C'est Ma Vie [Import]

Product Description
2 CD set includes 'Vous Permettez Monsieur', 'Les Filles Du Bord De Mer', 'C'est Ma Vie', 'Fragile', 'La Malice' and more. Brilliant label.

C'est Ma Vie,Adamo,Paradiso,Italian,World Music

Average customer rating: Valuable compendium Rareties available on CD at last! Heavenly WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?

The Art of Joan Sutherland Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Arne | Arne, Thomas Augustin | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Paisiello | Paisiello, Giovanni | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Piccinni, Niccolò | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Thomas | Thomas, Ambroise | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Weber | Weber, Carl Maria von | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | 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 Academy of Ancient Music | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Sutherland, Dame Joan | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | 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 Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Odes | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Joan Sutherland: BBC-Recitals 1958, 1960, 1961 Serate Musicali The Art of the Prima Donna The Voice of the Century La Stupenda ~ The Supreme Voice of Joan Sutherland ASIN: B000654OUQ Release Date: 2005-03-15

Customer Reviews:

Valuable compendium.......2007-01-24

This set is extremely valuable, not only as an overview of Dame Joans career but because it contains three complete LP sets that have been very hard to find. The sets are the 2 LP French opera (operetta) set, the Mozart album and the Wagner album. Although some of these do not show her to her best advantage (the Wagner set) they all have some very beautiful things and the French items are superb. The annotations and photos are interesting as well and there are some piano songs with Bonynge that are released here for the first time along with a scene from a live Covent Garden Norma.

Rareties available on CD at last!.......2006-03-29

While Joan Sutherland has recorded a number of impressive aria collections throughout the many years of her recording career, they tend to get lost in the shuffle of the countless reissues Decca/London has endlessly repackaged. While some of the original collections have appeared intact on CD--"The Art of the Prima Donna," "The Age of Bel Canto," "Love Live Forever" (her operetta collection that was originally titled "The Golden Age of Operetta"), to name a few--others are currently represented in the CD catalogue by only a few selections on discs that also include excerpts from complete opera recordings or duplicates of selections from other original collections. As a result, it has been impossible to assemble a CD collection of her recordings without a LOT of duplication, and some of the most interesting collections are still unavailable (e.g. "Command Performance" and "Serate Musicale").

While this newest set does include a lot of bits of this and that, ranging from her very first LPs to excerpts from complete recordings most Sutherland fans already have and a few "live" performances, what is perhaps most significant about it is that it features the complete contents of the "Sutherland Sings Wagner" LP--a real repertoire departure for her--and the double-LP album called "French Opera Gala" (in the U.S.--the British title was "Romantic French Arias"), neither of which, to the best of my knowledge, has been available on CD before. "Opera News" magazine once ran an article in which they asked various stars to name the one album that they felt best represented their artistry for future generations, and Dame Joan selected the "French Opera Gala," so for Sutherland fans, this is a long-awaited treat.

I'm not going to waste space saying how miraculous I consider Dame Joan's artistry. If you are familiar with her work already, you know whether you adore her or not; and if you aren't, this massive set is probably not the best place to start (that would be "The Art of the Prima Donna" album that introduced her to most listeners decades ago)--especially since this newest set doesn't contain the lyrics, a must for newcomers. Let's hope Decca/London gets around to releasing the rest of her recordings intact instead of endlessly scrambling and repackaging the same selections over and over.

Heavenly.......2006-01-31

I first heard of Dame Sutherland while on the internet while listening to a internet radio station. I was instantly a fan, her control, technique, and tone is perfectly executed and rivals the equally fantastic Maria Callas. She has a powerful voice and presence that will evoke every emotion from her listeners. Highly recommended to all Opera Diva fans.

WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?.......2005-04-10

This is Decca's second multi disc evaluation of this fantastic singer's long career and many recordings. True that a lot on the first set is duplicated here, but there are a few exceptions here and there that make it a worthy addition. Of particular interest are the very early items of Handel and Italian baroque arias, some forgotten song recordings and a live performance of the duet from Norma. It can't be said too many times - who can sing like this today? For sheer vocalism it's hard to find anyone on the same wavelength. This set will give very young opera goers an idea of what they missed.

Average customer rating: Lapsing Faith and Lost Beauty Stylish Thais Set AN UNDER-APPRECIATED GEM A fad Lovely but too late

Massenet: Thaïs / Sills, Milnes, Gedda; Maazel Jules Massenet , Lorin Maazel , Beverly Sills , Nicolai Gedda , New Philharmonia Orchestra , John Alldis Choir , Sherrill Milnes , and Norma Burrowes Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Maazel, Lorin | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Massenet: La Navarraise / Horne, Domingo, Milnes, Bacquier, Zaccaria, Davies, LSO, Lewis Massenet: Le Cid (Complete) [Germany] Massenet: Manon Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) ASIN: B000002S67 Release Date: 1995-09-26

Tracks:

1. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Voici le pain...Et le sel (Cenobites, Palemon)
2. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Le voici! Le voici! (Cenobites, Athanael, Palemon)
3. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Helas! enfant encore (Athanael)
4. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Ne nous melons jamais, mon fils (Palemon, Cenobites, Athanael)
5. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Vision (Orchestre)
6. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Toi, qui mis la pitie dans nos ames (Athanael)
7. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Mon fils, ne nous melons jamais (Palemon, Athanael, Cenobites)
8. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Prelude (Orchestre)
9. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Va, mendiant chercher ailleurs ta vie! (Serviteur, Athanael)
10. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Voila donc la terrible cite (Athanael)
11. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Ah! Ah! Ah!...Athanael, c'est toi!
12. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Ah! Ah! Ah!...Je vais donc te revoir (Crobyle, Myrtal, Nicias, Athanael)
13. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Gorde-toi bien! Voici ta terrible ennemie! (Nicias, Choeur)
14. Thais: Act I - Scene II : C'est Thais, I'idole fragile (Thais, Nicias)
15. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Quel est cet etranger (Thais, Nicias, Athanael)
16. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Qui te fait si severe (Thais, Nicias, Choeur)
17. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Non! Non! je hais vos fausses ivresses (Athanael, Thais, Nicias, Choeur)
18. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Ah! je suis seule, seule enfin!
19. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Dis-moi que je suis belle (Thais)
20. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Etranger, te voila comme tu l'avais dit
21. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Eh bien, fais-moi connaitre tout cet amour
22. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Je suis Athanael, moine d'Antinoe! (Thais, Athanael, Nicias)
23. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Je n'ai pas plus choisi mon sort que ma nature (Thais, Athanael, Nicias)
24. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Meditation Religieuse - Symphonie (Orchestre)

Tracks:

1. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Pere, Dieu m'a parle par ta voix,
2. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Non loin d'ici, vers I'occident
3. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Considere, o mon pere (Thais, Athanael)
4. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Suivez-moi tous, amis! (Nicias, Choeur, Crobyle, Myrtal)
5. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Divertissement (i) (Orchestre)
6. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Voila I' Incomparable! (Nicias)
7. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Celle qu vient est plus belle (Crobyle, Myrtal)
8. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Divertissement (ii) (Orchestre)
9. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Eh! c'est lui!...Athanael! (Nicias, Choeur, Athanael)
10. Thais: Act II - Scene II : II dit vrai! (Thais, Nicias, Athanael, Choeur)
11. Thais: Act III - Scene I : L'ardent soleil m'ecrase
12. Thais: Act III - Scene I : Ah! des gouttes de sang coulent de ses pieds (Thais, Athanael)
13. Thais: Act III - Scene I : O messager de Dieu, si bon dans ta rudesse (Thais)
14. Thais: Act III - Scene I : Baigne d'eau mes mains et mes levres (Thais, Athanael, Choeur)
15. Thais: Act III - Scene I : La paix du Seigneur soit avec toi (Athanael, Albine)
16. Thais: Act III - Scene I: Mon oeuvre est accomplie! (Athanael, Thais, Albine, Choeur)
17. Thais: Act III - Scene II : Que le ciel est pesant! (Cenobites, Palemon, Athanael)
18. Thais: Act III - Scene II : C'est lui qui vient! (Athanael, Palemon)
19. Thais: Act III - Scene II : Qui te fait si severe (Thais, Athanael, Choeur)
20. Thais: Act III - Scene II : Thais va mourir! (Athanael)
21. Thais: Act III - Scene III : Seigneur, ayez pitie de moi (Choeur, Albine)
22. Thais: Act III - Scene III : Sois le bienvenu dans nos tabernacles (Albine, Athanael, Choeur)
23. Thais: Act III - Scene III : C'est toi, mon pere! (Thais, Athanael)

Amazon.com

This set is primarily for devoted fans of Beverly Sills, for fans of Sherrill Milnes in his prime, and for those who must have the uncut version where it's available. The estimable Ms. Sills was in less than ideal voice for the making of this recording, which is unfortunate, but the artistry still shines through. Mr. Milnes sings with rich tone. But Lorin Maazel's conducting is leaden and out of empathy with the score. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

Lapsing Faith and Lost Beauty.......2006-09-23

The reason I assign the recording four stars rather than five is that the pathos of the opera strikes me as too extreme. The same combination of exquisite beauty and suffocating pathos turns up in Barbra Streisand's song "The Way we Were." Beverly Sills sings the pathetic part of Thais to the hilt; and Massenet's familiar "religious meditation" does the rest. All of these intensely pathetic operas including Pagliacci and Tosca derive from the epoch-making example of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde with its unrelieved love-and-death sorrow. As a Christian I associate this powerful tradition with lapsing faith in Europe after 1865. Massenet's opera treats the early Christian monks of Egypt as caught up in tragic error. Thais is a supremely beautiful woman won from a life of immorality to Christianity by a well-intentioned monk who knew her in his earlier days. As the converted Thais lives and dies for the abstract reward of heaven, the monk grieves over the beauty he has destroyed. The real spiritual solution to the dilemma posed by the opera lies in the correlation between future resurrection, universal vitality and intense beauty; but theologians have generally missed he point and shown more interest in heaven than in concrete resurrection. In any case there was no way out for Massenet and his source.

Stylish Thais Set.......2005-10-16

This 1976 recording of Thais is my favorite of the two recordings I have - the other being the Fleming/Hampson. Sills' vibrato is a little more pronounced here than it was a few years earlier, but it doesn't bother me. She still has a gorgeous voice and brings this conflicted character vividly to life. Having studied with the likes of Mary Garden as a young singer, Sills has an innate understanding of the French style, and uses her voice with much imagination and flair. Also, the character of Thais is not supposed to be a young girl - an aging courtesan of 30ish or so... Sherrill Milnes, in a departure from his usual Italian repertoire, sings a most impassiaoned Athaneal - the voice full and resonant, the character's obessiveness wonderfully realized. I think he never did anything better on disc. Nicolai Gedda is a little past his best here, but like Sills understands the French style and delivers the vocal goods as required. Maazel conducts an exciting performance (even playing the solo violin in the Meditation himself) and the sound is excellent. The Fleming/Hampson set is beautifully sung, but I feel the drama of the story is not fully realized somehow - hard to put my finger on what's missing there. This Thais is one of my favorite French opera recordings - recommended highly.

AN UNDER-APPRECIATED GEM.......2004-12-03

Late 19th-century French opera is often disparaged these days, which isn't really fair. Delibes had some beautiful melodies, and Massenet was a much better composer than many give him credit for. And although "Manon" and "Werther" may be more famous, to me, his late opera "Thais" is his masterpiece. There are three major recordings of this opera, one with Anna Moffo, Gabriel Bacquier and Jose Carreras, a recent one with Renee Fleming, Thomas Hampson and Giuseppe Sabattini, and this 1976 recording with Beverly Sills, Sherill Milnes, and Nicolai Gedda. All three versions have their strengths and weaknesses. The Moffo/Bacquier vesion, although excellent and showing Carreras in his prime, is unavailable. (I'm not sure it was ever issued in CD.) The Fleming/Hampson recording is also excellent--Fleming has a gorgeous and luscious voice, and Hampson a silky smooth baritone--but I find myself reaching for the Sills/Milnes version most often.
Sills was past her prime when she recorded this, and her high notes are a little thin and sometimes wobbly. Nevertheless, her artistry is so great that she infuses the role of the courtesan with the tremendous drama the role requires. Thais' radical change of character, from the insouciant hedonist to the redeemed penitent, is gloriously demonstrated in Sills' portrayal.
And this opera is as much about Athanael as it is Thais. Milnes, at the height of his career when he recorded this in 1976, brings tremendous power and vitality to the role of the priest, whose reverse progression from moralistic religious surety to tortured doubt parallels that of Thais, the object of his forbidden love. Nicolai Gedda's singing is, as always, stylish and graceful, and Loren Maazel's reading of the score is well paced and forceful. This recording belongs in all opera collections.

A fad.......2004-05-21

This Thais is ruined by Sills. Buy Renee Fleming's Thais instead. She has the big voice, the looks and the talent. Sills didn't, all she can do is make my ears bleed. Shame on that shrieker!

Lovely but too late.......2004-02-24

I have a live-recording with Sills which is MUCH better. Sills was always at her best live on stage. For studio-recordings get the Fleming-set or the sadly cut recording with the divine Renee Doria. (My favourite Thais)

Average customer rating: Bizet: Les Pêcheurs De Perles My review middle of the road performance Opera to love Wonderful piece of work

Bizet: Les Pêcheurs des perles; Ivan IV Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Box Sets | Stores | Music ASIN: B000002SFC Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Les Pechuers De Perles: Prld - Comic Opr Nat Theatre Orch/Pierre Dervaux
2. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act I, No.1. Choeur: Sur la greve en feu - Ernest Blanc/Nicolai Gedda/Comic Opr Nat Theatre Chor/Pierre Dervaux
3. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act I, No.1. Scene et choeur: Amis, interrompez vos danses - Ernest Blanc/Nicolai Gedda/Comic Opr Nat Theatre Chor/Pierre Dervaux
4. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act I, No.1. Recit et reprise du choeur danse: Demeure parmi nous, Nadir - Ernest Blanc/Nicolai Gedda/Comic Opr Nat Theatre Chor/Pierre Dervaux
5. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act I, No.2. Recit: Cest toi qu'enfin je revois - Ernest Blanc/Nicolai Gedda
6. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act I, No.2. Duo: Au fond du temple saint - Ernest Blanc/Nicolai Gedda
7. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act I, No.3. Recit: Que vois-je? - Ernest Blanc/Nicolai Gedda
8. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act I, No.3. Choeur: Elle vient... Sois la bienvenue - Ernest Blanc/Janine Micheau/Comic Opr Nat Theatre Chor/Pierre Dervaux
9. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act I, No.3. Scene et choeur: Seule au milieu de nous - Ernest Blanc/Janine Micheau/Comic Opr Nat Theatre Chor/Pierre Dervaux
10. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act I, No.4. Recit: A cette voix - Nicolai Gedda
11. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act I, No.4. Romance: Je crois encore entendre - Nicolai Gedda
12. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act I, No.5. Scene et choeur:Le ciel est bleu - Nicolai Gedda/Jacques Mars/Comic Opr Nat Theatre Chor/Pierre Dervaux
13. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act I, No.5. Air et choeur: O Dieu Brahma! - Janine Micheau/Nicolai Gedda/Comic Opr Nat Theatre Chor/Pierre Dervaux
14. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act II, No.6. Entracte, scene et choeur: L'ombre descend des cieux - Janine Micheau/Nicolai Gedda/Comic Opr Nat Theatre Chor/Pierre Dervaux
15. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act II, No.7. Recit et cavatine: Me voila seule dans la nuit - Janine Micheau
16. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act II, No.8. Chanson: De mon amie - Janine Micheau/Nicolai Gedda
17. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act II, No.9. Duo: Leila! Dieu puissant - Janine Micheau/Nicolai Gedda
18. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act II, No.10. Final: Ah! Revenez a la raison - Janine Micheau/Nicolai Gedda/Jacques Mars

Tracks:

1. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act III, No.10. Final: Arretez! C'est a moi d'ordonner - Ernest Blanc/Janine Micheau/Nicolai Gedda/Jacques Mars/Comic Opr Nat Theatre Chor/Pierre Dervaux
2. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act III, No.11. Entracte, recit et air L'orages'est calme...o Nadir - Ernest Blanc
3. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act III, No.12. Recit: Qu'ai-je vu? - Ernest Blanc/Janine Micheau
4. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act III, No.12. Duo: Jefremis, je chancelle - Janine Micheau/Ernest Blanc
5. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act III, No.12. Scene:Entends au loin... - Jaques Mars/Janine Micheau/Ernest Blanc
6. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act III, No.13. Choeur danse:Des que le soleil - Comic Opr Nat Theatre Orch/Pierre Dervaux
7. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act III, No.14. Scene et choeur: Sombres divinites - Jaques Mars/Comic Opr Nat Theatre Chor/Pierre Dervaux/Ernest Blanc
8. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act III, No.15. Trio: O lumiere sainte - Janine Micheau/Nicolai Gedda/Ernest Blanc
9. Les Pechuers De Perles: Act III, No.16. Final: Cesont eux, les voici - Ernest Blanc/Nicolai Gedda/Janine Micheau/Jacques Mars/Comic Opr Nat Theatre Chor/Pierre Dervaux
10. Ivan IV: Act I, Duo: Puisses-tu voir longtemps encore - Janine Micheau/Michel Senechal
11. Ivan IV: Act I, Final du premier tableau: Victoire! Victorie! Chantez! - Pierre Savignol/Henre Legay/Nat Chor de la R.T.F./Georges Tzipine
12. Ivan IV: Act I, Serenade: Ouvre ton coeur a l'amour qui m'enflamme - Michel Senechal
13. Ivan IV: Act I, Recit et chand du Cosak: Et c'est un chant de femmes... - Michel Roux/Louis Noguera/Nat Chor de la R.T.F./Georges Tzipine
14. Ivan IV: Act II, Choeur danse: Sous nos pas resonnent... - Nat Orch de la R.T.F./Georges Tzipine
15. Ivan IV: Act III, Air de Mare: II me semble parfois que mavie est un songe - Janine Micheau
16. Ivan IV: Act III, Recit et air d'Igor: La vengeance va donc etre enfin satisfaite...Pourquoi me verr - Henri Legay
17. Ivan IV: Act III, Duo: Marie ! Igor! - Henri Legay/Janine Micheau
18. Ivan IV: Act III, Final: Voyez! Ah! Mon epouse... - Janine Micheau/Henri Legay/Michel Senechal/Michel Roux/Pierre Savignol/Louis Noguera...
19. Ivan IV: Act IV, Final: A mort! A mort! - Janine Micheau/Henri Legay/Michel Senechal/Michel Roux/Pierre Savignol/Louis Noguera...

Customer Reviews:

Bizet: Les Pêcheurs De Perles.......2004-02-03

Advice for the San Diego gentleman: listen to the recording first before sending in your comments. It's laughable to blindly defend Nicolai Gedda's singing in Nadir's role without even listening to the recording!

While I gave this recording five stars for its glorious sound and very good performance from all stars including Mr. Nicolai Gedda, he does indeed sound a bit strained in the romance "Je crois encore entendre". This is not surprising since Bizet wrote this passage in extremely high notes!

I highly recommend this recording to all Bizet fans.

My review.......2003-02-17

Nicolai Gedda is my favorite tenor in the non-Italian repertory. He excelled in French, German, and operetta roles, both French and Viennese. Even though I have not listened to this recording yet, I am sure that he does a good job in this recording of Bizet's second most popular opera after the ubiquitous "Carmen". He was a great Don José, the best non-French one who ever recorded the role (no offense to Corelli, Domingo, and Vickers). It is fair to assume that he does a good job with the demanding role of Nadir. To say that he sometimes sounds a bit strained in this role is blasphemous. He excelled in roles that had high tessituras. He had great success in "Le Postillon de Lonjumeau", "Oberon", and "Benvenuto Cellini". This recording was made in October 1960. Gedda was only at the beginning of his glorious prime. Do not believe the person who said he sounds strained in this role. He is biased against Gedda, who happens to be one of his fellow countrymen. Gedda also was very committed dramatically to each and every role that he sung. To say that he sings Nadir's aria without any emotions is false exaggeration in the greatest sense. Gedda was a superb interpreter of French roles and it can be assumed, on my part that is, that he gives an above-average performance in this opera. Remember, I have not listened to this recording yet.

middle of the road performance.......2001-11-06

This is a perfect example of studio recordings with opera stars that ought to be very good, but somehow fails. There is nothing obviously 'wrong' with this recording, but it surely doesn't engage either.

The voices are generally good - Gedda's Nadir is smooth and beautiful, idiomatic in style, if sometimes a little strained under pressure - and that's not strange - Nadir's writing is very high. The romance 'je crois entendre encore' is however a wonder of precision and smoothness, technically perfect indeed, but it's rather hard to imagine that he sings a romance when there's no trace of feelings there. Janine Micheau on the other side is as always rather dry in tone, but perfectly french in style, and her vibrato is not as wide as it sometimes could be - and her performance is, I think, the most 'felt' of the three main roles. Ernest Blanc as Zurga is also rather unengaged, although with a firm and effective voice. The conducting is also rather uninspired, and perhaps that's the main problem, cause an uninspired conductor can damage a whole performance.

There are at least three better recordings according to my taste, and one of them stand clearly ahead of the other: the live recording from 1959 with Vanzo/Micheau/Baquier and Rosenthal as conductor, available here on Amazon.com. A typically french performance with all the positive effects of a live recording captured in good sound and hardly none of the negative ones, combined with wonderful singers in their prime. Vanzo, as Nadir, is alone worth the purchase (it's also budget priced!). Thereafter I think the two mono recordings from Philips (Simoneau/Alarie/Bianco/Fournet) and EMI (Legay/Angelici/Dens/Cluytens) are good. There are studio recording with more modern sound, but they all let you down in one way or the other - you might as well go for this one in comparission to them.

Compared to other more modern stereo versions, this one has the great advantage of giving us highlights from the very rare Bizet opera 'Ivan IV' with an other conductor and different cast. For the real Bizet fans this alone might be worth the purchase, but if you just want a good version of this lovely opera, go for one of the three I've mentioned above.

Opera to love.......2000-04-19

Bizet wrote some of the most beautiful melodies in classical music, and this opera abounds with some of his best. Filled with breathtaking arias, the exotic setting of Ceylon and glorious poetry, The Pearl Fishers is more lush and visceral than Carmen. James Michener's The Drifters was my introduction to this opera; in the Winona Ryder version of Little Women, Gabriel Byrne as Professor Baehr takes Jo to a production of Les Pecheurs de Perles. This is a wonderful recording of a very accessible piece of music.

Wonderful piece of work.......1998-12-07

This wonderful piece of work by Bizet is not as popular as Carmen, and this is a pity, for the melodies and voice registers used by the composers are really talking to the soul. This version, although not recent, is the best I know by the quality of performers and sound recording. Definitely worth buying.

Average customer rating: Not a flawless version, but one to be REALLY loved The best of a mediocre-to-bad lot Hoffman contines to elude the recording world Excellent but not definitive O Dieu, de quelle ivresse embrasse-tu mon âme?

Offenbach - Les Contes d'Hoffmann / Alagna, van Dam, Dessay, Vaduva, Jo, Lascarro, Dubosc, Ragon, Sénéchal, Bacquier, Lamprecht, Nagano Jacques Offenbach , Roberto Alagna , Natalie Dessay , Kent Nagano , Choeur et Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Lyon , Leontina Vaduva , Sumi Jo , José van Dam , Catherine Dubosc , Gilles Ragon , Gabriel Bacquier , Doris Lamprecht , and Juanita Lascarro Manufacturer: Erato ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Alagna, Roberto | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Donizetti: Lucie de Lammermoor; Natalie Dessay, Roberto Alagna Russian Album ASIN: B000005E4D Release Date: 1996-10-29

Tracks:

1. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Prelude - Kent Nagano
2. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Act 1, Scene 1: Glou! Glou! - Kent Nagano
3. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets de la muse: La verite, dit-on, sortait d'un puits - Kent Nagano
4. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Elle est sur la scene, un peuple l'acclame - La Muse - Kent Nagano
5. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 2: Le conseiller Lindorf, morbleu! - Lindorf, Andres - Kent Nagano
6. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 3: Vayons? Pour Hoffmann! - Kent Nagano
7. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets: Dans les roles d'amoureux - Kent Nagano
8. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Deux heures devant moi - Scene 4: Vite, vite, qu'on se remue! - Lindorf, Luther - Kent Nagano
9. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 5: Choeur des Etudiants - Drig, drig - Kent Nagano
10. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Vrai Dieu! Mes amis - Kent Nagano
11. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Eh! Luther! Ma grosse tonne - Lindorf, Luther, Nathanael, Hermann, Wolfram, Wilhelm - Kent Nagano
12. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 6: Bonjour, amis! - Kent Nagano
13. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets and Andante: Va pour Kleinzach! - Kent Nagano
14. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Peuh! Cette biere est detestable! - Kent Nagano
15. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Duo: Et par ou votre Diablerie - Kent Nagano
16. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Simple echange de politesse - Kent Nagano
17. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Je vous dis, moi - Kent Nagano
18. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ma maitresse? - Kent Nagano
19. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Final: Messieurs, on va lever le rideau! - Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Lindorf, Luther, Nathanael, Hermann, Wolfram, Wilhelm - Kent Nagano
20. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Act 2: Entracte - Kent Nagano
21. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 1: La! Dors en paix - Spalanzani - Scene 2: Ah! Bonjour! Enchacte! - Spalanzani, Hoffmann - Scene 3: Fais allumer partout! - Spalanzani, Cochenille - Kent Nagano
22. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 4: Allons! Courage et confiance! - Kent Nagano
23. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Pardieu! J'etais bien sur - Kent Nagano
24. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets: Une poupee aux yeux d'email - Nicklausse, Hoffmann - Kent Nagano
25. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 5: C'est moi, Coppelius! - Kent Nagano
26. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Je me nomme Coppelius - Kent Nagano
27. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: J'ai deux jeux, de beaux yeux - Kent Nagano
28. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Serviteur - Kent Nagano
29. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Ange du ciel, est-ce bien toi? - Nicklausse, Hoffmann, Coppelius - Kent Nagano
30. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 6: Hein! Vous! - Hoffmann, Coppelius, Spalanzani - Kent Nagano
31. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 7: Choeur des Invites: Non aucun hote vraiment - Kent Nagano
32. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Vous serez satisfaits, messieurs - Hoffmann, Spalanzani, Nicklausse - Kent Nagano
33. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 8: Mesdames et Messieurs - Kent Nagano
34. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Mesdames et Meisseurs, fiere de vos bravos - Kent Nagano
35. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Air: Les oiseaux dans la charmille - Kent Nagano
36. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Mon ami! Quel accent! - Hoffmann, Spalanzani, Nicklausse, Olympia, Cochenille - Kent Nagano
37. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 9: Ils se sont eloignes! Enfin! - Kent Nagano
38. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Vivre deux! - Kent Nagano
39. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Tu me fuis? - Hoffmann, Olympia - Scene 10: Eh! morbleu! modere ton zele! - Hoffmann, Nicklausse - Kent Nagano
40. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 11: Voleur! Brigand! Quelle deroute! - Coppelius - Kent Nagano
41. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 12: En place les danseurs - Kent Nagano
42. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Voila! Assez, assez, ma fille - Kent Nagano
43. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Quoi? L'homme aux lunettes, la! - Spalanzani, Cochenille, Hoffmann, Olympia, Nicklausse, Coppelius - Kent Nagano

Tracks:

1. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Act 3: Entracte - Jacques Offenbach
2. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Elle a fui, la tourterelle - Antonia - Jacques Offenbach
3. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Malheureuse enfant! - Crespel, Antonia - Scene 3: Desespoir! Tout a l'heure, encore! - Crespel - Scene 4: Frantz! n'ouvre a personne! - Crespel, Frantz - Jacques Offenbach
4. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 5: Jour et nuit je me mets en quatre - Frantz - Jacques Offenbach
5. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 6: Frantz, c'est ici! - Hoffmann, Frantz - Jacques Offenbach
6. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 7: Enfin je vais savoir pourquoi - Jacques Offenbach
7. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Romance: Vois sous l'archet fremissant - Jacques Offenbach
8. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: C'est une chanson d'amour - Hoffmann, Antonia, Nicklausse - Jacques Offenbach
9. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 8: Ah! Je le savais bien - Jacques Offenbach
10. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ah! J'ai le bonheur dans l'ame - Jacques Offenbach
11. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Pourtant, o ma fiancee - Jacques Offenbach
12. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Viens la comme autrefois - Jacques Offenbach
13. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Qu'as-tu donc? - Antonia, Hoffmann - Scene 9: Rien! J'ai cru qu'Hoffmann etait ici! - Hoffmann, Crespel, Frantz, Miracle - Jacques Offenbach
14. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 10: Pour conjurer la danger - Jacques Offenbach
15. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Allons, parle! et sois bref! - Jacques Offenbach
16. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: J'ai la certains flacons - Miracle, Crespel, Hoffmann, Antonia - Jacques Offenbach
17. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 11: Ne plus chanter - Hoffmann, Antonia - Jacques Offenbach
18. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 12: Tu ne chanteras plus? - Jacques Offenbach
19. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ah! Quelle est cette voix? - Jacques Offenbach
20. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ta mere, oses-tu l'interroger? - Jacques Offenbach
21. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Non! Assez! - Jacques Offenbach
22. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ja cede au transport qui m'enivre! - Miracle, Antonia, La Voix - Jacques Offenbach
23. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 13: Mon enfant, ma fille! - Crespel, Antonia, Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Miracle - Jacques Offenbach

Tracks:

1. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Act IV: Entracte - Jacques Offenbach
2. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Messieurs, silence! - Jacques Offenbach
3. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Recit et Chant bachique: Et moi, ce n'est pas la - Jacques Offenbach
4. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Amis, l'amour tendre et reveur - Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Giulietta - Jacques Offenbach
5. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Je vois qu'on est en fete! - Schlemil, Giulietta, Pitchinaccio, Hoffmann - Scene 3: Au premier reve je t'enleve - Nicklausse, Hoffmann - Jacques Offenbach
6. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 4: Tourne, tourne, miroir - Dapertutto - Jacques Offenbach
7. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 5: Cher ange! - Dapertutto, Giulietta - Jacques Offenbach
8. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 6: Melodrame: Vivat! J'ai tout gagne! - Giulietta, Schlemil, Dapertutto - Jacques Offenbach
9. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 7: Giulietta, palsembleu! - Jacques Offenbach
10. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Air de Giulietta: Vous ne jouez pas? - Jacques Offenbach
11. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Que dit-elle? - Jacques Offenbach
12. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Giulietta, je vous jure! - Jacques Offenbach
13. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Oui, fut-ce au prix de ma vie - Jacques Offenbach
14. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Sextuor and Choeur: Helas! Je vais encore la suivre - Jacques Offenbach
15. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Morbleu! - Jacques Offenbach
16. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Il a ma cle - Jacques Offenbach
17. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Ton ami dit vrai! - Jacques Offenbach
18. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Romance: O Dieu, de quelle ivresse - Jacques Offenbach
19. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Jusque-la, cependant - Jacques Offenbach
20. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Si ta presence m'est ravie - Jacques Offenbach
21. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ah! Tu m'as defiee - Giulietta, Hoffmann, Dapertutto, Pitchinaccio - Jacques Offenbach
22. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Alerte, Hoffmann! - Jacques Offenbach
23. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Voyez! Il n'a plus le moindre reflet! - Jacques Offenbach
24. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Je n'aime pas qu'on me defie! - Jacques Offenbach
25. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ainsi, tu mentais! - Nicklausse, Hoffmann, Dapertutto, Pitchinaccio, Giulietta - Jacques Offenbach
26. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Act V: Entracte - Jacques Offenbach
27. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Choeur: Folie! Oublie tes douleurs - Jacques Offenbach
28. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Voila quelle fut l'histoire - Jacques Offenbach
29. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Choeur des Esprits et des Etudiants: Glou! Glou! - Hoffmann, Luther, Lindorf, Nathanael, Nicklausse - Jacques Offenbach
30. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Stella, Stella! - Jacques Offenbach
31. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Couplet: Pour le coeur de Phrygne - Jacques Offenbach
32. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Denouement: Hola! Quelqu'un de fort pour emporter Hoffmann! - Jacques Offenbach
33. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ingrat! Et moi? - Jacques Offenbach
34. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Adieu! Je t'abandonne - Andres, Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Stella, La Muse, Lindorf - Jacques Offenbach

Amazon.com

Of all the revisionist Hoffmanns, this one is the best, using the latest (and one trusts) last version of Michael Kaye's edition, based on sketches recently discovered for the unfinished opera. Most of the changes are in the Giulietta act; it now tracks better dramatically, and unlike some restoration attempts, its length is sensible. In the title role, Roberto Alagna is full of imaginative touches of characterization, singing the famous Kleinzach song with an intentional vocal roughness in a worthy effort to convey the Hoffmann's debauched state. As the mechanical doll Olympia, Natalie Dessay proves she's not only a phenomenal singer but a great comedienne. Kent Nagano deploys his Lyon Opera forces with great stylistic authority. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Not a flawless version, but one to be REALLY loved.......2006-05-09

This is a recording with significant highs and lows. But in overall it is an excellent account of this wonderfully tuneful and beloved opera.
First, about the edition. The Kaye edition restores a lot of music including recitatives written by Offenbach and a number of musical numbers. It also goes for the Guiraud recitatives which some versions totally omit and replace by the dialogues which Offenbach likely might have intended. Compared to, say, the historical Sutherland/Domingo/Bonynge version, this version is significantly longer and more substantial, musically speaking. With more than 30 minutes of music compared to the Bonynge edition, it is understandable why the Kaye version needs up to 3 CDs to bear the substantial amount of music.
While fans of Contes d'Hoffmann would likely be grateful at the ressurrection of so much musical material, I personally find this version sometimes just too painfully long. The Guiraud recitatives sometimes simply are bland and cause the opera to just drag along. Yes, Guiraud obviously has a lot of skills and bright ideas in these recitatives, mostly shown by the quoting of music by Offenbach in these recitatives to give the opera a better sense of unison. But compared to the simpler recitatives that Offenbach himself wrote, the Guiraud sometimes just seems aloof. Unless you really have a lot of time, you might want to stick to the more important musical numbers. Also, the new ending, with Hoffmann facing the Muse in the apotheose is a wonderful ensemble, with sounds from the church organ that gives the scene its necessary "holy" feel.
Now to the singers. Alagna has a masculine voice and is dramatically very effective. He also has a perfect French diction-crisp, idiomatic and a real joy to listen to. His instrument naturally is not very beautiful; and I personally find his Hoffmann a bit beefy and hysterical; but his good understanding of the role still helps him come across as a better Hoffmann. The best Hoffmann is in my opinion either Domingo or Schicoff.
The ladies are provided with quite a luxury cast. Natalie Dessay's Olympia is perhaps second only to Sutherland and Sills. To everyone who honors La Stupenda's E flats, listen: Dessay presents the role of the mechanical doll with FOUR Gs, yes 4 full-voiced, stunning, jaw-dropping Gs!!! Musically speaking, Dessay is not as comedic as Sutherland; her tone is a little thin and nasal but her coloratura and lovely portrayal of the role is simply untterly convincing.
Vaduva's Antonia is excellent: excellent diction, girly tone and very successfully portrays the youngsinger's vulnerability and sensibility. She however lacks power in the trio and that C sharp falls flat. Her "Elle a fui la tourterelle" is however wonderfully touching and moving. The best Antonia, in my opinion, is Victoria de Los Angeles. To one of the reviewers here, Vaduva is not a Slavic singer. She is a French singer of Romanian origin. A totally Latin singer!
Sumi Jo portrays a very convincing Giulietta with very believable spinto qualities, which she provides effectively with chaning in tone. The rediscovered coloratura, with a couple of E flats and spellbinding runs, well, brings the wonderful Korean coloratura soprano to her prime best. Her French is surprisingly idiomatic.
Lascarro's got a small role as Stella. I personally don't like her tone; but she is good enough in the beautiful apotheose ensemble.
Jose Van Dam's quartet villain almost matches Bacquier's famous portrayal. His voice is not as dark or evil-sounding as Bacquier's but still gives a top-notch interpretation. His doctor Miracle might have been the best on record if he took some of those melodramatic laughs in the Trio. His reluctance, combined with Vaduva's small voice, creates a flat Trio. This being said, the French bass's quartet of villains stills ranks among the undisputed best. My favorite villain quartet, Gabriel Bacquier has a cameo role here as Crespel, which he does a great job.
Gilles Ragon's a good tenor and his stuttering in the portrayal of Cochenille is very convincing. I however find him a bit too serious and heavy for these tenore buffo roles. The same can be said for Senechal's Spalanzani. Compared to Charon's Spalanzani on the Bonynge recording, he is very unfunny. The "brigand! Bandit!" quarrel after the destruction of the doll is bland and lifeless.
Catherine's Dubosc has a lovely voice and does great job as Nicklausse. There is nothing to criticize about her singing qualities. My only objection is that the casting of this trouser role for a soprano harms the overall balance of the opera: 5 soprano roles and 1 mezzo role (the voice of the mother): this is not a good balance. The Barcarolle duet, in particular, suffers from both a misbalance and a ridiculous fast tempo.
Kent Nagano's conducting does not have the solid tempos of Bonynge and sometimes overwhelms the singers: most notably in that C sharp of the Trio. But he has really interesting ideas and provides invaluable support.
With the exception of a bland Spalanzani, some strange tempos and the unusual length of the edition, this is a very good Hoffmann. Together with the Bonynge version, this is another very good all-around recording. The set is a tad expensive, but given the substantial amount of music and a very informative booklet, this is a recording to really consider. It will provide a lot of listening pleasures. You will not be disappointed.

The best of a mediocre-to-bad lot.......2003-10-30

I have heard six recordings of "Hoffmann," an opera that is particularly dear to me for sentimental reasons. None of them are perfect, all have flaws, but on balance this is the best of the lot.

Now that musicologists have finished playing with the Mahler 10th Symphony (which ended rather well) and the Beethoven 10th (which ended rather badly), they have been taking a whack at "Hoffmann," rushing to revise music the composer never sanctioned and adding music found in buckets and boxes long after his death. My personal feeling was, if it ain't broke, don't fix it: you're not Offenbach, and to speak for him requires a tremendous amount of chutzpah. And a lot of the revisions, to my ear, simply do not work well, such as turning Giulietta into a coloratura soprano, spinning out an aria that ends much like Olympia's doll song as on this recording.

I'm also not fond of switching the Antonia and Giulietta acts from their traditional positions for both dramatic and musical reasons. To begin with, having the "tales" end with Antonia gives Hoffmann's character a certain sense of redemption that simply isn't there the other way. Also, the Giulietta act is musically the weakest: as primiarily an operetta composer, Offenbach simply had a hard time creating music for this act which is darker and more tensely dramatic than anything else in the work. The superp trio that climaxes the Antonia act, on the other hand, is one of the most brilliant and transcendent things he wrote.

That being said, there is much to admire in this set. Kent Nagano conducts briskly, which is his wont, thereby tying together the music in a cohesive and satisfying way where others (particularly Cluytens and Cambreling) sound slow and rambling. On the other hand, his chorus of the spirits, though light and brisk, just misses the rapt, enchanting sound achieved by Bonynge; and though it was probably Offenbach's intent to have only a few strings play the violin motif in the Antonia trio, they sound too thin, not sweeping or driven enough, for the dramatic situation. Nagano also conducts the famed "Barcarolle" at a shade-too-fast tempo, thus robbing the music of its mysterious charm (even Arthur Fiedler made a better recording of the instrumental version). These moments point to a lack of "theatricality" in Nagano's conducting style that Bonynge, Rudel and even Beecham managed to capture.

Alagna is not as suavely beautiful or haunting in the role as Robert Rounseville or Stuart Burrows were. This is something of an abrupt, nervous reading, though if one knows something about E.T.A. Hoffmann and his tales it is perfectly in keeping with his character. (I have yet, however, to see ANY tenor perform the role made up to LOOK like Hoffmann, a scrawny little man with a square jaw, popping eyes and a shock of unruly, frizzy hair. I guess no tenor really wants to look like that!)

This is unquestionably the finest performance Dessay has ever recorded: her voice is brilliant, in focus, on pitch and wonderfully secure. Only Bond in the Beecham performance and Sutherland come close, though I personally feel that Sutherland was funnier in the role. She had a real flair for comedy, whereas she did not possess enough personal warmth for Antonia or Giulietta.

The Sutherland recording also had the best "villains" in Gabriel Bacquier in his prime, but to my ears Van Dam is an excellent second. (Treigle, in the Sills set, was good but not great, his somewhat gruff voice rather overwhelimg the roles with too much histrionics.)

Vaduva has a pretty tone but your typical "Slavic wobble," more noticeable in the early and late parts of her act. For some reason, the voice is better focused in the middle sections, but she does not efface memories of de los Angeles who was the best Antonia ever.

Jo is surprisingly good as Giulietta: though her voice is even smaller than Dessay's, it had a fuller lyric sound in the mid-range which captured well on records. (I have beel told that her "live" career is just about over on stage as the voice is too small to carry in most modern theaters.) I liked Margherita Grandi in the old Beecham film, but a chesty, spinto Giulietta is apparently persona non grata in the new Michael Kaye edition of the work.

Dubosc is a good Nicklausse, though I preferred Tourangeau and the singer (I forget her name) from the Beecham film. Bacquier, with far less voice, is still predictably good as Crespel; the timeless Senechal is a classic Spalanzani; Ragon is an excellent Cochenille, not so memorable as Franz. (I miss Andrea Velis, the old Met comp, who was brilliant in these roles but was never recorded in them.) The other small roles range from excellent (Tezier as Schlemil) to poor (Juanita Lascarre as Stella).

An ideal modern "Hoffmann" would have Elisabeth Vidal as Olympia, Hong as Antonia, Fleming as Giulietta, Alvarez as Hoffmann, Rene Pape as the three villains, and someone like Pappano or Plasson conducting.....but we can dream all we want. The era of complete opera recordings, according to many inside sources, is over as we know it--even the Bobby & Angela act is being shelved--so we must pick from what we have, and this is simply the finest over all "Hoffmann" on record, with Bonynge's being a good second choice, though I do not like Domingo's hard-voiced, beefy Hoffmann.

Hoffman contines to elude the recording world.......2001-10-03

This is a very good Hoffman, with the new edition of the score and a lot more music than in earlier editions. There is MUCH here to be admired and enjoyed as there is in the classic Domingo/Sutherland recording.

I prefer Domingo's more passionate Hoffman to Alagna's workmanlike effort, which is still quite fine.

On the other hand, having different female vocalists, as this recording does is preferable to my ear than having the same throughout as the Domingo/Sutherland recording does. The three female leads here range from good (Dessay) to excellent (Jo). Having heard Sumi Jo sing Olympia on record and in person, I find it hard to enjoy Dessay's quite as much. Jo is here as Antonia however.

No single recording of Hoffman is clearly preferable and listening to each is recommended. In the meanwhile, there is still an opening here for a more fully satisying Hoffman.

Excellent but not definitive.......2001-04-20

This recording has given me many hours of listening pleasure. Pretty much every artist featured in it gives an excellent performance, and the greatness of Offenbach's opera is conveyed more fully than can be done by other performances that contain less of what he composed for "Hoffmann" before his untimely death. However, the recording has several specific faults that result in my giving it only 4 stars, even though it is among my favorite operatic recordings.

First, the good points. Listening to this recording one definitely thinks of the opera's characters rather than the artists portraying them.... I find Alagna's voice quite beautiful on this recording and feel that he portrays the character of Hoffmann with spectacular success....

Van Dam is one of the recording's great assets as the villains. The three main heroines are each memorable(.).......(Jo's) interpretation of Giulietta's long-lost coloratura aria is spectacular and features a spine-chilling moment in her climactic cadenza ...she sings a rising series of notes almost identical to one sung by Dessay as Olympia in Act II, emphasizing the connection of the heroines. ...Lascarro does a very good job in the small role of Stella (....Dubosc is excellent as the Muse and Nicklausse, giving a truly memorable performance of nearly the entire role. Unfortunately, Nicklausse's Antonia-act aria, arguably the artistic and emotional heart of the entire opera ...,seems somehow disappointing on this recording. Dubosc's voice does not cut through the orchestra as it should when she sings in her lower register, and as a result the aria fails to have the cathartic impact on me that it has when I have heard it in Metropolitan Opera broadcasts. .... Ragon gives an excellent, highly memorable performance in the four "grotesque" roles.

Now I may turn to the disappointing features of this recording. ....(T)his recording contains no extra-musical sound effects whatsoever. To a certain extent this is a valid approach to recording an opera. The problem is that "Hoffmann" contains an unusually high number of passages which were composed with the extra-musical sounds that would be heard from the stage in mind and which lack some of their intended impact without sound effects. The effectiveness of the students' drinking song is reduced when we don't hear them banging their glasses together and on the tables, and without the winding-up sound the pauses in Olympia's song when she runs down make less sense. We also should hear Coppelius smashing Olympia, Hoffmann and Schlemil moving around heavily as they duel, the death-gasp of another character who dies in the new ending of the Giulietta act (I won't spoil the unfamiliar twists of plot here), and various other sound effects which would add to the drama of the story. Moreover, Van Dam's villains never laugh except when their laughter is notated in the score, even though the libretto specifies some additional evil laughs, notably the one as Dr. Miracle disappears and Antonia falls dying at the end of the trio for Miracle, Antonia and the voice of Antonia's mother.

One of the main problems with the recording is that Van Dam, Ragon and Dubosc are the only performers to play multiple roles. Not only are the heroines played by four different sopranos, but none of the artists who play Luther and the students reappear in other roles in the acts devoted to Hoffmann's three stories. All of this goes against what are presumed to be Offenbach's wishes for his opera, despite the fact that this is a recording of Kaye's critical edition (in its "grand opera" version). Moreover, this recording was, unfortunately, made before Offenbach's own finished finale for the Giulietta act, written very shortly before his death, became available for inclusion in Kaye's edition. ....

Finally, it seems bizarre that the aria "Scintille, diamant," which has been one of the most popular numbers in the opera for a long time, is not included on this recording. ....

Despite these flaws, this recording is recommended. It is extremely enjoyable and represents the totality of Offenbach's intentions for "Hoffmann" more fully than any other recording currently available. One hopes that a new recording of Kaye's edition, with the definitive ending for the Giulietta act and with a single soprano playing all four heroines, will be made in the not-too-distant future.

O Dieu, de quelle ivresse embrasse-tu mon âme?.......1999-11-21

Comme un concert divin ta voix m'a pénétré!....

This recording is undoubtedly one of the two benchmark recordings of this opera, the other one being the classic Sutherland/Domingo/Bonynge set. It is the most complete set with the "newly-discovered" Giuletta ending, and even includes the terrific but apocryphal sextet that is missing in the Bonynge recording. Alagna is the true star here, reflecting the spirit of Hoffmann throughout the opera, and singing in a very ideomatic French (unlike Domingo). The four heroines are marvellous, even though I prefer a single soprano singing all the four roles. Van Dam is great as the four villians, but he could have been more sinister in the trio in the Antonia act. Nagano is fine, but has some problems with the tempi at times.

Average customer rating: Melodies to miraculously cure the moribund!!! FROM OFFENBACH TO LOPEZ

Le Meilleur de l'Opérette Manufacturer: EMI Records [All429] ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Lehár, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Strauss Jr., Johann | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music ASIN: B000053W6K Release Date: 2002-04-02

Customer Reviews:

Melodies to miraculously cure the moribund!!!.......2005-09-10

This 2000 3-CD set is a new edition of 2-CD set from 1990 titled "Opérette-Passion" from EMI France. By popular request, this adds to the already mirific collection a third CD containing some of the real glories of mid-XXth century French operettas: Maurice Chevalier, Tino Rossi, Fernandel, Alibert, Denise Duval, Luis Mariano, Georges Guétary, Bourvil, Mathé Altéry, Anny Cordy, Gise Mey and Armand Mestral. The selection is not exhaustive - that would be impossible* - but it does give any listener a major incentive to go ferretting for more of the same and the complete score of some of those genuine masterpieces of charm, humour and melody by Fancis Lopez or Maurice Yvain (among many others). For students of the French language and French opera, this collection is priceless as it gives a very good impression of what makes the French singing voice different from any other: something called "le phrasé", which unfortunately cannot be duplicated or improvised by international stars who simply dabble in French (except maybe the multi-talented Petula Clark). The recordings range from a restored antique of the 20's by Chevalier to full stereo scores from the 70's. The result is a package whose value will never be duplicated in discriminating choice, sound quality and sheer listening enjoyment. One very minor reservation : The dates of the recordings are not indicated as they were in the "Opérette-Passion" collection and the names of the lyricists are not given. The liner notes are composed of a 2-page essay which gives a general outlook of the evolution of French operetta (in French) but could have been a little longer, in my humble opinion. Details like this would have made the difference between a wonderful album for connoisseurs and a genuinely educational tool. * The operettas of Vincent Scotto are not represented. WARNING: These recordings are genuine treasures and are never available for long either individually of collectively, so buying this collection is an absolute no-brainer.

FROM OFFENBACH TO LOPEZ.......2002-08-16

Yesterday ,before going to sleep,you told your wife:I have nothing against FRENCH operettas,but what i want to hear is the songs ,not the dialogue that goes with the genre when you listen to complete works.Here in that collection,all the composers who created that particular form of light music are represented.It is so much more entertaining than traditional opera.Among the highlights are songs from OFFENBACH's works like LA BELLE HÉLENE and LA PÉRICHOLE;MESSENGER's VERONIQUE and MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE;the famous LA VEUVE JOYEUSE that was successfull around the world;CHRISTINÉ's PHI PHI created the day after armistice in 1918.One of the pleasant surprize for me was hearing songs from LES MOUSQUETAIRES AU COUVENT and one from LA FILLE DE MADAME ANGOT (JADIS,LES ROIS)and another from CIBOULETTE(NOUS AVONS FAIT UN BEAU VOYAGE).MADY MESPLÉ,one of the best singers of the genre is featured on seven songs,and she is always a joy to hear in any role of the repertoire.FRANCIS LOPEZ, who is remembered as the last important composer is well honoured with eight selections with singers like BOURVIL,GEORGES GUÉTARY and LUIS MARIANO.Don't try to resist THE MERRY WIDOW ,she'll get to you one way or another.

Average customer rating: Wonderful interpretation French art songs

Poulenc, Duparc: Songs Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Poulenc | Poulenc, Francis | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | 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 General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000000AYF Release Date: 1996-04-23

Tracks:

1. Chanson triste
2. Extase
3. Serenade florentine
4. Le manoir de Rosemonde
5. La vague et la cloche
6. Testament
7. Soupir
8. Elegie
9. Lamento
10. Au pays ou se fait la guerre
11. Phidyle
12. L'invitation au voyage
13. La vie anterieure
14. Violon from Fiancailles pour rire
15. Le pont
16. METAMORPHOSES: Reine des mouettes
17. METAMORPHOSES: C'est ainsi que tu es
18. METAMORPHOSES: Paganini
19. METAMORPHOSES: 'C' from 'Deux poemes'

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful interpretation.......2005-07-01

This is a must CD for any collection. It contains songs rarely recorded, and on this CD the pure singing of Rosamund Illing is a real joy. It is rare also to hear an accompanist of the quality of McSkimming. The quality of the French, the phrasing and purity of Illing's voice brings out the beauty of these songs.

French art songs.......2004-12-12

The songs of Henri Duparc remain treasures of the singer's repertory today. Duparc's entire high reputation as a composer rests on these dozen or so masterpieces--after suffering an emotional crisis in his thirties he never composed again for the rest of a long life, and destroyed many previously written works as well. With their melodic eloquence, sensitivity to text and virtuoso pianistic textures, these mélodies repay not only performers but also dedicated listeners--"Chanson triste," "L'invitation au voyage" and "La vie anterieure" are particular favorites of connoisseurs of French art song.

On the evidence of this one recording, Rosamund Illing is a singer rather in the Elly Ameling mold, with a high, clear soprano that rides the frequently angular and taxing phrases of these songs with ease. However, Illing lacks Ameling's singular ability to project words with meaning in any language, nor is she technically as finished a singer--the integrity of the legato line is frequently sacrificed to pronounciation. Without compensating insights her relative monotony of vocal color soon becomes a liability. David McSkimming's beautiful playing and the inclusion of some vocal gems by Poulenc are not quite enough to overcome these drawbacks. As an introduction to Duparc's genius, this recording will do; but it does not begin to uncover all that there is in this marvelous music.

Average customer rating:

C'est Ma Vie Adamo Manufacturer: Paradiso ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Italy | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B00083G3GE Release Date: 2005-05-02

Tracks:

1. Vous Permettez Monsieur
2. Tombe La Neige
3. Une Meche De Cheveux
4. Les Filles Du Bord De Mer
5. Quand Les Roses
6. Mes Main Sur Tes Hanches
7. Comme Toujours
8. Elle
9. Inch Allah
10. J'aime
11. J'avaias Oublie Que Les Roses Sont Roses
12. La Nuit
13. Une Larme Aux Nuages
14. Le Barbu Sans Barbe
15. C'est Ma Vie
16. Ave Des 'Si'
17. Cara Italia
18. Des Petits Riens
19. Fragile
20. Imagination
21. Je M'en Vais
22. La Malice
23. Parlon-En Du Bonheur
24. Pauvre Liberte
25. Vincent
26. Plus Fort Que Le Temps
27. Et Ton Nom
28. La Femme Que J'aime
29. J'ai Plus De Couleurs
30. Julie Et L'enfant
31. J'suis Toujours La
32. Maintenant Ou Jamais
33. Maman Si Tu M'voyais

Album Description

Two CD set by this popular Italian artist who has been one of Italy's most beloved vocalists for nearly 50 years! Features 32 tracks including 'Vous Permettez Monsieur', 'Les Filles Du Bord De Mer', 'C'est Ma Vie', 'Fragile', 'La Malice' and more.

Average customer rating: Even if you haven't been to France, you should own this cd Smooth, light music The girl has got it!

Photogirl(c'est ma vie) [CD Single] ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Alternative Pop | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00000JKME Release Date: 1999-06-11

Tracks:

1. Photogirl(c'est ma vie)
2. Photogirl(c'est ma vie)La Ponche Mix
3. Photogirl(c'est ma vie)Radio Edit

Album Description

This is the music of the sun.

The group is Poperetta.

The single is"Photogirl(c'est ma vie)"

From the soon to be released album"Poperetta @ Saint Tropez". This song tells the story of the "Photogirl"and sets the stage for summer love in the sexy French port village of Saint Tropez.

"He"- comes searching for magic.

"She"-lives and works as a "Photogirl" taking photographs of tourists in the cafes and clubs of the village.

It's"Amour"at first sight.

A musical melange of Bossa Nova and Future Retro French Cinema.

Poperetta takes you there.

Customer Reviews:

Even if you haven't been to France, you should own this cd.......2004-01-15

I first came across this cd back in 99 thinking I needed a dictionary as well. You don't need a dictionary, just big enough speakers. I love all the versions of the song and if you like the fusion of different rhythms, this is a rare gem. Like the timeless song that it is, you can listen to it again and again. For those interested in seeing the video, you can! Just go to flowerrecords.com and you won't need this review once you are there.

Smooth, light music.......2000-11-23

Poperetta fuses the rhythmic beats of a dj with smooth and flowing melodic lines. Set in the beautiful language of French, this cd is ideal to listen to while lounging on the French Riviera, or simply kicking back at home.

The girl has got it!.......1999-09-09

I think that this is the best record I have heard in years

Average customer rating: This is a new recording...

C'est Ma Vie Salvatore Adamo Manufacturer: Musicrama Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B00000DXAG Release Date: 1997-10-28

Tracks:

1. C'est Ma Vie
2. Et Vous N'Ecoutez Pas
3. J'Aime
4. Amour Te Ressemble
5. En Blue Jeans et Blouson d'Cuir
6. Neon
7. Si Jamais
8. Mes Mains Sur Tes Hanches
9. Ruisseau de Mon Enfance
10. Demain Sur la Lune
11. Inch' Allah
12. Nuit
13. Tomba Neige
14. Sans Toi Ma Mie

Customer Reviews:

This is a new recording..........2002-03-10

I didn't know songs in the CD were not originals. I think Adamo did a good job again but not as good as his earlier recording. So, be warned from my bitter experience...

Average customer rating:

C'est Ma Vie ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Italy | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B0000ZP55U Release Date: 2004-01-27

Album Description

Digitally Remastered Collection of 40 Great Hits from Throughout Adamo's Long Singing Career. This Set Comes on the Occasion of his 60th Birthday. Adamo Has Sold Over 80 Million Albums During his Great Career. This Japanese version features four bonus tracks sung in Japanese. Toshiba/EMI. 2004.

World Music:

1. C'est Toujours Pour Ceux Qui Savent [Import]
2. Caça à raposa [Import]
3. Canto Al Sole [Import]
4. Cerise Sur le Ghetto [Import]
5. Cortijo & His Time Machine
6. Danyel Gerard [Import]
7. Dund (To Live) [Import]
8. El De Mas Poder
9. Elis
10. En Plein Coeur de la Nuit [Enhanced] [Import]

World Music

world music

World Music

Barely Contained: The Studio Sessions

Songs of the Light

Synchronist Music 1

Das Boot: Original Filmmusik [Soundtrack] [Import]

The Look/Heartbreak [Import]

The Best of Bob Marley

Song of Enlightenment: A Homage to Tibet

Techno Disco Lovers

Sounds of the World: Illustrations Sonores

Sigfrid Karg-Elert: Orgelwerke, Vol. 1

Second Thoughts

Smooth Jazz: Radio Hits, Vol. 1

The Ascension 4-2000 [Explicit Lyrics]

Christian Music christian-music-03

Friday Night At the Village Vanguard