L' Amant [Import]

1. Baiser Sur la Vitre

2. Blue Zoon

3. Ce Jour-La Sur la Mekong

4. Pas d'One Step

5. Promenade en Limousine

6. Homme de Cholon

7. Paso d'Helene

8. Valse a l'Etage

9. Soucis

10. Foxtrot Dance

11. Amant

12. Habanera

13. Barrages

14. Nocturne

15. Marseillaise

16. Depart

Tracks:

Te Deum: Symphonie
Bocanne Primitive
Bocanne Compliqu
Phan: Troupe d'AstrDansante (Prologue)
Ballet de la Nuit: Ouverture
Ballet des Plaisirs: Sarabande
Ballet de la Nuit: Le Roi Reprntant le Soleil Levant
Xerx Air Pour Les Matelots Jouant des Trompettes Marines
Xerx Air Pour Les Esclaves et Singes Dansants
Xerx Air Pour Les Postures de Scaramouche
Xerx Air Pour Les Docteurs, Frivelins et Polichinelles
Xerx Air Pour Les Esclaves Dansants
Idylle Sur la Paix: Air Pour Madame la Dauphine
Ballet d'Alcidiane: Ritournelle et Air de Mademoiselle Hilaire
Ballet d'Alcidiane: Ouverture
Triomphe de l'Amour: Ouverture
Pers Entrdes DivinitInfernales (Acte III, Sc 10)
Bourgeois Gentilhomme: Marche Pour la Cmonie des Turcs
Bourgeois Gentilhomme: Giourdina
Bourgeois Gentilhomme: Chaconne des Scaramouches, Frivelins et ...
Ombre de Mon Amant (Air de Cour)

Tracks:

Triomphe de l'Amour: Prde de la Nuit
Pomone: Passons Nos Jours Dans Ces Vergers (Acte I, Sc 1)
Pomone: Que Voyez-Vous, Mes Yeux? (Acte II, Sc 1)
Armide: Plus J'Observe Ces Lieux (Acte II, Sc 3) [Instrumental]
Atys, Le Sommeil: Dormons, Dormons Tous (Acte III, Sc 4)
Armide: Passacaille (Acte V)
Armide: Prde (Acte II, Sc 5)
Folies d'Espagne
Amants Magnifiques: Entrd'Apollon
Triomphe de l'Amour: Entrd'Apollon
Triomphe de l'Amour: Deuxi Air (Acte IV, Sc 2)
Isis: C'est Lui Dont Les Dieux Ont Fait Choix - Publions en Tous Lieux
Armide: Que l'lat de Son Nom (Prologue)
Amadis: Esprits EmpressNous Plaire - Que le Ciel Annonce la ...

Roberto Alagna - French Arias / Bertrand de Billy

Average customer rating:

Great French aria recital!!!
The first great French tenor of the 21st century!
A truly great recording
Good but not great
Alagna is a stud

Roberto Alagna - French Arias / Bertrand de Billy
Jules Massenet , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Etienne-Nicolas Méhul Charles Gounod , Camille Saint-Saëns, Alfred Bruneau, Luigi Cherubini Fromental Halévy , Edouard Lalo, François Bazin, Hector Berlioz, Ambroise Thomas Georges Bizet , and Roberto Alagna
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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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Nessun Dorma; Roberto Alagna

ASIN: B000058B1Y
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Tracks:

Maitre Pathelin: Act 1. Romance: Je Pense A Vous
Le Cid: Act 3: Ah! Tout Est Bien Fini!... O Souverain, O Juge, O Pere
Les Abencerages: Act 2. Recitatif Et Air: Suspendez A Ces Murs... J'ai Vu Disparaitre L'espoir
Mireille: Act 3. Cavatine: Mon Coeur Est Plein D'un Noir Souci... Anges Du Paradis
L'Amant Jaloux: Act 2. Ser: Tandis Que Tout Sommeille
La Juive: Act 4. Air: Rachel, Quand Du Seigneur
Mignon: Act 3. Romance: Elle Ne Croyait Pas, Dans Sa Candeur Naive
L'Africaine: Act 4: Pays Merveilleux
La Damnation De Faust: Part 4, Scene XVI. Invocation A La Nature: Nature Immense
Iphigenie En Tauride: Act 2. Recitatif Et Air: Quel Langage Accablant... Unis Des La Plus Tendre...
Les Pecheurs De Perles: Act 1. Recitatif Et Romance: A Cette Voix Quel Trouble Agitait Tout Mon...
Le Roi D'ys: Act 3. Puisqu'on Ne Peut Flechir... Vainement, Ma Bien-aimee
Joseph: Act 1. Recitatif Et Air: Vainement Pharaon Dans Sa Reconnaissance... Champs Paternals
Samson Et Dalila: Act 3: Vois Ma Misere, Helas!
L'Attaque Du Moulin: Act 2: Le Jour Tombe, La Nuit Va Bercer Les Grands Chenes

Amazon.com

Roberto Alagna is without peer among contemporary tenors in the French repertory, as this excellent collection of staples, sprinkled with rarities, demonstrates. He has the right blend of sweetness for the lyric selections and exciting vocal heft for those requiring more muscle. If one must find something to carp at, it's the tenor's occasional tendency to slip into an inappropriate Italianate verismo style. Examples of the "sweet" Alagna are his gorgeous floating soft ending to "Je crois entendre encore," from Bizet's The Pearlfishers, and the lovely head voice in the Lalo aria. His "Rachel, quand du Seigneur," a favorite of tenors from Caruso to Richard Tucker, is taken at a sluggish tempo, but it has the requisite vocal finish and characterization. And Alagna creates the necessary sense of wonder in the opening of "Pays merveilleux," from Meyerbeer's L'Africaine. The Bruneau selection that closes the disc is a welcome rescue of a lovely farewell-to-life aria from a long-forgotten late-Romantic opera. Unlike most collections done with a generalized, one-size-fits-all approach, Alagna's finds him almost always in character. Bertrand De Billy's accompaniments are sometimes too restrained (the orchestral introduction to the Bizet aria is downright sleepy), but that shouldn't keep admirers of French opera and world-class singing from grabbing this disc. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Great French aria recital!!!.......2003-02-13

Roberto Alagna has the makings of a great French tenor. He has the style and diction down pat. This CD shows off his tenor to great effect. I especially liked the rare selections that were included. There is some wonderful French music on this disc.

Alagna is given great support by conductor Bertrand de Billy and the Royal Opera House Orchestra of Covent Garden. The sound is excellent. This disc was finely produced. On to the review.

Alagna's voice has a scratchy edge to it that gives character to his otherwise rough timbre. His voice is not ugly, but it is not the typical sweet voice of a French tenor. His voice grows on you. His voice also has some dramatic heft to it. He is best in the arias that require some dramatic heft, but not a whole lot. He is totally committed dramatically to the music that he sings. The aria from "Joseph" and the one from "Le Cid" are two great examples. He sings the famous aria from "La Juive" very well. However, on some of the arias, he tends to use too much unnecessary drama. The editorial reviewer was correct in saying that Alagna has a tendency to slip into inappropriate Italian verismo style. Alagna's rendition of the aria from "Samson et Dalila" is not that good. That aria is probably too heavy for his voice. The timbre of his voice takes on an unattractive edge when he sings that aria. Alagna sings the delightful Sérénade from "L'Amant Jaloux" very well with lovely pianissimos. However, it seems that he is a bit rough in his delivery of some of the words. By rough delivery, I mean the use of too much emotion. This charming piece is probably not suited to a relatively heavy voice like his. Also, the exquisite aria from "Le Roi d'Ys" suffers from rough delivery of some of the words. I also wish he had sung the word "vais" in the phrase "Je vais, hélas, mourir!" pianissimo like Nicolai Gedda does on his version of the aria. Alagna's rendition of the beautiful aria from "The Pearl Fishers" is excellent. His pianissimos are to die for! One previous reviewer said that his pianissimos sounded mechanically produced and that some were even unpleasant to the ears. Do not believe that person. Alagna has gorgeous pianissimos that are very naturally produced.

Overall, this is a great recital album that includes some very rare material. It is worth getting.

The first great French tenor of the 21st century!.......2001-06-23

Roberto Alagna is probably the greatest tenor to come from France since Georges Thill, widely considered to have been the greatest French tenor of the 20th century. This is unquestionably Alagna's best solo album, the equal of his astonishing work in Werther. All of his virtues are amply displayed here: a splendid voice, directness and honesty of expression, superb diction in his native French, intelligence, imagination, complete and utter immersion in character, and the ability to make each word he sings mean something. Throughout the disc we hear nobility and sweetness, elegance and passion, tenderness and pain, even charm and humor. This is not merely a 'stud', but a great artist in the service of music.

Most important of all is Alagna's questing spirit. While some superstar singers barely change or add to their repertory over decades of performing, Alagna is eager to mine the rich lode of French repertory (of which we only know a few nuggets) and bring otherwise unknown or forgotten works to a new public. Some of these arias haven't been recorded in at least 60 and even almost 80 years. In fact, so rarely performed are they that the ROH Orchestra had to borrow the orchestral parts for two arias from the Orchestre de Paris!

Since his career began Alagna's voice has grown in drama and power with little loss to the basic lyric quality of his instrument. He does so well with the more dramatic selections not only because of his great skill as a vocal actor, but also because he actually sings the arias beautifully and lyrically instead of just belting them. He is strongest when he can combine heroism with introspection, as in the arias from `Samson et Dalila', `Le Cid', and especially `La Juive', where he perfectly embodies the inner conflicts of these three very different religious men. Indeed I found the grief and guilt of a father about to lose his daughter in the last absolutely heartwrenching. Still, I hope Alagna waits a long time before doing any of these roles on stage, and limits his appearances in them to small theatres. The best track on the disc is `O Paradis', filled with the genuine wonder of discovery. In the aria from `Joseph', Alagna convinces in the widest range of emotions from nostalgia to rage to the desperate desire for reconciliation, and the aria from `Les Abencerages' is also a dramatic tour-de-force. There is also a truly heroic rendition of `Nature immense' from `La Damnation de Faust'. The glorious paean to friendship from `Iphigenie en Tauride' is both urgent and sensitive, and the farewell to life from `L'Attaque du Moulin' is sung even more beautifully than by some historic tenors.

He also shows that he is quite capable of the light touch, such as in the aria from `Le Roi d'Ys' and especially `Elle ne croyait pas' with its beautiful diminuendi. The aria from `Maitre Pathelin' which opens the disc is a sweet, lovely serenade capped by a splendid high C#. It's a pity that he does not take all of `Je crois entendre encore' as sweetly and headily as he takes certain phrases, but I admit to being extraordinarily picky about the performance of this aria and am only truly satisfied by Gedda.

As with his performances at the Met and elsewhere, Bertrand de Billy proves his skill in bringing out the spirit and elegance of French opera. If his tempi are a trifle slow (and nowhere near as much as those of, say, Michel Plasson) they only aid musical expression. He has been a long time friend and collaborator of Alagna, and their rapport shows here. The orchestra plays very well and London Voices makes a fine choral contribution to the `Samson et Dalila' scene.

If there is any complaint to be made, it is that while Alagna differentiates character superbly, he doesn't differentiate actual musical style much. Over 100 years separate the Gretry and Bruneau arias, and he sings them basically the same way. And there are a few moments where he overdoes the heroism (and volume) a bit, notably in `Anges du paradis' and the Gretry aria. Still, in the context of the disc's overall splendor, these are minor flaws. It's also a shame that the originally announced aria from `Herodiade' is not included. I presume it didn't fit onto the otherwise generously filled (73 minute) disc.

By and large the documentation is also very good. Admirers of French opera who have only heard the rarities on historical labels with minimal documentation will greatly appreciate the full texts and translations included here. There is a nice essay on the French tenor tradition 'which Roberto Alagna inherits' written by noted English critic John Steane, who also provided explanatory notes for each track (some for the rarities could have been slightly more detailed). Although I am glad that Alagna isn't subjected here to the sugary publicity gush that most singers these days get in their CD booklets (so much for him being 'overhyped'!), it's a pity that there is no biographical or career information about him or de Billy.

I really hope that Alagna gets his wish to have some of these and other rare operas recorded in their entirety and staged, but I doubt if the political and economic situation in the opera world will permit it. Even if performances or complete recordings are impossible, Alagna absolutely must record many more solo French albums. A Berlioz disc with both Enee's and Hylas' arias from Les Troyens is essential. Certainly this wonderful stage comedian should also record more comic repertory. And of course, he should continue to bring us many more recordings of arias that haven't been recorded in ages, and even some world premieres. I also seriously hope that he gives us his interpretations of French song repertory as well. Frankly, if he wants to record the Paris phone book, that's fine with me too!

A truly great recording.......2001-06-10

This album is among the best I ever heard. Alagna's beautiful tenor tone is truly amazing throughout the CD and his perfect French diction is very enjoyable. After listening mr. Alagna's French I prefer him to anyone else I've heard singing this repertoire. IMO the loveliest songs are "Je pense à vous" with the easy high C# and the light "Vainement, ma bien-aimée". I think the arias from Le Cid and Samson are a bit too heavy for him, but however, he sings them with the great interpretative power. It's possible that he uses a little too much pianissimo in the Bizet aria, but on the other hand that's where I think his voice is at its best. Nothing can take the fifth star away! This CD will be with me anywhere I go...

Good but not great.......2001-05-23

I generally liked this recording because it presents much unfamiliar material (Mehul, Bruneau) combined with Mr. Alagna's excellent diction. However, after I unwrapped the CD, I immediately compared his singing of "Je crois entendre encore" with Jussi Bjorling and found it lacking. Bjorling lets you feel the melancholy of what the character had and lost. He is obviously reliving his memories. The pianissimo at the end is truly haunting. Mr. Alagna's soft notes seem almost mechanically manufactured.and sometimes border on the unpleasant. He was best in those pieces that required more spinto sound (the selections from Samson et Dalila and Le Cid, for example). I would recommend this recording if only for the unfamiliarity of much of the material.

Alagna is a stud.......2001-05-06

This CD is primo Alagna. Only his first recital and maybe the Rondine are better. People say he's in decline, but they just need to listen to the Gluck track on this CD. Or the Meyerbeer. Or the Gounod. It's all great. Yay Roberto!

Average customer rating:

Grandi Voci: Régine Crespin

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

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000422I
Release Date: 1994-11-15

Tracks:

Cette nuit...O toi qui prolongeas mes jours
D'amour l'ardente flamme (Romance de Marguerite)
O ma lyre immortelle
La voila...L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera)
Seguidilla
Portez armes...J'aime les militaires
Dis-moi Venus
Tu n'es pas beau...Je t'adore
O mon cher amant, je te jure (Air de lettre)
Ah! quel diner
Moi je m'appelle
Y'a des arbres...C'est sa banlieue
Ah! cher monsieur, excusez-moi
J'ai deux amants
Saison d'amour
Je ne suis pas
Je t'aime

Average customer rating:

Carnaval

French Coloratura Arias

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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Sumi Jo - Virtuoso Arias ~ Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer
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Sumi Jo sings Mozart
Sumi Jo - La Promessa / Vincenzo Scalera

ASIN: B00020QW9G
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Customer Reviews:

Carnaval.......2005-12-05

There is no track listing on Amazon for this album. It is a re-release of Sumi Jo's album "Carnaval" which had, for some insane reason, gone out of print (something to do with a merger).

As for the album itself, there is no way to accurately describe how impressive this singing is. Jo's coloratura may not be as fast as Emma Kirkby's or as accurate as Cecilia Bartoli's, but nobody can surpass her sense of fun or the ease with which she sustains her highest notes.

Two tracks in particular stand out: "Le jour sous le soleil beni" is a rather slow, beautiful aria (the only non-coloratura aria included on the disc) which is capped with what must be the longest sustained high D-flat in history--sung pianissimo. Montserrat Caballe, eat your heart out. The other is the Carnaval de Venise, made famous by Mado Robin. Although Jo does not hit Robin's B-flat above high C, her version is infinitely more impressive, particularly the last two minutes, which is simply a roller-coaster ride of coloratura with no rests, no rubato, and very few breaths. Everyone I've ever played this track for has been rendered speechless.

Although those two arias stand out, there are really no tracks on this album which are not impressive and/or beautful. The Sevillana captures her sense of fun, "Canari" and the "Couplets de Mysoli" emphasize her control of pianissimo high notes, and "Jours de mon enfance" and "Reves d'amour, reves de gloire" both end in perfect, sustained high E's. One of my favorite albums ever. I'm happy it has been re-released.

Patricia Petibon ~ French baroque arias (Rameau, Lully, Charpentier, Grandval) / Les Folies Françoises, Cohen-Akenin

Average customer rating:

Man, That woman really can sing !
Delicious singing, gorgeous music... this is a must-have.
I would give this CD seven stars if I could!
Perfect!
Affect and early music performance

Patricia Petibon ~ French baroque arias (Rameau, Lully, Charpentier, Grandval) / Les Folies Françoises, Cohen-Akenin
Jean-Philippe Rameau , Marc-Antoine Charpentier , Jean-Baptiste Lully , Nicolas Racot de Grandval , Patrick Cohen-Akenine , Patricia Petibon , and Les Folies Françoises
Manufacturer: Virgin Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Handel - Arcadian Duets / Dessay, Gens, Petibon, Claycomb, Lascarro, Panzarella, Mijanovic, Mingardo, Asawa, Agnew, Le Concert d'Astrée, Haïm
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Vivaldi Edition: Arie d'Opera
Tragédiennes
Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski

ASIN: B00005IA1U
Release Date: 2002-02-12

Tracks:

Platee: Air De Clarine: Soleil, Fuis De Ces Lieux
Les Fetes De L'Hymen Et De L'Amour: Ariette De L'Amour: Volez, Plaisirs, Celebrez Ce Beau Jour
Les Fetes De L'Hymen Et De L'Amour: Entree Des Egyptiens
Les Fetes De L'Hymen Et De L'Amour: Ariette De L'Egyptienne: L'Amant Que J'Adore
Les Fetes De L'Hymen Et De L'Amour: Ariette De L'Egyptienne: Amour, Lance Tes Traits
Platee: Air De Folie: Formones Les Plus Brillants Conc...Aux Langueurs D'Apollon
David Et Jonathas: A-t-on Jamais Souffert Une Plus Rude Peine?
Armide: Prld/Armide: Enfin, Il Est En Ma Puissance
Armide: Le Perfide Renaud Me Fuit
Les Indes Galantes: Air De Phani: Viens, Hymen
Les Indes Galantes: Air De Zima: Regnez, Plaisirs Et Jeux
Les Indes Galantes: Chaconne
Rien Du Tout

Amazon.com

This program of scenes and arias by Rameau, Charpentier, Lully, and Grandval is well designed to display Patricia Petibon's consummate vocal technique and historically informed artistry. Her florid coloratura, going up to high D- and E-flat (in the low period-instrument tuning) is clearly articulated and perfectly in tune. She can change color, nuance, and expression on a single note, and her mastery of the style is complete. She captures the seriousness as well as the humor in Rameau's two cantatas, the sorrow of Jonathan's lamentation in Charpentier's "David and Jonathan," the vacillation between reluctant attraction and furious vengeance in Lully's dramatic scene "Armide," and the rollicking fun in the final tour-de-force, Grandval's "Rien du tout"--a wicked parody of all singers and singing styles.

The voice itself takes some getting used to. In keeping with period practice, it is mostly lacking vibrato and so cool and bright as to seem shrill and strident. In the Lully, however, it becomes warmer, darker, and truly expressive. A large group of strings, winds, and percussion supports her splendidly, sometimes with only one or two instruments, sometimes with full orchestral effects that set the stage and underline mood and atmosphere. The musicians come into their own in the numerous instrumental sections, which are played with great verve, rhythmic incisiveness, character, and a wonderful sound. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Man, That woman really can sing !.......2006-11-09

In addition to Veronique Gens that is..........

Delicious singing, gorgeous music... this is a must-have........2004-04-30

Fine champagne fizzing from a French goblet... exquisite use of flirtation's fan behind cocquettish eyes... bitter-sweet laments and sighs over love and life... all with unmistakable French style and elegance. This is how Patricia Petibon has conveyed her performances of these fine baroque French arias.

As a fellow soprano specialising both in early music and other later classical vocal styles, I am extremely fastidious in my likes and dislikes when it comes to singers. When, therefore, I find a singer whose voice, intelligence and musicality produce ravishing quality like this, I am in alt...

In contrast to some of the comments here, I do not find Ms Petibon's voice shrill or white (except when she uses it so deliberately in order to create a particular emotional or stylistic effect). On the contrary, it is of a crystalline purity which she is able to tinge with warmer colours when necessary. I was hugely impressed by this recording, a worthy follow-up to the unbelievably beautiful recording of the Couperin Leçons de tènèbres which was sung by Petibon and Sophie Daneman.

What a sense of fun Patricia Petibon has! It's marvellous to hear baroque music performed with such stylish humour and grace, instead of the tediously uninterpreted choir-boy style which is considered by some to be the "correct" way of singing this type of aria. I listened with particular closeness to the arias from "Armide", which I had just performed myself - and was enchanted by Petibon's singing of them. Even though her voice is light in colour, she is perfectly adept at conveying vengeful hatred, despairing love, and a right royal snarling bad humour!

The accompanying instruments are taut, graceful, and beautifully recorded. The result is a treat to hear.

This CD is most highly recommended by me - and believe me, sopranos are tough critics of each other...!

I would give this CD seven stars if I could!.......2004-04-24

The beautiful and talented Patricia Petibon is simply stunning in this recording! If you've never listened to much Baroque opera this would be a great place to start! The music ranges from deeply emotional to whimsical. Petibon sings everything with style, panache, pizzazz and a deep commitment to the music and the composers.
The Baroque orchestra that accompanies her is new to me and they play with great verve.

What is so wonderful about this disc is that it is a genuine first - it is, as far as I know, the only disc in existence devoted the arias of Rameau, Lully, Charpentier and Grandval from a single singer. Bored with predictable collections of Opera Seria arias? Fed up with all the collections of the same Handel arias made by various sopranos, mezzos, countertenors, et cetera? Wondering what, exactly, the French were doing while the rest of Europe was worshipping castrati?

Well, look no further! You have it all here on this one marvelous CD! Here new 'French Touch' CD (on DECCA) shouldn't be missed either!

Long live Patricia Petibon!

Perfect!.......2003-11-19

This was one of the first opera aria recital CD's that I've ever purchased, and it got me hooked on Baroque opera, French or otherwise. I picked up this record originally because I found the singer very attractive; not the deepest reason, but the MUSIC turned out to be immnesely enjoyable, even if they would've put artwork or a photo of an opera-house on the cover.

To begin with, Petibon's voice is beautiful. As the other reviewer(s) put it, it is a cool, vibrato-less voice that might SEEM shrill, but her voice is never unpleasant. In fast or slow pieces, she is always a pleasure to listen to. Besides the sheer beauty of timbre of her voice, her musicanship is incredible: her interpretations are always appropriate, coloring the piece with humor, excitment, sex appeal (especially the Armida piece), anger, you-name-it. Technically she is very impressive, and handles the disc's runs, cascades, top-notes, etc. very well. (This disc is by no means a firweworks display though).

The orchestra plays with the same degree of musicianship, technicality and beauty. In some of the Rameaus pieces (especially the march), the instrumental textures really show off the great harmonies and voicings that Rameau is famous for; this disc is a great introduction to the composer's music, I wish she recorded Rameau more often.

Finally, the music itself is unique, interesting and entertaining all at the same time. The 2 two excerpts from Lully are not conventional arias, but they display how well the composer was able to blend drama into music. His music is both at the same time, and it soudns cliched but you have to hear it to treally understand it. The piece from Charpentier from "David and Jonathan" is stirring, and shows off what a talented singer and skilled orchestra can do with good music: it is musical, stirring, anguished and not something you will (probably) ever hear at the Met.
A wordy review, but this is one of my favorite records, one that I think everyone who has an intrest in the Baroque period should listen to. If you''re looking for an introduction to this very unique corner of classical music, try this CD.

Affect and early music performance.......2003-04-24

Patricia Petibon's performance on this recording seems wholly appropriate for the Baroque era repertoire she is singing. Early music performance in general stresses that the musician clearly present the affect of the piece. This, Petibon does. She is not afraid to sound thin, shrill or even ever so slightly out of tune. These artistic allowances, I'm sure are all intended and allow for word painting. She has a versatile style, sounding warm and serene, cold and sharp, and even overly-dramatic and funny.
In the small company of early music performers who strive to be authentic as possible, she is welcome.

Average customer rating:

Soaring voices

Amour cruel

Manufacturer: Atma Classique
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005LNJ7
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Customer Reviews:

Soaring voices.......2002-11-07

While many instruments vie for best expressing the language of love, St Colombe's seven-string version of the viola da gamba is clearly among the leaders. It has been described as the "best imitator of the human voice." In this album, two excellent gambists and a lutenist support the resplendent voice of Suzie LeBlanc in presenting three 17th Century French composers. Lambert, Le Camus, and St Colombe represent the finest musical traditions of the era of the Sun King, Louis XIV, in dealing with the "Tender Land" of love and desire. In selecting the pieces comprising this album, this group demonstrates a fine sense of feeling for the time. As the notes attest, a mid-17th Century ten volume novel, Cecile, typified the courtier's approach to the mysteries of "amour." Love was a consuming topic for poets, essayists, but particularly musicians. The selections are comprised of six instumentals and seven accompanied vocals, all exquisitely performed.

History and literature aside, it is the performance offered to the listener that makes this CD extraordinary. Suzie LeBlanc's voice can only be called radiant. Pure and unblemished, her singing carries the mood of each song with soaring resolution. Such voices are rare, especially among sopranos, her singing captures the listener's attention, evoking a range of emotions. Clear, unaffected and forceful, LeBlanc's performance here is among her best offerings for lovers of voice.

Tracks:

Mi Chiamano Mimi
Vissi D'Arte
Libiamo Ne'Lieti Calici (Brindisi)
Addio Del Passato
Egli Non Riede Ancora!
Merce, Dilette Amiche
Casta Diva
Col Sorriso D'Innocenza
Com'e Bello!
Havvi Un Dio
Inflammatus Et Accensus

Tracks:

Habanera
Io Son L'Umile Ancella
Qual Fiamma - Avea Nel Guardo!
Intermezzo Sinfonico
Barcarolle: Belle Nuit
Air De La Lettre: Mon Cher Amant
Im Chambre Separee
Duett Papageno-Papagena: Pa-Pa-Pa...
Tanz Der Sieben Schleier
Ah! Du Wolltest Mich Nicht Deinen Mund
Sie Ist Ein Ungeheuer, Deini Tochter
Ah! Ich Habe Deinen Mund Gekusst

Average customer rating:

The Voice of France

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B000075A80
Release Date: 2002-11-12

Tracks:

La Marseillaise (French National Anthem) - Placido Domingo
Dome Epais Le Jasmin (Flower Duet) - Joan Sutherland
L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle - Regina Resnik
C'est Toi...Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Gregory Cross
Belle Noit, O Nuit D'amour - Joan Sutherland
Apres Un Reve - Renee Fleming
L'invitation Au Voyage - Gerard Souzay
Cantique De Jean Racine, Op.11 - Choir Of St. John's College, Cambridge
Rachel, Quand De Seigneur - Leopold Simoneau
O Vin, Dissipe La Tristesse - Sherrill Milnes
Je Suis Titania - Beverly Sills
Ah, Ou Va La Jeune Indoue - Joan Sutherland
Les Filles De Cadix - Angela Gheorghiu
Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix - Marilyn Home
Alerte! Alerte!...Anges Pur - Nuccia Focile

Tracks:

Frere Jacques - Rita Streich
Air De Letter: Mon Chet Amant - Regine Crespin
Marthe Dieu Soit Loue...Deposons Les Armes (Soldiers' Chorus) - Robert Massard
In Paradisum - L Union Chorale de La Tour De Peliz
Villanelle - Regine Crespin
Je Veux Vivre - Joan Sutherland
Chanson A Boire - Gerard Souzay
L'Enigme Eternelle - Suzanne Danco
Sur Le Pont D'Avignon - Hilde Guden
Phidyle - Gerard Souzay
Les Gars Qui Vont A La Fete - Gerard Souzay
Notre Amour - Sylvia McNair
Beau Soir - Elly Ameling
C'est L'extase Langoureuse - Sylvia McNair
Puisqu'on Ne Peut Flechir Ces jalouses Gardiennes-Vainement Ma Bien-Aimee - Alfredo Kraus
Il Est Doux, Il Est Bon - Angela Gheorghiu
Hotel - Gilles Cachemaille
Petite Dinde, Ah! Quel Outrage - Maggie Teyte
Bailero - Kiri Te Kanawa
Brezairola - Kiri Te Kanawa
Malurous Qu'o Uno Fenno - Kiri Te Kanawa

Joan Sutherland: Her Spectacular Pasadena Concert

Average customer rating:

a lovely early concert
boring, boring, boring

Joan Sutherland: Her Spectacular Pasadena Concert

Manufacturer: Bella Voce Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Joan Sutherland: BBC-Recitals 1958, 1960, 1961
Joan Sutherland: Songs from Mozart, Bellini, Haydn, Handel, Donizetti
HOMAGE: The Age of the Diva
Sacred Songs

ASIN: B000006RK4
Release Date: 2000-08-05

Tracks:

Dolente Immagine
Malinconia
A Mezzanotte
Chanson De Zora
Le Tribut De Zamora: Romance Xaima: Ce Sarrasin Disait
Esclarmonde: O Roland Tu M' As Trahie
Crispino E La Comare: Io Non Sono Piu L' Annetta
Chanson De Florian
Le Papillon Et La Fleur
Oh, Si Les Fleurs Avient Des Yeux
Pensee D' Automne
La Tua Stella
Stornello Marinara
Malia
Sereneta
La Perichole: O, Mon Cher Amant
La Perichole: Tu N' Est Pas Beau
La Perichole: Ah, Quel Diner
The Gypsy And The Bird
Chocolate Soldier: My Hero

Customer Reviews:

a lovely early concert.......2003-04-25

Personally,I think that other reviewer was off on his head.Joan Sutherland was in resplendent voice the time of this concert.When she hit those stratspheric high notes and lush pianissimis I was putting my hand to my chest,I was experiencing the joys of operatic bliss.The only possible critiscm that is justifiable is that the sound is not studio quality,but is very decent,especially for the price.It's good enough to be caressed by her gorgeous tone,and to freguenty hit the rewind button,to here again a note,a single moment in time,of pure magic.

boring, boring, boring.......2000-09-04

A most boring recital, Sutherland in droopy voice in all slow arias, and I mean sloooow. Don't know what she was trying to do here. Her voice is golden but shere boredom here.

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