Lalo: Le Roi d'Ys

Le Roi d'Ys, opera in 3 acts
Composed by Edouard Lalo
Performed by Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
with Eduardo Villa, Philippe Bohee, Delores Ziegler, Jean-Philippe Courtis, Michel Piquemal, Barbara Hendricks, Marcel Vanaud
Conducted by Armin Jordan

Lalo: Le Roi d'Ys,Edouard Lalo,Armin Jordan,Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France,Barbara Hendricks,Delores Ziegler,Eduardo Villa,Jean-Philippe Courtis,Marcel Vanaud,Michel Piquemal,Philippe Bohee,Elektra / Wea,Classical,Classical Music,French Romantic Opera,Opera

Average customer rating:

A Lovely Bit of Froth
A curious mixture of Wagner, Celtic melodies and Saint Saens

Lalo: Le Roi d'Ys

Manufacturer: Gala
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Goldmark: Die Königin von Saba
Massenet: Le Jongleur de Notre Dame
Leoncavallo: La Bohème
Massenet: Le Cid (Complete) [Germany]
Auber: La Muette de Portici

ASIN: B0009IW9Q6
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Customer Reviews:

A Lovely Bit of Froth.......2007-02-11

I bought this opera because I enjoy the music of Lalo, especially the Symphonie Espagnol, I like French opera, and because it features Alain Vanzo. This is an "easy listening" sort of opera, with pleasant, accessible, not particularly memorable but very melodic music, very well performed. The choruses are interesting and there is a definite folk-music feel to some of them.
The plot is a little silly, being a story about a fabled land north of Brittany that is now underwater. Belgian bass-baritone Jules Bastin sings the title role, which is actually not all that large. The major male role, Mylio, is sung by the late Monegasque (born in Monacco) tenor, Alain Vanzo. Vanzo, who died in 2002, was perhaps the last great exponent of the traditional "French" style of tenor: which is a light, lyrical voice, very sweet with refined styling. Vanzo does not disappoint. He brings all his beauty of tone and elegance of style to his role. Vanzo can also be heard to excellent effect on recordings of Delibes' "Lakme", with Joan Sutherland, and Gounod's "Mireille", with Mirela Freni. The other singers are fine without being memorable.
The sound quality is good. GALA is a label whose CDs range from good to dreadful, and this is in the good range. And at the price you can't go wrong.

A curious mixture of Wagner, Celtic melodies and Saint Saens.......2006-07-01

I was familiar with the Hispano-French composer Edouard Lalo (1823-1892) through his justly popular Symphonie Esganole and also his beautiful Symphony in G and his cello concerto. Seeing a recording of his opera Le Roi d'Ys was available through Amazon, I decided to try it since his other compositions are quite enjoyable.

Lalo married relatively late in life to Breton mezzo-soprano Julie Besner d'Maligny and promptly proceeded to write a pair of operas for her. Le Roi d'Ys was the second opera (Fiesque was the first). Lalo had difficulty in getting either performed. Eventually he was able to get Le Roi d'Ys perfomed at the the Opera Comique in 1886. Although this opera has not become very popular, it has attracted attention from very fine singers throughout the years.

The music is a curious mixture of styles. Most of the choruses apparently are derived from the folk music of the Brittany peninsula of France. These choruses are quite lovely with their lilting celtic melodies. A few of the arias and duets also can be surmised to have origins in the Breton melodies and these are also quite lovely. Most of the arias, duets, terzettos, quartets, etc. however are definitely Wagnerian in style and contrast markedly with the Breton-type parts of the opera. As I am not overly fond of the heavy strident style of Wagner, I found these a bit hard to get through, but they are nice for the style of music and very well performed. In other places, an organ comes vividly into play with a style evoking Saint Saens. Yet other parts seem to presage Carl Orff a little bit. Throughout the opera, trumpet fanfares are common and add a touch of brightness.

The quality of the performance and the sound are quite good. This performance was recorded in 1973 by the Orchestre et Chouers Lyique conducted by Pierre Derveaux. Although I was unfamiliar with the soloists, Alain Vanzo as Mylio, Jane Rhodes as Margared, Andrea Guiot as Rozenn, Jules Bastin as the King, and Robert Massard as Karnec all sing their roles well. The rest of the cast, chorus, and orchestra also fill their roles well.

This opera is an interesting example of second-tier opera from the past. Although a session with it will bring the listener to an understanding of why it has never become part of the standard repertoire, it has its brilliant moments.I found the Breton-based choruses and arias/duets especially inviting and some of these are quite lovely. The Wagnerian elements are a bit too strident for my tastes and will keep me from listening to this on a frequent basis.

The second CD contains several "bonus tracks" of historical recordings of arias from Le Roi d'Ys that were made between 1901 and 1947. As such, this allows the listener to hear a number of singers who would otherwise remain unknown. Several soprano and tenor arias are presented. There are 5 versions of the tenor aria "Vainement, ma bien-aimee" for the character Mylio. This a particularly lovely aria with a Celtic lilt that the great John McCormack would have been quite at home with. The recordings of this aria date from 1901 to 1932 and are all, in a word, magnificent, performed variously by Leon Lafitte, Miguel Villabella, Joseph Rogatchewsky, Gaston Micheletti, and Andre d'Arkor.

If you like Wagner, you may well like this recording. If you like the lovely melodies of Brittany, you may also like this recording. This may never be destined to become anyone's favorite opera, but it is an interesting piece of operatic history. I do not regret purchasing this recording at the price Amazon offers it at. It will never be my favorite piece of music but it is an interesting listen and I do delight in the numerous versions of Vainement, ma-bien aimee. The melody from this aria is absolutely infectious and I will no doubt listen to the 5 versions offered again and again and again.

Average customer rating:

The Art of Gigli
Gigli Is A Wonderful Singer!

The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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The Very Best of Franco Corelli
Carlo Bergonzi - The Sublime Voice ~ 40 Tracks from the Legendary Tenor
The Very Best of Giuseppe di Stefano
Beniamino Gigli: Historical Recordings 1927 - 1951
Artists Of The Century - Jussi Bjorling, The Ultimate Collection

ASIN: B0000A5BXR
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi...Celeste Aida
La Donna E Mobile
Una Furtiva Lagrima
Qual Turbamento...Salve Dimora
O Dolce Incanto...Chiuder Gli Occhi
Che Gelida Manina
Recondita Armonia
E Lucevan Le Stelle
Dovunque Al Mondo
Recitar!...Vesti La Giubba
Intanto Amici, Qua...Viva Il Vino Spumeggiante
Mamma, Quel Vino E Generoso
Non Colombelle!...Ah! Tu Ch'Odi Lo Mio Grido
Che Avvien?...Ah! Non V'Avvicinate...No! Pazzo Son!
Cujus Animam
Panis Angelicus
Ingemisco
Ave Maria
Core 'Ngrato
Funiculi, Funicula - Chorus

Tracks:

'O Sole Mio
La Serenata
La Danza
Aprile
Mattinata
Torna A Surriento
L'Ultima Canzone
La Vita E Inferno...O Tu Che In Seno
E La Solita Storia Del Pastor
Un Di All'Azzurro Spazio
Andrea Chenier...Corragio!...Si, Fui Soldato
Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio
Di' Tu Se Fedele
Forse La Soglia Attinse...Ma Se M' E Forza Perderti
Rachel, Quand Du Seigneur
Puisqu'on Ne Peut Flechir...Vainement, Ma Bien-Aimee
Io Son Sol...Ah! Dispar, Vision
Ah! Non Mi Ridestar
Quanto E Bella - Chorus
Nessun Dorma - Chorus

Customer Reviews:

The Art of Gigli.......2007-03-09

After Caruso's death, Beniamino Gigli became one of the most renowned tenors in the world. His rich voice well justified his reputation. While some of his mannerisms (the little "cries" and "catches" in his voice) can be a bit overdone, they were not atypical of the time. A few reactions to specific cuts.

"Celeste Aida" from Verdi's opera is smoothly sung; his rich voice serves to good effect. As already noted, the little "cries" are unfortunate, but hardly an issue. His higher notes flow smoothly from lower ones, in a seamless fashion. It would have been nice to hear him try for the piano at the end, but he did not choose to do so. Any way you slice it, a nice version of a glorious aria.

"La donna e mobile" is taken at a rather slow pace. It is smoothly sung but does not really catch the spirit of the wretched Duke. He shows wonderful breath control. This is more a workmanlike than scintillating version. On the other hand, "Che gelida manina" is wonderful. Smooth, elegant singing. A very well done high note. An iconic version.

The twin arias from "Tosca," "Recondita armonia" and "E lucevan le stelle" are very well executed. His rendering of the final "la vita" in the latter aria is, again, noteworthy.

And now for something completely different. . . . "Funiculi funicula" is spritely sung, in good spirits, and it is a lot of fun! Most enjoyable. "O Sole mio," likewise, is well rendered. As previously noted, some "off putting" cries, but the warm, full voice more than makes up for such mannerisms. He does not overpower this song with operatic technique. The end result is most satisfying.

"La danza" befuddled the great Caruso (in his version, his breathing fell apart at one point). But not Gigli. Well sung, good breath control. Bravo Gigli!

Back to opera. . . . "Nessun dorma" is well sung. The vocalization is smooth. Gigli's voice soars over orchestra and other voices. The final "Vincero" rings out.

While this CD is not without some questions, as noted above, it is worth 5 stars for its full portrayal of the work of Gigli. As such, it can be recommended for anyone who wants a comprehensive introduction to this singer.

Gigli Is A Wonderful Singer!.......2006-07-31

It's an honor for me to be "the first" to review this recording for Amazon. As "opera lovers" know, Gigli was "the greatest tenor in the world" for many years after the death of Caruso. If you haven't heard Gigli, a great treat is in store for you! He had "penache" and drama in the way he sang. Plus he had a beautiful tonal quality! I could go on and on but if you "pass this guy up" you'll be missing some beautiful and dramatic singing from a "world class" singing actor.

Besides listening to Gigli on Cd, you'd be doing yourself a favor to buy a movie in which Gigli appears and sings. The movie is called "Non Ti Scordar di Me". I'll try to find it on amazon or from "The Bel Canto Society" and give it a "review" also. It's an "old movie" but it has a VERY touching story, is well acted, and you get to see and hear Gigli which is a great treat since he has been gone for at least 50 years. He "comes alive" in this CD and in the movie. You will "thrill" to the sound of his voice. Enjoy! Email:boland7214@aol.

The Ultimate Aria Collection ~ A Passion for Opera

Average customer rating:

OPERA HEAVEN
Incredibly Beautiful . . .
Ultimate Aria
Ultimate indeed

The Ultimate Aria Collection ~ A Passion for Opera
Georges Bizet , Giuseppe Verdi , Giacomo Puccini , Gaetano Donizetti , Ruggero Leoncavallo , Gioachino Rossini , Gustave Charpentier , Leo Delibes , Vincenzo Bellini , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Pietro Mascagni , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Francesco Cilea , Edouard Lalo , Camille Saint-Saens , Arrigo Boito , George Frideric Handel , Alfredo Catalani , Amilcare Ponchielli , Charles Gounod , Jules Massenet , Ambroise Thomas , Fritz Wunderlich , Rome Opera Theater Orchestra & Chorus , Maria Callas , Elisabeth Schwarzkopf , Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala , Wiener Philharmoniker , Orchestre de Paris , Carlo Maria Giulini , Tullio Serafin , Sir Charles Mackerras , Francesco Molinari-Pradelli , Riccardo Muti , and Leone Magiera
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Most Famous Opera Arias
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Aria II: A Passion for Opera
Aria: A Passion for Opera
Rapture: Opera's Most Heavenly Moments

ASIN: B000009OQL
Release Date: 1998-08-11

Tracks:

Carmen: Quand je vous aimerai? ...L'amour (Habanera)
I Pagliacci: Recitar!... Vesti la giubba
Madama Butterfly: Un bel di vedremo
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
Nabucco: Va pensiero (Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves)
Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro
Rigoletto: La dona e mobile
The Barber Of Seville: Largo al factotum
Louise: Depuis le jour
Lakme: Flower Duet
Turandot: Nessun dorma
Norma: Casta diva
Gianni Schicchi: A vete torto!
TOSCA: Vissi d'arte
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
La rondine: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira

Tracks:

L'Elisir d'Amore: Quanto e bella, quanto e cara!
Orphee et Eurydice: J'ai perdu mon Eurydice
La Boheme: Che gelida manina
La Boheme: Si, mi chimano Mimi
La Traviata: Di Provenza il mar
L'amico Fritz: O amore, o bella luce del core
Le nozze di Figaro: Voi che sapete
TOSCA: Recondita armonia
Adriana Lecouvreur: Ecco, respiro appena...lo son l'umile ancella
Le Roi d'Ys: Puisqu'on ne peut... Vainement, ma bien-aimee
Samson et Dalila: Mon coeur s'ouvre a'ta voix
Mefistofele: Dai campi, dai prati
Manon Lescaut: In quelle trine morbide
Serse: Ombra mai fu
Turandot: Signore, ascolta
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
La Wally: Ebben? ne ando lontana
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar

Tracks:

Aida: Se quel guerriero io fossi...Celeste Aida
Romeo Et Juliet: L'amour, l'amour...Ah, leve-toi soleil
Mefistofele: L'altra notte in fondo al mare
Werther: Toute mon ame est la...Pourqui me reveiller
Barber Of Seville: Una voce poco fa
Cosi Fan Tutti: Un aura amorosa
Le Villi: Se como voi piccina
Un Balle en Maschera: `Se come voi piccina`
Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jette
La forza del destino: Pace, pace mio Dio
Adriana Lecouvreur: L'anima ho stanca
La Gioconda: Suicidio
Don Giovanni: Dalla sua pace
La Traviata: De' miei bolenti spiriti
La nozzi di Figaro: Porgi amor
Turandot: Non piangere, Liu
Mignon: Elle ne croyait pas dans sa candeur naive

Amazon.com

Put together in evident haste, this collection is nevertheless a surefire, appetite-whetting starter kit both for the budding operaphile and for the simply intimidated. The samplings include some of the greatest voices from EMI's vaults: here you'll find the polar opposites Callas and Caballe, the golden wonder of Wunderlich and early Carreras, and a host of other singers who've made their stamp on this century. Emphasis is on the soprano and tenor range, while the lower voices are given short shrift, and the selections cleave predictably to standard Italian and French repertory (with an occasional surprise, such as an aria from Lalo's Le Roi d'Ys). Still, the nearly three and a half hours of music represented will make a ready convert of anyone who hasn't experienced the specially heightened, time-stopping expressivity--beyond the power of mere song--that is the aria's function and will likely spark a desire to explore the larger operatic context in several cases. And though the lack of a booklet with texts or at least bios of the artists is frustrating, this is a good place to begin for an overview of the mesmeric power extraordinary voices can wield. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

OPERA HEAVEN.......2002-12-13

Probely this is a good buy for someone who is gest getting into the world of OPERA.Still a very good purchaes with fimiluar songs.

Incredibly Beautiful . . ........2001-10-27

If you love opera - this collection of some of the lovliest arias ever sung by artists from Caballe to Freni, from Delibes to Puccini - will inspire you. It is a wonderful gift for friends or for yourself.

Ultimate Aria.......2001-08-03

In my small operetic mind, this set of Cd's has completely captured me for the Opera. I was a young and upcoming musician in my youth. I'v been around the block "as it were" with the Classics. This collection is indeed, the benchmark upon which all others would hope to aspire.

Congradulations EMI for an incredible vision of the greatest opeatic moments recorded.

Gosh what's next?

Ralph Hassman

Ultimate indeed.......2000-08-02

If you don't like the idea of buying whole operas, or if you're a newcomer to opera - this is an extremely good collection / introduction, worth every single cent. The collection features many of the worlds greatest singers, giving their interpretations of some of the world's greatest arias. The compilation itself is very tasteful and covers a wide range from Handel to early 20th century composers. You won't miss any important stuff from the history of opera, except maybe Wagner and the most modern operas - I'll come back to that fact later. The compilers have actually put some lesser known, although no less beautiful, arias here, that oftenly are neglected on ordinary opera-collections, why the name `ultimate collection' is more than correct in that aspect.

EMI have a enormous archive to pick their recordings from, and that of course makes it easy to find first rate interpretations of all the arias included in this collection, and I do think that almost all of the arias are wonderfully sung here. It may be possible to find better performances of single numbers here and there, but I've not yet heard a more complete, wellmatched, and so thrillingly sung collection.

Well then, is there nothing wrong with this compilation? You might find it a little odd that there are so many soloarias and so few duets, terzettos a.s.o, especially since the drama in operas oftenly is greater in numbers with more than one singer. You might also wish that some of the recordings had been a little more modern (most of these recordings were made during the 50's, 60's & 70's) giving place to younger performers that still are singing on the stages, but those are minor objections when the over all quality is so high.

Customer Reviews:

A must have for lovers of French Orchestral music.......2006-04-29

Paul Paray is one of the best interpreters of French orchestral music whose stereo recordings are gathered together in this budget priced box, and offer terrific value to the consumer: great recordings/ performances AND sound, at a low price. First off, this item is highly recommended.

There may be some listeners who have favorite recordings of certain works in this set, such as the Saint Saens ORGAN Symphony, the Ravel TOMBEAU DE COUPERIN (Paray strikes me as rather too fast in the Forlane movement, and other parts), or CARMEN Suites. But it is great to have all this music in one set, and Paray is not inferior to anyone in this music. There are several rare works here, including Paray's own MASS. And there is Bizet's rarely heard LA PATRIE Overture, and Thomas Overtures to RAYMOND and MIGNON; Herold's ZAMPA; and Saint Saens' Bacchanale from SAMSON ET DALILA. The Detroit Symphony of the late 1950s/early 60s plays wonderfully, sounding as good as many more prestigious "big name" orchestras.

Of course other listeners have favorites and may not agree with my perception, but I enjoyed this set alot, and will continue to return to it in the future. That's saying alot for one who's a committed fan of Karl Bohm (1894-1981), Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985), Carl Schuricht (1880-1967) and Bruno Walter (1876-1962). The "French" sound and style Paray drew from the Detroit Symphony is much different from Bohm, Ormandy, Schuricht, or Walter, but is most enjoyable. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Paray's MLP French Gems Are Back!, .......2005-06-07

Those familiar with my reviews on Amazon know my great love for the Mercury Living Presence series. Equally great is my disgust that so many of these brilliant recordings have been deleted in the last few years! Thankfully, some of these legendary performances are resurfacing as SACD hybrids. However, they are unfortunately now being sold at full-price, despite a competing Living Stereo hybrid series on RCA/BMG being available at midline. In spite of the added expense, I hope this MLP reissue trend will continue, and maybe we'll even see a few items receiving their CD debut in this series.

These various performances of French Orchestral Music by the great Paul Paray have always been among my favorite MLP offerings. While three of these recordings continue to be available in their original CD incarnations -- the Ibert/Ravel, the Bizet Suites and Saint-Saens discs -- the remaining two discs of material have been out-of-print for some time. However, with this box set Paray's Lalo/Chausson and French Opera Highlights albums are now deservedly restored to the catalog. Even better is the fact that the four 5CD box sets being reissued have been reasonably priced, however they are not SACD Hybrids. This Paray set, and the ones of Dorati conducting Bartok and Tchaikovsky, and Hanson conducting a variety of American music, including his own compositions, have a total cost cheaper than the original single issue CDs! Once again, Mercury Living Presence lives!

Average customer rating:

The Voice
WHAT A SURPRISE!
indispensable!

French Opera Arias - Denyce Graves
Georges Bizet , Gaetano Donizetti , Hector Berlioz , Edouard Lalo , Ambroise Thomas , Marc Soustrol , and Monte Carlo Philharmonic
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Denyce Graves - Voce di Donna
American Anthem
Kaleidoscope
Angels Watching over Me
The Lost Days: Music in the Latin Style

ASIN: B000269S5A
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Tracks:

Mon Coeur S'Ouvre A La Voix
Printemps Qui Commence
O Ma Lyre Immortelle
D'Amour L'Ardente Flamme
Air Des Lettres
Air Des Larmes
Connais-Tu Le Pays
De Tous Cotes J'Apercois Dans La Plaine
Nour Eddin, Roi De Lahore
L'Ai-Je Bien Entendu... O Mon Fernand

Customer Reviews:

The Voice.......2007-03-29

I purchased this CD after seeing and hearing The San Diego Opera production of Samson and Delilah. Denyce Graves' voice stayed in my mind and I longed to hear it again. I was not disappointed when I received the French Opera Arias CD. I have listened to it many times and it never fails to take me back to the experience of hearing her on the stage. I recommend this CD to anyone who appreciates the voice of a great mezzo-soprano.

WHAT A SURPRISE!.......2005-01-28

I'm not really into Ms. Graves, despite the fact I own most of her CDs. I thought before this is an attractive enough voice and good enough of a performer, but a bit bland interpretively (as was the case with her Christmas CD and her first RCA recital). Luckily, that's not the case with this new CD, very happy to report. There seems to be more heft and bloom to her voice and far more interpretive involvement. At times she reminds me of a young Grace Bumbry. Praise for including the little-known items from Roi d'Ys and Djamileh and O mon Fernand in French. I wish she had included the beautiful but brief recitative before 'O ma lyre immortele' (most mezzos include it on their recital albums). At 58 minutes it isn't as if we would go into overtime on the CD (and why not also include the King of Thule aria from Damnation, Amour viens from Samson and some other goodies while we're at it?). Nonetheless, it is recommended.

indispensable!.......2004-11-12

Buy it as soon as possible. This CD is a new edition of the "Heroines, french romantic opera arias" first solo recital of Denyce Graves on disc, now a CD very hard to find and extremely expensive. There have been several reviews and comments about this recordings for it is one of the greatest recitals on disc of the french mezzo repertoire. This is probably the best recorded work of Denyce Graves until today: the voice is fresh, round, seductive, beautiful: everything you want of a mezzosoprano voice, and now easy to find and in a very accessible price.

Average customer rating:

A surprisingly low key tenor.
The Next Generation
Fantastic Recording
A glorious new tenor, Yu Qiang Dai
Staying Abreast of the Gifted Young Tenors

The Tenor's Passion

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Marcelo Álvarez - Bel Canto / Y. Huang, WNO, Rizzi
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Italian Opera Arias
Salvatore Licitra - The Debut
Marcelo Alvarez Sings Gardel

ASIN: B00064AEDS
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

Che Gelida Manina
Addio, Fiorito Asil
Recondita Armonia
E Lucevan Le Stelle
Donna Non Vidi Mai
Nessun Dorma
Lamento Di Federico
Amor Ti Vieta
Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio
Cielo E Mar
M'Appari
Di Rigori Armato Il Seno
A Te, O Cara
O Paradis
Vainement Ma Bien Aimee
La Fleur Que Tu M'Avais Jetee

Amazon.com

After years of wondering whether, after Dom, Pav, and Carr, there would ever be another group of fine tenors available, the question has been answered with a resounding, "Yes!" Alagna and Vargas are realizing their potential, Florez is a spectacular bel cantist, and Villazon and Calleja are up-and-coming. And Marcelo Alvarez proves again on this CD that he has arrived. The voice is a full-grown lyric, his tone is gorgeous, he has brains and sensitivity, absolutely even production, secure, ringing high notes, and a youthful but not callow approach to the music. The Lalo aria is sung sweetly, with light tone; he brings out the heroics for "Cielo e mar," "Nessun dorma," and Chenier's last act aria; "Che gelida manina" suits his voice and temperament ideally and he brings wonderment (and a fine high C) to it; Don José's Flower Song is full of longing, in good French with nicely shaded phrases. In short, there's not a disappointing note on this recital--Alvarez is a smart, feeling tenor in his prime and this CD is highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A surprisingly low key tenor........2007-03-13

This is one of the greatest contemporary tenors around, if not the only one.
I am so surprised that so few people have reviewed this collection of very popular operatic arias for tenor by Mr. Alvarez.
Well - it may be accounted for by the fact that Mr. Alvarez is neither TOO young, nor TOO handsome. Well, he is still reasonably young, and quite good-looking. But I wonder nowadays people go for looks more than voices in operas, hence the ultra-low profile of such an outstanding artist.
The album begins with some Puccini arias. I almost thought I was listening to Jose Carreras - especially the aria in 'Madama Butterfly'. No - Mr. Alvarez's voice is even sweeter than Carreras's in certain places upon closer listening: the 'Flower Song', for instance.
This is however a lyrical tenor. I don't think Mr. Alvarez should do those spinto roles or dramatic roles, even if you tend to reason with me that some of those roles were really 'over-done' before by big voices like Franco Corelli and Mario del Monaco.
Well, it may be so, but I've heard say that Mr. Alvarez is doing Il Trovatore, and only God will know if one day he will, like Carreras before him, do Aida's Radames (I honestly hope he won't do it). Otello is definitely not his cup of tea.
I've listened, and like his Nessum more than anyone else's. His opening aria from La Boheme is also fanatastic.Yes, he should not tackle those heavy roles indiscriminately, even if dramatic tenors are a bit hard to find these days.
I think bel canto suits him well, too. And I don't think bel canto roles should be dominated by just one or two tenors - audiences should have more choices, too, and Mr. Alvarez would be another very good option.

The Next Generation.......2005-11-10

Alas, the days of Pavarotti and Dmingo have past, and as with all things under the sun, with the dusk of the old comes the dawn of the new.

This CD is an excellent harbinger of the "new" in the world of operatic tenors.
Marcello Alvarez has truly come into his own, and with his voice having reached full maturity, he is now poised to become one of the BIG names in opera.
At the onset of his career, I was not too taken with his then very light lyric voice, but he has taken great care of his instrument, and now I can say that he has become one of my favorite new tenors.

Although I prefer the more heroic tenor voices of the past i.e. Corelli, Del Monaco and Lanza, I am very impressed with each and every selection on this CD.

From "Che gelida.." to the showpiece "Nessun Dorma" there isn't one aria that he either over/or under sings. He nails it all!

This is a great new CD by a great new tenor.

Fantastic Recording.......2005-09-30

Alvarez's voice, to borrow a quote from the last century, is "liquid gold". His effortless sound on the high C near the end of che gelida manina is pure and free. The only thing I found more impressive was the high C sharp that seemingly comes from nowhere in A Te, O Cara. As a tenor and a voice teacher, I must say I am jealous of the open and free sound of his top end. What a voice! What a recording!

I know there are some purists out there who will say, "He's no Bjorling" or whomever else, but this man can sing. He gives his own interpretation to these songs, which is a pleasant change from the canned "let's do it like . . ." He doesn't try to sing it like anyone but himself.

This CD will certainly remain a part of my collection.

A glorious new tenor, Yu Qiang Dai.......2005-01-28

It was a big shock to hear Yu Qiang Dai's debut cd. He is, I think, the best lirico-spinto tenor nowadays. He has a lovely voice, which is very well produced. The center is wonderful, the lower notes are good, the high notes are shining and of fantastic quality... the singing through the passage is very well handled. He is an itelligent musical interpreter and singer, with an interesting and appealing line and sense of style. Very good dynamic changes. He offers some of the absolutely best renditions of some arias (nessun dorma and cielo e mar, for example) that I have heard in many years.

He still has to work his Italian (specially the consonants) and his French. But there were great historical tenors with bigger idiomatical problems.

Despite taking spinto repertoire, Yu never pushes, never tries to make the voice sound darker than it is, everything is always under control, and he takes the chance to give very stylish renditions (for example, of una furtiva lagrima), which is strange for tenors who "want to sing spinto".
The tenor is a fantastic discovery, one of the best ones around. Actually, all my criticism goes to EMI and the production of the CD: no choirs, no solists (for example, for the aria of Cavalleria, where the mother should sing her line), and the acoustic "atmosphere" has made some people to doubt if Yu's voice is really as big as it seems (people who saw his Cavaradossi at Covent Garden say that it is very big, actually).
Not a the best production job by the people of EMI, but five stars (ten if possible) for the singer. Simply wonderful.

Staying Abreast of the Gifted Young Tenors.......2004-11-25

THE TENOR'S PASSION may seem a contrived, Hollywoodesque title for a CD of the warhorse tenor arias from the operatic repertoire, but just wait until you experience the intelligent, understated rendering of these arias by gifted young tenor Marcelo Alvarez and you will discover what 'passion' is here.

Not all of the arias on this CD are overused: excerpts from 'Martha', 'L'Africaine", 'L'Arlesiana, and 'Le Roi d'Ys" pepper the usual suspects from Boheme, Carmen, Butterfly etc. But in many ways this programming is timely as it gives us a recorded view, at least, of just how much this voice has matured. His `Italian Tenor's Aria' from "Der Rosenkavalier" is utterly breathtaking as is De Grieux's aria from "Manon Lescaut". And hearing the sensitive phrasing and control of vocal resources in the ever popular 'Nessun Dorma', 'Che gelida manina" and the Flower Song substantiates the rumor that here is another star on the rise.

A beautiful recording this, and one to include on the shelf with favorite tenors before the public today. Grady Harp, November 2004

Chausson, Lalo, Barraud / Paray, Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Average customer rating:

great but gone
Paul Paray's French masterpieces
Wonderful, but don't throw out your vinyl

Chausson, Lalo, Barraud / Paray, Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Suppe: Overtures: Light Cavalry, etc.; Auber: Overtures
Bizet: Carmen Suite; Arlésienne Suites Nos. 1 & 2; Thomas: Mignon & Raymond Overtures
Ibert: Escales; Ravel: Rapsodie, etc
Paul Paray Conducts Dances of Death

ASIN: B0000041JR
Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

Le roi d'Ys, Overture
Namouna, Suite No. 1: 1. Prelude
Namouna, Suite No. 1: 2. Serenade
Namouna, Suite No. 1: 3. Theme varie
Namouna, Suite No. 1: 4. Parades de foire
Namouna, Suite No. 1: 5. Fete foraine
Offrande a une ombre
Symphony In B-Flat, Op. 20: 1. Lent; Allegro vivo
Symphony In B-Falt, Op. 20: 2. Tres lent
Symphony In B-Flat, Op. 20: 3. Anime; tres anime

Customer Reviews:

great but gone.......2006-04-27

As a Detroiter I had the opportunity to hear Paray and the DSO on several occasions. Looking back I wish there had been many more! Sad to say this wonderful recording appears to have been deleted, along with other Paray/DSO and Living Presence recordings. There has been recently issued a multi-disc set of Paray conducting music by French composers. I don't know if this is included. In any event anyone interested should grab this performance as soon as possible.

Paul Paray's French masterpieces.......2003-11-25

Admittedly, the only really familiar work in this Mercury Living Presence compilation is Ernest Chausson's dramatic "Symphony in B flat Major." Paul Paray's legendary recording of this powerful work with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is definitely one of the best ever made. Paray had a long life and career; he really understood the French masters and this recording demonstrates that. This writer was fortunate to hear and see Paray guest-conduct the San Francisco Symphony in all-French program and there was no question that he was not only competent but brilliant.

The Mercury Living Presence classical series spanned the years 1951 to 1968; the original vinyl recordings were great achievements in high fidelity and, eventually, stereophonic recording. Indeed, the Mercury recordings became milestones and, eventually, collectors' items. It is wonderful that Phillips has reissued these recordings on CDs. They remain high points in American classical recordings. Paul Paray's numerous recordings for Mercury with the Detroit Symphony are among the finest performances of the French repetoire.

Part of the appeal of this CD is hearing some rarely-performed works. First is the overture to Lalo's opera "Le Roi d'Ys." I don't believe the opera is performed anymore, despite some very fine arias. The overture is even a rarity now and it's a special treat to hear Paray's spirited, driving performance of the music. This is the epitome of French romanticism and one can almost picture the first performance in the elegant Paris Opera House in the middle nineteenth century, before an audience that would have included the aristocratic members of the Jockey Club, who so loved to watch the corps de ballet since many of the female dancers were "favorites" of those gentlemen.

Certainly Lalo's ballet "Namouna" would have been a favorite of the Parisians. It has some infectious, imaginative tunes, some of which are included in the first concert suite here recorded.

A great contrast comes with Henri Barraud's "Offrande a une ombre," a very powerful, deeply emotional work written during World War II, when France had been terribly humbled by the Nazi invaders. There is considerable anguish in this music, but Barraud also seems to offer some hope that better days lie ahead. The recording was originally issued only in mono; this is the first time it has been available in stereo.

This is a very enjoyable compilation by a fine French maestro, leading the outstanding Detroit orchestra, in sensational Mercury recordings.

Wonderful, but don't throw out your vinyl.......1999-03-31

I finally got this--with its first stereo release of the Barraud. Wilma Cozart's refurbished, warm sound is outstanding and the performances have really held up over the years, even seeming better than I'd remembered. Paray's Chausson is nonpareil: only Monteux with his somewhat scruffy San Franciscans have a hold on it at this interpretative level, in nothing like this sound quality.

But if you have all of this on vinyl, especially in first editions like I did my comparison, keep it there. The Paray Chausson loses a lot of its immense orchestral scope, though it gains in highs and loses a lot of of the tubby bass and tape his that was typical of Edsel Ford Auditorium and Mercury. The orchestra sounds like it has about 80 members, though you know the DSO had a lot more at sessions than that.

It also impresses me that Paray actually conducts the Lalo material as if it were a ballet--all fleet and upbeat and elegant. With this one release from '58, Paray put Lalo back in the running as a major French composer, not just for Symphonie Espagnole (you can get Paray and Amoyal doing that on a wonderful disc from Monte Carlo).

It also seems to me that Paray's work in the Chausson and Lalo is easily preferable to that of Ansermet, Martinon, and Wolff due to his impeccable artistic scrutiny of the scores and the noticeably more shipshape level of his ensemble.

Tracks:

Les Huguenots: Non, non...Vous n'avez jamais, je gage
Le Proph: Donnez, donnez
Sapho: Os-je?
Les troyens: Je vais mourir...Adieu, fi cit
Mignon: Connais-tu le pays?
Romet Juliette: Depuis hier je cherche en vain mon mae
Cinq Mars: Per quel trouble profond suis-je ici ramon
Samson et Dalila: Amour, viens aider ma faiblesse
Le Cid: Pleurez, mes yeux!
Le Roi d'Ys: De tous c j'apers dans le plaine

Amazon.com

The Bulgarian mezzo Vesselina Kasarova here exhibits some new sides to her wonderful voice and interpretive abilities. The rich, creamy sound is very impressive near the bottom of its range (rarely the case with mezzos nowadays, Ewa Podles notwithstanding), and she gets to show it off here. The program is varied: We get Urbain's playful, charming aria from Les Huguenots, followed by Fides' pitiful plea from Le Prophete. Sapho's suicidal lament changes mood again, and Dido's farewell offers more grief--all beautifully portrayed. And so on with six more selections, some quite rare and welcome (an aria from Gounod's little-heard Cinq-Mars), others familiar but well-enough done to sound newly minted (Dalila's Act II aria). This CD lets us know that there's even more to Kasarova than Mozart, Bellini, and Rossini. It's a fine release, highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

More Kasarova's magic..........2002-04-16

'This is the stuff of legends' -exclaimed Gramophone in their review of Kasarova's debut disc, released in 1997. I don't know if this new one will create the same excitement in the music press but to me it will always be 'the stuff of legends', maybe even more so than the first. It rarely happens that a singer makes me an addict of repertoire I never really cared about. The last time I was so totally captivated by a vocal recital was with Bartoli's Gluck disc. But Bartoli's task was much easier; I had been a huge Gluck fan for years before her disc appeared. Kasarova's chances of captivating me with her French recital were rather meager but her solo discs are such rarities (I hope it has something to do with her recent pregnancy and not with the caprices of the classical music industry) that I couldn't resist. And the rest is indeed 'the stuff of legends'...
Obviously I can't call myself a connoisseur of this repertoire but I also never thought of myself as a mere 'voice' addict: what mattered more was the repertoire sung, so you'd never see me buying Bartoli's Bellini or Donizetti arias disc if she suddenly decided to record such a thing. So why all of a sudden do I find myself buying a disc of French arias by composers - with the exception of Berlioz - I never really cared about? Well, that's Kasarova's magic... I can't offer you a track by track analysis of this disc - I'll leave it to those who know a bit about French opera of the period - but I can assure you that this is singing of great beauty and unsurpassed artistry (and in beautiful French). It is hard to pick absolute favorites in this collection of gems, but if I had to choose then it would be Massenet's "Pleurez, pleurez mes yeux" (track 9) from "Le Cid" with a marvellous clarinet solo, or "Nuit resplendissante" from Gounod's "Cinq-Mars". In the recitative to Stefano's aria from Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette" ("Depuis hier je cherche en vain mon maitre") I would like to hear a bit more of the arrogance that the text calls for, but this is a small detail.
The orchestral playing of the Munich Radio Orchestra under Frederic Chaslin is a true delight, and this is not one of those casual compliments that one usually adds to a review to make it 'complete'. The playing is really gorgeous and brings as much pleasure to the ear as Kasarova's singing.
Surprisingly, the booklet's essay (by Andre Tubeuf) is not devoted to an introduction to the French opera of the nineteenth century, but talks about the tradition of French singing that was often the domain of foreign singers. Kasarova is continuing this tradition. Says Tubeuf: "If her programme had included the "Tribut de Zamora", her guiding star would have been Gabrielle Krauss; if the "Roi de Lahore", then Josephine de Reszke and if Saint-Saens' "Ancetre", then Felia Litvinne". This may sound like a subtle reproach on Tubeuf's part, for the total timing of the CD is only about 54 minutes. And this is my only quibble about this wonderful release but it is not really important. Artistry of this calibre is so rare that it is well worth the price of the disc, however short. Kasarova's singing has a certain old-fashioned quality, that total dedication that characterizes the artistry of all too few singers today (Bartoli , Fleming and in her own way von Otter are the only other examples I can think of). A wonderful disc and a real treat! (Kicek)

AN HOUR OF FRENCH DELIGHT!!!!.......2002-04-11

It is always a pleasure, when you are listening to an artist singing in your country's language (I am swiss, so almost french), to be able to enjoy each word in its more intimate nature, as only music can do it. Miss Kasarova is a sublime artist and her french is just so exact, so touching, she brings the perfect FRENCH TOUCH. This album is the best collection of great romantic opera arias of the french repertoire that I have ever had in my vast collection of 3500 recordings. The orchestra under the baton of Frederic Chaslin sounds great with a perfect balance, giving both the power and subtility of this music. this is a MUST HAVE!!!!

Average customer rating:

This cd shows why Kraus is the BEST tenor in last 50 years

Incomparable Alfredo Kraus

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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The Very Best of Alfredo Kraus

ASIN: B0000041B7
Release Date: 1995-06-13

Tracks:

'Il Etait Une Fois A La Cour D'Eisnach'
'E La Solita Storia'/'Anch'io Vorrei Dormir Cosi'
'Partir Degg'io'/'T'amo Qual S'ama Un Angelo'
'Ah Mes Amis'/'Pour Mon Ame'
'Quel Trouble Inconnu Me Penetre?'/'Salut! Demeure Chaste Et Pure'
'Deserto In Terra'
'Puisqu'on Ne Peut Flechir Ces Jalouses Gardiennes'/'Vainement Ma Bien...
'La Maitress Du Roi?'/'Ange Si Pur'
'Popoli Dell'Egitto'
'Prendre Le Dessin D'un Bijou'/'Fantaisie Aux Divins Mensonges'
'Di Rigori Armato Il Seno'

Customer Reviews:

This cd shows why Kraus is the BEST tenor in last 50 years.......1998-09-29

This record was recorded in 1994, when Kraus was 67 years-old. Believe me, I've heard Kraus' records recorded in virtually any step in his career:singing Spanish popular songs, neapolitan songs, zarzuela arias, standard repertoire arias, etc.THE SPECIAL THING ABOUT THIS CD IS THAT HERE KRAUS PRESENTS THE BEST VOICE OF HIS ENTIRE LIFE!!! Singing Arias from the standard repertoire and rare arias,he choose too some of the most difficult arias. The record starts with the Kleinzach Legend aria from "Les Contes d'Hoffmann" in which Kraus shows his perfect pronunctiation and gives a shining high note at the end of the aria. He sings too the aria known as "Il Lamento di Federico" fron Cilea's L'Arlesiana, with the high optional high note at the end and with a perfect delivery of every phrase of this legendary aria. Between others,Kraus sings the famous "Aria di Tonio" from "La fille du régiment", which made Pavarotti famous by singing 9 repeated high C's, here Kraus gives them fully chested and without any effort.The aria that I found the most thrilling in this record is a rare aria from "Il crociato in Egitto" by Meyerbeer, called "Popoli dell'Egitto".It requires repeated high C's and D's with many up-and-down-the-scale fragments, as it is the initial heroic declamation, sweet belcanto singing in the middle,and heroic finish. The record presents the famous aria "Salut! Demeure chaste et pure" from Gounod's Faust and the italian-singer aria "Di rigori armato in seno" from Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier".In most of them Kraus applies a personal touch with shining high notes that add vitality and meaning to the arias, as well as beatiful belcanto singing where required. The record also comes with a booklet that contains biographical info and contains the lirics and translations of the arias. This record is a real collectors piece. In each and every one of the arias Kraus shows the best voice os his life, of a career lasting more than 40 years. That's why he is the best tenor of the last 50 years: He has avoided the extremes that has ruined every tenors voice, and has kept intact one of the most beautiful and complete voices of history, with perfect pronuctiation, extraordinary range (specialy in the acute) and complete feeling of every phrase he sings. Long live the King-Kraus!

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