Showing posts with label Deutsche Grammophon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deutsche Grammophon. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Rare Complete French Opera Recordings From Roberto Alagna

In what seems to be a collaboration between tenor Roberto Alagna and the Orchestre National de Montpellier, Deutsche Grammophon releases its second rare French opera recording featuring the two. The first release in 2009 was Massenet's Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame and this time around it is Lalo's Fiesque. The latter is taken from a 2006 concert performance and is finally seeing the light of day.

"Le jongleur de Notre-Dame is an opera in three acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Maurice Léna. It was first performed in Monte Carlo on February 18, 1902. It is based on the story of the same name by Anatole France, which was in turn based on a 13th-century medieval legend by Gautier de Coincy, c. 1220. The role of Jean the juggler was popularized in the United States by the famous soprano, Mary Garden, which, according to some sources, horrified composer Massenet, who meant the role for a tenor. Garden's undertaking of the role was in the tradition of actresses of that era playing Peter Pan. The opera was popular in the early part of the twentieth century, due partly to Mary Garden's appearances in it, but it soon disappeared from the world's stages, as did many of Massenet's other operas. In the mid-1970s, the complete opera was recorded in stereo for the first time, and this recording, with the late tenor Alain Vanzo as Jean and the late baritone Jules Bastin as Boniface, was released on compact disc most recently in 2003, closely followed by another CD containing a live performance of the work, again with Vanzo. This has subsequently led to new revivals of the opera in the United States, usually in more modern dress." [Source]

"Fiesque (The Genoese Conspiracy) is an opera by the French composer Édouard Lalo. The libretto, by Charles Beauquier, is based on Schiller's 1784 play, Die Verschwörung des Fiesco zu Genua, an account of the conspiracy in 1547 led by Fiesque against the ruling Doria family. It had its first staged performance at the Nationaltheater, Mannheim on 16 June 2007. The concert premiere was on July 27, 2006 at the Festival de Radio France et Montpellier with Roberto Alagna in the title role. The UK premiere took place on March 10, 2008 in a production by University College Opera." [Source]

If you can't get enough of Mr. Alagna, his former label EMI is putting out a 3-CD set of what they deem to be his best works from the back-catalog (well, most of the French works at least that make up most of the set). This compilation takes excerpts from albums of arias, duets and even full opera recordings dating back to 1996. A complete track list for Mes plus grands rôles à l'opéra is after the jump.

And if you're looking for something on the less operatic side, wait until DG releases Pasión in November 2001. The album will feature Cuban boleros and Argentinean tangos.









Disc 1
01De grâce, demeurez! - No. 4 Madrigal: Ange adorable (Roméo/Juliette): Roméo et Juliette, ACT I  - Roberto Alagna/Angela Gheorghiu/Orchestre du Capit
02No. 7 Cavatine: L'amour! l'amour!...Ah! lève-toi, soleil! (Roméo): Roméo et Juliette, ACT II  - Roberto Alagna/Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse/M
03Ah! jour de deuil et d'horreur et d'alarmes (Roméo/Le Duc/Capulet/Stéphano/Benvolio/Choeur): Roméo et Juliette - Highli  -Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse/Choeur du Capito
04Va! Je t'ai pardonné: Roméo et Juliette  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Orchestre du Capit
05Acte V: C'est la!...Salut! tombeau! sombre et silencieux!: Roméo et Juliette - Highlights  - Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse/Choeur du Capito
06Je ne sais si je veille (Werther): Werther  - Roberto Alagna/London Symphony Orchestra/Antonio P
07Acte II: Un autre est son époux...J'aurais sur ma poitrine: Werther  - Roberto Alagna/Angela Gheorghiu/Thomas Hampson/Pat
08Acte II: Pourquoi trembler devant la mort...Lorsque l'enfant revient d'un voyage, avant l'heure: Werther  - Roberto Alagna/Angela Gheorghiu/Thomas Hampson/Pat
09Toute mon âme est là!...Pourquoi me réveiller ô souffle du printemps? (Werther): Werther  - Roberto Alagna/London Symphony Orchestra/Antonio P
10Act I: J'ai marqué l'heure du départ...Nous vivrons à Paris tous les deux: Manon  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Earle Patriarco/Jo
11En fermant les yeux je vois là bas (Des Grieux/Manon): Manon, Act II  -Roberto Alagna/Orchestre Symphonique de la Monnaie
12Act III: Je suis seul! Seul enfin!...Ah! fuyez, douce image: Manon  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Earle Patriarco/Jo
13Act III: Toi! Vous!...Oui, c'est moi!: Manon  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Earle Patriarco/Jo
14Ah! Des Grieux: Manon  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Orchestre Symphoni
Disc 2
01José! / Micaëla (Don José/Micaëla) No.7 Duo: Parle-moi de ma mère (Don José/Micaëla): Carmen, Act I, No.6 bis Récit  - Roberto Alagna/Orchestre National du Capitole de T
02La fleur que tu m'avais jetée (Don José): Carmen, Act II, No.17 Duo (continued...)  - Roberto Alagna/Orchestre National du Capitole de T
03Acte III: Va-t'en, va t'en, tu feras bien: Carmen  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Thomas Hampson/Inv
04Acte IV: C'est toi! C'est moi!: Carmen  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Thomas Hampson/Inv
05Acte I: Sur la tombe de mon père...: Lucie de Lammermoor  - Natalie Dessay/Ludovic Tézier/Roberto Alagna/Marc
06Acte III: Tombes de mes aïeux: Lucie de Lammermoor  - Natalie Dessay/Ludovic Tézier/Roberto Alagna/Marc
07Acte III: O bel ange, dont les ailes: Lucie de Lammermoor  - Natalie Dessay/Ludovic Tézier/Roberto Alagna/Marc
08Fontainebleau ! Forêt immense et solitaire ! (Don Carlos): Don Carlos - Acte I - Récit et romance  - Antonio Pappano - Orchestre De Paris - Roberto Al
09Dieu, tu semas dans nos âmes (Don Carlos/Rodrigue/Choeur/Un Moine): Don Carlos, Act II, Premier Tableau  - Antonio Pappano/Roberto Alagna/Thomas Hampson/Csab
10Au revoir dans un monde où le vie est meilleure (Elisabeth/Don Carlos/Philippe/L'Inquistieur/Charles-Quint/Choeur): Don  - José Van Dam/Roberto Alagna/Eric Halfvarson/Csaba
11Il Trovator! Io fremo / Deserto sulla terra (Il Conte/Manrico): Il Trovatore, Parte Prima - Il Duello, Scena terza  - Roberto Alagna/Thomas Hampson/London Symphony Orch
12Ah, si ben mio, coll'essere io tuo (Manrico): Il Trovatore, Parte Terza - Il figlio della Zingara, (Scena sesta)  - Roberto Alagna/London Symphony Orchestra/Antonio P
13Di quella pira l'orrendo foco (Manrico/Leonora/Ruiz/Soldati): Il Trovatore, Parte Terza - Il figlio della Zingara, (Sce  - Roberto Alagna/Angela Gheorghiu/London Symphony Or
14Madre non dormir: Il Trovatore  - Roberto Alagna/Larissa Diadkova/London Symphony Or
Disc 3
01Che gelida manina (Rodolfo): La Bohème, Act I  - Roberto Alagna/Antonio Pappano/Philharmonia Orches
02Ehi! Rodolfo! ... O soave fanciulla (Schaunard/Colline/Marcello/Rodolfo/Mimì): La Bohème, Act I  - Roberto Alagna/Leontina Vaduva/Thomas Hampson/Simo
03Dunque è proprio finita! (Rodolofo/Mimì/Marcello/Musetta): La Bohème, Act III  - Roberto Alagna/Leontina Vaduva/Thomas Hampson/Ruth
04O Mimì, tu più non torni (Rodolfo/Marcello): La Bohème, Act IV  - Roberto Alagna/Thomas Hampson/Philharmonia Orchest
05Acte IV: Sono andati?: La Bohème  - Roberto Alagna/Leontina Vaduva/Thomas Hampson/Simo
06Acte I: Dammi i colori!...Recondita armonia: Tosca  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Ruggero Raimondi/M
07Acte I: Mario Mario Non la sospiri la nostracasetta...Mia gelosia: Tosca  -Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Ruggero Raimondi/M
08E lucevan le stelle (Cavaradossi): Tosca, Act III  - Roberto Alagna/Orchestra of the Royal Opera House,
09Parigi! è la città dei desideri (Ruggero): La Rondine, Act I  - Roberto Alagna/London Symphony Orchestra/Antonio P
10Paulette! I nostri amici son gia partiti (Ruggero/Magda): La Rondine, Act II  -Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/London Symphony Or
11Ma come puoi lasciarmi (Ruggero/Magda): La Rondine, Act III  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/London Symphony Or
12Avete torot!...Firenze è come un albero fiorito: Gianni Schicchi  - José Van Dam/Angela Gheorghiu/Felicity Palmer/Robe
13Torna ai felici di (Act 2) (Roberto): Le Villi  - Antonio Pappano/Roberto Alagna/London Voices/Londo
14Morire?  - Antonio Pappano/Roberto Alagna

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Anna Netrebko Gets MET Release for the Autumn


On September 16, Deutsche Grammophon will release Anna Netrebko - Live at the Metropolitan Opera. According to the Anna Netrebko blog:

"The CD...includes works by Prokofiev, Mozart, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, Gounod, Offenbach and Puccini. Anna Netrebko sings with top opera singers such as Dimitri Hvorostovsky, Juan Diego Florez, Roberto Alagna, Joseph Calleja and Piotr Beczala. Valery Gerviev, Sylvain Cambreling, Placido Domingo and James Levine conduct the Metroplitan Opera Orchestra." [Source]

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

From the Vault: Lucia Popp Sings Mozart Concert Arias


Soprano Lucia Popp recorded this album of Mozart concert arias in 1984 with the Mozarteum-Orchester Salzburg under conductor Leopold Hager. Deutsche Grammophon 410 961-1 Stereo. Surprisingly it has never appeared complete on CD, nor in MP3 format. Philips released this CD box set of Mozart works, but the items in bold were missing from the below original track list:

1) A Berenice...Sol nascente, recitative and aria for soprano & orchestra, K. 70 (K. 61c)

2) Per pietà, bell'idol mio, aria for soprano & orchestra, K. 78 (K. 73b)

3) O temerario Arbace!...Per quel paterno, recitative and aria for soprano & orchestra, K. 79 (K. 73d)

4) Per qual paterno amplesso, K79/73d

5) Basta, vincesti...Ah, non lasciarmi, recitative and aria for soprano & orchestra, K. (2) 486a (K. 295a)

6) Ah non lasciarmi, K486a/295a

7) Ah, lo previdi...Ah, t'invola agl'occhi miei, recitative and aria for soprano & orchestra, K. 272

8) Alcandro, Io confesso...Non só d'onde viene, recitative and aria for soprano & orchestra, K. 294

9) Nehmt meinen Dank, ihr holden Gönner, aria for soprano & orchestra. K. 383

10) Chi sà, chi sà, qual sia, aria for soprano & orchestra, K. 582

Friday, June 24, 2011

Anna Prohaska Sings Schubert's "Des Fischers Liebesglück"

Opera Fresh announced the exclusive contract Anna Prohaska signed with Deutsche Grammophon and now we have more information from her debut release that was discussed previously on the site. Here is a video for one of the tracks on the album. Check out her official page for Siréne. A full track listing for the album and biographical information on Anna is after the jump. NOTE: This album is only being released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.


Anna Prohaska – Sirène

Gustav Mahler (1860–1911)
1.    Phantasie    2:05
Text: Ludwig Braunfels, after Tirso de Molina’s Don Juan

Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
2.    La Mer est plus belle    2:10
from Trois Mélodies
Text: Paul Verlaine 

Henry Lawes (c.1595–1662)
3.    Slide soft, you silver floods    2:05
Text: unknown

John Dowland (1563–1626)
4.     My heart and tongue were twins     2:08
from A Pilgrime’s Solace

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
5.    The Mermaid’s Song Hob. XXVIa:25     3:32
Text: Anne Hunter 

Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
6.     Der Fischer D 225     2:09
Text: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

7.   Am See D 746    1:59
Text: Franz von Bruchmann

Georges Bizet (1838–1875)
8.    La Sirène     2:42
from Seize mélodies
Text: Catulle Mendès

Karol Szymanowski (1882–1937)
Pieśni księżniczki z baśni op. 31
Songs of a Fairy Princess · Lieder der Märchenprinzessin
Chants de la princesse des contes de fée
Text: Zofia Szymanowska

9.     1. Samotny księżyc    3:47
10.    3. Złote trzewiczki    2:19
11.    5. Pieśń o fali     3:08

Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
12.    Loreley    1:08
no. 2 from Romanzen und Balladen op. 53
Text: Wilhelmine Lorenz

13.    Der Himmel hat eine Träne geweint    2:11
no. 1 from Liebesfrühling op. 37
Text: Friedrich Rückert

14.    Die Meerfee    1:09
no. 1 from Fünf heitere Gesänge op. 125
Text: Julius Buddeus

Franz Schubert
15.    Des Fischers Liebesglück D 933    7:58
Text: Carl Gottfried Ritter von Leitner

Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924)
16.     La Fleur qui va sur l’eau op. 85 no. 2    2:06
Text: Catulle Mendès

Hugo Wolf (1860–1903)
Gedichte von Eduard Mörike
Poems by Eduard Mörike · Poèmes d’Eduard Mörike
17.    Die Geister am Mummelsee   3:52
18.    Erstes Liebeslied eines Mädchens    1:32
19.    Nixe Binsefuß    2:20

Arthur Honegger (1892–1955)
Trois Chansons de la petite sirène
Three Songs of the Little Mermaid · Drei Lieder der kleinen Meerjungfrau
Text: René Morax, after Hans Christian Andersen

20.    1. Chanson des sirènes    1:31
21.    2. Berceuse de la sirène    1:09

Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
22.    Schilflied    2:59
no. 4 from Sechs Lieder op. 71
Text: Nikolaus Lenau 

Henry Purcell (1659–1695)
23.    Two daughters of this aged stream     2:10
Duet from King Arthur, Act IV
Libretto: John Dryden
Both parts sung by Anna Prohaska

John Dowland (1563–1626)
24. Sorrow, stay!    2:59
no. 3 from The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
25. Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém     4:57
Song to the Moon · Lied an den Mond · Chant à la lune
from Rusalka, Act I
Libretto: Jaroslav Kvapil

Gregorian Hymn
26. Ave, maris stella    2:09
Text: Ambrosius Autpertus


Anna Prohaska was born in 1983 and began her musical training with the conductor Eberhard Kloke at the age of 14. Later she studied singing with Brenda Mitchell at the Hanns Eisler Hochschule für Musik in Berlin and made her highly successful debut in 2002 in Britten’s Turn of the Screw at the Komische Oper. In 2006 she won the hearts of Berlin Staatsoper audiences as Frasquita in a production ofCarmen conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Since the 2006/07 season she has been a company member of the venerable opera house on Unter den Linden and has already appeared in a wide range of roles: under Philippe Jordan she sang Blonde in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Oscar in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, with René Jacobs on the podium she portrayed Poppea in Handel’s Agrippina, and under the musical direction of Ingo Metzmacher recently she was an enchanting Anne Trulove in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. Anna Prohaska, who has also been making her name as a recitalist, has been repeatedly invited to sing with conductors including Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Mariss Jansons and Daniel Harding, and she is a regular guest at concerts of the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Salzburg Festival. The singer’s repertoire extends from the Renaissance to music of the 20th century. For her first solo album, she has taken inspiration from Andersen’s famous fairytale The Little Mermaid. Joined by pianist Eric Schneider and lutenist Simon Martyn-Ellis, she has programmed songs ranging from the English old masters Dowland and Purcell, by way of Haydn, Mendelssohn, Schubert and Schumann and turn-of-the-century composers Fauré, Mahler and Wolf, to the early-modern works of Debussy, Szymanowski and Honegger.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Rolando Villazón Takes on Barbara Streisand in New Recording

"Although he has starred in a glittering roll-call of operatic roles, Rolando Villazón has always felt inspired by a broader range of music. 'I love musicals!' he declares. 'When I was twelve I used to sing the soundtrack of Man of La Mancha. I was Don Quixote.' Villazón also adores zarzuela, that distinctively Spanish genre which mixes opera, popular song and dance, and so it’s no great surprise to find that the ever-enthusiastic Mexican tenor should also be a fan of classic songs from the movies, of which he has made a personal selection for this new album. It is a collection of memorable and evocative tunes, sung with passion and brio by Villazón. He has enlisted some expert musical assistance in his quest to capture the spirit of the movies on disc. Arrangers Nicholas Dodd and Steven Baker can reel off a list of
Villazón: Opera Star to Pop Star
credits in choral, orchestral and vocal recordings, and Dodd has regularly collaborated with David Arnold on his James Bond soundtracks. Grammy-winning producer Simon Franglen has experienced Hollywood at its most lavish, having worked on James Cameron’s big-budget epics Avatar and Titanic, as well as on Baz Luhrmann’s musical fantasy Moulin Rouge. In addition, he has collaborated with some of the music industry’s all-time best-selling divas, namely Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand. It was of course Streisand who made the world sing along to the soundtrack from Yentl, in which she starred in 1983 and from whose soundtrack Villazón has picked 'A Piece of Sky.' Like many listeners, he was captivated by the song’s spirit
of wonder and its aspirational mood, which he movingly evokes here. Streisand was also one of the singers who popularized 'The Summer Knows,' taken from Michel Legrand’s soundtrack to the 1971 coming-of-age drama Summer of ’42. In fact the song became such a popular favourite that it was recorded by a host of legendary performers, not least Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Andy Williams, so Villazón had to make sure he was tuned to perfection the day he recorded that one." [Source]

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Diva Débutantes Spice Up New Releases on Decca, DG & Sony

Among the sopranos making their debut recordings in the coming months, there are sprinklings of returning favorites like Diana Damrau and Danielle de Niese. Click on the images to enlarge. Enjoy!



Sunday, May 1, 2011

Ildebrando d'Arcangelo Gets a New Look with CD Release

With the release of his new album of Mozart arias on DG, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo is sporting a new look in photos taken by Uwe Arens.


Two more images after the jump.



Thursday, March 17, 2011

From the Vault: Pilar Lorengar Singing Old Spanish Songs (DG)

"From the Vault" is a new series highlighting classical recordings that labels seem to be unaware they own and have not yet reissued on compact disc or even distributed in digital format. Enjoy the first installment:


Altspanische Romanzen und Volkslieder
Pilar Lorengar , soprano; Siegfried Behrend, guitar; Richard Klemm, viola la gambe
1LP-DGG-139155-SLPM (Made in Germany, 1966)

Complete track listing and audio samples are after the jump.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A:
1. Don Lui Milán - "Durandarte"

2. Six old Spanish romances from the 16th century
Anonymous - "Tres morillas me enamoran"
Jacobus de Milarte - "A la sombra de mis cabellos"
Esteban Daza - "Enfermo estaba Antioco"
Diego Pisador - "Guarte, el rey Don Sancho"
Fray Juan Bermuda - "Mira Nero de Tarpeya"

Juan Vasquez - "De los Alamos vengo"

3. Alonso de Mudarra - "Isabel, perdiste la to faxa"

4. Luys de Narvaez - "Con qué la lavaré?"

5. Georg Frierich Händel - "Nó se emenderà jamás"

SIDE B:
Nine Spanish Folk Songs
1. "Zorongo"
2. "Las tres hojas"
3. "El Café de Chinitas"
4. "Anda jaleo"
5. "Los cuatro muleros"
6. "Los reyes de la baraja"
7. "Romance de Don Boiso"
8. "Los pelegrinitos"
9. "La Tarara"

Read the Gramophone Magazine review of this recording from March 1967.