Berlioz'sLa Damnation de Faust--is to draw out a lyricism in keeping with the composer's original intentions, then he has done his job very well indeed. This particular piece is one which lends itself to a long-term appreciation, as it is not the most uplifting subject matter. However, the orchestra is both beautiful in accompaniment and vibrant in thematic moments, and provides a wonderful partner to the talents of the singers. Sabbatini's Faust is rich in tone, and he interestingly adds a certain despair to his voice as the piece progresses. Pertusi, in his role as Mephistopheles, is brilliantly malevolent; this contrasts with the porcelain mezzo of Shkosa. In particular there are some real highlights, most notably the "Dance of the Sylphs" and Faust's aria, but it is primarily the high standard of orchestral playing which stands out, cementing the LSO's reputation. The only drawback to an otherwise very worthwhile recording is the choir, which at times sounds tired and strained. But in reality, this is only a minor blemish to yet another intelligent live performance. --Dominic Sewell
relies heavily on the moving of massed choirs across a large stage. It has vivid lighting effects--rather too many of them using strobes--and monolithic multi-purpose sets, in particular a revolving glass drum which functions both as cinema screen and rostrum for singers, so that the final ride to Hell, for example, is sung by Mephistopheles and Faust above a cavalcade of projected horses, like the inside of a zoetrope. The three main soloists have voices on a scale that can compete with these flashy production values--White and Kasarova, in particular, sing at a level of intensity that would swamp anything less; the climactic seduction trio has rarely been sung so well or with such an overpoweringly polymorphous eroticism. Cambreling marshals his forces effectively, giving full rein to the work's showstoppers like the "Hungarian March" but not neglecting the subtler less kinetic Gluckian side of Berlioz's vocal writing. The DVD has subtitles in English, German and Dutch, and menus in those languages, as well as French, Italian, Spanish and Swedish. --Roz Kaveney
Main Performer: Edith Mathis (Soprano); Sir Donald McIntyre (Bass-baritone); Stuart Burrows (Tenor); Thomas Paul (Bass)
Orchestra / Ensemble(s): Boston Boys' Choir; Tanglewood Festival Chorus; Boston Symphony Orchestra
Date of Release: 11/1988
Label / Distributor: Galleria / Universal Manufacturing and Logistics
Pieces in Set: 2
Running Time: 2 hours 2 minutes
Genre(s): Vocal and choral
Producer: Thomas W. Mowrey
SPAR Code: ADD
Catalogue Number: 423
Work 1
Work Title: (La) Damnation de Faust, Op. 24
Excerpt(s): 1. PART 1 - Le viel hiver (Introduction) 2. Les bergers quittent 3. Mais d'un éclat guerrier; Hungarian March 4. PART 2 - Sans regrets j'ai quitté 5. Christ vient de ressusciter; Hélas! doux chants de ciel 6. O pure émotion!; A boire encor! 7. Certain rat 8. Amen (fugue) 9. Vrai Dieu, Messieurs!; Une puce gentille 10. Voici des roses 11. Dors, heureux Faust! 12. Ballet des Sylphes; Quelle céleste image 13. Villes entourées...Jam nox stellata 14. PART 3 - La retraite 15. Merci doux crépuscule; Je l'entends 16. Que l'air est étouffant!; Autrefois un roi de Thulé 17. Esprits des flammes (Evocation) 18. Menuet des Follets, 'Will-o'-the-wisp' 19. Devant la maison (Sérénade) 20. Grands dieux! que vois-je? 21. Allons, il est trop tard 22. PART 4 - D'amour l'ardente flamme; Au son des trompettes 23. Nature immense (Invocation) 24. A la voûte azurée 25. Dans mon coeur retentit 26. Has! Irimiru Karabrao (Pandemonium); Alors l'Enfer se tut (Epilogue) 27. Laus! Hosanna!; Remonte au ciel (Apotheosis)
Composer: (Louis-)Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869)
Genre: Vocal & Choral
Date Written: 1845-6
Conductor: Seiji Ozawa
Orchestra / Ensemble: Boston Boys' Choir
Orchestra / Ensemble: Boston Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra / Ensemble: Tanglewood Festival Chorus
Main Performer: Edith Mathis (Soprano), Sir Donald McIntyre (Bass-baritone), Stuart Burrows (Tenor), Thomas Paul (Bass)
Opera Part(s): Edith Mathis, Sir Donald McIntyre, Stuart Burrows, Thomas Paul
Advantages: Great performances of popular favourites and some rare gems Disadvantages: Barely none, with perhaps slight issues with sound.
....
As is appropriate, there is quite a lot of Berlioz included, for he is one of the greatest orchestrators that ever was and his music really defines what "colour" in music is. There are two selections from the "dramatic legend" La DamnationdeFaust (a strange cantata-opera-symphony hybrid), beginning with the "Ballet de Sylphes," a light and fairy-like little waltz, giving ample proof that Berlioz could write music subtle as wind when he wanted to. The following "Menuet des feux follets" is likewise sweetly light, but features little surges of drama appropriate in a witches' sabbath, which allows the good humour of drunken dancing to sweep the section to a close. To cap off the sensitive Berlioz, there is the subtle and magical "Queen Mab Scherzo" from his "dramatic symphony" Roméo et Juliette that is filled with quicksilver movement, magical feeling...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: The experience of getting inside an artistic head Disadvantages: French not quite idiomatic
...This 1995 CD was the Bulgarian mezzo soprano opera singer Vesselina Kasarova's first solo album. She was only 30 years old then, but age is not necessarily the arbitor of thoughtfulness.
It is telling that despite of the French's tendency to be very picky of how their language is sung, this CD won the Prix Maurice Ravel despite of some pretty iffy French intonations. This singer is just so expressive and so mesmerizing in her singing of the emotionally loaded French song cycles (all quite over-recorded by all the prominent artists already, especially for the Berlioz 'Summer Nights' Cycle), that imperfect French diction is really an insignificant flaw.
There is a detached quality to this recital. As if she is lost in her own thoughts, not quite aware of the presence of an audience (or the recording microphone, in this case...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
very helpful 14.04.2007
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