Une Vie [Import]

Product Description
Reissue of the Original Album.

Une Vie,Dalida,Polygram,French Pop,Vocal Pop,World Music

Average customer rating:

Berlioz: La Marseillaise; Symphonie fantastique; Ravel: Boléro; Rapsodie espagnole; Etc. Manufacturer: Teldec ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Barenboim, Daniel | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Love ASIN: B00004SCXT Release Date: 2000-09-12

Tracks:

1. Hymne Des Marseillais - Placido Domingo/Chicago Sym Chor/Duaine Wolfe
2. Sym Fantastique, Op.14: Reveries - Passion
3. Sym Fantastique, Op.14: Un Bal
4. Sym Fantastique, Op.14: Scene Aux Champs
5. Sym Fantastique, Op.14: Marche Au Supplice
6. Sym Fantastique, Op.14: Songe D'une Nuit Du Sabbat

Tracks:

1. Daphnis Et Chloe: Deuxieme Ste: Lever Du Jour - Pantomine - Danse Generale - Donald Peck
2. Rhap Espagnole: I. Prld
3. Rhap Espagnole: II. Malaguena
4. Rhap Espagnole: III. Habanera
5. Rhap Espagnole: IV. Feria
6. Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
7. Alborada Del Gracioso
8. Bolero

Average customer rating: refreshingly traditional Beautiful This is excellent work My favorite Christmas album. This is an outstanding recording

Noel, Noel!: Noels Francais/French Christmas Music (1200-1600) Manufacturer: Erato ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Dufay | Dufay, Guillaume | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sacred & Religious | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems Ballets & Dances | Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Holiday Music | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Holiday Music | Miscellaneous | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Holiday Music | Miscellaneous | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Choruses | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Choruses | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Classical Instrumental | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music $7 - $10 | Today's Deals | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: A French Christmas En la Fete de Noel/O Holy Night A Renaissance Christmas / Cohen, Boston Camerata Chansons Pour Noel: Mon Beau Medieval Christmas ASIN: B000000SCC Release Date: 1991-09-13

Tracks:

1. I - Midnight In Bethlehem: Oyez Seigneur comment parla (The Sybil's Prophecy)
2. I - Midnight In Bethlehem: O oriens, splendor lucis aeternae
3. I - Midnight In Bethlehem: Kyrie 'Le jour de Noel'
4. II - Christmas Week In Beauvais: Lux Hodie - Orientis Partibus
5. II - Christmas Week In Beauvais: Quem vidistis pastores
6. II - Christmas Week In Beauvais: Magnum nomen domini
7. II - Christmas Week In Beauvais: Lux optata claruit
8. II - Christmas Week In Beauvais: Virgo gemma virginum
9. II - Christmas Week In Beauvais: Quando decet honore
10. III - To The Virgin: Ave regina celorum
11. III - To The Virgin: In tua memoria
12. III - To The Virgin: Magnificat
13. IV - Noel, Noel: Noe, Noe
14. IV - Noel, Noel: Noe, noe, magnificus est rex pacificus
15. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Conditor en francais
16. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Chantons Noel, menons joyeuse vie
17. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Bransle de Bourgogne
18. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Or vous tremoussez, pasteurs de Judee
19. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Et d'ou venez-vous, Madame Lucette?
20. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Bransle de Bourgogne - Bransle double
21. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Disons nau a pleine teste
22. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Ronde And Saltarello
23. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Nouvelles, nouvelles
24. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Pres Bethleem dans une estable
25. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Sur le mont de Sion
26. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Dona nobis pacem (From The 'Missa sur le Point d'Avignon')
27. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: O l'heureuse journee
28. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Bransle de Champagne
29. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Venez ouyr la trompette
30. V - A Renaissance Bouquet Of Carol And Dances: Bransle de Champagne (Reprise)

Customer Reviews:

refreshingly traditional.......2006-11-10

If you are as tired as I am of canned Christmas muzak, you will find this to be refreshing, beautiful, and uplifting for the season of Christ's birth.

Beautiful.......2001-12-22

I was looking for something different from all the popular American Chirstmas music that has been re-done so many times. Here is a collection that satisfied me, and will delight both Franco-phones and Anglo-phones (English speakers) Some of the pieces are very chant like, but others are lively songs with lots of energy. Especially notable are tracks # 18, Or vous trémoussez, pasteurs de Judée, # 13, Noe, Noe, and my personal favorite, # 27, O l'heureuse journée. You likely will not recognize any of the tunes, so it may take a bit for this album to sound like Christmas, but it quickly did for me. The ancient instruments employed also give the music a unique sound that is really neat. This is a CD worth purchasing

This is excellent work.......1999-11-19

I am a musician and a medieval history buff, and first heard the Beauvais segments of this recording over the car radio, as I parked intending to do some Christmas shopping. I could not leave the car until the last note was sung and immediately began a search for the recording. The music is so...right, like a little time trip, haunting, triggering the imagination.

My favorite Christmas album........1999-09-04

Beautifully clear voices mix with period instruments and voices of character to present a lively, touching, and thoroughly enjoyable mix of music of centuries past.

This is an outstanding recording.......1998-12-26

Joel Cohen and the boston Camerata have recorded an outstanding collection of French Christmas carols.

Average customer rating: Messiaen and I genuflect in different ways Worth It! What does it matter if it's mono? Profound Music, Profound Peformance. Poor Recording. Invaluable

Messiaen par lui-même Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Messiaen | Messiaen, Olivier | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Bargain Box Sets | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: Olivier Messiaen: Complete Organ Works ASIN: B000002SBX Release Date: 1992-05-12

Tracks:

1. Le Banquet Celeste (1926)
2. Diptyque (Essai sur la vie terrestre et l'eternite religieuse) (1929)
3. Apparition de l'Eglise Eternelle (1931)
4. L'Ascension I: I. Majeste du Christ demandant sa gloire a son pere
5. L'Ascension II: II. Alleluias sereins d'une ame qui desire le Ciel
6. L'Ascension III: III. Transports de joie d'une ame devant la gloire du Christ qui set la sienne
7. L'Ascension IV: IV. Priere du Christ montant vers son Pere

Tracks:

1. La Nativite du Seigneur: I. La Vierge et l
2. La Nativite du Seigneur: II. Les Bergers
3. La Nativite du Seigneur: III. Desseins Eternels
4. La Nativite du Seigneur: IV. Le Verbe
5. La Nativite du Seigneur: V. Les Enfants de Dieu
6. La Nativite du Seigneur: VI. Les Anges
7. La Nativite du Seigneur: VII. Jesus accepte la souffrance
8. La Nativite du Seigneur: VIII. Les Mages
9. La Nativite du Seigneur: IX. Dieu parmi nous

Tracks:

1. Les Corps glorieux: I. Subtilite des Corps glorieux
2. Les Corps glorieux: II. Les Eaux de la Grace
3. Les Corps glorieux: III. L'Ange aux parfums
4. Les Corps glorieux: IV. Combat de la mort et de la vie
5. Les Corps glorieux: V. Force et Agilite des Corps glorieux
6. Les Corps glorieux: VI. Joie et clarte des Corps glorieux
7. Les Corps glorieux: VII. Le Mystere de la Sainte-Trinite

Tracks:

1. Messe de la Pentecote: I: Entree
2. Messe de la Pentecote: II: Offertoire
3. Messe de la Pentecote: III: Consecration
4. Messe de la Pentecote: IV: Communion
5. Messe de la Pentecote: V: Sortie
6. Livre d'orgure: I: Reprises par interversion
7. Livre d'orgure: II: Premiere piece en trio
8. Livre d'orgure: III: Les Mains de l'abime
9. Livre d'orgure: IV: Chants d'oiseaux
10. Livre d'orgure: V: Deuxieme piece en trio
11. Livre d'orgure: VI: Les Yeux dans les roues
12. Livre d'orgure: VII: Soixante-quatre durees

Customer Reviews:

Messiaen and I genuflect in different ways.......2006-02-08

I stumbled across a short biography of Messiaen in a literary journal. A devout Catholic, Messiaen was purportedly commited to preservation of medieval sacred music -- which led me to pick up this album -- and yet all I find is that composed some of the most minimalistic modern 'music' that I've ever heard. According to musical theorists, there is a beauty in the mathematical algorithms that he exercises on his keyboard, but in no way does that beauty extend into a melodic piece. This is not sacred gregorianesque music, this is not heavenly plainsong, this is not glorious baroque. If Messiaen truly did intend this to be sacred music, all I can say is that he and I genuflect in different ways.

Worth It!.......2005-12-15

When I approached this set I too was worried about the mono recording and the quality of the sound, but then I realized it's Messiaen himself playing his works. The Deutche-Grammaphone box set looks wonderful but to hear the compser play his music as he intended is worth more than stereo.

The music itself is some of the best 20th century classical/experimental. Messiaen's organ works are special. He used a church organ in the way his contemporaries were using tape machines, sine generators, filters and early modular synthesizers. The result is highly luminous and cerebral. The music drifts in and out structure and dissonance. One of the great characteristics about these works is that they all flow from one sound source(the organ), which gives off a feeling of sonic autonomy as if the music were a completely self-perpetuating entity, always existing. Who knew an organ could facilitate so many tones and resonances? "Soixante-quatre durées" is the pinnacle of his experimental endevours.

What does it matter if it's mono?.......2005-03-10

This is a monumental masterful monolithic monstrosity of a set of cd's (pardon the alliteration). Messiaen was truly an organist at heart, and his organ works are truly organ works. He never wrote as some did, with no knowledge of the instrument. He had been organist at Saint-Trinité for twenty-plus years before this recording, and he has inspired me to learn some of these pieces myself. There is so much to say about these amazing discs, but I will limit myself to saying that no matter what people say about mono recordings or unadvanced compositions, from Le banquet céleste to the Livre pour orgue, Messiaen's genius shines through. My personal favorite is the opener, Le banquet céleste. It touches a certain place in your soul left for whatever deity you worship. Buy this recording, because it is such a bargain for a master of his art in the 20th century.

Profound Music, Profound Peformance. Poor Recording........2001-08-24

One of the peculiarities of the twentieth century is the presence of recordings. If Mendelssohn had wished to hear Bach perform, it was too late; the secrets that Bach held playing his music were forever lost to him. Not many recognized Messiaen during his lifetime as the genius performer and composer that he was, and so now that the chance to hear him in person has passed, those interested must turn to recordings. How fortunate we are to have the recordings, though! It is good that we have records of titans like Bartok, Ives and Messiaen in our vaults! This is a must for any musician and a worthwhile listen for any `layman.' Messiaen was one of the most influential teachers of music in the Twentieth century and has left us some of the most important ovure from the epoch. Listening to a modernist perform his modern works, there is none of the coldness that comes from performers playing the music without understanding it, none of the feeling of listening to a trained bird. Messiaen plays expressing complex and powerful emotions; faith, awe, terror, mystery, majesty. The drawback is, of course, the poor recording that blunts the powerful timbres of the organ. But comparing Messiaen's performance with any that I have heard, I would take this recording before any of the other recordings of Messiaen's music. It is very powerful. Listen especially to the `Pentacost Mass.'One of the best recordings I own. One of the few profound performances recorded.

Invaluable.......1999-11-29

A must for organists who play Messiaen's works. How fortunate that we have a recording of Messiaen playing his own organ compositions. Although the performances aren't perfect they are extremely helpful, especially regarding tempii .. when he notes "extremement lent", he means it !

Average customer rating: ORDER AND BEAUTY Breathtaking

The Songs of Henri Duparc Manufacturer: Hyperion UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Allen, Thomas | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Songs of Chausson / Lott · Murray · McGreevy · Trakas · Chilingirian Quartet · G. Johnson Gabriel Fauré: The Complete Songs, Vol. 3 Fauré - The Complete Songs, Vol. 4 ~ Dans un parfum de roses Songs by Bizet Debussy - Mélodies / Ameling · Mesplé · Command · Souzay · von Stade · Baldwin ASIN: B000002ZLE Release Date: 1993-06-21

Tracks:

1. L'Invitation au voyage
2. Serenade florentine
3. Testament
4. Phidyle
5. Extase
6. La vague et la cloche
7. Chanson triste
8. Le Galop
9. Romance de Mignon
10. Serenade
11. La Fuite
12. Lamento
13. Elegie
14. Le manoir de Rosemonde
15. Au pays ou se fait la guerre
16. Soupir
17. La vie anterieure

Customer Reviews:

ORDER AND BEAUTY.......2006-08-30

Duparc composed little and published less. The 17 songs with piano (including one duet) that we have on this disc - just over one hour of music - constitute virtually all he chose to leave us as a musical legacy after more than 80 years of life. Some of the poets he set are familiar names - Baudelaire, Gautier, Sully-Prudhomme, Leconte de Lisle, one translation from Goethe - but three of the 17 are by one Jean Lahor. What they have as a common theme is a sense of incapacity to deal with mundane life, this manifested in the earlier poems as an escape into fantasy and dreams, lapsing into lonely sadness in the later. Whether the poetry of Lahor is of `middling quality', in the supercilious phrase of the liner-note writer, I wouldn't be knowing. My own French has no difficulty with understanding the literal meaning of anything here, and it is probably up to recognising the stature of Baudelaire, but whether it is good enough to pass such judgments on the plain and innocent-seeming verses of Lahor I am not so sure. It seems to me that a native speaker of French might miss the magic behind the simple diction of Housman, and what I seem to find in Lahor is at least a patent and fragile sincerity.

This poetry is set to a music of exquisite refinement and poise. There is clear influence from Wagner in one or two ways, particularly in some of the more vigorous accompaniments and probably also in the almost total avoidance of word-repetition, but the very French sense of atmosphere is as strong as it is in Debussy, and the vocal lines combine a Wagnerian flexibility with a delicate lyricism that recalls Berlioz. Duparc was also an outright perfectionist, and perfectionism is catching. It infects even such a slattern as I am myself when I listen to these fine-spun little masterpieces, and it seems to me that nothing less than total perfection in their performance can do them full justice.

What I find in this recital is total perfection from Thomas Allen, but only excellence from Sarah Walker and Roger Vignoles. They all show thorough understanding of this music, and they convey their understanding with both power when required and discretion, which is always required. I could probably ask for nothing more by way of insight into the soul of the works. Where I find something slightly lacking is at a more mundane level. Apart from a couple of slightly uneasy high notes, Sarah Walker's technical command is assured, and I feel more than a little ungallant in saying crudely that her voice is not quite what is needed for Duparc - it is just slightly ordinary, and her French is not as good as Allen's either. As the recital progressed I longed more and more for Veronique Gens, whose memorable Berlioz Nuits d'Ete came back forcefully into my mind. As for the accompaniment, it calls for the highest praise in its mastery of the idiom and style (which are more varied than you might expect). Vignoles catches the special and elusive atmosphere of this special and elusive composer with genuine and deep insight, and there is real and impressive power in the later sequences of the last song of all. However the shortcomings - slight but in this context very telling - are once again at a more humdrum level. The touch needs to be the last word in the `order, beauty, comfort, peace and pleasure' that Baudelaire himself yearns for in `L'Invitation au Voyage'. In particular the frequent tremolando sequences call for superhuman evenness, and when I ask myself `Who do I want to be doing this?' the answer that comes to me is as much a fantasy as anything in the poems - I want Michelangeli.

For some reason credits are given in the liner to the translators of only three of the poems. I can think of no reason for this discrimination, and all the translations are in my own opinion excellent. I spotted no misprints in either English or French, unless Baudelaire's `ciels', which Lahor and I thought was `cieux', is one of those and not his divine afflatus as I am assuming. The liner-note itself is businesslike and informative, and the recorded quality gives me no grounds for criticism. This is a fine production, and whether or not I have laboured my reservations unduly I recommend it cordially. Perfection was what I had wanted. It is not quite what I have got, but I have got a great deal nonetheless, and it may be a long time before I am given as much again.

Breathtaking.......2002-08-23

The music of Duparc is as intense, layered, complex, and as emotional as the man who wrote it - who in fact, drove himself mad in the process. To convey this music effectively, a journey must be taken by the vocalist and the pianist into rich text and engulfing harmonies, without drowning in over analysis & self indulgence. There is a foreboding sense of secret, or the opening of a private self, and a great vulnerability and tenderness in this music. Here, the vocalists Allen & Walker, present immaculate readings of these 17 works, along with the supreme artisty of Vignoles. These recorded pieces are such exquisite duets between voice and piano that they leave you in rapture. Walker's mellifluous "Extase" with it's Wagnerian, lush accompaniment is impeccable and haunting. Allen opens his soul, along with those of the poet and composer, in "Soupir" - laden with all the angst of unrequited love. Both he and Vignoles transport their listener heavenward on soft stardust in their intimate "Serenade Florentine". This is divinely inspired music. Honest. Unpretentious. Transcendental.

Average customer rating: Interesting music, great singing

Dreams in the Pleasure Garden Guillaume de Machaut , and Orlando Consort Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Machaut | Machaut, Guillaume de | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Orlando Consort | ( O ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Virelais | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00000HY9J Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

1. Chansons: Tant doucement
2. Chansons: Comment puet on
3. Chansons: De Fortune
4. Chansons: Mors sui
5. Chansons: Se quanque amours
6. Chansons: Je ne cuit pas
7. Chansons: Liement me deport
8. Chansons: Je puis trop bien
9. Chansons: Certes mon oueil
10. Chansons: En amer a douce vie
11. Chansons: He! Dame de valour
12. Chansons: Une Vipere
13. Chansons: Ma fin est mon commencement
14. Chansons: De toutes flours

Amazon.com

Just when you think you know somebody, some uncharacteristic behavior shows itself and you instantly realize that you have more to learn. Such an enlightening occurrence is bound to happen for listeners to this disc accustomed to hearing the "memorable tunes, regular phrasing, and clear harmony" of Machaut's most commonly performed works. Here, the four-member Orlando Consort--alto, two tenors, and baritone--happily and with masterful ease introduce us to the "other" Machaut, one of irregular phrases, lively syncopated rhythms, and long flowing melodies that interact contrapuntally with two or three other vocal lines. The melodic structure often consists of cleverly intertwined strings of suspensions followed by quick resolutions, giving a jumpy impetus to many lengthy passages and entire songs. Among these 14 secular songs are many beautiful poetic texts and some notable melodies, but, interestingly, Machaut didn't attempt to fit music with textual meaning. For us, it remains just to listen--and perhaps to read the words separately--and we are rewarded with some of the 14th century's most sensuous, intriguing, and exotic music. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Interesting music, great singing.......1999-12-20

The music on this CD represents the style of composition prevalent in the mid-14th century, the so called ars nova. This style was notable for "hocketing" (i.e. oscillation between short notes and short rests in the upper voices), and even syncopation, but it also included a technique quite different from the ones just mentioned - the so called isorhythm (i.e. regularly repeating rhythmic and harmonic structures). Machaut was a great master of both of these facets of ars nova, but he was by no means the only one, as was demonstrated by a recent Clerks' recording of music from the Ivrea Codex (and if you ask me, the greatest master of isorhythm was John Dunstable). As the in-house reviewer mentions, the music on this disc is more idiosyncratic, less regular, more syncopated than the typical 14-th century musical output. Breaking the rules while perfecting the style has always been a sign of genius, in any age. The Orlando Consort give this music the recording it deserves (I must commend this group for carving out a niche for themselves despite the fact that the idea of having an all-male quartet sing early music so smacks of the Hilliard that it would seem to be a difficult act to follow). The voices blend exquisitely, combining the beauty of tone with an expert technique - even Robert Jones, whose voice I normally find rather harsh, sounds relatively mellow and seductive in this recording. Charles Daniels is great, as always: his solo piece, Liement me deport, is utterly delightful. gkolomietz@yahoo.com

Average customer rating:

Duparc: Chansons Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | 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 Similar Items: English Song Series 3 The Songs of Henri Duparc Ian Bostridge - Songs of Faure, Debussy & Poulenc Debussy - Mélodies / Ameling · Mesplé · Command · Souzay · von Stade · Baldwin Complete Songs for Voice and Piano ASIN: B0002TXT52 Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

1. Serenade
2. Chanson Triste
3. Le Manoir De Rosemonde
4. L'Invitation Au Voyage
5. Phidyle
6. Testament
7. Serenade Florentine
8. Soupir
9. La Vague Et La Cloche
10. Extase
11. La Vie Anterieure
12. Le Galop
13. Lamento
14. Elegie
15. La Fuite

Album Description

In a relatively short career as a composer, curtailed by illness, Henri Duparc left a small group of songs that have since proved a major part of French song repertoire. The songs for tenor and piano recorded on this disc are notable for their poetic atmosphere, emotional intensity and exquisite technique. Highlights include L'invitation au voyage, set to words by Baudelaire and perhaps Duparc's best known song, the deeply felt Elégie, the dramatic Le manoir de Rosemonde, with its haunted search, and the harmonically adventurous Chanson triste.

Average customer rating: A tempting treasury, but only a few performances are great Berlioz with immaginative variety

The Berlioz Experience Manufacturer: Umvd Labels ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Allen, Thomas | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Cleveland Orchestra | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Paris Symphony Orchestra | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Te Deum | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, Lelio, Tristia Berlioz Edition (Box Set) Shostakovich: Concertos; Orchestral Suites; Chamber Symphonies Grieg: Complete Music with Orchestra Bruckner: The Nine Symphonies; Helgoland ASIN: B00008RWRJ Release Date: 2003-10-14

Customer Reviews:

A tempting treasury, but only a few performances are great.......2007-02-03

Ten discs of Berlioz is a sumptuous offering, and temptingly cheap at Amazon Marketplace. DG has used this occasion to repackage some outstanding performances. At the top of the list goes James Levine's electrifying Requiem from Berlin, with playing and singing to match the conductor's inspiration. Also exciting--perhaps surprisingly so--is Abbado's Te Deum, which has rawer edges and sharper focus than Colin Davis's on Philips, long the standard version.

Dropping down a notch in quality, we have an elegantly played Romeo et Juliette by the Boston Symphony, superbly recorded, that has few rivals for refined virtuosity. But after a while Seiji Ozawa's approach seems to lack depth and meaning; he's skating over the surface of the musical drama, however brilliantly. Sharp and brilliant also describes Myung-Whun Chung's contribution, a Symponie fantastique, two overtures, and the Royal Hunt and Storm from Les Troyens, all with his well-trained Bastille Opera orchestra. Chung is to the manner born in Berlioz, but so are greater conductors in these works, including Munch and Markevitch.

At about the same quality level I'd place the Mort de Cleopatre, a dullish early vocal scene sung with plushness by Jessye Norman, and Kiri Te Kanawa's Les Nuits d'Ete, which is ravishing in terms of sheer vocalism but otherwise vacant. Daniel Barenboim's slack conducting does the piece no favors, either, which holds true on a much larger scale for his Damnation of Faust. This is a typical Barenboim product, full of lush sounds, excellent singing, big-scale orchestral work, but leading to a meager artistic payoff. Barenboim's Faust isn't remotely competitive with Markevitch, Chung, Solti, Pretre, and others in this work. It's great to hear Domingo in the title role, but the conducting is so routine that I'm not sure the overall experience is worth it.

We get odds and ends of varying quality: the rarely recorded Tristia done superbly by Boulez, an uneven batch of songs that previously appeared in their own double-CD set (a chore to listen to in its entirety, despite the occasional gem), and a pedestrain Harold in Italy conducted by Lorin Maazel in Berlin, a performance that DG surely could have bettered by looking deeper into their vaults.

In all, I can't see investing in such an uneven collection except at super-budget price. If you do a little searching, all the best things here can be gotten separately, and the lesser recordings pale by comparison with classic Berlioz from Colin Davis, Charles Munch, and Igor Markevitch.

Berlioz with immaginative variety.......2003-10-30

This box makes a nice alternative to the Philips boxes under Colin Davis. Not to take anything away from Davis. His Berlioz cycle certainly ranks up there with the elite for recording achievements. But many will not want to invest in all 3 boxes, so Universal has brought us a great compilation of some of Berlioz' best works from a variety of performers with different styles.
The jewel has to be Ozawa's unsurpassed Romeo and Juliet. This 1976 studio recording had its birth at the Tanglewood Festival and features excellent soloists (Julia Hamari, Jose Van Dam, and Jean Dupouy), a very competent choir, and of course the reliable Boston SO. The recording is of outstanding quality. It seems cleaned up a little from what I remember of the CDs from the mid 80s; much more spacious, less muddy sounding. I especially like the chorus in the hushed night scene.
Barenboim's Damnaton is perdictably Furtwangler-like in tempo, and again features top notch singers in Fischer Dieskau, Jules Bastin, & Placido Domingo; Yvonne Minto is probably not in the same class with the others, but she's more than acceptable.
Levine directs a well recorded and balanced classical-sounding Requiem, and Abbado is more than competent in the Te Deum.
Chung's Fantastique is fun and enjoyable, if not first-class.
The rest of the works are very commendable, if not top-of-the-class.
In short, you can't go wrong for the price, and if you love Berlioz' Romeo, you've got to get this box just for the Ozawa gem.

Average customer rating:

Les Chemins de L'Amour Manufacturer: Musica Viva ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Koechlin, Charles | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Poulenc | Poulenc, Francis | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Weill | Weill, Kurt | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00004YWQQ Release Date: 2000-10-10

Tracks:

1. Les Chemins De L'Amour
2. Je Te Veux
3. Si Tu Le Veux
4. Si Mes Vers Avaient Des Ailes
5. Parlez-Moi D'Amour
6. Hymne A L'Amour
7. T'Es Beau, Tu Sais
8. La Vie En Rose
9. Improvisation in c, No.15: Hommage
10. I Extrait De Banalites: Hotel
11. Beau Soir
12. Ne Me Quitte Pas
13. Improvisation in a, No.13
14. Je Ne T'Aime Pas
15. I Extrait De Marie Galante: J' Attends Un Navire
16. J'Ai Deux Amours (Mon Pays Et Paris)

Average customer rating:

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Tracks:

1. 'Solomon': Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
2. 'The Four Seasons': The Spring: Allegro
3. Canon In D
4. Orchestra Suite No.2: Minuet And Badinerie
5. Bach: Allegro
6. Symphony No.104: Adagio; Allegro
7. Divertimento For Strings, No.1: Allegro
8. Piano Concerto No.5: Adagio un poco mosso
9. 'The Ruins Of Athens': Turkish March
10. Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Romanze: Andante
11. Marche Militaire No.1
12. 'The Hebrides' ('Fingla's Cave'): Overture
13. 'The Valkyrie': Ride Of The Valkyries

Tracks:

1. Slavonic Dances: No. 1: Presto
2. Slavonic Dances: No. 3: Poco Allegro
3. Slavonic Dances: No. 7: Allegro Assai
4. Slavonic Dances: No. 8: Presto
5. Coronation March
6. Entry Of The Gladiators
7. Serenade For Strings: Waltz
8. Samson And Delilah: Bacchanale
9. Piano Concerto No. 2: Adagio sostenuto
10. Russian And Ludmilla: Overture
11. Also sprach Zarathustra: Introduction
12. Symphonie Fantastique: March To The Scaffold
13. On The Beautiful, Blue Danube
14. The Firebird: The Palace Of Kashchei And His Enchantments Vanish - Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

1. 'Pictures at an Exhibition': Promenade
2. 'Pictures at an Exhibition': Gnomes
3. 'Pictures at an Exhibition': The Hut On Fowl's Legs (Baba Yaga)
4. 'Pictures at an Exhibition': The Great Gate Of Kiev
5. A Night On Bald Mountain
6. 'The Planets': Mars: The Bringer Of War
7. 'The Pines Of Rome': The Pines Of The Appian Way
8. Pavan For A Dead Princess
9. The Sorcerer's Apprentice
10. 'The Three-Cornered Hat': Dance Of The Miller's Wife
11. Scheherazade: Festival At Baghda; The Sea; The Ship Goes To Pieces Against A Rock Surmounted By A Bronze Warrior

Tracks:

1. Fanfare For The Common Man
2. 'Appalachian Spring': Variations On A Shaker Melody
3. 'Candide': Overture
4. 'West Side Story': Suite: I Feel Pretty; Maria; Something's Coming; Tonight; One Hand, One Heart; Cool; America
5. Rhapsody In Blue
6. Adagio For Strings
7. 'America': Variations
8. 'Rodeo': Hoe-down
9. Pomp And Circumstance: March No. 1
10. 'Gayane': Sabre Dance
11. 'Lieutenant Kije': Troika
12. 'The Love Of Three Oranges': March
13. 'Hary Janos': The Viennese Musical Clock

Average customer rating: Enchanté, Mlle Graham! excellent singing, not so great programming A CD full of scrumptious French chocolates! REYNALDO AND SOME LIGHT STUFF C'est magnifique!!

"C'est ca la vie, c'est ca l'amour": French Operetta Arias Reynaldo Hahn , Andre Messager , Susan Graham , Yves Abel , and City of Birmingham Symphony Manufacturer: Erato ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Honegger | Honegger, Arthur | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Susan Graham - La Belle Époque (The Songs of Reynaldo Hahn) Susan Graham ~ Berlioz - Les nuits d'été Poèmes de l'Amour Susan Graham - Mozart & Gluck Arias ~ Il tenero momento Artist Portrait: Susan Graham ASIN: B00005UW0Z Release Date: 2002-04-02

Tracks:

1. "C'est ca la vie, c'est ca l'amour" (Moises Simons, from Toi c'est moi, 1934)
2. "J'ai deux amants" (Andre Messager, from L'Amour masque, 1923)
3. "Yes" (Maurice Yvain, from Yes, 1928)
4. "Si vous saviez" (Arthur Honegger, from Les Aventures du roi Pausole, 1930)
5. "O mon bel inconnu" (Reynaldo Hahn, from O mon bel inconnu, 1933)
6. "Je ne vois rien..Lorsque je n'etais qu'une enfant" (Andre Messager, from Fortunio, 1907)
7. "Les hommes sont biens tous les memes" (Andre Messager, from Coups de roulis, 1928)
8. "Air de la Lettre" (Reynaldo Hahn, from Brummell, 1931)
9. "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" (Andre Messager, from Passionnement, 1926)
10. "Vois-tu, je m'en veux" (Andre Messager, from Les P'tites Michu, 1897)
11. "Etre adore" (Reynaldo Hahn, from Mozart, 1925)
12. "Je regrette mon Pressigny" (Andre Messager, from la Petite Fonctionnaire, 1921)
13. "Amour, amour, quel est donc ton pouvoir" (Andre Messager, from Les Dragons de l"Imperatrice, 1905)
14. "Mon reve" (Andre Messager, from L'Amour masque, 1923)
15. "C'est tres vilain d'etre infidele" (Reynaldo Hahn, from O mon bel inconnu, 1933)
16. "C'est pas Paris, c'est sa banlieue" (Reynaldo Hahn, from Ciboulette, 1923)
17. "Vagabonde" (Moises Simons, from Toi c'est moi, 1934)

Amazon.com

This record presents the esteemed opera singer and French music specialist Susan Graham in a new light. French operetta began with Jacques Offenbach (creator of The Tales of Hoffmann) in the 1850s; his ability to blend sweet lovely melodies with bitter political satire made him and the form famous, and composers all over the world have emulated him ever since, including those represented on this disc. Most of them, though popular during their lifetime, are hardly known today. The most familiar are Arthur Honegger and Reynaldo Hahn, though not primarily as operetta composers; the latter contributes some of the loveliest music.

The arias on this program are thoroughly appealing and very different, ranging from frothy creampuffs to almost operatic dramas, from ingenuous simplicity to ironic sophistication. As one might expect, the texts, all written from a woman's point of view, focus on the relationships between men and women in all their infinite, subtle variety. Susan Graham uses her very beautiful voice and captivating charm to bring out the teasing humor, the intimacy, passion, joy, and regret in words and music. One song is a trio, but since no other singers are mentioned, one assumes that she covers all three parts! The first song is the only one in which the singing is artificial and exaggerated, as if Graham were feeling her way into the style. The orchestra is very good, but some of the arrangements are overloaded. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Enchanté, Mlle Graham!.......2004-11-13

Though it's fair to say that the stunning title track reaches a creative standard unmatched by any of the later items (no wonder it comes first), this is still refreshing stuff, which will bring out the slumbering Maurice Chevalier in us all. Anyone who can hear it without wanting to grab the nearest straw hat and proclaim "Zank 'eaven for leedle girrrrrlz" is a tougher man than I am, Gunga Din.

Refreshing stuff, but seldom flippant. Other than the X-rated Honegger song (who'd have thought sober-sided Artur H had a bawdy streak in him?) and the subtler but still eyebrow-raising Maurice Yvain number "Yes", the prevailing atmosphere is often surprisingly operatic. Surprising at any rate to me, since I can't recall hearing most of this material before. Reynaldo Hahn sometimes does a rather good Richard Strauss impersonation, as in "O mon bel inconnu", which suggests a Gallic version of ROSENKAVALIER's final trio.

Presumably Miss Graham sings all the vocal parts of this piece in a multi-tracking arrangement, but it would be nice to have been told in the booklet note whether this was the case. The short playing time deplored by Joy Fleisig is also a nuisance, since one wants even more of the same. Miss Fleisig rightly censured, in addition, the white-print-on-purple-background design which some graphic-design-school genius decided to employ for the lyrics' translations. So no fifth star for this review. The release remains a pretty enchanting (not to say enchanté) production, even if a native French singer would have cultivated - as native French singers will - an edgier, more acidic timbre than Miss Graham's warm, sonorous, very slightly cloudy tone. Altogether a splendid supplement to heftier and more austere listening.

excellent singing, not so great programming.......2002-10-02

A delightful album by Graham, who has apparently been cast as a French expert...but I wish there had been a few more uptempo numbers on here, so many of them are slow that it almost detracts from the sparkle of her singing. Great performances and sound, though.

A CD full of scrumptious French chocolates!.......2002-09-03

When one thinks of 'French operetta', the composer that most often springs to mind is Jacques Offenbach. However, the generations of operetta composers that came after him also produced some wonderful music. Unfortunately, although these works were very popular in their time, they are virtually forgotten today. Apart from Andre Messager, the best known names on this anthology, Reynaldo Hahn and Arthur Honneger, are better known for other types of work, and most of the other composers are unknowns. Susan Graham, perhaps the finest American mezzo-soprano of our time, is to be commended for bringing these sweets out into the open once again.

Graham is a singer very much in the mold of Frederica von Stade - like von Stade, she is best known for trouser roles such as Octavian and Cherubino, but she has done some wonderful work in French music, especially as a recitalist. Her voice is firm and lustrous with an easy, sopranoish top, her phrasing is exquisite, and her French is excellent. By turns Graham is funny, ironic, sensual, wistful, charming, and heroic.

Most of the music on this CD was written between 1920 and 1935, although one selection here is from as early as 1897. The music actually has greater similarity to 'modern' musical comedy than to traditional operetta. Of course, the primary theme of these works is the travails of women in love - either they struggle with their (often illicit) passions - in one case attempting to invoke Joan of Arc! - or muse on the perfidy of men. My favorite song on the disc is the title track, a delightful samba take on 'Carmen' (from Cuban-born Moises Simons' 'Toi c'est moi') with a verse that sounds quite a bit like the 'Habanera' - only in this version, Carmen murders Escamillo! It actually occurred to me while listening to this disc that Graham might make an excellent Bizet Carmen on records or in a small theater. By the way, the 'Carmen' connection shows up again in a song entitled - you guessed it - 'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle'!

Other tracks which I love are `Yes', wherein a French woman goes to England knowing only that word and gets her self married - and more, and `O mon bel inconnu', where three women get letters from the same man (their husband, father, and employer respectively) through the lonelyhearts column. Thanks to the miracle (?) of multi-tracking, Graham gets to sing all three roles, and her `voices' blend together gorgeously. And in the final track, 'Vagabonde' (also from 'Toi c'est moi') is a delightfully whirling 'impatient, quivering, impulsive' plea from a woman who wants to find a man willing to marry before her 'orange-flower' wilts (wink, wink).

Despite the light tone of most of this music, there are several moments of high drama. `Lorsque je n'etais que enfant' is an aria from Messager's `Fortunio' where the heroine, berating herself for toying with her boyfriend, reminisces of her purer and more innocent childhood. Graham is back in her usual trouser-role territory for the heroic `Etre adore' from Hahn's `Mozart', where the composer effuses over Paris and willingly sacrifices his soul to be adored by its people. There is also sweet nostalgia and regret, such as in 'Je regrette mon Pressigny', 'Vois-tu, je m'en veux' and 'C'est pas Paris, c'est sa banlieu'.

Actually, the only track that I don't like is 'Si vous saviez' from Honneger's 'Les Aventures du Roi Pausole', which ironically enough is Graham's favorite. The aria, where the wife of a polygamous potentate begs her husband to sleep with her more than once a year, is meant to be sensuous but just drags. I suspect this his Honneger's fault, not Graham's.

The French-Canadian Yves Abel is an ideal conductor for this repertory. He has a strong affinity not only for French opera but also for comedy and light music in general; the latter two qualities were very evident at a Metropolitan Opera `Il Barbiere de Siviglia' this year. I also remember a fine performance of `La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein' he conducted with his company L'Opera Francais de New York and Stephanie Blythe. Under his baton the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra plays just like a French ensemble.

The documentation has full texts and translation of all the material and a fine essay on the works and the composers by Patrick O'Connor. Unfortunately, there is no biographical information for either Graham or Abel. Also, some people might have problems reading the white type on purple background for the translations (the type for the essay is the normal white-on-black), although I did not. As usual, my complaint about many modern CDs, especially those produced by Erato, applies here - there is less than an hour of music on a medium that can hold almost 80 minutes. I think it is unlikely that Graham and Abel couldn't find more good music in this vein, or even that they ran out of recording time. And speaking of Erato, I think it is a crime that that parent company Warner Classics dismissed not only Graham but many other fine operatic artists like Jose Cura, Daniel Barenboim, and Barbara Frittoli. At least the man now in charge of Warner regrets Graham's dismissal and is negotiating a new contract with her.

I am glad that so many star singers today are championing French rarities - not only Graham but also Roberto Alagna and Vesselina Kasarova, among others. I would recommend this not only to lovers of opera and operetta but also to fans of more 'popular' French music like Edith Piaf's and Jacques Brel's, or even to admirers of the American musical. It doesn't matter by which road you come to it - this material is delightful and the presentation is flawless. Most importantly, it is clear that everybody involved with the making of this disc had a great time, and anyone who listens to it will as well.

REYNALDO AND SOME LIGHT STUFF.......2002-08-02

SUSAN GRAHAM had me an addict of her voice with her marvelous songs of REYNALDO HAHN,a treasure that i cherish.This FRENCH OPERETTA ARIAS is still a good cd,but lighter and fluffier.Not surprizingly, i consider the HAHN arias the highlight of this record.It seems to me that SUSAN has real affinities with the composer of CIBOULETTE and O MON BEL INCONNU.O MON BEL INCONNU and ETRE ADORÉ are wonderfully sung and are worth the price of the cd.I did not completely enjoy the first 4 numbers,although i should say that they are correctly done.Maybe i simply can't accept the fact that SUSAN can sing humourous stuff.Well that's my problem isn't it?I have the original version of J'AI DEUX AMANTS sung by YVONNE PRINTEMPS and the comparaison gives advantage to SUSAN.

C'est magnifique!!.......2002-06-29

Graham has never been better in this disc of delightful French operetta arias. A must for fans of the artist. And I dare you to get that opening track out of your head!!

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