Reine de Musette [Import]

1. Amapola

2. Accordeoniste

3. Mi Jaca

4. Bluesette

5. Reve de Ballerine

6. Plus Beau Tango du Monde

7. Marche des Routiers

8. Mon Amant de Saint Jean

9. Java

10. Reine de Musette

11. Valse des As

12. Retour des Hirondelles

13. Besame Mucho

14. Brise Napolitaine

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16. Paloma

17. Castillano

18. O Sole Mio

19. Islas Canarias

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Reine de Musette,Yvette Horner,Sony/Versailles,World Music

Bizet: Carmen (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Georges Pretre, Paris Opera Orchestra
Average customer rating:

K.Teezy

Bizet: Carmen (Callas, Gedda, et al)

Imperfect? Maybe. Worthwhile? Yes!

Throw me into solitary confinement with this CD

Callas...Callas...Callas...

Bizet: Carmen (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Georges Pretre, Paris Opera Orchestra
Georges Bizet , Maria Callas , Nicolai Gedda , Georges Prêtre , Orchestre de Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris , Choeurs René Duclos , Robert Massard , Jane Berbié , Andrea Guiot , and Claude Cales
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
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
Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Callas, Maria | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Puccini: Madama Butterfly (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Nicolai Gedda, Herbert von Karajan, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

Puccini: Tosca (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Victor de Sabata, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Maria Giulini, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan

Puccini - La Bohème / Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Ghiaurov, Karajan

Puccini: La Boheme (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Anna Moffo, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

ASIN: B000002RXS
Release Date: 1997-08-19

Tracks:

Carmen: Prelude - (Orchestre)
Carmen: Act One: Sur la place - (Choeur/Morales/Micaela)
Carmen: Act One: Avec la garde montante - (Choeur d'enfants/Morales/Jose)
Carmen: Act One: C'est bien la, n'est-ce pas
Carmen: Act One: La cloche a sonne... Dans l'air, nous suivons des yeux la fumee - (Choeur)
Carmen: Act One: Quand je vous aimerai ?... L'amour este un oiseau rebelle - (Carmen/Choeur)
Carmen: Act One: Carmen ! sur tes pas, nous nous pressions tous ! - (Choeur/Carmen/Jose)
Carmen: Act One: Quels regards ! Quelle effrontere !
Carmen: Act One: Parle-moi de ma mere !
Carmen: Act One: Reste la, maintenant, pendant que je lirai - (Jose/Micaela)
Carmen: Act One: Que se passe-t-il donc la-bas?...Au secours! Au secours! - (Zuniga/Choeur)
Carmen: Act One: Mon officer, c'etait une querelle - (Jose/Zuniga/Carmen)
Carmen: Act One: Pres des remparts de Seville - (Carmen/Jose)
Carmen: Act One: Voico l'ordre; partez - (Zuniga/Carmen)
Carmen: Entr'acte - (Orchestre)
Carmen: Act Two: Les tringles des sistres tintaient - (Carmen)
Carmen: Act Two: Messieurs, Pastia me dit - (Frasquita/Zuniga/Carmen/Mercedes)
Carmen: Act Two: Vivat ! vivat ! le Torero ! - (Choeur/Zuniga)
Carmen: Act Two: Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre -(Escamillo/Choeur)
Carmen: Act Two: La belle, un mot - (Escamillo/Carmen/Zuniga)
Carmen: Act Two: Eh bien ! vite, Quelles nouvelles ?.. Nous avons en tete une affaire - (Frasquita/Le Dancaire/Mercedes/Le Remendado/Carmen)

Tracks:

Carmen: Act Two: Mais qui donc attends-tu? - (Le Dancaire/Carmen/Le Remendado)
Carmen: Act Two: Halte-l- (Jose/Carmen/Frasquita/Mercedes/Le Dancaire/Le Remendado)
Carmen: Act Two: Enfin c'est toi! ...Tout doux, Monsieur, tout doux
Carmen: Act Two: La fleur que tu m'avais jet...Non, tu ne m'aimes pas - (Carmen/Jose)
Carmen: Act Two: Holarmen! HolHol- (Zuniga/Jose/Carmen/Le Dancaire/Le Remendado)
Carmen: Entr'acte - (Orchestre)
Carmen: Act Three: oute, ecoute, compagnon, ecoute - (Choeur/Le Dancaire/Remendado/Jose/Carmen/Mercedes/Frasquita)
Carmen: Act Three: Reposons-nous une heure ici, mes camarades - (Le Dancaire/Carmen/Jose)
Carmen: Act Three: Mns! Coupons! - (Frasquita/Mercedes/Carmen)
Carmen: Act Three: Eh bien? - (Carmen/Le Dancaire/Frasquita)
Carmen: Act Three: Quant au douanier, c'est notre affaire - (Carmen/Mercedes/Frasquita)
Carmen: Act Three: C'est des contrebandiers le refuge ordinaire...Je dis, que rien ne m'epouvante
Carmen: Act Three: Je ne me trompe pas...c'est lui sur ce rocher - (Micaela)
Carmen: Act Three: Quelques lignes plus bas...HolholJos (Escamillo/Jose/Carmen/Le Dancaire/Micaela/Frasquita/Mercedes/Remendado/Choeur)
Carmen: Entr'acte - (Orchestre)
Carmen: Act Four: A deux cuartos! A deux cuartos! - (Choeur/Zuniga)
Carmen: Act Four: Les voici! voici la quadrille! - (Choeur/Escamillo/Carmen/Frasquita)
Carmen: Act Four: C'est toi!...Carmen, il est temps encore ...Viva! viva! la course est belle! - (Carmen/Jose/Choeur)

Amazon.com essential recording

This recording was made near the end of Maria Callas's career. It is a role she never sang onstage, but it suited her almost perfectly, and she gives a deep, compelling performance on this recording. The mezzo-soprano tessitura was comfortable for her voice, and the role did not call for a pretty sound. Nor did the recording studio require the kind of huge vocal power expected in an opera house. And furthermore, the character of a strong-willed, capricious, sexually compelling woman who thinks exclusively of herself was close to the offstage personality that made Callas so famous. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

K.Teezy.......2007-07-11

Received the product in a very timely manner....I've enjoyed listening to the CD on the way into work. It helps me relax.

Bizet: Carmen (Callas, Gedda, et al).......2007-01-10

Of the many recordings of Carmen that I've owned, this is the best. Callas has the perfect voice for it.

Imperfect? Maybe. Worthwhile? Yes!.......2006-10-11

Maria Callas' CARMEN has had at best, a checkered history. It seems to have found a permanent home in many record collections over the years, considering it has been released as an LP, cassette, and now CD, so it's loved by many if not by all the critics. It had some foes before it was released. Callas had never performed CARMEN on stage and in 1964 when the set was first issued, it was believed that a recording should only showcase an artist's best work after years of perfection. Since Maria Callas was Maria Callas, Angel records took a chance and released it, knowing she'd probably never attempt the role on stage. As soon as it was released, there was a noticeable decline in her vocal abilities, which caught many fans off guard. Still, it's stood the test of time. Maria Callas at her not so great is still better than some at their peak, and even if the voice isn't perfect, it still has an expressive quality to it that's evident to anyone who listens to it.

Maria Callas' performance for this set is interesting. One of the greatest strengths of her singing was her ability to portray a character through her voice and this may be why this set has a loyal following. We feel as if we are encountering the fiery, sensual woman that is Carmen in just about every note that Callas sings. It's hard not to forgive what some critics called an imperfect vocal performance when there is such a passion behind the singing. In the end, we have one of the most original interpretations of the role. Callas is joined by tenor Nicolai Gedda. Technically Gedda's performance cannot be faulted. He hits the notes and sings with ease. For Don Jose, this may not be enough, however. We want Jose to darken vocally as the opera progresses, and this does not happen. Gedda's strength is his beautiful voice that has suited him well in a great array of operas, but it doesn't have the robust quality that tenors such as Domingo or Corelli can bring to the role. For some of the opera's more tender moments, most notably the Don Jose/ Micaela duet in Act I "Parle-moi De Ma Mere," Gedda's light and lyrical voice is a perfect fit. I find the duet astounding and it could arguably be the best rendition of this work, which is due in no small part also to the beautiful voice of Andrea Guiot, who likewise gives a great solo performance in her aria "Je Dis, que rien ne `epouvante". Robert Messard as Escamillo does the job, but lacks the bravado of the confident lady-killer bullfighter he supposed to be. The orchestra and chorus under the direction of Georges Pretre perform beautifully and the smaller roles are all well cast.

With an opera such as CARMEN, where so many great singers have performed and recorded major roles, there is stiff competition between sets. It also seems as if there isn't one perfect set. Some great Carmens have been paired with lousy casts, and some lousy Carmens have great casts. This set isn't perfect, but overall it has a certain flow to it and for me, it feels like a CARMEN should feel.

Throw me into solitary confinement with this CD.......2006-01-25

My favorite singer singing my favorite opera. No other opera is so filled with fresh, innovative melodies... dramatic polar contrasts/opposites, and choir-multiple character interactions. No singer is as clean ( with accurate timing of gasps and rests) dramatic and prolific as Callas. In my mind this is the pinnacle of opera and most definitely of the non-Italian 19th century operatic landscape.

Callas...Callas...Callas..........2005-12-21

Even though Callas did not play "Carmen" on stage, she really saw through Carmen. AMAZING.

Hair - Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording

Average customer rating:

Belt 'em if you got 'em.
Unreal!!!
This recording is very disappointing.....
Power vocals en masse!
SHRILL!!!

Hair - Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording
Galt MacDermot , James Rado , Gerome Ragni , Lillias White , Lea Delaria , Harvey Fierstein , Liz Callaway , Jai Rodriguez , Euan Morton , Ana Gasteyer , Shoshana Bean , Laura Benanti , Adam Pascal , Gavin Creel , Raul Esparza , Jennifer Hudson , John Tartaglia , Christopher Sieber , Annie Golden , Eden Espinosa , Sherie Rene Scott , Billy Porter , Darius de Haas , and Norm Lewis
Manufacturer: Ghostlight
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000929ADW
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Tracks:

Aquarius - Lillias White
Donna - Lea DeLaria
Hashish - Paul Castree,
Sodomy - Chuck Cooper
Colored Spade - Euan Morton
Manchester, England
Dead End - Shoshana Bean
Sheila Franklin/I Believe in Love
I'm Black/Ain't Got No
Air - Harvey Fierstein
Initials - Laura Benanti
I Got Life - Adam Pascal
Going Down - Gavin Creel
Hair
My Conviction - Charles Bush
Easy to Be Hard - Jennifer Hudson
Don't Put It Down! - Christopher Sieber, John Tartaglia
Frank Mills - Annie Golden
Be-In (Hare Krishna)
Where Do I Go? - Julia K. Murney
Hippie Life - Eden Espinosa
Electric Blues - Toxic Audio
Black Boys - Kathy Brier, Ann Harada, Orfeh
White Boys - Ledisi, , Shayna Steele
Walking in Space
Yes I's Finished on Y'All's Farmlands
Four Score/Abie, Baby - Billy Porter
Good Morning Starshine - Liz Callaway
Three-Five-Zero-Zero
What a Piece of Work Is Man - Norm Lewis
Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In) - Jai Rodriguez

Customer Reviews:

Belt 'em if you got 'em........2007-01-07

A disclaimer - you'll probably have more fun with this recording if you think of it as "Songs from Hair". This is NOT a recording of a traditional version of the show; it's more a cabaret, with each song being sung by a different artist. While this completely removes continuity and character development, it does free up the listener to appreciate Galt MacDermot's music, sung as it should be. Let's face it - the original RCA recording of the Broadway cast of 1964 is priceless as an artifact of its time, but it's not exactly a pleasant listen - the cast is of the "more enthusiasm than talent" school.

Here, though, there's no such problem.

There's a whole lotta belting goin' on in this album. Because each singer only has one song, and there's no need to conserve their voices for later in the show, everybody gives it their all - and in the case of such powerful singers as Gavin Creel, Lillias White, Shoshana Bean, Raul Esparza, Adam Pascal, Eden Espinosa, Orfeh, Jennifer Hudson, and Billy Porter? That's quite a lot. And the backup voices, if anything, are even more spectacular: listen to that anonymous chorus girl hit an air-raid-siren high note at the end of "Goin' Down".

Track-by-track:
1. "Aquarius" - The famous chorale opening, led by the inimitable Lillias White. The orchestrations and backup singing sends shivers down the spine, and White brings the gospel something fierce. 5/5

2. "Donna" - In the first of many gender-bendings on the album, "Donna" is here sung by Lea DeLaria, who does a passable job, if she tends to overemote. 3/5

3. "Hashish" - All-chorus listing of various hallucinogens and illegal mind enhancers. Fun as always, but a trifle. 2/5

4. "Sodomy" - That timeless ode to deviant sexual practice, here sung in a pure, innocent choir-boy tenor by Jai Rodriguez of Zanna, Don't! and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy fame. 5/5

5. "Colored Spade" - For everyone who's ever wanted to hear Tony-winning bass-baritone Chuck Cooper declare himself "President of the United States of Love". 4/5

6. "Manchester, England" - A four-decade-old antecedent of Britpop, charmingly given life by Euan Morton. 4/5

7. "Dead End" - The first really high-energy number since "Aquarius" kicks things back into high gear. Ana Gasteyer shows off the pipes that would later land her the role of Elphaba on Broadway in "Wicked". There's a big black woman hiding inside that white comedienne! 4/5

8. "Sheila Franklin/I Believe in Love" - Shoshana Bean, if you've ever heard her, is infamous for singing every song as one giant melisma. She does it here too, of course, but particularly impressively. She rockets through all of her 72 octaves in the course of a minute and nineteen seconds. 5/5

9. "I'm Black/Ain't Got No" - A kind of pointless song, the whole chorus yelling about what they lack in life. Fun ending, though. 2/5

Ahh, now we're getting into the really good stuff. The meat of the disc is from the middle to the end, and it's a three-course meal from here on out.

10. "Air" - Harvey Fierstein, he of the goose-strangled-with-barbed-wire voice, rasps out this little ditty in an inspired bit of gimmick casting, and manages to not cough up any internal organs, despite the ungodly noises toward the end of the track. 5/5

11. "Initials" - What was originally a choral number is now handed primarily to the divine Laura Benanti. And what do you know, she's funny! Topping the whole thing off with an operatic high C doesn't hurt matters, either. 5/5

12. "I Got Life" - Broadway's resident rock star, Adam Pascal, shows off the voice that he should have blown out looong ago in a rollicking, fast-paced number. Great fun, but I wouldn't recommend trying to emulate it. 5/5

13. "Goin' Down" - Gavin Creel has a voice of honey and silk that can rise into an impressively soulful belt when he feels like it. And here, he feels like it. Another energetic roof-raiser. 5/5

14. "Hair" - These three songs, these three singers, one right after the other? It's bliss. Raul Esparza snarls out the first verse, then roars full-throttle into a higher octave for the last few stanzas. A fitting title song. 5/5

15. "My Conviction" - Another fun trifle, amusingly given voice by a veddy proper Charles Busch. 3/5

16. "Easy To Be Hard" - Jennifer Hudson, post-American Idol and pre-Dreamgirls, is revelatory here. She tears the lid off this already-impassioned number and absolutely rips it to shreds. Just the right amount of emoting, just the right amount of full-throated vocalizing. The definitive rendition of this song, EVER. (I was unconvinced she was right for Effie, until I heard this. It gave me chills like I hadn't felt since Jennifer Holliday's performance in... well, you know.) 6/5

17. "Don't Put it Down!" - Funny indictment of patriotism, given an unfortunately nasal rendition by the duo of Christopher Sieber and John Tartaglia. It passes quickly. 2/5

18. "Frank Mills" - The sweetly-warbling Annie Golden is adorable in this lament for a lost love. 4/5

19. "Be-In Hare Krishna" - Catchy as all hell. This has been in my head for approximately... ten years. 5/5

20. "Where Do I Go?" - Another gender switch. Here, Julia Murney sings a song of uncertainty. Fans of the Wild Party will be unsurprised to learn that it does end in a big, belty final phrase. However, she has grown into her voice, and shows a bit of welcome nuance in the plaintive lyrics. 5/5

21. "Hippie Life" - Eden Espinosa does her thing with some dated lyrics and some insanity-belting. 4/5

22. "Electric Blues" - The most aurally interesting track on the album, and also the one that takes the most liberty with its source material - there's no instrumentation and no lead vocalist. The a cappella group Toxic Audio is menacing, and yet somehow amusing, showing that even though they lack the Broadway star status of most of the other participants, they more than deserve it. 5/5

23. "Black Boys" - Part one of a two-part ode to jungle fever. Odd tempo and some strange, strange metaphors comparing black men repeatedly to candy. 3/5

24. "White Boys" - Part two, and by far the more satisfying. True, the whole thing is basically a long contest to see which girl can belt the highest and riff the most, but by God it's fun as hell to listen to Shayna Steele, Brandi Chavonne Massey, and Orfeh skip up half step after half step, till you're not sure they can continue to do that without hurting somebody. 5/5

25. "Walking in Space" - Another paean to the positive aspects of drug use, sung gorgeously by Sherie Rene Scott. 5/5

26. "Yes, I's Finished on Y'all's Farmlands" - Short and good. 4/5

27. "Four Score/Abie, Baby" - Gives the legendary Billy Porter the Emancipation Proclamation and lets him run with it, with fantastic results. 5/5

28. "Good Morning Starshine" - Sweetly given voice by Liz Callaway. Shows off MacDermot's uncommon melodic gift, and the inanity of Gerome Ragni's lyrics. 5/5

29. "Three-Five-Zero-Zero" - Absolutely terrifying choral requiem for Vietnam. 5/5

30. "What a Piece Of Work is Man" - Darius DeHaas again shows why he deserves a lot more work than he gets, and also why he's known to possess a killer tenor voice. 4/5

31. "The Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine In" - Possibly the best track on the album is saved for last. The incomparable Norm Lewis starts things off with uncertainty in his deep, resonant tenor, built around a repeating bassline. As the orchestration builds and he climbs up the staff, Euan Morton makes a return appearance as Claude, screaming in anguish. The chorus joins in gradually, Billy Porter and Darius DeHaas start exhorting the audience to let the sunshine in, and joy breaks through the clouds, though that minor key constantly reminds us that there are no clean-cut happy endings.

Unreal!!!.......2006-11-10

A fabulous cast including the incredible talents of Lillias White, Jennifer Hudson, Ana Gasteyer, Soshana Bean and Eden Espinosa! The journey this CD takes you on is truly a treat! The new songs on the disc are FANTASTIC! (Eden and Ana) The men in the cast are just as wonderful as the ladies...a VERY diverse cast with a FANTASTIC sound!

This recording is very disappointing............2006-05-31

After reading the below reviews, I decided to purchase this CD. I am a huge fan of the play, movie, and their respective recordings- BUT, this CD is terrible. The songs are very oversung- some of them even sound like they have a choir in the background! There is no continuity to the singers, and wonderful classic songs like "Where do I go" are sung by the opposite gender?!? I have never written one of these reviews before, but I hope you consider carefully before purchasing this CD.

Power vocals en masse!.......2006-04-21

My one complaint about this recording is, "Too Much Shouting!" Yes, in these days of "American Idol," this is very much in vogue, but good golly! In the song "White Boys," for example, the three singers, all of whom have powerful voices, seem to be trying to outsing each other. Normally, I like Jennifer Hudson's singing, but her rendition of "Easy to Be Hard" might as well be called, "Easy To Be Way-Oversung". That written, this endeavor has much to admire. The musical direction is tight, and the diction is excellent. The quality of the voices is uniformly good, and polished. A good deal of variety also exists here, from Harvey Fierstein hacking out the song "Air," to Laura Benanti triumphantly capping off "Initials" with an operatic high C.

SHRILL!!!.......2005-12-22

Most of the songs are great, but there are far too many singers who "oversouled" the songs. One of my favorite songs "Easy to be Hard" sounds like an American Idol or Apollo finalist trying way too hard.

Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmélites / D. Duval · Crespin · Scharley · Berton · Gorr · Depraz · Ninel · Fourrier · Desmoutiers · Opéra de Paris · Dervaux

Average customer rating:

A Twentieth Century Masterpiece
Superb
Flawless singing and the most moving music you'll ever hear!

Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmélites / D. Duval · Crespin · Scharley · Berton · Gorr · Depraz · Ninel · Fourrier · Desmoutiers · Opéra de Paris · Dervaux
Francis Poulenc , Pierre Dervaux , Denise Duval , Régine Crespin , Choeur et Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris , Liliane Berton , Paul Finel , Rita Gorr , Xavier Depraz, Janine Fourrier Denise Scharley , and Louis Rialland, René Bianco, Jacques Mars Gisèle Desmoutiers
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Puccini: Turandot

ASIN: B00002062O
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Tracks:

Act One, Scene One: Ou Est Blanche? - Xavier Depraz/Paul Finel
Act One, Scene One: Les Soldats Survennent A Temps Pour Degager Le Carrosse - Xavier Depraz/Paul Finel
Act One, Scene One: Blanche, Votre Frere Avait Grand'Hate De Vous Revoir - Paul Finel/Denise Duval/Xavier Depraz
Act One, Scene One: Son Imagination Va Toujours D'un Extreme A L'autre - Paul Finel/Xavier Depraz/Michel Forel
Act One, Scene One: Je Vois Qu'il N'y A Heureusement Rien De Grave - Paul Finel/Denise Duval
Act One, Scene One: Mon Enfant Cherie - Paul Finel/Denise Duval
Act One, Scene One: Interlude - Orch Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Pierre Dervaux
Act One, Scene Two: N'allez Pas Croire Que Ce Fauteuil Soit Un Privilege - Denise Scharley/Denise Duval
Act One, Scene Two: Je Vois Que Les Severites De Notre Regle - Denise Scharley/Denise Duval
Act One, Scene Two: Ma Fille, Les Bonnes Gens Se Demandent - Denise Scharley/Denise Duval
Act One, Scene Two: Vous Pleurez? - Denise Scharley/Denise Duval
Act One, Scene Two: Interlude - Orch Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Pierre Dervaux
Act One, Scene Three: Encore Ces Maudties Feves! - Liliane Berton/Denise Duval
Act One, Scene Three: Vous N'avez Pas Honte De Parler Ainsi - Liliane Berton/Denise Duval
Act One, Scene Three: Oh! Soeur Blanche, Puisque J'ai Si Etourdiment Parle - Liliane Berton/Denise Duval
Act One, Scene Three: Interlude - Orch Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Pierre Dervaux
Act One, Scene Four: Ayez La Bonte De Relever Ce Coussin - Denise Scharley/Rita Gorr
Act One, Scene Four: C'est Moi Qui Ai Introduit Dans Cette Maison - Denise Scharley/Rita Gorr
Act One, Scene Four: Relevez-vous, Ma Fille - Denise Scharley
Act One, Scene Four: Dieu Se Glorifie Dans Ses Saints - Denise Scharley/Denise Duval
Act One, Scene Four: Mosieur Javelinot, Je Vous Prie De Me Donner - Denise Scharley/Max Conti/Rita Gorr
Act One, Scene Four: Mere Marie De I'lncarnation! - Denise Scharley/Rita Gorr
Act One, Scene Four: La Reverende Mere Veut Que Vous Approchiez - Rita Gorr/Denise Scharley/Denise Duval
Act Two, Scene One: Qui Lazarum Resuscitasti a Monumento Foetidum - Liliane Berton/Denise Duval
Act Two, Scene One: Que Faites Vous? - Rita Gorr/Denis Duval
Act Two, Scene One: Soeur Blanche, Je Trouve Notre Chere Mere - Liliane Berton/Denise Duval
Act Two, Scene One: Pensez A La Mort De Notre Chere Mere - Liliane Berton/Denise Duval
Act Two, Scene Two: Mes Cheres Filles, J'al Encore A Vous Dire - Denise Scharley
Act Two, Scene Two: Mes Soeurs, Sa Reverence Vient De Vous Dire - Rita Gorr/Chor Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Rene Duclos/Denise Scharley

Tracks:

Act Two, Scene Two: Que Se Passe-t-il? - Denise Scharley/Liliane Berton/Rita Gorr
Act Two, Scene Three: Prelude - Orch Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Pierre Dervaux
Act Two, Scene Three: Pourquoi Vous Tenez-vous Ainsi Depuis Vingt Minutes - Paul Finel/Denise Duval
Act Two, Scene Three: Dans Des Temps Comme Ceux-ci - Paul Finel/Denise Duval
Act Two, Scene Three: Oh! Ne Me Quittez Pas Sur Un Adieu De Facherie! - Paul Finel/Denise Duval
Act Two, Scene Three: Remettez-vous, Soeur Blanche - Rita Gorr/Denise Duval
Act Two, Scene Four: Prelude/Mes Cheres Filles, Ce Que J'al A Vous Dire - Orch Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Pierre Dervaux/Chor Du Theatre National De L'Opr De...
Act Two, Scene Four: Qu'allez-vous Devenir? - Denise Duval/Louis Rialland/Liliane Berton/Gisele Desmoutiers/Denise Scharley/Rita Gorr
Act Two, Scene Four: On A Tire La Clochette! - Liliane Berton/Gisele Desmoutiers/Louis Rialland/Chor Du Theatre National De L'Opera De Paris...
Act Two, Scene Four: Ou Sont Les Religieuses? - Raphael Romagnoni/Rita Gorr/Charles-Paul
Act Two, Scene Four: Mes Soeurs, Notre Reverende Mere - Janine Fourrier/Denise Duval/Rita Gorr
Act Three, Scene One: Parlez-leur, Mon Pere, - Rita Gorr/Louis Rialland/Janine Fourrier/Gisele Desmoutiers
Act Three, Scene One: II Y A Une Seule Opposition. - Rita Gorr/Gisele Desmoutiers/Liliane Berton/Louis Rialland
Act Three, Scene One: Citoyennes, Nous Vous Felicitons De Votre Discipline - Premier Officier
Act Three, Scene One: Soeur Gerald, Il Faut Absolument Prevenir Ce Pretre - Denise Scharley/Rita Gorr
Act Three, Scene Two: Prelude - Orch Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Pierre Dervaux
Act Three, Scene Two: C'est Vous!... Oui, Je Viens Vous Chercher - Denise Duval/Rita Gorr
Act Three, Scene Two: Soeur Blanche De L'Agonie Du Christ! - Denise Duval/Rita Gorr
Act Three, Scene Two: Interlude - Orch Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Pierre Dervaux
Act Three, Scene Three: Mes Filles, Voila Que S'acheve Notre Premiere Nuit De Prison - Denise Scharley/Janine Fourrier/Liliane Berton/Gisele Desmoutiers
Act Three, Scene Three: Le Tribunal Revolutionnaire Expose Que Les Ex-religieuses Carmelites - Rene Bianco
Act Three, Scene Three: Mes Filles, J'ai Desire De Tout Mon Coeur Vous Sauver - Denise Scharley
Act Three, Scene Three: Elles Sont Condamnees A Mort - Louis Rialland/Rita Gorr
Act Three, Scene Four: Prld/Oh ! Oh ! Ah ! Oh ! - Orch Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Pierre Dervaux/Chor Du Theatre National De L'Opr...
Act Three, Scene Four:Salve Regina Mater Misericordiae - Denise Scharley/Liliane Berton/Chor Du Theatre National De L'Opr De Paris/Rene Duclos...

Customer Reviews:

A Twentieth Century Masterpiece.......2006-05-07

I became interested in Poulenc's DIALOGUES des CARMELITES long before I heard a note of the opera. I was twelve or thirteen at the time and was looking something up in an encyclopedia and I came across the entry for opera. Glossy photographs accompanied the entry and a stark black and white photograph of singers dressed as nuns lying prostrate on the floor piqued my curiosity. I'm sure it was a number of years later before I ever heard a note of the opera itself, but that image has remained with me for many years and it may be a reason why the opera has fascinated me over the years.

The story of the opera is about a Carmelite convent that was suppressed during the French Revolution and its nuns, who resisted the order of suppression were martyred. The story has become part of French culture and it caught the attention of Francois Poulenc, a composer who had moderate success during his lifetime but up to that time had not composed anything that would outlive him. DIALOGUES turned out to be his masterpiece. The powerful music, with a lush and fluid sound, a far cry form much of what was written for the operatic stage in the 1950's, is aided by a powerful libretto written by none other than Georges Bernanos, the great French writer who had the literary talent to write a wonderful story and the an understanding of Catholicism and a spirituality that can only come from a person of authentic faith.

This recording was the first studio recording of the work and the cast includes some of the singers who performed in the work's premiere. Poulenc himself was also an advisor when the work was recorded, so perhaps this may be one of the few operatic recordings that we have that is true to the composer's intentions since the composer was involved in the recording. The cast includes one of opera's greatest voices, Regine Crespin as well as one of the best known mezzos of the French repertoire Rita Gorr. While the recording has been remastered, listeners will immediately notice it was first recorded in mono so it has an aged sound to it. Yet this should not be a deterrant because it has dramatic intensity. Very often I listen to opera while doing something else, and I will have to admit I can be working away as some of opera's most gory death scenes occur and barely notice. Yet whenever I listen DIALOGUES and hear the nuns sing "Salve Regina" and hear the chorus diminished one by one as the nuns are executed, and hear the guillotine (a percussion representation of the guillotine, of course) I always stop and pause. Even the total destruction of DIE GOTTERDAMMERUNG doesn't cause me to pause the way DIALOGUES can.

If your purchasing this recording, you may also want to consider reading M. Owen Lee's commentary on this work in his volume A SEASON OF OPERA FROM ORPHEUS TO ARIADNE. In this entry Fr. Lee combines all that makes this a wonderful opera.

Superb.......2006-02-20

This is an excellent recording of this moving opera. Recorded in France in the late 50s, it features an entirely French cast. The sound quality is very good. The singing is excellent with nicely balanced orchestral work. The product partially of Poulenc's re-engagement with Christianity, Dialogues is the story of the martyrdom of a group of nuns during the French revolution. Characterized by deceptively simple, at times seemingly understated, music, Dialogues features lovely vocal writing married to a strong message about the value of faith. The final scene is a remarkable fusion of unaffected drama and music.

Flawless singing and the most moving music you'll ever hear!.......2004-07-11

I consider Dialogues des Carmélites the most likeable opera of the last fifty years. It was first performed at the La Scala in 1957 and since then all the main Opera Houses in the world have performed it and some of the greatest singers have sung it. It's not difficult to understand why. It has one of the most beautiful plots ever written for opera and the most touching music you'll ever hear. It's almost impossible not to be moved when you listen to it, particularly in Madama Lidoine's final aria "Mes filles, voilà que s'achève" and the final chorus "Salve Regina".
It was a so successful opera that was recorded by EMI just one year after its world premiere. The cast is unsurpassable, and in this recording we do feel the drama, particularly the fear of death, which are the main purpose of the opera.
Denise Duval has a truly French voice, and it's youthful, with kind of a tearful or afraid tone that helps us to understand Blanche's character. Then we have Régine Crespin's unbeliavable Madame Lidoine! She simply reaches perfection, and I would dare to say it's the most creamy, beautiful voice I've ever heard. Her technique allows her to sing everything as if it was simply talking to someone. Her imposing voice fits very well into Madame Lidoine's character. We also have wonderful contributions of Rita Gorr as Mère Marie and Liliane Berton as Soeur Constance, alongside with the shocking, intense interpretation of Denise Scharley as the dying Madame de Croissy.

Tracks:

Selig Sind Die Liebenden
Wie Warm, Wie Shon!
Ich Weiss Die Antwort Nicht
Dich, Der Das Lachen Angezundet Im Lande
Wie? Sterben?
Ihr Menschen! Fur Euch Hab'Ich Gelebt!
Habt Frieden In Der Steele!
O Wusstet Ihr, Wie Weh Mir Ist Um Euch
Euer Haar Muss Golden Sein
Ich Lieb' Euch!!
Du Sollst Vom Tod Gelost Sein
Schweig!

Tracks:

Vorspiel
Beschieden?
Urteile Bringt Mir!
Gott! Gott, Du Weisst, Wie Ich Vor Ihr Getniet Hab'
Vater - Bist Du's Selbst?
Ich Ging Zu Ihm
Wie Redet Sie? Was Will Sie Uns Sagen?
Der Du In Deinen Alten, Blinden Augen
Totet Mich!
Riefst Du?
Rein Bist Du, Rein?
So Wahr Gott Lebt

Tracks:

Zwischenspiel
Ah! Habt Ihr Vernommen?
Horet, Mich, Bruder
Fanfaren
So Wie Ich Dich Belehrt
Seht, Seht, Wie Sie Schon 1st!
Im Namen Gottes Sag' Ich Dir
Wer Sie Beruhrt, Der Stribt!!
Sehrt! Seht Ihn! Den Toten!
Du Kind! Du Liebste Frau Der Welt!
Am Siebten Tore Nun

Average customer rating:

Superb Christmas Album
Love Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza - fantastic
Christmas Hymns & Carols: You Do Something to Me
Pure hymnal power.

Christmas with Mario Lanza

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003EP6
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Deck The Halls
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Customer Reviews:

Superb Christmas Album.......2007-02-19

Mario Lanza infuses his characteristic beautiful vocal intensity into this collection of carols and Christmas songs.
The result is an outstanding album which will bring a lump to your throat and tears to your eye.
The recordings are old, but the Lanza magic makes this album a must-buy

Love Mario Lanza.......2007-01-28

I love Mario Lanza. He is in my top favs. I have wanted this album for ages and it is just as great as I knew it would be. I'll be back to buy more of Mario Lanza.

Mario Lanza - fantastic.......2007-01-15

Fantastic voice, wonderful classic Christmas songs. My all-time favourite version of O Holy Night - spine tingling.

Christmas Hymns & Carols: You Do Something to Me.......2007-01-12

Wonderful songs, great selections of songs sung by the greatest singer, Mario Lanza.

Pure hymnal power........2006-12-20

I have just spent the past six hours listening to snippets of every Christmas CD that I can find on Amazon, and this is the best by far. It's the purest rendition of the best Christmas hymns that are sung in church on Christmas Eve. No inane flourishes, no ignorant alterations, no arrogant amendments, just pure hymnal power. Don't agree? Type "christmas" in the Amazon music search box, listen to all the renditions of all the classic hymns such as "O Come All Ye Faithful" and when you are done you cannot but agree that Mario Lanza is not surpassed.

Update: I am now listening to the full CD and it is better even than I had hoped for. The beauty of Lanza's voice brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.

Troubadours: Minnesänger and Other Courtly Arts

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Troubadours: Minnesänger and Other Courtly Arts

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Binding: Audio CD

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Owe Dirre Not - The Newberry Consort
Bacche, Bene Venies (CB 200) - Clemencic Consort
Deduc Syon Uberrimas (CB 34) - Clemencic Consort

Gluck - Iphigénie en Aulide / Dawson · von Otter · van Dam · Aler · Deletré · Cachmaille · Schirrer · Monteverdi Choir · Opéra de Lyon · Gardiner

Average customer rating:

Gardiner's Iphigenie en Aulide
The previous reviewer is wrong
Gluck's first Iphigenie...

Gluck - Iphigénie en Aulide / Dawson · von Otter · van Dam · Aler · Deletré · Cachmaille · Schirrer · Monteverdi Choir · Opéra de Lyon · Gardiner
Christoph Willibald Gluck , John Eliot Gardiner , Lynne Dawson , Anne Sofie von Otter , Orchestre de l'Opéra de Lyon , Monteverdi Choir , José van Dam , John Aler , Bernard Deletré , Gilles Cachemaille , René Schirrer , Guillemette Laurens , Ann Monoyios , and Isabelle Eschenbrenner
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Verdi: Ernani (Complete) [Germany]

ASIN: B000005E5N
Release Date: 1991-08-10

Tracks:

Iphigenie en Aulide: Ouverture
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 1: Diane impitoyable (Agamemmnon)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 1: Air 'Brillant auteur de la lumiere (Agamemnon)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 2: Choeur 'Cest trop faire de resistance' (Grecs, Agamemnon, Calchas)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 2: 'Dune sainte terreur' (Calchas) - Duo 'Tu veux que par ma main tremblante' (Agamemon, Calchas)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 2: Choeir 'Nommez-nous la victime' (Grecs)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 3: 'Vous voyez leur fureur extreme' (Calchas, Agamemnon)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 3: Air 'Peuvent-ils ordonner?' (Agamemnon)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 3: 'Vous oseriez etre parjure?' (Calchas, Agamemnon)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 4: Air 'Au faite des grandeurs' (Calchas)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 4: 'Dieux cruels!' (Agamemnon)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 4: Choeru 'Que d'attraits!' (Grecs)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 5: Choeur 'Que d'attraits!' (Grecs) (Suite) - Air 'Que j'aime a voir ces hommages flatteurs' (Grecs)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 5: Choeur 'Que d'attraits!' (Grecs) (Suite) - Demeurez dans ces lieux (Clytemnestre)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 5: Choeur 'Que d'attraits!' (Grecs) (Suite) - Choeur 'Non, Jamais' (1re, 2e, 3e Grecques)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 5: Choeur 'Que d'attraits!' (Grecs) (Suite) - Air 'les voeux dont ce peuple m'honore (Iphigenie)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 5: Choeur 'Que d'attraits!' (Grecs) (Suite) - Air (Mouvement de passepied)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 6: Allez, il faut venger notre gloire offensee (Clytemnestre, Iphigenie)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 6: Air 'Armez-vous d'un noble courage' (Clytemnestre)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 7: 'L'ai-je bien entendu?' (Iphigenie)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 7: Air 'Helas! mon coeur sensible!' (Iphigenie)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 8: 'En croirai-je mes yeux?' (Achille, Iphigenie)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 8: Air 'Iphigenie, helas!' (Iphigenie)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 8: 'S'il est vrai' (Achille)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 8: Air 'Cruelle, non jamais' (Achille)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 8: Mon trouble, mes soupcons (Iphigenie)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 1, Scene 8: Duo 'Ne doutez jamais de ma flamme'
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 1: Choeur 'Rassurez-vous, belle Princesse' (Iphigenie) : Vous essayez en vain (Iphigenie) : 'Rassurez-vous, belle Princesse (Suite)' (Choeur) : 'Vous essayez en vain' (Iphigenie)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 1: Air 'Par la crainte et par l'esperance' (Iphigenie)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 2: 'Ma fille, votre hymen s'apprete' (Clytemnestre, Iphigenie)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 3: 'Interlude: Les auteurs de vos jours' (Achille) - Marche
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 3: 'Interlude: Les auteurs de vos jours' (Achille) - 'Rival de ma valeur' (Achille)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 3: 'Interlude: Les auteurs de vos jours' (Achille) - 'Chantez, celebrez votre reine' (Achille, Choeur)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 3: 'Interlude: Les auteurs de vos jours' (Achille) - Air 'Achille est couronne'
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 3: 'Interlude: Les auteurs de vos jours' (Achille) - 'Ami sensible, ennemi redoutable' (Choeur)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 3: 'Interlude: Les auteurs de vos jours' (Achille) - Air gai (Danse)
Iphigenie en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 3: 'Interlude: Les auteurs de vos jours' (Achille) - Passacaille (Ballet)

Tracks:

Iphige en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 3: Choeru 'Les filles de Lesbos' : 'Venez et vous serez mes compagnes fideles' (Iphigenie)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 3: 'Air pour les esclaves' (Allegretto)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 3: Quatuor (Iphigenie, Clytemnestre, Achille, Patrocle et Choeur) 'Jamais a tes autels'
Iphige en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 4: Princesse, pardonnez (Acholle Arcas, Clytemnestre, Iphigenie) : Choeru 'Nous ne souffrirons point ce sacrifice impie' (Thessaliens) : Seigneur, j'embrasse vos genoux (Clytemnestre)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 4: Air 'Par un pere cruel' (Clytemnestre)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 4: Reine, rassurez-vous (Achille, Clytemnestre)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 4: trio 'Cest mon pere, Seigneur' (Iphigenie, Clytemnestre, Achille)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 5: Suis-moi, Patrocle (Achilles, patrocle) : Cours, et dis-lui (Achille)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 6: Je le vois (Achille, Agamemnon)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 6: Duo 'De votre audace temeraire' (Agamemnon, Achille) : Je n'ai qui'un mot a vous dire (Achille) : Avant que votre fureur (Achille)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 7: Tu decides son sort (Agamemnon)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 2, Scene 7: Air 'O toi, l'objet le plus aimable' (Agamemnon)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 1: Choeur 'Non, non, nous ne souffrirons pas' (Grecs, Iphigenie, Arcas) : Scene 2: Ne tentez point des efforts impuissants (Iphigenie)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 3: Princesse, suivez-moi (Achille, Iphigenie)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 3: Air 'Il faut, de mon destin' (Iphigenie)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 3: Et vous m'aimez (Achilles, Iphigenie)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 3: Adieu: conservez dans votre ame? (Iphigenie)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 3: Sans vous, Achille pourrait vivre? (Achille, Iphigenie)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 3: Air 'Calchas, d'un trait mortel perce' (Achille)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 4: Cruel! il fuit (Iphigenie) : Choeur 'Non, non, nous ne souffrirons pas (Grecs)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 5: Osez mettre le comble (Clytemnestre, Iphigenie)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 5: Air 'Adieu, vivez pour Oreste' (Iphigenie) : Lui, par qui le couteau (Clytemnestre, Iphigenie) : Choeur 'Non, non, nous ne souffrirons pas (Grecs)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 5: Vous entendez, les cris (Iphigenie, Clytemnestre)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 6: Dieux puissants que j'atteste (Clytemnestre) : Ma fille, je la vois (Clytemnestre)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 6: Air 'Jupiter, lance la foudre' (Clytemnestre)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 6 - until 9 - Puissante Deite : Pour prix du sang : Fuyons, fuyons tous : O ma fille : Arretez, arretez (Grecs, Clytemnestre, Thessaliens, Iphiginie, Achilles, Calchas)
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 9 - 2
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 9 - 3
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 9 - 4
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 9 - 5
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 9 - 6
Iphige en Aulide: Act 3, Scene 9 - 7

Customer Reviews:

Gardiner's Iphigenie en Aulide.......2006-02-14

The main review is very helpful indeed, but one thing that should have been mentioned is that a lot of the ballet music is omitted, including the first Air gai and Lento (no. 7) after Clytemnestra's first aria (no. 6) and the Air gai from the no. 11 ballet, both in Act I. These are very familiar and well known melodies, and there are others omitted too. I made a tape with these numbers inserted from a recording of some of the Aulide ballet music. I got the recording because it was the best available, but we really need a COMPLETE recording of the opera. I doubt if Gardiner will come to the rescue, because his recent recording of Alceste omits most of the ballet music too.
I for one am really a fan of Gluck.

The previous reviewer is wrong.......2005-09-13

The previous reviewer is wrong in saying the Muti recording is the only other one available. To me, the definitive recording is the 1972 one with Fischer-Dieskau, Moffo, Auger, Weikl, conducted by Eichhorn, on RCA. Its musical merit is above any compliment.

Gluck's first Iphigenie..........2002-02-20

This is the only available recording of a neglected masterpiece, Gluck's first "Iphigenie" opera, premiered in Paris in 1774, five years before his greatest work, "Iphigenie en Tauride". Though "Iphigenie en Aulide" doesn't have the concentrated force of the later opera, it is still very moving and contains much beautiful music. It was the first of Gluck's six operas to be written for the French stage and while it certainly forms part of his mission to reform the old, seemingly undramatic style of Baroque opera, it also owes a great deal to the tradition of `tragedie lyrique', and listeners familiar with Rameau or Leclair will be at home here - Gluck's work, like theirs, is built up from a mosaic of short arias, choruses and dances, with plenty of opportunity for big setpiece scenes. The story is set against the background of the Trojan War. King Agamemnon, the supreme commander of the Greeks, has assembled his army at the port of Aulis, ready to embark for Troy. But the winds won't come, the gods are angry and Agamemnon will only be allowed to sail with his fleet on one condition - that he sacrifice his young daughter, Iphigenia. Agamemnon is torn between love for his child and duty to his people. He is also threatened by the hotblooded young Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior and Iphigenie's fiancée, and by the wrath of his wife, Clytemnestra. This provided the composer and librettist with great opportunities for anguished monologues and angry clashes between the main characters and the increasingly mutinous Greek army, and also for moving irony - the innocent heroine simply cannot believe that her father means anything but the best for her (connoisseurs of historical irony might want to note the fact that the ravishing chorus announcing the arrival of the unwitting Iphigenie to Aulis was also used to announce Marie Antoinette's entrance at the opera house, another princess who was later to be sacrificed). However, the conventions of eighteenth century dictated that the opera must end happily, and just as Agamemnon is about to sacrifice his daughter, the goddess Diana descends from the heavens to announce that divine anger is appeased, Iphigenie's life is spared, the winds begin to blow and the Greeks give thanks in a massive final chorus.(Opera fans are probably more familiar with the alternative version in which Iphigenia is indeed sacrificed and her mother Clytemnestra takes revenge against her husband leading to a family feud which reaches its bloody climax in Strauss's "Elektra". Gluck's other opera on the theme, "Iphigenie en Tauride", uses an alternative version of the myth where Iphigenia vanishes at the moment of sacrifice and is taken off by the goddess Diana to serve as her priestess in the desolate, far distant region of Tauris on the Black Sea, until she is rescued, years later, by her long-lost brother, Orestes).

This is apparently the only version of this important opera now available (there was a recording by Riccardo Muti, a few years back, which I haven't heard and which is now deleted). It is generally fine but it has several problems which mean that it cannot be regarded as definitive. The most serious drawback of this recording is perhaps the fact that it is not performed on period instruments, causing a severe drop in dramatic power. Lots of the detail of Gluck's simple yet subtle orchestration is lost with a blander, smoother sounding modern orchestra. The orchestra and chorus here also sound underpowered, as if on a chamber scale (although perhaps this is the fault of the recording which has the voices well forward). This can be charming in some of the dance music (the same ensemble was great in Gardiner's recording of Gluck's lighter comic opera, "Les Pelerins de la Mecque") but it makes the drama seem far less involving and detracts from some critical moments: the Greek soldiers hardly sound as if they are baying for Iphigenie's blood at the start of Act 3 and when Clytemnestra sings "Jupiter, lance ta foudre", the crash of the thunderbolt is nowhere to be heard. Whatever the problem, either the use of modern instruments or the recording itself, this version lacks sufficient 'bite'. The biggest advantage of the recording is the cast - the four main characters, the focus of Gluck's drama, are all excellently sung. Jose van Dam is an Agamemnon of great authority and he sounds torn apart in his famous monologue, "O toi, l'objet le plus aimable". Lynne Dawson, with her plangent soprano, is ideal as the naïve, young Iphigenie - no-one could fail to be moved by her touching farewell, "Adieu, conservez dans votre ame", one of Gluck's very finest moments. Anne-Sofie von Otter is the outraged mother, singing her ballad-like aria ,"Par un pere cruel," with great pathos; and John Aler makes a youthful, fervent Achilles. Gardiner's conducting moves the drama onwards but he is seriously hampered by the lack of power from his orchestra. With any luck, Mark Minkowski's wonderful Gluck series will get round to this neglected masterpiece before long (or even Gardiner himself could re-record it with period instruments - I'm looking forward to his new `authentic' recording of "Alceste", also with von Otter). Until then, this version is still worth exploring, since this opera contains music which no Gluck fan should miss. (Brys)

Poulenc - Melodies / Ameling · Gedda · W. Parker · Sénéchal · Souzay · Baldwin
Average customer rating:

Essential for the chansom junkie. Buy It.

Almost completely wonderful

Indisputable Gallic flair

Idiomatic, fresh, cleanly recorded

the best songs ever ruined by uneven performing

Poulenc - Melodies / Ameling · Gedda · W. Parker · Sénéchal · Souzay · Baldwin
Francis Poulenc , Dalton Baldwin , Elly Ameling , Gérard Souzay , Nicolai Gedda , Michel Sénéchal , and William Parker
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
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A French Song Companion

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

The Songs of Henri Duparc

ASIN: B000002S31
Release Date: 1992-01-23

Tracks:

LE BESTIAIRE OU CORTEGE D'ORPHEE: I - Le Dromadaire
LE BESTIAIRE OU CORTEGE D'ORPHEE: II - La Chevre Du Tibet
LE BESTIAIRE OU CORTEGE D'ORPHEE: III - La Sauterelle
LE BESTIAIRE OU CORTEGE D'ORPHEE: IV - Le Dauphin
LE BESTIAIRE OU CORTEGE D'ORPHEE: V - L'ecrevisse
LE BESTIAIRE OU CORTEGE D'ORPHEE: VI - La Carpe
COCARDES: I - Miel De Narbonne
COCARDES: II - Bonne D'enfant
COCARDES: III - Enfant De Troupe
5 POEMES DE RONSARD: I - Attributs
5 POEMES DE RONSARD: II - Le Tombeau
5 POEMES DE RONSARD: III - Ballet
5 POEMES DE RONSARD: IV - Je N'ai Plus Les Os
5 POEMES DE RONSARD: V - A Son Page
CHANSONS GAILLARDES: I - La Maitresse Volage
CHANSONS GAILLARDES: II - Chanson A Boire
CHANSONS GAILLARDES: III - Madrigal
CHANSONS GAILLARDES: IV - Invocation Aux Parques
CHANSONS GAILLARDES: V - Couplets Bachiques
CHANSONS GAILLARDES: VI - L'offrande
CHANSONS GAILLARDES: VII - La Belle Jeunesse
CHANSONS GAILLARDES: VIII - Serenade
AIRS CHANTES: I - Air Romantique
AIRS CHANTES: II - Air Champetre
AIRS CHANTES: III - Air Grave
AIRS CHANTES: IV - Air Vif
Epitaphe
3 POEMES DE LOUISE LALANNE: I - Le Present
3 POEMES DE LOUISE LALANNE: II - Chanson
3 POEMES DE LOUISE LALANNE: III - Hier
4 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: I - L'anguille
4 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: II - Carte Postale
4 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: III - Avant Le Cinema
4 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: IV - 1904
5 POEMES DE MAX JACOB: I - Chanson Bretonne
5 POEMES DE MAX JACOB: II - Cimetiere
5 POEMES DE MAX JACOB: III - La Petite Servante
5 POEMES DE MAX JACOB: IV - Berceuse
5 POEMES DE MAX JACOB: V - Souric Et Mouric
8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: I - La Couronne
8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: II - Le Depart
8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: III - Les Gars Polonais
8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: IV - Le Dernier Mazour
8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: V - L'adieu
8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: VI - Le Drapeau Blanc
8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: VII - La Vistule
8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: VIII - Le Lac

Tracks:

5 POEMES DE PAUL ELUARD: I - Peut - Il Se Reposer?
5 POEMES DE PAUL ELUARD: II - Il La Prend Dans Ses Bras
5 POEMES DE PAUL ELUARD: III - Plume D'eau Claire
5 POEMES DE PAUL ELUARD: IV - Rodeuse Au Front De Verre
5 POEMES DE PAUL ELUARD: V - Amoureuses
A Sa Guitare
TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: I - Bonne Journee
TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: II - Une Ruine Coquille Vide
TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: III - Le Front Comme Un Drapeau Perdu
TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: IV - Une Roulotte Couverte En Tuiles
TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: V - A Toutes Brides
TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: VI - Une Herbe Pauvre
TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: VII - Je N'ai Envie Que De T'aimer
TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: VIII - Figure De Force Brulante Et Farouche
TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: IX - Nous Avons Fait La Nuit
3 POEMES DE LOUISE DE VILMORIN: I - Le Garcon De Liege
3 POEMES DE LOUISE DE VILMORIN: II - Au-Dela
3 POEMES DE LOUISE DE VILMORIN: III - Aux Officiers De La Garde Blanche
2 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: I - Dans Le Jardin D'anna
2 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: II - Allons Plus Vite
MIROIRS BRULANTS: I - Tu Vois Le Feu Du Soir
MIROIRS BRULANTS: II - Je Nommerai Ton Front
Le Portrait
La Grenouillere
Priez Pour Paix
Ce Doux Petit Visage
Bleuet
FIANCAILLES POUR RIRE: I - La Dame D'andre
FIANCAILLES POUR RIRE: II - Dans L'herbe
FIANCAILLES POUR RIRE: III - Il Vole
FIANCAILLES POUR RIRE: IV - Mon Cadavre Est Doux Comme Un Gant
FIANCAILLES POUR RIRE: V - Violon
FIANCAILLES POUR RIRE: VI - Fleurs

Tracks:

BANALITES: I - Chanson D'orkenise
BANALITES: II - Hotel
BANALITES: III - Fagnes De Wallonie
BANALITES: IV - Voyage A Paris
BANALITES: V - Sanglots
CHANSONS VILLAGEOISES: I - Chanson Du Clair Tamis
CHANSONS VILLAGEOISES: II - Les Gars Qui Vont A La Fete
CHANSONS VILLAGEOISES: III - C'est Le Joli Printemps
CHANSONS VILLAGEOISES: IV - Le Mendiant
CHANSONS VILLAGEOISES: V - Chanson De La Fille Frivole
CHANSONS VILLAGEOISES: VI - Le Retour Du Sergent
METAMORPHOSES: I - Reine Des Mouettes
METAMORPHOSES: II - C'est Ainsi Que Tu Es
METAMORPHOSES: III - Paganini
2 POEMES DE LOUIS ARAGON: I - C
2 POEMES DE LOUIS ARAGON: II - Fetes Galantes
2 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: I - Montparnasse
2 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: II - Hyde Park
2 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: I - Le Pont
2 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: II - Un Poeme
Paul Et Virginie
Mais Mourir
Hymne
3 CHANSONS DE FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA: I - L'enfant Muet
3 CHANSONS DE FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA: II - Adelina A La Promenade
3 CHANSONS DE FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA: III - Chanson A L'oranger Sec
Le Disparu
Main Dominee Par Le Coeur
CALLIGRAMMES: I - L'espionne
CALLIGRAMMES: II - Mutation
CALLIGRAMMES: III - Vers Le Sud
CALLIGRAMMES: IV - Il Pleut
CALLIGRAMMES: V - La Grace Exilee
CALLIGRAMMES: VI - Aussi Bien Que Les Cigales
CALLIGRAMMES: VII - Voyage

Tracks:

Mazurka
LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: I - Rayon Des Yeux...
LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: II - Le Matin Les Branches Attisent...
LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: III - Tout Disparut...
LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: IV - Dans Les Tenebres Du Jardin...
LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: V - Unis La Fraicheur Et Le Feu...
LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: VI - Homme Au Sourire Tendre...
LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: VII - La Grande Riviere Qui VA...
PARISIANA: Le Joueur De Bugle
PARISIANA: Vous N'ecrivez Plus?
Rosemonde
LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: I - Pablo Picasso
LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: II - Marc Chagall
LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: III - Georges Braque
LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: IV - Juan Gris
LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: V - Paul Klee
LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: VI - Joan Miro
LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: VII - Jacques Villon
La Souris
Nuage
Dernier Poeme
Une Chanson De Porcelaine
LA COURTE PAILLE: I - Le Sommeil
LA COURTE PAILLE: II - Quelle Aventure!
LA COURTE PAILLE: III - La Reine De Coeur
LA COURTE PAILLE: IV - Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu
LA COURTE PAILLE: V - Les Anges Musiciens
LA COURTE PAILLE: VI - Le Carafon
LA COURTE PAILLE: VII - Lune D'avril
Toreador
4 CHANSONS POUR ENFANTS: I - La Tragique Histoire Du Petit Rene
4 CHANSONS POUR ENFANTS: II - Nous Voulons Une Petite Soeur
4 CHANSONS POUR ENFANTS: III - Le Petit Garcon Trop Bien Portant
4 CHANSONS POUR ENFANTS: IV - Monsieur Sans-Souci
Fancy
Colloque

Customer Reviews:

Essential for the chansom junkie. Buy It........2006-10-25

'Poulenc Melodies' performed by a really impressive lineup of vocal talent including Elly Ameling and Nicolai Gedda is exactly the kind of recording you need if you are compulsive about having 'complete' collections of things. This shows a range of composition which smaller releases such as single CD 'Voyage a Paris' (Hyperion, with Felicity Lott and Graham Johnson)can give us. For starters, many of these chansom showed a lot more evidence of more modern stylings and a far greater range of interpretation. In fact, I even had to check the lyrics in the included booklet to verify that on some songs, the performers were singing in French. Even though I have a smattering of knowledge of French, I would have sworn that the singers were performing songs in Russian.

I am happy that all four discs run for more than 60 minutes. No cheap short changing here. If you don't want to spring for the large set, the Hyperion release is great, but this is worth every penny.

Almost completely wonderful.......2005-04-29

Its very considerable advantage lies in its completeness. Poulenc was one of the very greatest songwriters of any era. If you have no Poulenc songs in your collection, start here. The recommendation of Kruysen is a fine one, but only after you have heard this as a basis of comparison. Of Ameling, Senechal, Souzay, Gedda, and Parker, the only disappointment is Parker, who - I'll just say it - sings with his usual bleat. Souzay is a shade past it in vocal quality, but he still understands these songs as well as anybody, with great declamation (and that, after all, is what most of French singing is about). The dryness of the voice is nowhere close to disastrous, as it might have been in Italian opera. Indeed, it lends an air of life lived, without excuses. Gedda is okay. The standouts are Souzay, Ameling, and Senechal. Baldwin accompanies superbly.

Indisputable Gallic flair.......2004-06-06

These performances are piquant and stylistically right on target. Even if Souzay is past his best here, he brings a lifetime of experience to bear and the other performers are wonderful. Ignore the curmudgeon who blasted this set. You will enjoy this tremendously if you love Poulenc.

Idiomatic, fresh, cleanly recorded.......2001-05-12

This is a fine set. Dalton Baldwin accompanies each singer with clarity and zest. And who can resist the affectionate singing of the likes of Nicolai Gedda and Elly Ameling? The "melodies" themselves are magnificent--among Poulenc's finest creations. Whether you have other performances of these works or not, I think you'd be pleased with this beautifully recorded set. Certainly the 70's-vintage performances are more individual in profile, more "romantic," if you will, than those conjured by most of the "anonymous" singers of our own age. Recommended with enthusiasm.

the best songs ever ruined by uneven performing.......2001-05-05

This is a warning for all Poulenc fans NOT to take the bargain route and purchase this immense collection -- you might think you're getting a great deal but: the singing and pianism is substandard and doesn't do the music justice (remotely). Songs like Bonne Journe'e or Ho^tel are all but ruined... Here's what to buy: Bernard Kruysen's CD of selected Poulenc masterpieces (favoring the Elouard settings)... nobody will ever come close to Kruysen in interpreting Poulenc. Avoid THIS CD. They still get 2 stars for (1) being encyclical and (2) delivering clear and even sound quality.

Average customer rating:

Chansons de la Renaissance

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

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Baroque England

ASIN: B000ARHNEE
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Average customer rating:

Excellent 1953 version emphasizes musicality over drama

Bizet: Les pêcheurs de perles

Manufacturer: Opera D'oro
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Léopold Simoneau: Opera Arias & Duets

ASIN: B0006VXLOK
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

Introduction - Orchestra Des Concerts Lamoureux
Sur La Greve Un Feu - Elisabeth Brasseur Choir
Amis, Interrompez Voz Danses
Demeure Parmi Nous, Nadir
C'est Toi
Au Fond Du Temple Saint
Que Vois-Je?
Sois Le Bienvenue - Elisabeth Brasseur Choir
Seule Au Milieu De Nous... Brahma, Divin Brahma
A Cette Voix
Ke Crois Entendre Encore
Le Ciel Est Bleu
O Dieu Brahma... Dans Le Ciel Sans Voile

Tracks:

L'ombre Descend Des Cieux - Xavier Depraz
Me Voila Seule Dans La Nuit... Comme Autrefois - Pierette Alaire
De Mon Amie
Leila, Leila!... Dieu Puissant... Ton Coeur N'a Pas Compris Le Mien
Ah! Revenez A La Raison... O Nuit D'epouvante
L'orage S'est Calme... O Nadir, Tendre Ami De Mon Jeune Age - Rene Bianco
Qu'ai-je Vu?... Je Fremis, Je Chancelle - Pierette Alarie
Entends Au Loin Ce Bruit De Fete - Pierette Alarie
Des Que Le Soleil - Elisabeth Brasseur Choir
Sombres Divinites
O Lumiere Sainte
Ce Sont Eux, Les Voici... Plus De Crainte

Customer Reviews:

Excellent 1953 version emphasizes musicality over drama.......2005-08-08

Source: Studio recording made in October 1953.

Sound: Generally good 1950s mono. (Opera d'Oro issues are always iffy on matters of sound, ranging from very good to appallingly bad. They are generally much safer bets when based on studio recordings, as is the case here, than on live performances.)

Text: Standard text adopted with the first revivals of the opera, some years after Bizet's death.

Cast: Nadir - Leopold Simoneau; Zurga - Rene Bianco; Leila - Pierette Alarie; Nourabad - Xavier Depraz. Conductor: Jean Fournet.

Documentation: No libretto. Short plot summary. Track list.

This performance provided my first recording of "Les Pecheurs de perles," acquired more than forty-five years ago on Lp from some obscure European publisher. Having stumbled upon a CD version of the old warhorse, I was greatly pleased to find that it is as good as I had remembered it to be.

By 1863, the 25 year-old Bizet had already set his hand to incidental music to "L'Arlesienne," the requisite Sir Walter Scott opera, "La jolie fille de Perth" and an oriental opera, "Djamileh." He had not yet wrung the hankering for exoticism out of his system, so he embarked on a new opera to be set in pre-Columbian Mexico. With youthful folly, he began writing the music before his two hack librettists, Michel Carre and Eugene Cormon, had figured out a finish for the play. Even before the lack of a finale became a crisis, a major change had to be incorporated. It seems that the "Pearlfishers" team had been beaten in the race to put on an Aztec play in Paris. Since Carre and Cormon had probably known nothing at all about Meso-American empires, it is likely they had no qualms about shifting their story to another place they knew nothing about, Ceylon. Carré and Cormon never did come up with a logical finish, so they just set things on fire and let the doomed lovers depart into the sunset, providing a dramatic arc to "The Pearlfishers" that makes "Il trovatore" look like a textbook example of a well-made play.

I had remembered the star of the recording to be the tenor, Leopold Simoneau, and so he is. Simoneau had a voice of no great size but of surpassing sweetness and elegance. I have seen him described as a latter day Tito Schipa. To some extent he was, but Simoneau was a true vocal technician, far more skillful than that charming old con man, Schipa. Simoneau's Nadir is more focused on the beauty of the musical line than on drama. In this most lyrical of Bizet's operas, it works.

What I had not remembered about this recording was Pierette Alarie. Alarie was a formidable lieder singer who was married to Simoneau and who made many recordings with him. By operatic standards, her voice was small, but it was beautifully pure, precisely focused and amazingly agile, a sort of Francophone Roberta Peters. (For those familiar with Webber's "Phantom of the Opera," Alarie was precisely the type of singer for the role of the Phantom's young protegee.) All those years ago, I was busy being bowled over by Milanov, Tebaldi, Nilsson and Sutherland, so I foolishly discounted Alarie's smaller voice. While I still hold those ladies in highest esteem, this time, when I bought the CD, I actually listened to Alarie and I was amazed. This was particularly true of the closing number of the First Act, "O dieu Brahma." In every other performance that I have seen or heard, heavier-voiced sopranos make this prayer pleasant enough but nothing to compete with the acknowledged big numbers of the act, "Au fond du temple saint," and "Je crois entendre encore." Alarie's version is a revelation. With her lieder singer's discrimination and her phenomenal vocal agility, Alarie offers up a bel canto-like gem.

The Zurga of this set, while good, was simply not in the class of Simoneau and Alarie. René Bianco had a baritone voice that was pleasant but not at all commanding, not the best thing for portraying a character who is all assertiveness. The slight fuzziness of his vocal production kept Bianco from being an equal with the super-focused Simoneau and Alarie in the ensembles.

Nourabad is a thankless part, placed in the opera merely to keep the plot ticking. I remember nothing about any Nourabad I have seen or heard in the past. I remember nothing about Xavier Depraz beyond the obvious fact that he was not bad enough to make me remember him for that reason.

The first time I listened to these CDs, I found myself puzzled by the conducting. Jean Fournet was a big name in the French repertory in the years straddling World War II. As I had been particularly impressed by his dramatic "Samson et Dalila," the comparative looseness of dramatic tension here seemed odd. After comparing his version of "The Pearlfishers" with those of Rosenthal, Dervaux and Pretre, I think it probable that there was mutual agreement among Fournet, Simoneau and Alarie to downplay melodrama in favor of musicality, to take a miniaturist, even lieder-like approach. Of the four conductors, Fournet is the most precise and the most French. "The Pearlfishers" may take place on exotic Ceylon, but Jean Fournet's Ceylon is firmly anchored in the Seine, not many meters downstream from the Cathedral of Notre Dame.

This is an excellent "Pearlfishers." This version and the excellent 1959 live version conducted by Manuel Rosenthal (Gala GL 100.504), which emphasizes the drama of the opera, should be in any serious collection.

Five stars.

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