Berlioz: Melodies

Track Listings
Disc: 1

1. Nocturne a deux voix (H. 31, 1818-30) 'Je veux dans l'inconstance'

2. Le maure jaloux: Romance (H. 9B, 1819-21/1822): Moderato ma non troppo: 'Je vais revoir'

3. Amitie, reprends ton empire: Romance et invocation (H. 10B, 1819-21/1823): Andante sostenuto: 'Am...

4. Canon libre a la quinte (H. 14, 1822); Lento sostenuto: 'La nuit de son voile epais'

5. Pleure, pauvre colette: Romance a deux voix egales (H. 11, 1822): Andantino: 'Aupres de moi Colette'

6. Le Montagnard Exile: Chant Elegiaque (H. 15, 1823): Andante Poco Lento: 'Loin De La sauvage Campagne

7. Le Roi De Thule: Chanson Gothique (H. 33A, 1828: Huit Scenes De Faust Op.1 N.6): Poco Andante: 'A...

8. Serenade De Mephistopheles (H.33, 1828: Huit Scenes De Faust Op.1 N.8): Allegro: 'Devant La Maiso...

9. Helene: Ballade A Deux Voix (H.40A, 1829; Irlande Op.2 N.2): Allegretto: 'Qui Se Souvient D'Helene'

10. Chant Guerrier (H.41, 1829: Irlande Op.2 N.3): Allegro Non Troppo: N'oublions Pas Ces Champs'

See all 15 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2

1. La Captive: Orientale, Op.12 (H. 60C, 1832): Andantino: 'Si Je N'etais Captive'

2. Sara La Baigneuse: Ballade, Op.11 (H.69C, 1834/1849, Reduction Pour Piano D'Auguste Morel): Alleg...

3. Je Crois En Vous: Romance (H.70, 1834): Andantino Non Troppo Lento: 'Quand Mon Ame Ravie'

4. Chansonette De Mr. Leon De Wailly (H.73, 1835): Allegro Mosso (Presque Le Mouvement De La Valse)...

5. Le Matin: Romance (H.125, 1850: Fleurs Des Landes Op.13 N.1); Andantino Quasi Allegretto: 'Pour Chan

6. Le Trebuchet: Scherzo A Deux Voix (H.113, 1846: Fleurs Des Landes Op.13 N.3): Allegretto Leggiero...

7. Le Jeune Patre Breton (H.65C, 1833/1834: Fleurs Des Landes Op.13 N.4): Allegretto Simplice Un Po...

8. Le Chant Des Bretons (H.71B, 1835/1849: Fleurs Des Landes Op.13 N.5): Allegro Fieramente: 'Oui, N...

9. La Mort D'Ophelie: Ballade (H.92A, 1842): Andantino Con Moto Quasi Allegretto: 'Aupres D'un Torre...

10. Zaide: Bolero (H.107B, 1845: Feuillets D'album, Op.19 N.1): Allegretto: 'Ma Ville, Ma Belle Ville'

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Tracks:

Ils S'Eloignent Enfin...Sombre Foret
D'Amour L'Ardente Flamme
Les Grecs Ont Disparu...Malheureux Roi!
Nous Avons Vu Finir...Chers Tyriens
Je Vais Mourir...Adieu, Fiere Cite
Ah! Salome! Dans Ce Palais...Il Est Doux, Il Est Bon
Je Souffre
Mes Cheres Filles, J'Ai Encore A Vous Dire
Soir
Le Secret
Apres Un Reve
Clair De Lune
Lo Fiolaire
Lou Coucut
Coeur En Peril
Berceuse Creole

Tracks:

Einsam In Truben Tagen
Euch Luften, Die Mein Klagen
Eine Waffe Lass Mich Dir Weisen...Der Manner Sippe
Ich Sah Das Kind
I. Der Engel
II. Stehe Still!
III. Im Treibhaus
IV. Schmerzen
V. Traume
I. In Der Fremde
II. Intermezzo
III. Waldesgesprach
Timor Di Me?...D'Amor Sull'Ali Rosee
Ecco L'Orrido Campo...Ma Dall'Arido Stelo Divulsa
Tu Che Le Vanita
D'Art Et D'Amour

Album Description

Details TBA. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Sensuality Personified!.......2005-04-27

This is one of the best collections of Regine Crespin. Of course, her Berlioz/Ravel set with Ansermet is definitive, but the beauty and soft womanliness of her voice can be heard in all the selections on this disc. The engineers went for her vocal best and they created a fine collection aptly titled "The Best of..." One would be unduly captious to find Crespin "brittle" of tone here.

It is by now, very difficult to imagine anyone singing "Il est doux" with more apt expression of the line than La Crespin. Wagner's Wesendonk lieder is simply sublime from start to finish and the Faure takes on new meaning. That she is comical, melancholy, fun and happy by turns singles her out. This collection captures all her awesome talent. Underneath it all seems to be a very, if I may, sexual energy.

Crespin must be heard to be believed and the miracle lies in that even her softest tones are really enveloping, never thin. All tones are open and this is why there are enough colors in Regine Crespin's delicious voice to paint the world a thousand times, but it may also be why she infamous for being short and edgy on top but I remind, never here is she such. She is a relaxed singer in superb voice, comfortable in her own olive skin and makes the most out of every word those poets wrote.

The whole collection is unique in pace, style, and voice. It is Regine Crespin...in a nutshell fabulous!

Cecilia Bartoli - Chant d'amour (Mélodies française) / Myung-Whung Chung

Average customer rating:

my introduction to Cecilia Bartoli.....
a voice teacher and early music fan
One of my favorite Bartoli collections. Buy It!
Beautiful collection
tres bien

Cecilia Bartoli - Chant d'amour (Mélodies française) / Myung-Whung Chung
Georges Bizet , Maurice Ravel , Pauline Viardot , Hector Berlioz , Léo Delibes , Cecilia Bartoli , and Myung-Whun Chung
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Bartoli, Cecilia | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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Cecilia Bartoli - Mozart Portraits
Cecilia Bartoli - Live in Italy / Jean-Yves Thibaudet

ASIN: B00000429N
Release Date: 1996-10-15

Tracks:

Chant d'amour
Ouvre ton coeur
Adieux do l'hotesse arabe
Tarentelle
La Coccinelle
Les Filles de Cadix
Hai luli!
Havanaise
Les Filles de Cadix
La Mort d'Ophe
Za
Chants populaires: I - Chanson franse
Chants populaires: II - Chanson espagnole
Chants populaires: III - Chanson italienne
Chants populaires: IV - Chanson hae
Vocalise-de (en forme de habanera)
Deux melodies Hebraiques: I - Kaddisch
Deux melodies Hebraiques: II - L'igme rnelle
Tripatos

Customer Reviews:

my introduction to Cecilia Bartoli............2007-06-05

This is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful albums of classical music I own in my collection. Cecilia Bartoli, born in Rome, Italy, in 1966, is one of the most beautiful contemporary opera singers of today (in my opinion and in the opinion of others). What makes her stand apart from other singers is her gorgeous interpretation of baroque and well known art songs. On CHANT D'AMOUR (MELODIES FRANCAISE), with Myung-Whung Chung, her pianist, Bartoli takes on some beautiful lesser known tunes by Bizet ("Chant D'Amour," as an example) and other composers. Be it more upbeat music ("Ouvre Ton Coeur") or slower love ballads ("Hai luli!"), Bartoli OWNS these songs. There is a great range of tunes, that include Arabic and Spanish inspired pieces, in the French language. I've had this album for at least fifteen years, and I still hold these songs close to my heart after all of this time.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-13

The French 'melodie'grew out of the 18th century ballad, and is the equivalent of what the Germans call 'Lied' or art song, as opposed to pop or folk. The music of the five French composers included on this recording are all quite notable in the musical world. And Bartoli has included some of my personal favoites. Just to comment on a few:

Bizet liked to use the poems of Victor Hugo in many of his songs and the one I like best is supposedly his most popular work: "Adieux de l'hotesse arabe" (The Farewell of the Arab Hostess-1866). It is an intriguing blend of persistent rhythm and novel harmonies inflected with neat dramatic touches and conveys the poignant urgency of the Arab girl's passion.

The song I enjoy the most from this album is Pauline Viardot's "Les Filles de Cadix"(The daughters of Cadiz), the libretto of which was supplied by the poet Alfred de Musset, who was very fond of her. It conveys the Spanish tang and the girls' flirtatious mockery.

There is so much to like about this album, such as the great singing of Ceclia Bartoli. Her voice is powerfully resonent when it needs to be, and yet she can lighten up when necessary, as in some of the 'wispier' French songs. I have a disc of Handel's "Rinaldo" which includes the excellent American countertenor David Daniels. It's a great recording and Bartoli can really "belt" out the Handel.

If French music is to your liking, this is indeed a good listen!!!!

One of my favorite Bartoli collections. Buy It!.......2006-06-13

'Chant D'Amour' by mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, with piano accompaniest, Myung-Yhun Chung is one of my two favorite Bartoli recordings. To be sure, her voice is every bit as marvelous and beautiful as on her collections of operatic selections or her live albums such as 'Live in Italy', but this recording, and her recording of Italian love songs has an intimacy which makes it feel as if Mme. Bartoli is singing just for me. This impression is heightened by the fact that many of her selections, such as the one by Leo Delibes and the three by Pauline Viardot are not commonly found on collections by other performers. And, her interpretations seem to have a lot of unusual effects not found in the work of other mezzos doing more Teutonic material.

As with almost all of my classical music reviews, this is based purely on my personal reaction to the performance. And, if I were to recommend an excellent first purchase of Cecilia Bartoli material, this would be it!

Beautiful collection.......2005-10-01

I heard one song from this album and decided to give it a try, and it was a great surprise for me. Great collection and Cecilia's singing is simply beautiful, without any of these strange mannerisms that sometimes show up in her performances. Her sound is still fairly breathy, but that does not detract at all from the wonderful delivery, and she is great at putting colors and different characters into her voice.
I certainly didn't think of Cecialia Bartoli as champion of the French song; I like Veronique Gens for this type of repertoire, but I was not familiar with Pauline Viardot-Garcia's songs, and I am glad that I discovered them, thanks to Cecilia. This album has many songs which were not recorded often, and it's great to see so much effort put into choosing a unique and wonderful collection like this one.
Just listen to Havanaise, which is a great introduction to this album and a real beauty in Cecilia's commited interpretation.

tres bien.......2004-12-23

Although Cecilia Bartoli has a prodigious recorded output, she nevertheless puts care into each thing she commits to disc. These French songs are no exception. Her customary technique is on wonderful display in these songs, and her musicality is impeccable. Moreover, she is a singer who can alter the tone of her voice with remarkable effectiveness, and that too comes out on this disc. Very fine stuff.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic!

The Very Best of José Van Dam

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0006VYEHS
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Le Veau D'Or Est Toujours Debout
Vous Qui Faites L'Endormie
Si Les Filles D'Arles Sont Reines
Voyons: 'Pour Hoffmann'...Dans Les Roles D'Amoureux Langoureux
Scintille, Diamant
Bien Des Jeunes Gens
Lakme, C'est Toi Qui Nous Proteges!
Tra La La...Quand La Flamme De L'Amour
Elle Ne M'Aime Pas
Ah! Malgre Toi, Poete
Parjure!
Louange A Vous
Voyez, Thebains, Voyez - Barbara Hendricks
Dors, O Cite Perverse!
Quand Apparaissent Les Etoiles - Teresa Berganza
Je Suis Le Chevalier Errant - Teresa Berganza
Ecoute, Mon Ami - Teresa Berganza

Tracks:

I. Villanelle
IV. Absence
VI. L'Ile Inconnue
Tendrement Enlaces, Ma Chere Bien-Aimee
Danse Macabre
Clair De Lune
Chanson Romanesque
Chanson Epique
Chanson A Boire
Chanson A Dulcinee
Elegie
I. La Maitresse Volage
II. Chanson A Boire
III. Madrigal
IV. Invocation Aux Parques
V. Couplets Bachiques
VI. L'Offrande
VII. La Belle Jeunesse
VIII. Serenade
Malvina
Wo Ist Er?
Wird Dir Nicht Bange?
Die Frist Ist Um
Herr, Lehre Doch Mich
Libera Me, Domine

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!.......2005-11-02

This collection represents Jose Van Dam at his best. The two arias from Faust are a little low for him but he sings them with great musicality. The aria from Mireille which is a rarity is sung brilliantly. Mr. Van Dam gets up to those high notes so easily. This collection mostly contains French Repertoire which was ideal for his voice. Several of the arias are rarely performed and I think should be performed more often. The few German selections are very effective as well. I think he was one of the finest Brahms Requiem soloists of all time.

Mr. Van Dam is still singing well at age 65. I think he is one of the finest singers and musicians because everything he sings means something to him internally. That is something that defines a great artist for me. I highly recommend this collection because it is a tool for singers to learn how to pronounce French properly. The diction is so clear that you can practically write it down.

The Most Beautiful Melodies of Classical Music, Vol. 1-10 (Box Set)

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The Most Beautiful Melodies of Classical Music, Vol. 1-10 (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Tracks:

The Four Seasons: Concerto No. 1 In E Major 'Spring,' I. Allegro
Overture No. 3 BWV 1068: Air
Water Music: Alla Hornpipe
Orpheus and Eurrdice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits
Piano Sonata In A Major K. 331: Alla turca
Symphonie No. 3: Allegretto
String Serenade: Waltz
Foreign Countries And People op. 15 No. 1
Flute Concerto No. 1 In G Major, K. 313: Rondo. Tempo di Minuett
Piano Concerto No. 2 In F Minor Op. 21: Larghetto
Quintet In A Major 'Trout': Theme & Variations
Waltz In A Flat Major
Impromptu In G Flat Major D 899,3
Sinfonia concertante In E Flat Major K 364: Presto

Tracks:

Voices Of Spring Waltz Op. 410
Serenade Op. 3 No. 5
Songs Without Words In E Major Op. 19,1
Horn Concerto No. 3 In E Flat Major K. 447: Allegro
Fausts Verdammnis: Dances Of The Sylphes
Flute Concerto In G minor
Salomon: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
Piano Concerto No. 23 In A Major K 488: Andante
Holberg Suite Op. 40: Prelude
Carmen: Intermezzo
String Serenade op. 22: Tempo di valse
Impromptu In B Flat Major D 935 No. 3
I Love You Op. 5 No. 3
Roses From The South, Waltz Op. 388

Tracks:

Peer Gynt: Morning
The Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarole
Melody In F, Op. 3 Nr. 1
The Nutcracker: Waltz Of The Flowers
Standchen
Etude In G Sharp Minor 'La Campanella'
Peer Gynt: Anitras Dance
Moment Musical D 780 No. 3
Canon In D
Overture No. 2: Menuet & Badinerie
Piano Concerto No. 21 In C Major: Andante
Carmen: Seguedille
'Songs without Words': The Venetian Gondola
Eugen Onegin: Waltz
Romance For Violin And Orchestra In G major Op. 26

Tracks:

Die Fledermaus: Overture
Peer Gynt: Solveig's Song
Waltz No. 1 Op. 18 In E flat major 'Grande Valse brillante'
Lullaby
L'Arlesienne: Intermezzo
The Seasons Op. 37b: Barcarole
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Fairies' March
Clarinet Concerto In A Major K 622: Adagio
The Sleeping Beauty: Waltz
La Traviata: Prelude
Carmen, Suite No. 2: Chanson du Toreador
Happy Farmer
Menuet
On The Beautiful Blue Danube, Waltz Op. 314

Tracks:

A Little Night Music K 525: Allegro
Sonata No. 2 In E Major BWV 1031: Siciliano
Op. 11 No. 5: Menuet
Songs Without Words: Duetto
The Nutcracker: Dance of the Toy Flutes
Fruhlingslied (Spring Song)
Waldszenen: Abschied
Mandolin Concerto: Allegro
Music For The Royal Fireworks: La paix: Largo alla Siciliana
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: Allegro
Waltz In B Minor Op. 69 No. 2
Romance Op. 5
Impromptu In A Flat Major D 935 Nr. 2
Tales from the Vienna Woods, Waltz Op. 325

Tracks:

Ave Maria
Humoresque Op. 101
Sleeping Beautiful: Panorama
Impromptu In E Flat Major, D899 No. 2
Melancholy
Waltz Op. 54,1
Nocturne In B Major Op. 9 No. 3
Caro mio ben
PARTITA IN D FLAT MAJOR: Pastorale
An den Fruhling
The Sleeping Beauty: Pas de quatre, Adagio
Rosamunde - Ballet In G Major
Piano Concerto No. 3 In C Minor Op. 37: Largo
Emperor Waltz, op. 437

Tracks:

Harp Concerto In B Flat Major: Andante allegro
Oboe Concerto In D Minor: Adagio
Flute Concerto In F Major, Op. 10 'La Tempesta di Mare': Presto
Piano Sonata No. 8 In C Minor Op. 13 'Pathetique': Adagio cantabile
Horn Concerto In E Flat Major K 495: Rondo. Allegro vivace
Poeme Op. 41 No. 6
Wilhelm Tell: Soldier's Dance
Liebestraum No. 3 In A flat Major
Violin Romance No. 2
Flute Concerto In E Minor: Rondo
Intermezzo In E Flat Major Op. 117,1
Carmen: Habenera
Symphony No. 3 'Scottish': Vivace non troppo
Vienna Bonbons: Waltz Op. 307

Tracks:

Symphony No. 40 In G Minor K. 550: Molto Allegro
Preghiera - Mozarianna Suite: Ave Verum
Arietta Op. 12,1
Concerto BWV 1056: Arioso
The Four Seasons: Concerto Nr. 3 Autumn: Allegro
Des Abends (Evening)
Holberg Suite Op. 40: Gavotte
Melancholy Galliard
Flute Concerto No. 2 In D Major K. 314: Rondo. Allegretto
Spinning Song
Orchestral Suite No. 3: Valse Melancolique
Flute Quartet K. 285a: Tempo di Minuetto
Moment Musical In A Flat Major, D 780 No. 2
Piano Concerto No. 9 In E Flat Major K 271 'Jeunehomme': Rondo - Presto

Tracks:

String Serenade: Moderato
Traumerei Op. 15
Ave Maria
Cello Concerto No. 2 In D Major: Allegro
Minuet In D Minor
Suite No. 1: Marche Miniature
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Notturno
Mazurka In D Major Op. 33 No. 2
Divertimento K 251: Andantino
On Wings Of A Song
Carmen: Nocturne
Melody
Sonata In C Major BWV 1033: Allegro
Symphony No. 1 In G Minor 'Winter Dreams': Adagio cantabile
Sound Of The Spheres, Waltz Op. 235

Tracks:

The Marriage Of Figaro: Overture
Sonata In C sharp Minor Op. 27,2 'Moonlight Sonata': Adagio sostenuto
German Dance No. 1
Nocturne In C Sharp Minor Op.posth.
Haffner Serenade: Minuet
Septet In E Flat Major Op. 20: Tempo di Minuetto
Symphony No. 4 Italian: Andante con moto
Prelude In D Flat Major Op. 28, No. 15 'Rain Drops'
'3 Small Pieces': Impromptu
'The Nutcracker': March
Romance In E Flat Major Op. 44
Piano Sonata No. 16 In C Major 'Sonata facile': Allegro
'The Nutcracker': Scene No. 10
Enjoy Your Life Waltz, Op. 340

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The Voice of France

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

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Berlioz Edition (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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ASIN: B000093OSH
Release Date: 2003-12-16

Amazon.com

Sir Colin Davis has long been considered the world's finest Berlioz conductor, and over the years, Philips has released all of the composer's major works with Davis at the helm. Now, they're all here, in a 24-CD box, and it is an astonishing achievement. This treasure trove consists of the definitive, available readings of Les Troyens, Béatrice et Bénédict, and Benvenuto Cellini; a wonderfully energetic, passionate Roméo et Juliette; a Te Deum which is huge yet clear and not over-the-top for its own sake; Les Nuits d'été with different singers (of varying ranges in different songs), as Berlioz wanted them performed; the young Dame Janet Baker superb in Herminie and La Mort de Cléopatre; a relaxed, sweet Enfance du Christ; a Requiem which could knock you over; a Damnation de Faust which is both lyrical and exciting; a performance of Lélio which almost makes sense of that strange work; a Symphonie Fantastiquewith atmosphere and thrills; along with 7 overtures, 5 songs, and more. In addition to the moderate price, the packaging is such that the 24 CDs takes up less space than just the earlier releases of Cellini and Troyens together. This is one-stop shopping at its best. --Robert Levine

Véronique Gens ~ Berlioz - Les Nuits d'été · La mort de Cléopatre

Average customer rating:

A lighter, more classical view of Les Nuits d'Ete
LYRIC OR DRAMATIC?
Gens gems
Beautiful disc
Another triumph for Gens

Véronique Gens ~ Berlioz - Les Nuits d'été · La mort de Cléopatre
Hector Berlioz , Louis Langrée , Véronique Gens , and Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Lyon
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Véronique Gens - Nuit d'étoiles (Mélodies Française) / Vignoles
Véronique Gens ~ Mozart - Opera and Concert Arias
Tragédiennes
Russian Album
Szymanowski: Harnasie; Orchestral Songs

ASIN: B00005A9ND
Release Date: 2002-01-08

Tracks:

Les Nuits D'ete: Villanelle
Les Nuits D'ete: Le Spectre De La Rose
Les Nuits D'ete: Sur Les Lagunes
Les Nuits D'ete: Absence
Les Nuits D'ete: Au Cimetiere
Les Nuits D'ete: L'ile Inconnue
La Mort De Cleopatre
Zaide
La Captive
La Belle Voyageuse

Amazon.com

Berlioz's Les nuits d'été has received some outstanding recordings over the years, prime among them those by Regine Crespin and Victoria de los Angeles. Here's a new one by Véronique Gens that belongs in their rarefied category. That should come as no surprise to admirers of her terrific Handel and French song discs. She sings with a light but expressive soprano that's fetching in itself and flexible enough to darken tones and lend emotional weight to the texts where called for. Her diction is impeccable, and the orchestral support is first-rate. The remainder of the disc is as good. The long dramatic scene, La mort de Cléopatre, is stunningly sung and played, Gens projecting the plight of the dejected queen with great intensity and vocal beauty. The three orchestral songs sparkle in Gens's renditions. The final one, "Zaïde," with its castanets and vivacious singing, will force you to keep hitting the repeat button. An unqualified recommendation! - Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A lighter, more classical view of Les Nuits d'Ete.......2007-02-15

Like everyone else here, I admire this CD, which features the lyric voice of Veronique Gens in songs that are usually sung by lower mezzos or heavier sopranos (even a Brunnhilde in the case of Regine Crespin). The other reviewers note Gens' light touch, but none mentions that Langree and his singer eschew rubato and almost any sense of Romantic style, breezing along even under heavy emotional pressure. That would make for a miniaturized, overly cool approach were it not for Gens' natural expressivity, which renders the songs touching even when they move too quickly. I do think there's more depth than we're hearing, as well as a wider dynamic range (Gens keeps pretty much to a mezzo forte throughout, with some lovely floated pianos and an occasional stab at a forte). I am not a fan of La Mort de Cleopatre, so I can't say if Gens is more effective than the classic versions from Jennie Tourel and Janet Baker. Again she and Langree evince a much lighter touch. The three melodies that fill out the CD are charmingly done.

LYRIC OR DRAMATIC?.......2004-07-22

The British musical public do not seem to have warmed greatly to Nuits d'Ete. When Jessye Norman, no less, sang it with the Halle a good few years ago the turnout was pitiful from a Manchester audience who will reliably fill the hall to hear their umptieth Messiah. Nevertheless there are a lot of versions of Nuits d'Ete around seemingly arousing considerable interest in America. As nobody over here seems to have much to say about about these heavenly songs, it may be worth putting in a word from das Land ohne Musik about this lovely disc.

Berlioz prepared a number of versions of N d'E to suit different types of voice. It seems to me that the choice of one version over another will likely depend on one's preference in that respect, and my own predisposition is to hear them done by a woman rather than a man (even though most of the poems speak in a man's persona), by a soprano rather than a mezzo, and by a lyric rather than an operatic soprano -- the kind of voice that would suit Schubert rather than Verdi. Veronique Gens fits this bill to perfection.

To me N d'E shows Berlioz the pure musician -- no brass bands, no organs, cannons or weapons of mass destruction. Their lyricism is among the most beautiful in the whole 19th century, and although a full orchestra is used the orchestration is intimate not epic, and to my ears its wonderful detail is heard to best effect when the singer is 'my' type of soprano. If you have a 'bigger' concept of the piece, there is an interesting version by Boulez, with the 6 songs divided between Yvonne Minton and Stuart Burrows, that might suit you. To me Minton's sound-production and diction are a bit suggestive of oratorio to be right for this of all composers, and the recording, though okay, is not as good as on this disc. Between the extremes are several other versions, nearly all by sopranos though there is apparently one by Souzay, and some helpful American reviews.

In Cleopatre I would not be so categorical. This is avowedly a dramatic piece and some of its admirers will likely want a more forceful delivery here and there. On the other hand most of the piece is quiet, and Gens sings with such finesse and sensitivity that I have no complaints. The other three numbers are simply superb from her, and from the Lyons opera orchestra under Langree, indeed the whole disc is superb in my opinion.

The liner notes are a mixture of some really interesting background information with some 'analytical' comment of a rather conventional kind. Whose understanding of what, I wonder, is advanced by being told that 'the rocking triple time of the first strophe gives way in the second to a burst of levity, shared between the voice and the accompaniment, but still on the same theme' and a good deal more on similar lines? The translation from the very French French is so adept and natural that I got to the end without realising that I had been reading a translation at all, although I wish Hugh Graham had not let himself away with 'a wonderful horseman' for 'un cavalier merveilleux' as if we were talking about Ronald Reagan or someone at the Badminton trials. A full text of the poems with English and German translations is provided, and the recorded quality seems to me beyond criticism.

Gens gems.......2003-12-12

Two hundred years ago today, Louis-Hector Berlioz was born. This is a day for me to comment on a few of my favorite performances of his works, some of them "favorites by acclamation" and others simply those in which I find special merit, enough so that they are frequently in my CD players.

Some might think that, at just a hair over 61 minutes, this CD is small measure. Not so! These are some of Hector Berlioz's most important non-operatic vocal writings.

And they are gems as sung here by Véronique Gens. While normally thought of as a Baroque specialist (and I have a recording of Rameau's "Dardanus" which testifies to her expertise in that repertoire), Gens is more than "reasonably close to perfection" in these Berlioz works.

The two main works on this CD - Les nuits d'été and La mort de Cléopatre - are hardly strangers to the vocal repertoire. Neither has lacked recordings that many Berlioz lovers treasure. For Les nuits d'été alone, I number at least three - by Regine Crespin, Janet Baker and Jan DeGaetani - among such "treasures."

Gens, a lyric soprano, brings a sense of lightness and air to this song cycle that is, while different than, say, Baker's or DeGaetani's approach, nonetheless effective in its own right. Her relative lightness works very well in "Vilanelle," but she has more than enough vocal range and "adaptability" so that the more poignant songs in the cycle, such as "Le Spectre de la rose," are suitably captured as well: her expressive range, and her perfect knowledge of the language, are just fine for singing a song cycle for which Berlioz's directions as to voice-casting were not exactly cast in stone.

La mort de Cléopatre is an early Berlioz work, one of four such cantatas that he had submitted for the Prix de Rome competition. Put simply, he was too original for the competition committee to deal with him, and this cantata (the third of the four) was the one for which he simply threw his arms up in the air and wrote what he felt like. (Only on the fourth try, with a by-now almost forgotten cantata named Sardanapale, did he "play by the rules" and win.)

This cantata is every bit as revolutionary - and as bold - as Berlioz' most famous work, Symphonie fantastique, which shares approximate date of creation with it. It is full of original touches both harmonic and rhythmic (touches, in fact, that would contribute to labeling him as "wayward," "undisciplined" and even "untrained"). Gens readily shifts gears here, demonstrating a dramatic and tragic side not present in Les nuits d'été. The closing pages - as Cléopatre lays dying from the asp's bite - are rendered with chilling and moving effectiveness.

The remaining three songs, originally for voice and piano, are skillfully orchestrated by this most innovative orchestrator (who literally "wrote the book" on the subject). Particularly appealing is "Zaïde": with its castanets and its Spanish flair, it looks forward to Bizet and the Carmen that was yet to come, decades later.

There is a minor mislabeling error on my copy of this recording. "Zaïde," actually the final (10th) track (and properly identified in the booklet), is listed as track 8 on the package and on the disc as well. But no one will have any difficulty identifying "Zaïde" from the brief description above.

Gens shows a real affinity for this music, despite her French Baroque repertoire background. I'm not sure that any of the singers earlier mentioned, with the obvious exception of Regine Crespin, could have done as fine a job overall. Truly "Gens gems." And the orchestral support, with Louis Langrée leading the Lyon Opera Orchestra, is superb, as are the recorded sonics. Finally, the package is topped off with excellent and detailed booklet notes.

Bon anniversaire, M. Berlioz!

Bob Zeidler

Beautiful disc.......2002-06-10

This really is a beautiful disc and needs to be heard! It seems that when the stunning "Mort de Cleopatre" is performed at all, it is taken over by a dramatic soprano and run through as though it was the climax of one of Wagner's epic-operas. This approach is different -- lighter, more lyrical, tender... perhaps more human. Both approaches have their advantages, but I strongly recommend at least listening to this one, particularly if you are more interested in song as opposed to opera heavy-hitting. The actual death is both gripping and moving. The "Nuits" is famous enough and recorded enough that many people will have some set ideas on how it should be sung, the type of voice, etc. Again, I recommend giving this interpretation a try, she has beautiful voice and a keen understanding of the work. This disc should make many friends.

Another triumph for Gens.......2002-03-22

In the last decade a number of French sopranos rose to international prominence and Gens is right at the top of this estimable group. She just keeps getting better and better -- already known in the early '90's for her work in Baroque music, her more recent ventures in later repertoire have revealed a lyric voice with an astonishing color palette and dramatic instinct. Gens' performance of "La mort de Cleopatre," especially, has to be heard to be believed.

Thomas Hampson - Romantic Songs by Berlioz, Wagner and Liszt / Geoffrey Parsons

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The American Fischer-Dieskau takes a risk, and wins
Truly, romantically worth it
romantic indeedý

Thomas Hampson - Romantic Songs by Berlioz, Wagner and Liszt / Geoffrey Parsons

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Söderström sings Liszt, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, etc.

ASIN: B000002RU1
Release Date: 1994-03-15

Tracks:

'Irlande' , Op. 2: No. 4: La belle Voyageuse
'Irlande' , Op. 2: No. 8: Adieu, Bessy!
'Irlande' , Op. 2: No. 1: LeCoucher du soleil
'Irlande' , Op. 2: No. 7: L' Origine de la harpe
'Irlande' , Op. 2: No. 9: Elegie
Mignonne, WWV57
Tout n'est qu'images fugitives, WWV58
Les deux Grenadiers, WWV 60
Lied des Mephistopheles WWWV15 No. 4
Lied des Mephistopheles WWV15 No. 5
Der Tannenbaum WWV50
Die Vatergruft, G281 - G371
Go Not, Happy Day, G335
Es rauschen die Winde, G294
lhr Auge, G310
Wanderers Nachtlied, G306
Im Rhein, im schonen Strome, G272 - G531 - 2
Es muss ein Wunderbares sein, G314
Vergiftet sind meiner Lieder, G289
La Tombe et la rose, G285 - G539
'Comment,' disaient-ils, G276 - G535
Oh, quand je dors G282

Customer Reviews:

The American Fischer-Dieskau takes a risk, and wins.......2006-07-17

This CD is out of print, and that's no surprise: songs by Berlioz, Wanger, and Liszt are known only to conoissuers. Hampson happens to be that and more. His crusade to bring every variety of classic song to the public parallels Fischer-Dieskau's efforts a generation ago. Like his illustrious predecessor Hampson is a master of many styles, an impeccable technician, and an innatley intelligent artist. One can neer lose by buying his riskier recitals.

This is one of the most difficult to appreciate, I think, becasue except for a melodie or two by Verlioz, nothing here is familiar. The Wanger songs avoid the well-known Wessendonck lieder in favor of light and slight early songs, three of them in French (!) and all so charming the name of Wanger would never occur to an innocent listener.

The heart of the recital are te Liszt songs. Rarely heard in the concert hall (if ever), Liszt's lieder output is very impressive, which is why artists as diverse as Barbara Bonney and Thomas Quasthoff have given us collections like this one. Hampson ofers 12 from a broad span of the composer's long life, and they span many emotions, from the tender to the boldly declamatory. Only the last, "Oh, quand je dors," is likely to be familiar. There is such art in the singing, and in Geoffrey Parsons' accompaniments, that every song here, with the exception of the Berlioz, sounds completely masterful (I don't find that Hampson has the real chanson style).

Since this superb CD sells for pennies on the used market, it's very much worth anyone's time and attention. You'll hear a great singer at the peak of his powers.

Truly, romantically worth it.......2004-07-09

I love Romantic music, poetry and painting. The Lieder sung here by Thomas Hampson have all 3: obviously the music and the poetry, which are wonderful, and the painting is given by Mr Hampson's voice. A more romantic voice I cannot imagine. I listen to it constantly...

romantic indeedý.......1999-09-01

... are the selections presented here. Thomas Hampson's voice appears to have an ideal weight for these intimate delicate songs, his thoughtful detailed reading of them is delightful. Purchasing this CD, I expected a collection of lesser-known lieder, but found instead German and French alternatives to Italian "salon songs" of Bellini, late Rossini, or Donizetti, although written later and most carrying a strong sense of German romanticism, found in the poetry of Goethe, Heine, or Uhland, as well as in the fiction works of E.T.A. Hoffman and his contemporaries. Hugo's stirring verse found its way thrice to this CD.

Hampson's finely crafted presentations remind the listener of Fischer-Dieskau, if missing some the latter's celebrated smoothness of tone. It's hard to believe "Mignonne" was written by Wagner! Most likely, it was one of composer's controversial experiments with French style, and we are lucky to hear it survive the test of time and Wagner "purists". (I do prefer Rienzi to Siegfried, any day though, thus it's a biased opinion, right?) To my great surprise, Liszt's songs vary - some are exciting and melodic ("Go not Happy Day" or "a Tombe et la Rose"), others are more like recitatifs, sung very quietly, with recurring dreamy melancholic quality to them, but with none of Schubert's poignancy or Mahler's edginess.

There is a great deal of harmony between the singer and Geoffrey Parsons' piano. Like Jorg Demus or John Wustman, Parsons does not forcibly take the center stage, yet his accompaniment is always ideally timed and he often engages in sparkling dialogue with the singer (listen to Les deux Grenadiers!)

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Great Orchestral Melodies

Manufacturer: Intersound Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

1. Nocturne a deux voix (H. 31, 1818-30) 'Je veux dans l'inconstance'
2. Le maure jaloux: Romance (H. 9B, 1819-21/1822): Moderato ma non troppo: 'Je vais revoir'
3. Amitie, reprends ton empire: Romance et invocation (H. 10B, 1819-21/1823): Andante sostenuto: 'Am...
4. Canon libre a la quinte (H. 14, 1822); Lento sostenuto: 'La nuit de son voile epais'
5. Pleure, pauvre colette: Romance a deux voix egales (H. 11, 1822): Andantino: 'Aupres de moi Colette'
6. Le Montagnard Exile: Chant Elegiaque (H. 15, 1823): Andante Poco Lento: 'Loin De La sauvage Campagne
7. Le Roi De Thule: Chanson Gothique (H. 33A, 1828: Huit Scenes De Faust Op.1 N.6): Poco Andante: 'A...
8. Serenade De Mephistopheles (H.33, 1828: Huit Scenes De Faust Op.1 N.8): Allegro: 'Devant La Maiso...
9. Helene: Ballade A Deux Voix (H.40A, 1829; Irlande Op.2 N.2): Allegretto: 'Qui Se Souvient D'Helene'
10. Chant Guerrier (H.41, 1829: Irlande Op.2 N.3): Allegro Non Troppo: N'oublions Pas Ces Champs'

1. La Captive: Orientale, Op.12 (H. 60C, 1832): Andantino: 'Si Je N'etais Captive'
2. Sara La Baigneuse: Ballade, Op.11 (H.69C, 1834/1849, Reduction Pour Piano D'Auguste Morel): Alleg...
3. Je Crois En Vous: Romance (H.70, 1834): Andantino Non Troppo Lento: 'Quand Mon Ame Ravie'
4. Chansonette De Mr. Leon De Wailly (H.73, 1835): Allegro Mosso (Presque Le Mouvement De La Valse)...
5. Le Matin: Romance (H.125, 1850: Fleurs Des Landes Op.13 N.1); Andantino Quasi Allegretto: 'Pour Chan
6. Le Trebuchet: Scherzo A Deux Voix (H.113, 1846: Fleurs Des Landes Op.13 N.3): Allegretto Leggiero...
7. Le Jeune Patre Breton (H.65C, 1833/1834: Fleurs Des Landes Op.13 N.4): Allegretto Simplice Un Po...
8. Le Chant Des Bretons (H.71B, 1835/1849: Fleurs Des Landes Op.13 N.5): Allegro Fieramente: 'Oui, N...
9. La Mort D'Ophelie: Ballade (H.92A, 1842): Andantino Con Moto Quasi Allegretto: 'Aupres D'un Torre...
10. Zaide: Bolero (H.107B, 1845: Feuillets D'album, Op.19 N.1): Allegretto: 'Ma Ville, Ma Belle Ville'