Natalie Dessay - French Opera Arias

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Yet again, the fascinating French soprano Natalie Dessay has come up with a winning recital. Canary fanciers can love her without guilt: her high notes are all in place (up to a solid E natural), her skill with fast coloratura is astonishing, her pitch is ideal, and her breath control is massive. But she's as interested in creating character as she is in pure singing. For once Ophelia's long Mad Scene from Thomas' Hamlet is a truly dramatic, heartbreaking event, for instance; similarly, Manon sounds young and sassy, as she should. Rarities by Boieldieu and Offenbach are a joy to hear; "Je suis Titania" and Juliette's Waltz Song are suitably virtuosic and show-offy--she's as good as any of the so-called "Golden Age" sopranos in this repertoire. Her tone remains full and pretty; only the very top notes have a bit of an edge, but this hardly detracts. In short, this is a remarkable recital--interesting pieces, gloriously sung. --Robert Levine

Tracks:

Ah! Tout Est Bien Fini... O Souverain
Enfin, Manon... En Fermant Les Yeux
Oui, Ce Qu'elle M'ordonne... Lorsque L'enfant Revient
L'amour! L'amour!... Ah! Leve-toi, Soleil
Source Dcieuse
Faiblesse De La Race Humaine!... Inspirez-moi, Race Divine
Voix Qui Me Remplissez D'une Ineffable Ivresse
Je Suis L'oiseau
Traduire... Pourquoi Me Riller
Anges Du Paradis
Salut, Tombeau
Salut, Demeure Chaste Et Pure
Je Suis Seul!... Ah! Fuyez, Douce Image
Je Vais La Voir!
Ah! Parais!

Amazon.com

Rolando Villazon's follow-up CD to his sensational debut recital of Italian arias is devoted to music by Gounod and Massenet: some as familiar as Faust's, Romeo's and Des Grieux's arias, some as rare as pieces from Gounod's Polyeucte and La Reine de Saba and Massenet's Roma and Le Mage. But almost more important than the interesting repertoire, familiar or otherwise, is Villazon's handling of the music. In Werther's passionate Act II outburst to God about suicide, which is almost never excerpted, Villazon manages, in four minutes, to create a complete character, with all his neuroses, mania, and desperation--and he caps it with a ringing high B natural which is as beautiful as it is heartfelt. He sings both of Des Grieux's arias with feeling and tenderness (aided in "Le reve" by Natalie Dessay!). An aria from La Reine de Saba turns out to bequite a showpiece, with a drop-dead high C at its close. As singing and as interpreting, this CD is a must-have. Villazon's dark-hued, expressive tone is always used in the service of the music, and following his career will be a joy for all lovers of great tenorizing. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

the way teens are to Britney or Madonna...........2007-01-04

Villazon brings out the teenybopper in me. I could wear the grooves out!~just as I did with my early heros at 12 and 13 years of age. Seriously, his sound, phrasing and timbre are transcendent and ethereal. May the music never end.

Villazon finds his niche...go French.......2006-02-25

Rather than beefing up his voice for the big (money-paying) Italian roles that are one size too large for him, Rolando Villazon naturally excels in these roles from Gounod and Massenet. The narrow French vowels add a needed edge and vibrancy to his voice, the placement of the music in the head tones brings out Villazon's best timbre, and he seems temperamentally suited to refined heros. In fact, it's remarkable to hear the transformaiton here when comparing him in the recent DG La Traviata, where his Alfredo was convincing but hard work. French opera is rhtorical and poetic rather than visceral and passionate. I think Villazon fits that mold, as nearly eery aria here domonstrates.

Bad diction, engineering gimmicks besot otherwise noble effort.......2006-02-02

A tenor very quickly on the rise, this is Villazon's second recital disc, one devoted to arias by Gounod and Massenet, all in sets of three, three for Massenet, and two for Gounod. While still showing great promise, some concerns that were mildly serious with the first disc are even more so, in the French repertoire, in part because diction comes up so short here.

"O souverain" from Le Cid continues to show Villazon's command of line and squeezed but adequately forceful upper register, so that the volume boosts from the control room are really unnecessary. Diction here is already an issue, as many `u' vowels get dipthonged, especially when Villazon's sound is placed back for added weight and volume. `La reve' from Massenet's Manon is comfortably floated, with support from Natalie Dessay as Manon enhancing the intimacy of feeling to this number. Would Villazon been able to sing the short aria by Alain (who appears to the heroine at first to perhaps be little more than an apparition - shades of Frau ohne schatten perhaps? - in almost a chamber opera), from Massenet's Griselidis (track 8), at least as softly and lightly, as both the music and dramatic situation require, this could have also been very successful. He instead turns the ABA shape of this mere chanson inside out and makes a wreck of it.

The less often excerpted "Lorsque enfant" from Werther closes out the first Massenet set, as does "Pourquoi me reveiller" the second. Villazon's identification with the distraught main character of this opera is abundantly clear in both. He capitalizes well on the quixotic emotions and dreamy tendencies of the distraught main character especially well in the first selection, and he is also less intruded upon by the producers or sound engineers there as well.

It is quite curious how the control room follows the tenor up a crescendo on a line that closes out the first section of the excerpt here from Massenet's Roi de Lahore, featuring a hero (from Hindu myth) that bound to certain stipulations, has literally returned from the dead. Not quite as ostentatious as Massenet's near remake of Lohengrin, Esclarmonde (but with female protagonist instead), it is one of Massenet's most colorful scores. It has only been recorded complete once commercially, with Joan Sutherland, Luis Lima, and appearing only ten minutes apart, James Morris, and for the part of General unfortunately eliminated from this scene here, John Tomlinson, along with one other cut to Villazon's part. It would've been more valuable to have all this complete instead of one or two other arias. He captures the incipiently worried tone of Alim well, but his coloring up the vowel sounds makes it seem that he has come from a place as remote from French culture as where the opera takes place.

Most successful of the Gounod selections are two of the three rarities. The first is Source delicieuse from Polyeucte, based on the Corneille play. It opens very well with a minute of orchestral cortege. It perhaps has only been recorded once before and well, by Roberto Alagna ten years ago; Villazon conveys the heroism of the piece somewhat well, if not as securely as Alagna. Anges du paradis from Mireille (which Mirella Freni championed and recorded complete for EMI), is third, perhaps a study for Ah leve toi, soleil (Romeo), several years down the road. The second Gounod rarity on this disc is "Inspirez-moi, race divine," said to be a Caruso favorite, from Reine de Saba. Its text indicates King Solomon's prize hired builder, Adoniram, to be a very confident, if mildly haughty chap. Villazon's interpretation seems to portray a hero that constantly has to look behind his back, with all the incipiently yet controllably vibrato ridden throb and backphrasing Villazon engages in here. The high C at the end, however, is convincing. Such device as in the above, also accents and colors most phrasing in the tomb scene from Romeo et Juliette.

"Ah! leve toi soleil" opens the first Gounod set, and is sung with the right ardor, conventionally marked by tiny captured scoops, coming off phrases. Villazon's entrance and two later lines catch for having placed so far back in the throat, and intonation gets momentarily derailed. "Salut, demeure" from Gounod's Faust quickly becomes expressively leaden and monochrome.

Recitative and the beginning of the aria, "Ah! fuyez" from Manon begin well nuanced enough, and for the aria, truly softly as a change from so much else on this disc, but all-purpose bench pressing and volume boosts intrude before long. That leaves two truly atmospheric selections from two Massenet rarities, to close this recital - first, an aria from Roma, Massenet's swan song for the lyric theater and "Ah! parais" from Le Mage, opera with plot line similar to that of Verdi's Aida, following. The melody, introduced by the cellos at the outset for the latter, somewhat takes after "Pays merveilleux" from Meyerbeer's Africaine, but in more voluptuous color, such as in Thais, and Villazon and Pido both capitalize well on its opulence. Pido's work, on numerous other numbers on this disc, seems heavy, lumbering, cloying, or just simply out of his idiom, so to speak.

Word has it that Villazon, while not having a big voice, is dramatically exciting on stage and probably more immediately engaged with the content of what he is singing. How this picked up a major award from Gramophone, for the specific problems this disc has, and over two more qualified nominations (Ciofi/Di Donato Handel Duets and a Florez album) is mystifying. So much digression here is over the very specific demands that French opera makes on singers. There's much reason for hope for this tenor, but this disc, for two-thirds of it, does little to help fulfill it.

Bean sings?.......2006-01-05

A friend lent me Villazon's debut album as an introduction to the man. I loved it - but this is the one I have bought. If, like me, you have tired of the comparisons between Villazon and others (esp Domingo) fear not, this artist is an original. I must confess that on seeing the cover I wondered if Brit comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean / Black Adder - now there's a new comarison!) had strayed into the wrong studio, but a few tracks into either disc and you'll know you're listening to the real thing. True, he has baritonish notes in the lower register, and an easy reach for the upper notes but I honestly have not heard anyone quite like him before. His is a warm voice with an early maturity that should ensure he has a long career ahead of him. His diction is excellent, without the staccato enunciation or lack of French interpretation abilities that mar lesser singers' performances. Such vocal ease makes the sung word seem as natural as the spoken word is to us lesser mortals. That his song selection moves away from the 'usual suspects' of the tenor repertoire is to his great advantage; he knows what suits him and he brings each piece to new life. The overly familiar tracks of which there are thankfully few serve only to highlight through comparison to those we know Villazon's unique timbre and interpretation. This collection includes inspired music choices, incomparable renditions, marvellous orchestration and leaves the listener keenly anticipating his next release. The recording and production are impeccable (worth ***** in their category). It does not get much better than that. Atkinson may make you laugh (or not) - Villazon will make you smile and keep you feeling that way.

A fine romantic interpreter.......2005-12-20

If not quite a poet in the manner of, say, Edmond Clément, Rolando Villazón is a first rate romantic interpreter. His French is surprisingly good and he really understands how this school of writing needs to be lived and phrased, so that he doesn't summarily yell through all phrases like some "Italian" second-rater: he shades and molds the music in the elegant style of great French tenors of a bygone era: Clément, Franz, Dalmorès, Beyle, Vaguet, Scaremberg, D' Arkor, Thill...

Just like the damned record companies to give us a mere CD of Rolando Villazón's lovely art, whilst recording the above "Italian" second-rater in every complete French rôle under the sun!

Villazón's voice itself is more like a Spanish tenor's in timbre, none too pellucid, but a manly, resonant instrument of middle weight, which he never forces.

I don't know who Evelino Pido is, or how he got through school with that name, but he is a damned sight better than the much-touted Pappano (as in EMI's horrible latest Manon.) There are no metronomic run-throughs [RUIN-throughs!] on this disk.

If you adore Gounod and Massenet as I do, this CD will be very good news indeed to you.

Average customer rating:

Natalie Dessay in the French Repertoire: Nicely Done!
Another French Album?!
Le vrai Amour & la Grande Musique
Salut à la France!
Wonderful, but a minor quality control problem

Natalie Dessay - French Opera Arias
Natalie Dessay , Michel Plasson , Jules Massenet , and Jacques Offenbach
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Natalie Dessay - French Opera Arias

ASIN: B0000ZOJZW
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Tracks:

Acte III - Air Du Cours La Reine: Suis-Je Gentille Ainsi?
Gavotte: Obessions Quand Leur Voix Appelle
Fabliau: Rire Toujours? Vous Vous Trompez
Acte II - Polonaise: Oui, Pour Ce Soir...Je Suis Titania La Blonde Philine
Acte III - Aubade: vive Amour Qui Reve L'Ensoleillad
Acte I - Bolero: Profitez de La Vie Mme De Ligneul
Acte II - Grande Valse: Conduisez-Moi Vers Celui Que J'Adore Edwige
Acte I: En Proie A La Tristesse La Comtesse
Acte II: C'En Est Donc Fait...Salut A La France! Marie
Acte I - Valse De Juliette: Ah ! Je Veux Vivre Juliette
Acte IV - Air De La Foile: A Vos Jeux Mes Amis Ophelie
Mort D'Ophelie: Le Voila, Je Crois L'Entendre Ophelie

Amazon.com

Yet again, the fascinating French soprano Natalie Dessay has come up with a winning recital. Canary fanciers can love her without guilt: her high notes are all in place (up to a solid E natural), her skill with fast coloratura is astonishing, her pitch is ideal, and her breath control is massive. But she's as interested in creating character as she is in pure singing. For once Ophelia's long Mad Scene from Thomas' Hamlet is a truly dramatic, heartbreaking event, for instance; similarly, Manon sounds young and sassy, as she should. Rarities by Boieldieu and Offenbach are a joy to hear; "Je suis Titania" and Juliette's Waltz Song are suitably virtuosic and show-offy--she's as good as any of the so-called "Golden Age" sopranos in this repertoire. Her tone remains full and pretty; only the very top notes have a bit of an edge, but this hardly detracts. In short, this is a remarkable recital--interesting pieces, gloriously sung. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Natalie Dessay in the French Repertoire: Nicely Done!.......2007-03-08

Here, Natalie Dessay sings French arias. All in all, a satisfying album, with a few exceptions as noted below. A few samples of the cuts on this CD.

From Massenet's "Manon," she sings nicely. "Suis-je gentile ainsi" shows off her clear, light, agile voice. She demonstrates a decent trill and nice high note. "Obeissons quand leur voix appelle" is sung at a slower pace. Well sung, with some subtle vocal effects. This closes with a nice run, but a rather harshly sung high note. Then, "Rive toujours." This begins at a slower pace, but picks up. There is some nice ornamentation. For the most part, this is sweetly sung.

Thomas' "Mignon" features a wonderful piece, "Je suis Titania la blonde." Dessay, again, displays an agile and attractive voice. She demonstrates capable coloratura technique, featuring some nicely done appoggiaturas. In the last segment, she manifests a nice trill. Her penultimate high note is a bit harsh. However, she concludes with a very well done set of trills and a good high note.

From Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette," we have "Ah! Je veux vivre." The first part is smoothly sung. Nice characterization by Dessay. There is some attractive and pleasant florid singing at the end. Finally, from Thomas' "Hamlet," she essays "A vos jeux mes amis." Nice effects and good vocal technique are displayed. Her voice is attractive in this cut. Nice ornamentation toward the end. Some good trills and some nicely hit high notes.

This is a fine CD. Natalie Dessay shows her vocal virtues to good effect. She is obviously quite at home on the French repertoire, and this CD demonstrates that statement very clearly.

Another French Album?!.......2005-12-26

Does Natalie Dessay even know how to sing Italian? Whatever. I find her boring and flat. Her middle range drives me batty 'cas it's non exsistent and too sharp for my taste. I have no clue how anyone can compare her to Lily Pons becuase Pons notes were flawless and effortless. I always hold my breath to see if Dessay hits her notes well or if it just comes out piercing and sharp. She's about 50/50. She is no Lily Pons. She's decent but utterly forgettable and frankly I'm not sure why people are so enraptured by her. I find Sumi Jo much more appealing and talented

Le vrai Amour & la Grande Musique.......2004-05-14

Elle musique est si paisible et claire. Natalie Dessaix est épousé au baryton chanteur d'opéra Laurent Naouri. Ils ont deux beaux enfants. Natalie et Laurent ont participé dans les films télévisé nombreux. Dans Orphée aux enfers (1997) elle a joué Eurydice et il a joué Jupiter. Laurent Naouri est présenté dans Rameau 'Hippolyte et Aricie'. Dans cet opéra baroque français,
Naouri dans son aria 'Puisque Pluton' il est destiné à tuer son fils.

Salut à la France!.......2004-05-10

Natalie Dessay is a delight on this CD of arias from 19th century French Opera. The listener can experience a singer who is both concerned about the vocal and interpretative values of each selection of this recital. The first two tracks of the Cours de la Reine Scene from Massenet's 'Manon' show a fresh voice that portrays easily the youth and frivolity of the title character. All the stacattos, cadenzas and high notes are on the service of the character. It is delightful to find some rarities on this recital, like the Fabliau from 'Manon' (an alternative aria that Massenet composed for sustitution of the Gavotte) and the pieces from 'Chérubin', 'La fête du village voisin' and 'Robinson Crusoe'. On the selection by Offenbach, Dessay sings a stunning trill on a Dflat and then goes to expectacular scales, finishing the dazzling waltz with an elaborate cadenza and a firm high E. Another highlight of the CD is the elaborate aria from 'Le Comte Ory' by Rossini, where the soprano's attention to the nuances of the piece bring out a lively interpretation. The aria from 'La fille du régiment' makes us wish for a complete recording of the opera. However, the best part of the CD are the last two tracks. Dessay brings all her gifts to a climax with a marvelous performance of the Ophélie's Mad and Death Scenes from 'Hamlet' by Ambroise Thomas. This version of the Mad Scene is even better than her previous rendition on her last recital of French arias. This is a highly emotional interpretation where all the brilliant scales and cadenzas reflect the changing moods of Ophelie's madness and her despair as well as her innocence. This is the definitive performance of this music on records, period. The Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and the Choeur 'Les Eléments', ably conducted by Michel Plasson, complement Dessay beautifully. In summary, another wonderful CD by one of the most remarkable coloratura sopranos of our time.

Wonderful, but a minor quality control problem.......2004-04-02

Five stars for Natalie Dessay, who has an incredible instrument, and a great selection of arias. But I've listened to 4 copies of this disc and each had a very short "click" at 2:22 on track 2 (the Gavotte from Manon). Must be a quality control problem. Maybe it was just a bad batch.

Anyway, Dessay's voice is a force of nature; she must be one of the greatest coloraturas ever. I prefer her live version of Handel's "Tornami" from Alcina to Sutherland's. And she's incredible on Orphee Aux Enfers - not only a wonderful singer, but obviously a great actress and comedienne.

So, if you've not heard her before, give this album a try - ignore the "click" and listen to a truly angelic voice.

Tracks:

Lakme - Acte II: Air des clochettes : (Ou va la jeune indoue)
Le Rol malgre lul - Acte II: Chanson tzigane : 'Il est un vieux chant de Boheme'
L'eole des maris: Air du Feu : 'Arriere ! Je rechauffe les bons'
Le Pardan de Ploermel: Air : 'Ombre legere'
L'Ecole des maris - Acte II: 'O ciel, pardonne encore... De tout temps la gent masculine'
Hamlet - Acte IV: Scene de la folie : 'A vos jeux mes amis'
Medee: Premier Tableau - Air : 'Chers Corinthiens' - Creuse
Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Acte II: Chanson : 'Les oiseaux dans la charmille' - Olympia
Les Mamelles de Tlreslas - Acte I: Scene : 'Non, Monsieur mon mari' Therese
Mirillle - Acte I: Valse-ariette : 'O, legere hirondelle' - Mireille
Les Caprices de Marlanne - Acte I: Air : 'O, amour, mysterieux armour' - Marianne

Customer Reviews:

Delightful..........2006-06-08

The repertoire on this CD is amazing; it's not easy to find a CD with some of this arias, that are rarely found in recordings (like "O legere hirondelle"). Also, her singing is fantastic: her voice is light and clear, pure high notes and amazing runs. She's a great coloratura! And I believe that this is a great CD to have.

You want a French Coloratura? Buy Lily Pons instead.......2005-12-26

Natalie Dessay, while a true coloratura and nothing else but a coloratura, has incredible high notes (but not as incredible as Mady Mesple or Pons, those will stop your heart cold, they are so amazing) but lacks in middle range and her interpertation is rather non exsistent. I heard that is is a gifted actress but none of it reads in her recordings. Her tone is often grating and usually seems slightly forced. I prefer before my time singers such as Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Medy Mesple (if you have not heard her, buy a cd NOW!) and of course, Lily Pons whose high notes are so effortless and breathtaking they don't even seem human. Natalie Dessay, sadly, does not impress me at all and frankly I don't understand why everyone is so enraptured with her. She's fine and yes, talented, but I'm just not feeling her singing. It just doesn't work for me. Wish she'd stop singing all the french, I get it, you're french but putting out like three french albums in a relatively short timeframe is kind of overkill.

Dessay Sparkles in Familiar and Rare French Opera Arias.......2004-05-15

Natalie Dessay is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive coloratura sopranos of this century. And there is no better way to experience her voice and artistry than to hear her singing in her native tongue. This CD presents Dessay in a refreshing presentation of arias from both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, combining both well known music with some more modern rarities. The recital begins by presenting the soprano in music that fits her like a glove, "Où va la jeune indoue", the Bell Song from Delibes 'Lakmé'. It is a joy to hear Dessay creating a dreamy atmosphere, with full attention to the words and fearless in her attack of stacatti and high notes. She even sings the final high E in a crescendo. This Cd is high note feast, up to a sustained high A flat in "Ombre légère" from Meyerbeer's 'Le Pardon de Ploermel'. However, the stratopheric high notes are only part of the assets of Dessay. She is also willing to concentrate on character, something specially evident in the pieces from more modern operas. In "Arrière! Je réchaufe les bons" from Ravel's 'L'enfant et les sortilèges' her use of portamento makes this Fire commanding and menacing. Another delight is the feminist aria "No Monsieur mon mari" from 'Les Mammelles de Tirésias'by Poulenc she is a dynamo of energy and humor. Her Olympia and Ophélie are in the tradition of the great French coloratura sopranos like Pons, Robin and Mesplé. The CD ends beautifully with a sweet and poetic rendition of "O, amour, mystérieux amour", an unknown jewel from 'Les Caprices de Marianne' by Sauguet. This aria ends the recital in a high note both literally and metaphorically, with Dessay in a spectacular cadenza with pin point stacattos and a stunning high E than begins softly then goes louder until it goes again to pianissimo. The Orchestre Philarmonique de Monte-Carlo conducted by Patrick Fournillier complement Dessay's artistry beautifully. There are no weak point on this recital: these are sixty five minutes of pure joy.

Highly Enjoyable.......2003-06-04

To compare Dessay to Mado Robin or Erna Sack or Mady Mesple is simply ludicrous. She is in a different class. She can charachterise better than all of the above, she reaches all the notes with more ease, and she simply has the agility which none of those artists really have. Mesple was good for other things, but she wouldn't sing this repertoire, so please, spare us the gumph. Dessay is a fabulous artist, a light colloratura that travels with ease in the stratospheric heigths of the arias she performs. While there is not much on this disc of heartbreaking depth, it is very well sung. Occasionally the voice strikes one as a bit piercing, but generally there is more warmth than Sumi Jo, and less unsteadiness than Gruberova. I will not enter into a "spot-the-highest notes" contest, but enough to say the high(est) notes are all there. Light but highly enjoyable fare

I can't say enough!.......2001-08-11

Natalie Dessay is the coloratura of our generation! Her voice is extremely impressive. Every album she releases has the vocal fireworks that any music lover wants from their sopranos. This album features some of the world's most beautiful French music. Her "Doll Song" is so fun and full of laughter and of course the high notes. The other highlights for me are Meyerbeer's "Ombre legere" and the "Bell Song" from Lakme. No other coloratura performing today can measure up to the power and strength that Natalie has with those gorgeous notes. She may not warm your heart when down in her mid-range but when she climbs up you can't help but open your mouth and say, now that's a note! Pay close attention to the super high G at the end of "Ombre legere". Wow!

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