Act One - Scene 2: Duo: Tu Regnes Sur Nox Coeurs
Act One - Scene 3: Marche
Act One - Scene 3: Choeur Des Pretresses: Dans Ce Paisible Sejour
Act One - Scene 3: Premier Air - Dieu D'amour, Pour Nos Asiles
Act One - Scene 3: Deuxieme Air - Rendons Un Eternel Hommage
Act One - Scene 4: Princesses, Ce Grand Jour Par Des Noeuds Eternels
Act One - Scene 4: Non, Non, Un Coeur Force N'est Pas Digne Desdieux
Act One - Scene 4: Du Moins Par D'injustes Regueurs
Prelude - Choeur: Dieux Vengeurs, Lancez Le Tonnerre!
Act One - Scene 4: Tonnerre - Nos Cris Sont Montes Jusqu'aux Cieux
Act One - Scene 5: Ne Vous Alarmex Pasd'un Projet Temeraire
Act One - Scene 6: Prelude - Quio! La Terre Et Le Ciel Contre Moi Sont Armes!
Act One - Scene 7: O Mahjeur! O Funeste Sort!
Act One - Scene 8: (C'en Est Assez) - Prelude - Mes Yeux Commencent D'entrevoir

Tracks:

Act II - Scene 1: Ritournelle
Act II - Scene 1: 'Laisse-moi Respirer, Implacable Furie!'
Act II - Scene 1: 'Dieux, N'est-ce Pas Assez Des Maux Que J'ai Soufferts?'
Act II - Scene 1: Duo: 'Contente-toi D'une Victime!'
Act II - Scene 2: Prelude - 'Inecorable Roi De L'Empire Infernal'
Act II - Scene 2: 'Sous Les Drapeaux De Mars'
Act II - Scene 2: 'Mais Cette Gloire, Enfin, Fallait-it La Ternir?'
Act II - Scene 2: Air Mesure: 'Poure Prix D'un Project Temeraire'
Act II - Scene 2: 'Eh Bien! Je Remets Ma Victime'
Act II - Scene 3: Air Et Choeur: 'Qu'a Servir Mon Courroux Tout L'Enfer Se Prepare!' - 'Que L'Averne, Que Le Tenare'
Act II - Scene 3: Premier Air Infernal
Act II - Scene 3: Deuxieme Air
Act II - Scene 3: Choeur: 'Pluton Commande, Vengeons Notre Roi!'
Act II - Scene 4: 'Dieux, Que D'infortunes Gemissent Dans Ces Lieux!'
Act II - Scene 4: 'La Mort, La Seule Mort A Droit De Vous Unir'
Act II - Scene 4: Premier Trio Des Parques: 'Du Destin Le Vouloir Supreme'
Act II - Scene 4: 'Ah! Qu'on Daigne Du Moins'
Act II - Scene 4: Choeur: 'Non, Neptune Aurait Beau T'entendre'
Act II - Scene 5: Prelude - 'Neptune Vous Demande Grace Pour Un Fils Trop Audacieux'
Act II - Scene 5: Air: 'Jupiter Trient Les Cisux Sous Son Obeissance'
Act II - Scene 5: 'C'en Est Fait, Je Me Rends'
Act II - Scene 5: Deuxieme Trio Des Parques: 'Quelle Soudaine Horreur Ton Destin Nous Inspire!'
Act III - Scene 1: Prelude - 'Crucelle Mere Des Amours'
Act III - Scene 2: 'Eh Bien! Viendra-t-il En Ces Lieux'
Act III - Scene 3: 'Reine, Sans L'ordre Expres Qui Dans Ces Lieux M'appelle'
Act III - Scene 3: Duo: 'Ma Fureur Va Tout Entreprendre
Act III - Scene 3: 'Terribles Enemis Des Perfides Humains'
Act III - Scene 3: 'Ah! Cesse, Par Tes Voeux, D'allumer Le Tonnerre!'
Act III - Scene 4: 'Que Vois-je? Que Affreux Spectacle!'
Act III - Scene 2: 'Sur Qui Doit Tomber Ma Colere?'
Act III - Scene 6: 'Quoi? Tout Me Fuit, Tout M'abandonne'
Act III - Scene 7: 'De Mon Heureux Retour, Au Dieu Des Vastes Mers'
Act III - Scene 8: Marche
Act III - Scene 8: Choeur: 'Que Ce Rivage Retenisse'
Act III - Scene 8: Premier Air Des Matelots
Act III - Scene 8: Deuxieme Air De Matelots
Act III - Scene 8: Premier Rigaudon En Tambourin, Deuxieme Rigaudon - 'L'amour Comme Neptune Invite A S'embarquer', Premier Rigaudon
Act III - Scene 8: 'Pour L'auteur De Mes Jours J'aime A Voir Votre Zele'
Act III - Scene 9: 'Quels Biens! Je Fremis Quand J'y Pense'
Act III - Scene 9: Fremissement Des Flots - 'Mais De Courroux L'onde S'agite'

Tracks:

Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act IV - Scene 1: Prelude - 'Ah! faut-il, en un jour, perdre tout ce que j'aime?'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act IV - Scene 2: 'C'en est donc fait, cruel, rien n'arrete vos pas'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act IV - Scene 2: Air tendre: 'Dieux! pourquoi separer deux coeurs'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act IV - Scene 2: 'Eh bien! daignez me suivre!'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act IV - Scene 2: Duo: 'Nous allons nous jurer une immortelle foi!'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act IV - Scene 2: 'Le sort vers nous ces sujets de Diane'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act IV - Scene 3: Choeur: 'Faisons partout voler nos traits!'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act IV - Scene 3: Premier Air - 'Amants, quelle est votre faiblesse!'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act IV - Scene 3: Deuixieme Air: Rondeau - 'A la chasse, armez-vous!'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act IV - Scene 3: Premier Menuet - Deuxieme Menuet en Rondeau - Premier Menuet
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act IV - Scene 3: 'Quel bruit! Quels vents, o ciel!'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act IV - Scene 4: 'Quelle plainte en ces lieux m'appelle'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 1: 'Grands Dieux! de quels remords je me sens dechirer!'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 2: 'Arrete!', 'Pour un fils quelle pitie cous presse?'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 3: 'Ou suis-je? De mes snes j'ai recouvre l'usage'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 4: Choeur: 'Descendez, brillante immortelle'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 5: 'Peuples toujours soumis a mon obeissance'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 6: 'O trop heureux bergers!'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 7: Vol des zephirs
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 7: 'Ou suis-je transporte?'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 7: Duo: 'Que mon sort est digne d'envie!'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 7: 'Les habitants de ces retraites'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 8: Marche et Choeur: 'Chantos sur la musette'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 8: 'Bergers, vous allez voir combien je suis fidele'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 8: Choeur: 'Que tout soit heureux sous les lois'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 8: Chaconne
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 8: Ariette: 'Rossignols amoureux, repindez a nos voix'
Hippolyte Et Aricie: Act V - Scene 8: Premiere Gavotte - Deuxieme - Premiere Gavotte

Amazon.com essential recording

Hippolyte et Aricie was Rameau's first surviving lyric tragedy and is perhaps his most durable, though you wouldn't know it from the decades we had to wait for a modern recording. Now there are two: this one, conducted by Marc Minkowski, and William Christie's version on Erato. Choosing between the two is tough. Minkowski uses a smaller and probably more authentic orchestra, and with the resulting leaner sound, the performance has more of a quicksilver quality accentuated by Minkowski's penchant for swift tempos. His cast is excellent. The central lovers in the title are beautifully sung by two truly French voices, soprano Véronique Gens and especially the light, slightly nasal tenor of Jean-Paul Fourchécourt. In the pivotal role of the jealous Phèdre, Bernarda Fink is perfectly good but not in the exalted league of Christie's Lorraine Hunt. So there's no clear front-runner, but anyone interested in French Baroque opera must have at least one. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Great listenning experience.......2007-01-12

This is my first trying on Ramaeu opera, and that's his first article when he was fifty years old. I must say that it's a amazing experience to me, and I am very appreciated in Rameau's colorful music, so recommande to all who want to taste French baroque opera.

Racine, Rameau et Minkowski : le chef d'oeuvre.......2006-12-14

Sous un certain angle, tout le monde est là : Véronique Gens, Jean-Paul Fouchécourt et Laurent Naouri sous la houlette de Marc Minkowski. Mais celle qui transforme l'enregistrement est la mezzo-soprano argentine Bernarda Fink qui chante Phèdre avec une conviction et une émotion qui n'ont d'égal que la beauté de son phrasé et la justesse de sa prononciation.

The Baroque opera you must have - if you're serious about Baroque opera!.......2005-11-11

I bought this recording of Hippolyte et Aricie some years ago now and it has never failed to capture my imagination with its powerful and daring music. The cast of this recording is superb, particularly Fouchécourt and Gens, and Marc Minkowski's Les Musicians du Louvre are in top form here in this live recording.

Hippolyte et Aricie contains a wealth of music, ideas, tunes and styles. André Campra said of it that there is enough music here for twenty operas by lesser composers. The actual term "Baroque" was first coined to describe this opera - so the work is THAT important.

This is a live recording, but do not be troubled by that. There is no obvious audience noise and the recording doesn't feature stage noises in any obvious way.

It is a great pity that ARCHIV didn't arrange for or bankroll the recording of all Rameau's operas by Minkowski, but the three he did record for ARCHIV are very good.

I eagerly recommend this to all lovers of Baroque music.

Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro / Gens · Ciofi · Kirchschlager · Regazzo · Keenlyside · McLaughlin · van Rensburg · Abete · Rial · Concerto Köln · René Jacobs

Average customer rating:

Strong ensemble work, some excellent singer, generally strong and even cast.
Good Recording But Not The Best There Is!
Modern...Young...Fresh...
A very effective, if totally unsmiling Figaro, in the period style
Outstanding Mozart opera

Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro / Gens · Ciofi · Kirchschlager · Regazzo · Keenlyside · McLaughlin · van Rensburg · Abete · Rial · Concerto Köln · René Jacobs
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Véronique Gens , Patrizia Ciofi , Angelika Kirchschlager , Lorenzo Regazzo , Simon Keenlyside , Kobie van Rensburg , Antonio Abete , Nuria Rial , Concerto Köln , and René Jacobs
Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001HZ728
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Tracks:

Sinfonia
Cinque...Dieci...Venti
Cosa Stai Misurando
Se A Caso Madama
Or Bene Ascolta, E Taci
Se Vuol Ballare
Ed Aspettate Il Giorno
La Vendetta, Oh, La Vendetta
Tutto Ancor Non Ho Perso
Via, Resti Servita
Va La, Vecchia Pedante
Non So Piu Cosa Son
Ah, Son Perduto!
Cosa Sento! Tosto Andante
Basilio, In Traccia Tosto
Giovani Liete
Cose Questa Commedia?
Giovani Liete
Evviva!
Non Piu Andrai

Tracks:

Porgi, Amor
Vieni, Cara Susanna
Quanto Duomi, Susanna
Voi Che Sapete
Bravo! Che Bella Vove!
Venite Inginocchiatevi...
Quante Buffonerie!
Che Novita! Non Fu Mai
Susanna, Or Via, Sortite
Dunque, Voi Non Aprite
Aprite, Presto, Aprite
Or Guarda Il Demonietto!
Tutto E Come Io Lasciai
Esci, Ormai, Garzon Malnato
Signori, Di Fuori
Ah, Signor...Signor
Voi Signor, Che Giusto Siete
Che Imbarazzo E Mai Questo!
Crudel! Perche Finora
E Perche Fosti Meco
Hai Gia Vinta La Causa!

Tracks:

E Decisa La Lite
Riconosci In Questo Amplesso
Eccovi, O Caro Amico
E Susanna Non Vien!
Io Vi Dico, Signor
Su L'aria...
Ricevete, O Padroncina
Queste Sono, Madama
Ecco La Marcia
L'ho Perduta...Me Meschinaa!
Barbarina, Cos' Hai
Il Capro E La Capretta
Nel Padiglione A Manca
In Quegl'anni In Cui Val Poco
Tutto E Disposto
Signora, Ella Mi Disse
Giunse Alfin Il Momento
Perfida! E In Quella Forma
Pian Pianin Le Anfro
Non La Trovo
Gente, Gente

Amazon.com

René Jacobs has done it again. Following on the heels of his superb Cosi fan tutte, he now offers a Nozze di Figaro which is alive and vibrant; it seems to be happening in real time. There's so little artifice in the characters' recitatives and the rhythm is so conversational that we get the impression of real people, in a real pickle of a situation. The singing/acting is stunning, with Simon Keenlyside's Count the best on CD (a dangerous man just in control of his anger), Veronique Gens' Countess girlish and womanly in equal measure, the Cherubino of Angelika Kirchschlager extraordinarily well sung and properly boyish, Patrizia Ciofi's Susanna witty and wise and Lorenzo Regazzo's Figaro slightly darker than others, but all the more interesting for it. Throughout, the pianoforte not only accompanies but acts as commentator on the action. I don't find it intrusive but some might. Jacobs' instrumentalists play with real energy and brightness. This is a performance which feels as if it's being seen as well as heard. Just grand. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Strong ensemble work, some excellent singer, generally strong and even cast. .......2007-02-06

Some say the best recorded Figaro is Levine's, some say Boehm's, some say E. Kleiber's.
Some claim that the best Countess Rosina came from Te Kanawa, some say Schwarzkopf, now some say Veronique Gens.
Well, the foregoings are all very good.
Neverthelss, Rene Jacobs' account in this recording is good in an unique sense.
I could not remember correctly if the Levine version is the one with Anne Sofie von Otter and Barbara Bonney. If that's the case, well, that one is also good in that it has an outstanding ensemble.
Jacobs' version is also strong in emsemble work. The long Act II of Le Nozze di Figaro, if not rehearsed adequately with an even cast of musicians (orchestra and singers alike), could drive audiences mad (or 'up the wall' as some say here). It was recorded that this session alone containes over 900 non-stop measures of music. Jacobs succeeded admirably with his cast in delivering a crystalline piece, rich in harmonies with floating melodies continuously. It was almost like a Wagnerian continuation of unending melodies.
Well, Gens and Ciofi are all more than adequate, though I would hesitate to put them right on top ahead of predecessors like Schwarzkopf, Janowitz, Della Casa, Gueden and Popp and Bonney.
Lorenzo Regazzo did an almost perfect Figaro, just a little bit less in the all-famous 'Non piu andrai', but then only less than Siepi on Kleiber.
The real standout in the cast in my view is Simon Keenlyside's Count di Almaviva.
He has the right tone, the right nuances, the right mood. Don't suppose Almaviva is an out-and-out rogue. This s a conceited, spoilt, calculating yet naive character. Portrayal of such a character is never easy. Keenlyside did just right - no more, no less. You can catch the aristocratic pride from his singing, at the same time his calculating and suspicious nature. Not even George London did it better on Karajan's recording in 1954.

Good Recording But Not The Best There Is!.......2006-05-31

I give this recording 4 stars mainly because of the vocal quality of the soloists. Ciofi, although lacking expressiveness, has a superb voice worth being credited for. She performed better emotionally in the DVD recording of 'The Abduction From the Seraglio' with Zubin Mehta. Rene Jacob's tempo is compatible enough, but I feel that there is a lack of excitement in this version, and it does not reflect the mood of a 'comedy bufa'. Most customers refer to this recording as the best they have heard so far, after comparing it to Giulini, Kleiber, and Bohm's versions. I'm surprised to see that no one has mentioned the recording done by James Levine and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Now, THAT is the BEST version of Figaro there is, and believe me I have heard quite a few. Levine's tempo is state of the art, the string section of the orchestra played their notes with superb clarity, and the sound recording is flawless. Even the Met's chorus deserves extra mentioning in that recording! So hurry up and buy that set! It's from Deutche Gramophone.

Modern...Young...Fresh..........2006-03-21

Mostly we see the modernization at opera on stage directing, stage design and costumes...To realize that, you have to watch the videos of the operas...This recording gives you that feeling by listening...This is a Young and fresh interpretation of Le nozze di Figaro...Sometimes you feel like you are listening a baroque piece while you are listening to this recording...Thats because the orchestra is using the authentic period instruments...But the way they are playing and the way they are singing is absolutely modern and young...I loved the harpsichord player who accompanies the recitativos...He is just like a cast in le nozze...he is acting with his fingers...Singers are at their top...Jacobs conducting is marvellous...Nice Tempos suited to the performance...And the orchestra makes everything brighter...

The style is young and dynamic...A youthened mature Figaro recording...If you are a figaro collector this must be in your shopping basket...

A very effective, if totally unsmiling Figaro, in the period style.......2006-02-20

It's a shame that Rene Jacobs, who is such a skillful opera conductor in the period style, doesn't see Le Nozze di Figaro as a comedy. I'm pretty sure Da Ponte and Mozart did, but Jacobs brings out the class resentment more than I like. Beaumarchais's point, after all, was that the servants in this topsy-turvy household are wiser and wittier than their masters. A great Figaro gives us a smiling, knowing Susanna with a soft heart but more than a touch of the minx--I hear none of those qualities in the serious, efficient portrayl by Patrizia Ciofi, appealing as she is musically.

Her partner, Figaro, needs to be charming, a bit of a rogue and a hothead, sly, and always a mental step ahead of the Count. He is the lovable underdog who controls the whole scheme right under his master's nose. Lorenzo Ragazzo mildly suggests these qualities without really embodying them; he comes off as a good singer making nice points rather than a natural-born comedian, leader, or scamp.

The strength of this Figaro is the ensemble, since there's not a weak voice or lame actor in the bunch. Jacobs has totally overcome the technical weakness that usually plagues period performances--I felt a confident hand at the helm all the time, eliciting alert, if not deeply felt playing from the orchestra. Of course, deeply felt is the opposite of what period performances aim at in Mozart, sadly. This Figaro sparkles and skips along, which is satisfying in a different way.

Outstanding Mozart opera .......2006-02-12

Short and sweet. My favorite recording of this opera. Contrary to one reviewer, I don't think the singers sound at all like oboes! But, then again, I really like oboes.

Handel - Arcadian Duets / Dessay, Gens, Petibon, Claycomb, Lascarro, Panzarella, Mijanovic, Mingardo, Asawa, Agnew, Le Concert d'Astrée, Haïm

Average customer rating:

Not a good choice
Stellar Females Guide Handel's Lesser Known Arcadian Duets
Something's not quite right in the state of Arcadia...
Beautiful and artistic
Haendel 'di chiesa'

Handel - Arcadian Duets / Dessay, Gens, Petibon, Claycomb, Lascarro, Panzarella, Mijanovic, Mingardo, Asawa, Agnew, Le Concert d'Astrée, Haïm
George Frideric Handel , Natalie Dessay , Véronique Gens , Le Concert d'Astrée , Emmanuelle Haïm , Paul Agnew , Ana Maria Panzarella , Laura Claycomb , Marijana Mijanovic Brian Asawa , and Juanita Lascarro, Patricia Petibon Sara Mingardo
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00005UVA0
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

"Ahi, nelle sorte umane"
"Ahi, nelle sorte umane"
"No, di voi non vo' fidarmi"
"No, di voi non vo' fidarmi"
"No, di voi non vo' fidarmi"
"Caro autor di mia doglia"
"Caro autor di mia doglia"
"Caro autor di mia doglia"
"Quel fior che all'alba ride"
"Quel fior che all'alba ride"
"Quel fior che all'alba ride"
"Conservate, raddoppiate"
"Conservate, raddoppiate"
"Tanti strali al sen mi scocchi"
"Tanti strali al sen mi scocchi"
"Tanti strali al sen mi scocchi"
"Va, speme infida"
"Va, speme infida"
"Va, speme infida"
"A mirarvi io son intento"
"A mirarvi io son intento"
"A mirarvi io son intento"
"Sono liete, fortunate"
"Sono liete, fortunate"
"Sono liete, fortunate"

Amazon.com

It's tempting to think these duets, which Handel composed at various points in his career, are just chips from the master's block. But they constitute a delightful hour's worth of music, and when sung with the vocal brilliance and stylishness displayed here by ten top singers in various pairings, they add up to one of those rare discs it's hard to stop returning to. Handel must have thought a lot of them too--since he reused some of this music for oratorios like Messiah--and turned to the chamber duet form in his last years as well. There isn't a weak link among the soloists, though the contributions of Natalie Dessay, Veronique Gens, and Sara Mingardo are especially noteworthy. Whether asked to sing plaintive laments or flashy coloratura displays, these well-matched voices thrill. The accompaniments (harpsichord or organ, lute and cello) are faultless. The appeal of this disc extends far beyond Baroque specialists to anyone who enjoys outstanding singing. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Not a good choice.......2007-02-07

If you are not a great fan of Haendel, pass! It's interesting but not the best 'job' of Haim...

Stellar Females Guide Handel's Lesser Known Arcadian Duets.......2005-05-27

Ten world-class singers have been assembled for this 2002 anthology of Handel's chamber duets, nine in all. The selections are sometimes in two movements but more often in three contrasted movements with various changes in tempo, as they tell sometimes disheartening, sometimes effusive tales of the effects of love. They all have the familiar pastoral feel that Handel often brings to his compositions, and these, in particular, are inspired by the Arcadian academies and courts of Italy at the end of the 17th century. Led by Emmanuelle Haïm, this recording intelligently uses many distinct voices to lend individuality to each of the selections, in contrast to, say, the recent 2004 Handel duets CD in which soprano Patrizia Ciofi and mezzo-soprano Joyce Di Donato ambitiously tackle an almost overwhelming variety of Italian opera duets just by themselves.

All the women here are excellent. The particular standouts are French sopranos Natalie Dessay and Véronique Gens on the opening duet, "Ahi, nelle sorte umane" with their bright voices intertwined with deep, intense feeling; the lightness of Laura Claycomb's soprano matched with the superb fullness of Sara Mingardo's contralto on "Tanti strali al sen mi scocci" and again on the concluding "Sono liete, fortunate"; and the similarly contrasting performances of soprano Patricia Petibon and contralto Marijana Mijanovic on "A mirarvi io son intento". The two men featured are somewhat disappointing but only by comparison - tenor Paul Agnew sounds a bit unctuous and lead-footed against Petibon's ethereal silvery tones on "Caro autor di mia doglia", and countertenor Brian Asawa, despite a purity in tone, sounds dramatically constrained on "Conservate, raddoppiate", his brief duet with soprano Juanita Lascarro. Regardless, the overall mood of the recording is appropriately sonorous and for the most part, period-authentic except for Haïm's organ which is used to sparing dramatic effect. As she has proven with her wondrous direction of an equally stellar cast on the 2003 Virgin Classics recording of Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas", Haïm provides intense musical leadership among a varied set of talents with the able accompaniment of her ensemble, Le Concert d'Astrée.

Something's not quite right in the state of Arcadia..........2004-04-30

I saw this CD with deep interest, and purchased it without a second thought. The singers listed on the recording included some strong favourites of mine, and since I may be recording some of the Handel duets on this album this year, I was looking forward to hearing other interpretations of the music.

I was... not entirely disappointed, but sadly not captivated.

I found some of the accompaniments to the duets to be heavy-handed and almost paternalistic in their approach, particularly when the organ was employed. And stylistically, some of the singing was just... wrong. In particular, the flights of Natalie Dessay (who has done some gorgeous things - her Lakmè is ravishing) jarred. On reflection, I do not consider Dessay to be an ideal singer for the repertoire - she does much better in the 19th century French works and in coloratura Strauss roles, where she shines like a cluster of diamonds.

Although some of the singing here with the various singers was beautiful, it was not uniformly good, and in particular the duet work seemed under-rehearsed. Tightness in ensemble singing, even when it's 2 voices as opposed to more, is a MUST. There was no true blend present with any of the duet singing, but this was a problem that occurred more in some of the tracks than in others.

I could recommend this disc for its rarity value - Handel's duets are splendid stuff! - but not for the performances in the main. I wish I could have been more positive. I can only say that at least this disc is mostly better than another recording of Handel duets which I possess. Perhaps this CD is worth having for the repertoire, and one can always skip the particularly "not very good" tracks...

You'll know them when you hear them. Just listen for the wobble.

Beautiful and artistic.......2003-12-29

Much of Handel's work is borrowed into these pieces. This album is very well recored and beautifully sung. The many singers make this a real work of passion. Haim is musician and conductor is reaching new levels. This is one of the truly artistic albums of 2003. One could spend serious time studying the phrasing and note so many of the endings have a Handel's signature. This is the definitive Arcadian Deuts album.

I note it is diffucult for me to randomly select pieces from this album. It is best taken like a good meal, from beginning to end.

Haendel 'di chiesa'.......2003-08-05

The most famous male conductor of the moment offers, in her new recording, a selection of Handel's religious duets. With a chamber formation of her ensemble, Le concert d' Astrée (here wiyh only 3 musics, and Haim sit at the harpsichord and the organ) and with a very big formation of 10 famous solists: 6 sopranos, 2 altos, 1 countertenor and 1 tenor (all of them very experts in the barroque repertory) Haim makes a great recording, and she wins a lot of congratulations by me. A great disc tath all barroque lovers must have.

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