Retour De Voyage (Return From A Journey)

Track Listings

1. Lento, Quasi Recitavito

2. Procession Nocturne

3. Chant Katzapsky

4. Chant Grec

5. 29. XII. 1925

6. 8. XI. 1925

7. Danse Sayyide

8. Mamacha

9. Danse d'Arabie

10. 1.V. 1927

11. Retour de Voyage

12. 23.X. 1926

13. 26.X. 1926

14. 7. XII. 1925

15. Te Laudamus

Retour De Voyage (Return From A Journey), Music, Georges / de Hartmann, Thomas Gurdjieff, Alain Kremski, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Keyboard, Music for Keyboard

Massenet - Werther / Alagna · Gheorghiu · Hampson · Petibon · Courtis · Fouchécourt · Frémeau · LSO · Pappano
Average customer rating:

A star among modern Werthers, but there are others

Another Smash Hit From The French Opera Specialists

¿El mejor Werther despues de Kraus?

Best Werther recording since the 1930s

thoughts on "Werther"

Massenet - Werther / Alagna · Gheorghiu · Hampson · Petibon · Courtis · Fouchécourt · Frémeau · LSO · Pappano
Jules Massenet , Antonio Pappano , Roberto Alagna , Angela Gheorghiu , London Symphony Orchestra , Tiffin Children's Choir , Thomas Hampson , Patricia Petibon , Jean-Philippe Courtis , Jean-Paul Fouchécourt , Jean-Marie Frémeau , James Savage-Hanford , Pierre Dupont , and Sophie Boulanger
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Massenet: Le Jongleur de Notre Dame

Verdi - Simon Boccanegra / Freni, Cappuccilli, Carreras, Ghiaurov, van Dam, Foiani, Teatro alla Scala, Abbado

ASIN: B00001ZSVU
Release Date: 1999-10-19

Tracks:

Werther: Prelude (Orchestra)
Werther: Act One: Assez! Assez! M'ecouterat-on cette fois? (Le Bailli, Les Enfants)
Werther: Act One: Bravo pour les enfants! (Johann, Schmidt, Les Enfants, Le Bailli, Sophie)
Werther: Act One: Alors, c'est bien ici la maison du Bailli?
Werther: Act One: Je ne sais si je veille (Werther)
Werther: Act One: Jesus vient de naitre!...Chers enfants! (Les Enfants, Werther)
Werther: Act One: Ah! comme ils sont meilleurs que moi! (Werther, Les enfants, Le Bailli)
Werther: Act One: Arrivez donc, Bruhlmann! (Le Bailli, Charlotte, Werther, Sophie)
Werther: Act One: O spectacle ideal d'amour et d'innocence (Werther)
Werther: Act One: Monsieur Werther!...Vivat Bacchus, semper vivat! (Le Bailli, Charlotte, Sophie)
Werther: Act One: Sophie!...Albert! Toi de retour! (Albert, Sophie)
Werther: Act One: Elle m'aime!...Quelle priere de reconnaissance et d'amour (Albert)
Werther: Act One: Interlude (Orchestre)
Werther: Act One: Interlude (continued) ...Il Faut nous separer
Werther: Act One: Mais vous ne savez rien de moi
Werther: Act One: Reve! Extase! Bonheur! (Charlotte, Werther)
Werther: Act One: Charlotte! Charlotte! Albert est de retour! (Le Bailli, Charlotte, Werther)
Werther: Act Two: Prelude (Orchestre) ....Vivat Bacchus! Semper vivat!
Werther: Act Two: Allez, chantez l'office (Johann, Schmidt)
Werther: Act Two: Trois mois! Voici trois mois que nous sommes unis! (Albert, Charlotte)
Werther: Act Two: Un autre est son epoux!
Werther: Act Two: J'aurais sur ma poitrine (Werther)
Werther: Act Two: Si! Katchen reviendra, je vous dis! (Schmidt, Johann)
Werther: Act Two: Au bonheur dont mon ame est pleine...Vous l'avez dit: mon ame est loyale et sincere (Albert, Werther)
Werther: Act Two: Frere, voyez! Voyez le beau bouquet!...Heureux! Pourais-je l'etre encore? (Sophie, Werther, Albert)
Werther: Act Two: Ai-je dit vrai? L'amour que j'ai pour elle Ah! qu'il est loin, ce jour plein d'intime douceur
Werther: Act Two: N'est-il donc pas d'autre femme
Werther: Act Two: Oui, ce qu'elle m'ordonne
Werther: Act Two: Lorsque l'enfant revient d'un voyage avant l'heure
Werther: Act Two: Mais venez donc! le cortege s'approche (Sophie, Werther, Charlotte, Albert)

Tracks:

Werther: Act Three: Prelude (Orchestra)
Werther: Act Three: Werther! Werther!...Qui m'aurait dit la place
Werther: Act Three: Des cris joyeux d'enfants montent sous ma fenetre (Charlotte)
Werther: Act Three: Bonjour, grand soeur! (Sophie, Charlotte)
Werther: Act Three: Va! Laisse couler mes larmes (Charlotte)
Werther: Act Three: Tiens, Charlotte, crois-moi, ne reste pas ici (Sophie, Charlotte)
Werther: Act Three: Ah! mon courage m'abandonne! (Charlotte)
Werther: Act Three: Qui, c'est moi! Je reviens! (Werner, Charlotte)
Werther: Act Three: Ha! bien souvent...Toute mon ame est la!...Pourquoi me reveiller, o souffle du printemps? (Werner)
Werther: Act Three: N'achevez pas! Helas!
Werther: Act Three: Ah! Moi! Moi, dans ses bras! (Charlotte, Werther)
Werther: Act Three: Werther, est de retour...on la vu revenir (Albert, Charlotte)
Werther: Act Four: Entr'acte: La Nuit de Noel (Orchestra)
Werther: Act Four: Werther! Werther! Rien! (Charlotte)
Werther: Act Four: Qui parle? Charlotte, ah! c'est toi!
Werther: Act Four: A cette heure supreme, je suis heureux (Charlotte, Werther)
Werther: Act Four: Noel! Noel! Noel!...Dieu! Ces cris joyeux (Les Enfants, Charlotte, Werther, Sophie)
Werther: Act Four: Ah! ses yeux se ferment!...Non...Charlotte!...je meurs (Charlotte, Werther)

Amazon.com

The modern discography of Massenet's Werther has long been dominated by the (currently out of print) Philips recording starring José Carreras and Frederica von Stade as well as the earlier EMI version with Alfredo Kraus and Tatiana Troyanos. But this EMI newcomer is within shouting distance of greatness, mainly due to conductor Antonio Pappano. Although any Werther succeeds or fails on the strength of its singers, the conductor is a crucial catalyst (on the Philips set, it's Colin Davis, while on EMI it's Michel Plasson) for maintaining the poetic intensity in a drama that can too easily seem like a naive case study in stalking. The Byronic title character essentially practices emotional blackmail on the married woman he loves by never hiding his suicidal tendencies, though one never thinks such mundane thoughts with tenor Roberto Alagna. Although his voice lacks the tenor bloom one might want, he's so at home with the role and the French language that he delivers a characterization full of imagination and immediacy, sometimes bordering on vocal genius. Soprano Angela Gheoghiu's vocal center is too high for this mezzo role, but she makes a vivid impression through the sheer force of her personality. Thomas Hampson gives vocal glamour but surprising dramatic restraint to the role of her husband, Albert. Although the sound quality is somewhat studio bound, Pappano and the London Symphony Orchestra play as if it's a live performance. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

A star among modern Werthers, but there are others.......2006-05-28

The reviewers below have praised this EMI Werther so thoroughly that there's little to add. Gheorghiu is the only soprano besides Victoria de los Angeles (1868, also on EMI) to record this classic mezzo role, and at times one hears the strain as she reaches for the bottom notes. She lacks de los angeles's many emotional shadings, giving us instead a fairly consistent, verismo-tinged passion, but her vocalism as such is thrilling.

Roberto alagna, a native French speaker despite his name, is the only prominent Werther who can claim that distinciton. I've always felt he was much better suited to French opera than the heavier Verdi-Puccini roles that he now sings, and which (shadoes of Carreras) have led to a coarsening of his voice, along with a pronounced wobble and intonation problems. but he is a star, no doubt, and here he brings charisma and style to Wether. He takes care to find many musical shadings throughout, and since the date for this recording is 1998-99, he is nearly in best voice.

Everyone has praised Pappano (are they following the lead of The Gramophone reviewer, who thought he was the best thing here?), but Colin Davis, Georges Pretre, and Kent Nagano had done as well. Pappano;s distinciton is that he is a bit slower, more dleiberate, and self-consciously refined. I'm not sure that's always a great advantage in Massanet, whose music is given to sighs and longueurs--it can use help form an energetic conductor. EMI's recording form London is a bit distant but otherwise quite good.

IN all, this is a gripping peformance that deserves all the praise it has gotten, but it doesn't erase memories of other fine Werthers, an opera that has been amazingly successful on records. The Davis features a remarkable Charlotte in Frederica von stade and a passionate, verismo Carreras in top form (Philips), the Nagano has gorgeous if not quite idiomatic singing from von Otter and Hadley in a more low-key, melliflous style (Erato), and of course there's the classic Pretre version with de los Angeles and Gedda. This only skims the surface, for there is an oustanding live 1977 performance with Domingo and Fassbaender under Lopez-Corbos from Munich (Orfeo). Indeed, when the Amazon reviewer claims that the Plasson set with Troyanos and Kraus on EMI "dominated" the stereo era, he is far from accurate.

Another Smash Hit From The French Opera Specialists .......2006-02-25

Husband and wife singing sensatio Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu, in another stunning EMI recording, dramatically commit themselves to the passionate characters in this now forgotten opera Werther, which quite possibly is Massenet's best work. Although Alagna and Gheorghiu can sing the Italian opera repertoire with aplomb (Tosca, Trovatore, Boheme, Pagliacci, La Rondine) they have proven time and again that their strongest reperotoire is French opera. As soon as their Romeo Et Juliette hit record stores and stage houses, they were immediately hailed as today's finest French opera singers, a rarity. Not only do they possess beautiful voices but they are intensely dramatic and character-driven. Never more so than in Massenet's Werther, a Gothic romantic drama about the tormented love of the titular hero who kills himself. It's drawn from a popular Romantic-Era 19th century novel - The Sorrows of Young Werther. Both Alagna and Gheorghiu are in great vocal shape. They understand the significance of the text and they are blessed with the talents of their champion conductor, Antonio Pappano, who draws out the power in the musical score with the London Symphony Orchestra. All true fans of Alagna and Gheorghiu will want to own this one, as it is indeed their best work yet.

Roberto Alagna has been criticized for his flawed technique- he sings with self-conscious grandeur and often imitates the lyric tones of predecessors Giuseppe Di Stefano and Franco Corelli. He has a nearly "pop" style voice - all razzzle-dazzle, great volume, beautiful tone, but often fails in the more difficult music. He is however, very gifted and intelligent and attempts to sing with as much passion and drama as possible. I for one love what I hear from him, especially in this recording, where he has never sang better. Angela Gheorghiou sings with her usual dramatic diva flair - thrilling high notes, tessitura, chest voice, musicality and all the good things she has used for other great hits like Juliette and Manon. But in this performance, while it is still good, she is not really in her element. This is a mezzo-soprano role. Charlotte, Werther's unattainable love, must sing with mezzo soprano voice in order to seduce Werther a la Bizet's Carmen. While it is definately a role for a high mezzo, it is not for the purely soprano voice of Angela Gheorghiu. You have to be a fan of these two in order to appreciate Gheorghiu's treatment of a mezzzo soprano role. It is basically the same thing as her Carmen, another mezzo soprano role. If you want to hear outstanding mezzo sopranos in Werther check out the dramatic mezzo style of Brigitte Fassbaender who is by far the best intepretor or check out Federica Von Stade who sings a cooler and less intense Charlotte opposite the supercharged Jose Carreras. Pappano does a great job with the music - bloom, brilliance, darkness and this is by far the best modern recording of the opera.

¿El mejor Werther despues de Kraus?.......2004-10-23

Sorprendente acierto de la EMI (la casa para la que grababa Alfredo Kraus, uno de los interpretes de referencia del papel de 'Werther') al confiar a una de las parejas mas activas discograficamente del momento, Roberto Alagna y Angela Gheorghiu, la grabacion de 'Werther' en 1999 (justo el año de la muerte del mitico Kraus)
Y digo sorprendente porque quizas ROBERTO ALAGNA sea el mejor interprete de Werther desde el mitico Kraus. Sus interpretaciones son muy diferentes entre si, ya que Alagna muestra un timbre mas baritonal que el liviano de Kraus y un canto mas afrancesado: Un canto elegante y entregado capaz de llegar a los agudos sin grandes problemas, que hacen de Alagna seguramente el mejor Werther de su generacion (y por tanto el mejor despues de Kraus).
Como Charlotte encontramos a la soprano ANGELA GHEORGHIU, en un papel que aunque habitualmente es cantado por mezzos, le queda francamente bien: la voz doliente y expresiva de Gheorghiu se presta perfectamente a la psicologia de Charlotte, y la quimica con Alagna en los duos de amor (sobra decir que es su esposo en la vida real) es total.
Completando el reparto nos encontramos con los lujos de PATRICIA PETIBON (una Sophie cuyo timbre recuerda mucho al de Natalie Dessay) y el Albert de un THOMAS HAMPSON que es todo sutilidad. El resto del reparto rinde tambien a buen nivel.
ANTONIO PAPPANO dirige a la LONDON SIMPHONY (que suena igual de bien que siempre) y el coro infantil canta con mucha correccion. Si a esto le sumamos un sonido magnifico (podemos oir en algunos momentos incluso los susurros de Pappano a la orquesta), esto nos lleva a pensar que este 'Werther' sea la mas adecuada segunda opcion, despues de tener la obviamente obligada de Alfredo Kraus. Muy buen trabajo.

Best Werther recording since the 1930s.......2000-03-17

I will admit that I am "imprinted" on the Georges Thill/Ninon Vallin recording from the 1930s and no recording since then has even come close. But this recording does. Alagna (who is a native French speaker, in spite of the Italian name) has the diction and, more important, the style to sing poor Werther perfectly. Gheorghiu sings beautifully as well, and there is no problem with the tessitura, in spite of Charlotte generally being more comfortable for mezzos. Pappano is an up-and-coming conductor who does himself proud with this recording. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one.

thoughts on "Werther".......2000-01-07

Perfect casting for the title role... Alagna feels *good* and sorry for himself...no problems there! Just listen to him belt and bleat through "Pourquoi"...it's no wonder Charlotte changes her mind. "Stop whining!"

This CD is worth your money, provided you already like the opera. Personally, Werther's selfishness drives me up a wall.

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.

Retour De Voyage (Return From A Journey)

Average customer rating:

Simpleton Music

Retour De Voyage (Return From A Journey)

Manufacturer: Naive
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00008PW5A
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Tracks:

Lento, Quasi Recitavito
Procession Nocturne
Chant Katzapsky
Chant Grec
29. XII. 1925
8. XI. 1925
Danse Sayyide
Mamacha
Danse d'Arabie
1.V. 1927
Retour de Voyage
23.X. 1926
26.X. 1926
7. XII. 1925
Te Laudamus

Customer Reviews:

Simpleton Music.......2003-10-05

George Gurdjieff (1877-1949) was a Russian-born 'seer and mystic who promised that his guidance, known as "the Work," would bring his students a new enlightenment, a greater level of consciousness, a deeper sense of what it means to be in the world.' He apparently had intense personal charisma and attracted to himsself a circle of people who were deeply influenced by his cryptic teachings. He may, indeed, have be considered one of the first of the New Age teachers with which our anti-scientific age is now crowded. He also reportedly collected Middle and Far Eastern folk music and often, after a meal presiding over his disciples, he would plunk out melodies on a small harmonium and one of his disciples, a trained musician named Thomas de Hartmann (1885-1956), took down the melodies and then harmonized them so they could played at the piano. This CD represents the 11th of a 12 CD project in which all of Gurdjieff's music is being recorded by French pianist Alain Kremski, a present-day follower of Gurdjieff's teachings.

I had heard of his music years ago but had never heard any of it. When I ran across this CD I was eager to hear what it was like. On the disc are 15 pieces, totaling 62 minutes. Most are slow, most have a tame middle-eastern-sounding melisma with a few cautious melodic curlicues. De Hartmann's harmonizations are squarely diatonic and his piano arrangements feature mostly monotonous oompah left hand accompaniments. Occasionally there are martial sounding chordal rhythms in the left hand--a kind of Janissary music?--but usually the oompah returns in short order. Once in a while an odd meter will emerge, e.g. 5/8.

The melodic material is euphonious but undistinguished. The harmonies are undistinguished. The accompaniments are rudimentary. The overall effect, especially if one is listening closely, is stultifying. It is possible that the music is intended as 'trance music,' and in my case that certainly worked. I found myself falling asleep repeatedly on both occasions that I listened to it all the way through. One has the sense that simplicity is the goal here, rather like the intent of much of Satie's music; what is missing, though, is Satie's self-aware irony, not to speak of his harmonic creativity. This music is clearly intended to be serious, and thus it becomes pretentious.

In Kremski's defense, I will say that his playing is excellent and the recorded sound is rich and full.

Tracks:

Koyaanisqatsi - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble
Organic - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble
Cloudscape - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble
Resource - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble
Vessels - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble
Pruit Igoe - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble
The Grid - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble
Prophecies - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble

Tracks:

Serra Pelado - Joe Passaro
The Title - Joe Passaro
Anthem - Part 1 - Joe Passaro
That Place - Joe Passaro
Anthem - Part 2 - Joe Passaro
Mosque And Temple - Joe Passaro
Anthem - Part 3 - Joe Passaro
Train To Sao Paulo - Joe Passaro
Video Dream - Joe Passaro
New Cities In Ancient Lands, China - Joe Passaro
New Cities In Ancient Lands, Africa - Joe Passaro
New Cities In Ancient Lands, India - Joe Passaro
The Unutterable - Joe Passaro
Caught! - Joe Passaro
Mr. Suso #1 - Joe Passaro
From Egypt - Joe Passaro
Mr. Suso #2 With Reflection - Joe Passaro
Powaqqatsi - Joe Passaro

Tracks:

Dracula - Kronos Quartet
Journey To The Inn - Kronos Quartet
The Inn - Kronos Quartet
The Crypt - Kronos Quartet
Carriage Without A Driver - Kronos Quartet
The Castle - Kronos Quartet
The Drawing Room - Kronos Quartet
'Excellent, Mr. Renfield' - Kronos Quartet
The Three Consorts Of Dracula - Kronos Quartet
The Storm - Kronos Quartet
Horrible Tragedy - Kronos Quartet
London Fog - Kronos Quartet
In The Theatre - Kronos Quartet
Lucy's Bitten - Kronos Quartet
Seward Sanatorium - Kronos Quartet
Renfield - Kronos Quartet
In His Cell - Kronos Quartet
When The Dream Comes - Kronos Quartet
Dracula Enters - Kronos Quartet
Or A Wolf - Kronos Quartet
Women In White - Kronos Quartet
Renfield In The Drawing Room - Kronos Quartet
Dr. Van Helsing And Dracula - Kronos Quartet
Mina On The Terrace - Kronos Quartet
Mina's Bedroom/The Abbey - Kronos Quartet
The End Of Dracula - Kronos Quartet

Tracks:

Ouverture - Gregory Purnhagen
Les Soeurs - Gregory Purnhagen
Le Damande En Mariage D'Avenant - Gregory Purnhagen
Le Voyage Du Pere - Gregory Purnhagen
Le Domaine De La Bete - Gregory Purnhagen
Le Retour Du Pere - Gregory Purnhagen
La Belle Va Au Chateau - Gregory Purnhagen
Le Diner - Gregory Purnhagen
Les Tourments De La Bete - Gregory Purnhagen
Promenade Dans Le Jardin - Gregory Purnhagen
Le Saisie Des Meubles - Gregory Purnhagen
La Confiance De La Bete En La Belle - Gregory Purnhagen
Belle Retourne Chez Son Pere - Gregory Purnhagen
Belle Raconte Son Histoire - Gregory Purnhagen
Le Plan - Gregory Purnhagen
La Passion D'Avenant - Gregory Purnhagen
La Magnifique Apparait - Gregory Purnhagen
Le Miroir - Gregory Purnhagen
La Pavillon - Gregory Purnhagen
Le Metamorphose - Gregory Purnhagen

Tracks:

The Beginning - Michael Riesman
Perpetual Motion - Michael Riesman
The Witness - Michael Riesman
Sand Mandala - Gyuto Monks, Monks Of The Drukpa Order
Projector - Gyuto Monks, Monks Of The Drukpa Order
Escape To India - Gyuto Monks, Monks Of The Drukpa Order
Mishima/Opening - Kronos Quartet
Osamu's Theme: Kyoko's House - Kronos Quartet
November 25: Ichigaya - Kronos Quartet
Mishima/Closing - Kronos Quartet
Secret Agent - The English Chamber Orchestra
The First Meridian - The English Chamber Orchestra
Trust - The English Chamber Orchestra
End Credits - Michael Riesman
The Man In The Bath - The Philip Glass Ensemble
Facades - The Philip Glass Ensemble
Diaspora - The Philip Glass Ensemble

Amazon.com

The best-known soundtracks of composer Philip Glass have stood the test of time extremely well. Today, we associate Koyaanisqatsi as much with Glass's vast soundscape as we do with director Godfrey Reggio's haunting images. Philip on Film gathers three complete Glass scores--Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Dracula, along with selections from La Belle et la Bête, Anima Mundi, Kundun, Mishima, The Secret Agent, The Thin Blue Line, and a handful of short films.

The Glass trademarks--those machinelike arpeggios; that familiar, if odd, electronic keyboard sound; the influence of non-Western vocal techniques--are all here. Glass has forged his own unmistakable style of epic-sounding minimalism, but it never gets stale. A few unreleased tracks on Philip on Film will serve hardcore Glass fans (who probably already own most of these works), including "Facades" from Godfrey Reggio's Evidence and a track each from Atom Egoyan's Diaspora and Peter Greenaway's The Man in the Bath. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

SEVERELY ALTERED "Belle et la Bete".......2005-12-22

...which is uncalled for. IT IS SPED UP from its original recording, making some of the high notes hit by the female singers truly chipmunk-like. I can't believe they would release this...let's speed it up to fit it on ONE disk! What a GOOD idea. No. Not a good idea.

Reviewers are not looking at this correctly.......2003-04-03

John Adams and Steve Reich were first introduced to me in detail through their respective Nonesuch 10-disc re-releases of previous material. These box sets were never intended to be some new experience for the seasoned Adams and Reich fans, but were instead created either to introduce these artists to those of us who hadn't previously heard their works or to serve as a nicely packaged collector's item.

Like both of the aforementioned box sets, the Philip on Film box set contains complete selections of a few recordings, some new material, and some other works stripped down (either by editing the tracks or by including a few complete tracks from each work). While this package could have easily been ten discs long, evidently Nonesuch was only interested in including those recordings which were featured on the Philip on Film Tour.

I encourage any new Glass listener to purchase this great set: it served as a superb intro to his works for me, as did the Adams and Reich sets.

A re-approach.......2001-12-10

Everyone who thinks of this as purely a repackaged box set doesn't fully understand the nature of this set. In the introduction, Philip Glass mentions that most of the works represented is from a series of concerts where the music is interpreted live while the movie is presented on a screen behind the performers. I personally attented these performances in Austin, TX and was very pleased with the results. The first night consisted of the Shorts, or the 5th disc of this set. The Man in the Bath, Passages, Evidence (Facades with synth), Diaspora, and Anima Mundi where all performed live by The Philip Glass ensemble with the movie itself in the background. The following 4 performances where of Powaqqasti, Le Belle et La Bete, Dracula, and Koyaanisqatsi. Seeing these films with the music has shed a new light on these scores for me, because I had previously heard almost all of them, but to the recording at hand.
This set of discs is something you might pick up at a live concert of your favorite local band, representing what they played that night in studio recording. This set of discs was released to accompany Philip's current world tour of Philip On Film. Although almost all of it has been released previously, this isn't just a way to make a "quick buck". This is a great way to get most of the music played at these performances and, most of all, is a bargin way to get a lot of his best music to date. I also don't personally agree with the "highlights" idea with Belle and Mundi, but to a person wanting post-Einstein Glass, this is a good way to start. Also, I would think that anyone who believes that Glass has written the same music since Einstein needs to listen more and generalize less because there is a wealth of music out there that you may not realize exists.

The Worst of Phil?.......2001-10-30

Anyone who thinks that Powaqqatsi is "the worst of Phil" needs to have his head examined.

More of the same.......2001-10-17

Okay, I give up! The world (or at least the music industry) wants to keep Philip Glass's star in ascendance, with new commissions, and new recordings, or expensive repackagings of previously issued recordings. Glass hasn't had a new idea since 1976, when his "Einstein on the Beach" was the freshest new sound imaginable. Basically, all he's done is re-write that work over and over (and over!) again ever since. While there are cool parts to some of these scores, most of this is the same arpeggiated chords he's been using for the last 25 years! Somebody wake me up when this guy gets a new idea!

Average customer rating:

Massenet: Werther

Manufacturer: Malibran [C.D.R.G.]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000J5TJ
Release Date: 1999-09-15

Average customer rating:

Good bargain choice
Quite acceptable, but others are better

Werther
Massenet , Haddock , Azzaretti , and Casadesus
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00006RHQ0
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Tracks:

Prelude
Assez! Assez!
Alors, C'est Bein Ici
Jesus Vient De Naitre...
O Spectacle Ideal D'Amour...
Sophie!... Albert! Toi De Retour?
Elle M'Aime! Elle Pense A Moi!
Orchestral Interlude
Il Faut Nous Separer...
Mais Vous Ne Savez Rien De Moi...
Charlotte! Charlotte! Albert Est De Retour!
Prelude
Vivat Bacchus! Semper Vivat!
Trois Mois! Voici Trois Mois Que Nous Sommes Unis...
Un Autre Est Son Epoux!
Au Bonheur Dont Mon Ame Est Plein...
Frere! Voyez Le Beau Bouquet!
Ai-Je Dit Vrai?
Lorsque L'Enfant Revient D'Un Voyage Avant L'Heure...

Tracks:

Prelude
Werther... Werther...
Bonjour, Grande Soeur...
Va! Laisse Couler Mes Larmes
Alors! C'est Convenu, Tu Viendras?
Ah! Mon Courage M'Abandonne!
Oui! C'est Moi...
Toute Mon Ame Est La! Pourquoi Me Reveiller, O Souffle Du Printemps...
N'Achevez Pas! Helas? De Desespoir...
Ah! Moi! Moi! Dans Ses Bras!
Werther Est De Retour
La Nuit De Noel
Werther! Werther!
Qui Parle?
Oui, Du Jour Meme Ou Tu Parus
Noel! Noel! Noel!
Ah! Ses Yeux Se Ferment!

Customer Reviews:

Good bargain choice.......2006-01-09

For an opera that is not presented all that often, "Werther" seems to have accumulated an extraordinary number of complete recordings.

Unfortunately for dedicated audiophiles, far and away the best performance, one that almost certainly is not going to be matched or even approached by the current or foreseeable crop of singers and conductors, is fossilized on recordings made about seventy years ago. That is the "Werther" with the great Georges Thill, a performance as authentically French as the Eifel Tower. For anyone more interested in art than in mechanical reproduction of sound, I strongly recommend that you acquire a copy right now. Naxos has done an admirable job in rescuing as much of its sound as current technology allows.

For those of you who feel comfortable only with DDD sound, this performance is as good as more expensive ones with better-known performers. It is consistently and competently sung throughout. It is workmanlike in execution and as close to being authentically French as is likely to be found in this era of the jet-setting "international" style.

For overall performance of the opera, as opposed to star-turns from famous (but sometimes curiously cast) singers, this "Werther" is as good as anything recorded in the digital era.

And, of course, it has to be better than that thing with Bocelli.

Quite acceptable, but others are better.......2003-01-22

This live recording from a regional opera company in France has several things going for it. First, of course, is the price - as always a plus with Naxos releases. Then there is the excitement of a live performance. (By the way, there is no audience noise that I can hear except for a burst of applause at the end of the opera.) There is the mostly French cast, which means that diction of the French text is better than most. And finally, both the conductor and primary singers are quite acceptable. The only non-French singer is the American tenor, Marcus Haddock, who has quite a nice voice with heft and an easy top, although the sound is a bit generic. His diction and his acting are quite good. The Charlotte, mezzo Béatrice Uria-Monzon, has a first class voice and knows how to act through the voice.

This recording will not erase memories of the classic recording from the 1930s with Ninon Vallin and Georges Thill. Nor is it as good as the recent Alagna/Gheorghiu/Pappano recording. Nor does it have as good an Albert (René Massin) as the Pappano recording (Thomas Hampson, in one of his best portrayals).

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Gialorgues

Music Review: 18th Century Flemish Dance Music

Invisible Society

Cocktail Hour Jazz

Matt Walker & Ashley Davies [Enhanced] [Import]

janet.

Love Is a Season (Jpn Lp Sleeve)

Light & Latin

Mick Maloney/Eugene O'donnell

Hot House

Man-Made

Grandes Momentos De [Import]

Fiesta Con El Conde [Import]

Sissy Man Blues: Straight & Gay Blues

Les Stances a Sophie

1. Lento, Quasi Recitavito
2. Procession Nocturne
3. Chant Katzapsky
4. Chant Grec
5. 29. XII. 1925
6. 8. XI. 1925
7. Danse Sayyide
8. Mamacha
9. Danse d'Arabie
10. 1.V. 1927
11. Retour de Voyage
12. 23.X. 1926
13. 26.X. 1926
14. 7. XII. 1925
15. Te Laudamus