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Presto News - 11th April 2011Lully’s Bellérophon |
 First performed in 1679, Bellérophon was among the most popular of Lully’s operas during his lifetime. It initially ran for nine months at the Palais Royal and remained in the repertoire for about a hundred years with performances all over Europe, but as French Baroque operas then fell out of fashion it quickly disappeared into oblivion. Since the 1980s there has been a revival in interest in the genre and until recently Bellérophon was the only remaining tragic opera by Lully not be performed in modern times. So when conductor and musicologist Christophe Rousset discovered some missing parts in an antique shop in Paris the modern premiere was eagerly awaited. That took place in December 2010 at the Royal Opera of Versailles under Rousset and his group Les Talens Lyriques, and in record time it has now made it onto CD.  Jean-Baptiste Lully Lully is generally considered to be the founder of French opera. He didn’t like the Italian model which divided recitatives and arias into separate numbers and so combined the two. This generally led to increased drama and the stories developing a bit quicker. That is certainly the case with Bellérophon which is terrifically exciting. Lully spent most of his working life at the court of Louis XIV of France and a number of his works took on a political influence, or were at least partly designed to help endear the composer to the King. Based on a mythical story of a fearless hero whose arrogance is punished by the gods, the libretto is here altered to show a hero who practises restraint and moderation to the foes he vanquishes – a reference to Louis XIV’s recent victories over the Dutch, the Spanish and the Holy Roman Emperor. The performance is wonderful, and although I didn’t really recognise any of the singers, there are some outstanding performances here, none less so than that of counter-tenor Cyril Auvity who sings the title role with real commitment and passion. Ingrid Perruche’s strong Stenobée is the pick of the female voices but in fairness they all sing well. Christophe Rousset conducts Les Talens Lyriques with excitement and vigour. The double-dotted rhythms give a splendour and elegance which characterises both this music and this performance, while the Namur Chamber Choir make a telling contribution with some spectacular singing of their very striking music. The two discs are beautifully presented in a hard-back book which includes a short essay on the work as well as a complete libretto. Really enjoyable and highly recommended.
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 Lully: BellérophonCyril Auvity (Bellérophon), Céline Scheen (Philonoé), Ingrid Perruche (Sténobeé), Jennifer Borghi (Argie/Pallas), Evgeniy Alexiev (Pan/Jobate-Le Roy), Jean Teitgen (Apollon/Amisodar) & Robert Getchell (Bacchis/La Pythie) Chamber Choir of Namur & Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
New Releases11th April 2011 |
This is just the pick of the recent releases. The New Releases and Future Releases pages are always available for browsing all the new and forthcoming releases. |
 J S Bach: Easter and Ascension OratoriosCarolyn Sampson (soprano), Iestyn Davies (countertenor), James Gilchrist (tenor) & Peter Harvey (bass), Retrospect Ensemble, Matthew HallsThis, the second release of the highly anticipated Retrospect Ensemble series, features the Easter Oratorio, one of Bach’s best-known oratorios and a monumental work, as well as the Ascension Oratorio. This dynamic recording highlights the skill and brilliance of Bach's writing through the inspired storytelling of its star soloists and the passion of the Ensemble. |
 Vivaldi: La StravaganzaFabio Biondi (violin and direction), Europa GalanteEuropa Galante, under its director Fabio Biondi, recently paid Vivaldi a “fabulous tribute” (in the words of BBC Radio 3) with the Virgin Classics recording of the opera Ercole sul Termodonte, reconstructed by Biondi himself. Now they further expand their rich catalogue of Vivaldi’s works with six concertos – five from La Stravaganza and another in F major – published as a set in London in 1728 by John Walsh and a pillar of the composer’s international fame in his lifetime. |
 Liszt: Harmonies Du SoirNelson Freire (piano)In celebration of the Liszt year 2011, multi-award winning pianist Nelson Freire has personally selected the repertoire for his latest recording – his contribution to the anniversary of the pianist-composer’s birth in 1811. The very personal selection includes Liszt showpieces such as the Harmonies du soir (12 Études d’exécution transcendante), the Hungarian Rhapsodies and Liebesträume. |
 Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45Natalie Dessay (soprano) & Ludovic Tézier (baritone), Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra & Swedish Radio Choir, Paavo JärviCelebrating 80 years of vigorous artistic life with Brahms’ expansive and consoling mass for the dead, Ein deutsches Requiem, the hr-Sinfonieorchester (Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra) under its Chief Conductor Paavo Järvi, is joined by soprano Natalie Dessay, baritone Ludovic Tézier and the Swedish Radio Choir in an interpretation described as “exemplary” by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. |
 Debussy: La Mer, Jeux & Prélude à l’après-midi d’un fauneLondon Symphony Orchestra, Valery GergievValery Gergiev has been performing Debussy’s music regularly with the LSO since he became Principal Conductor of the orchestra in 2007. For his latest LSO Live release he records three of Debussy’s most well-known works for the first time, including a sensational performance of La mer. |
 Schumann: Complete Piano TriosLeif Ove Andsnes (piano), Christian Tetzlaff (violin) & Tanja Tetzlaff (cello)Frequent collaborators Leif Ove Andsnes, violinist Christian Tetzlaff and cellist Tanja Tetzlaff record three of Robert Schumann’s Piano Trios for this 2-CD set – Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 63, Piano Trio No. 2 in f and Piano Trio No. 3 in G minor. |
 Miloš: The GuitarMiloš Karadaglić (guitar), English Chamber Orchestra, Paul WatkinsCharismatic guitarist Miloš Karadaglić debuts on Deutsche Grammophon with an album saluting his instrument’s Mediterranean heritage. Born in the Balkan state of Montenegro, Miloš’s love-affair with the guitar began when he was eight, when his father played him a recording of Segovia making magic with Albeniz’s ‘Asturias’. Miloš gave his first public performance at nine, entered (and won) his first national competition at eleven. He became a star performer on television and radio, took guitar master-classes in Belgrade, and then, shortly after the end of the Balkan war, decided to try for a scholarship at London’s Royal Academy of Music. |
 Mozart: Don Giovanni, K527 - DVDGerald Finley, Luca Pisaroni, Kate Royal, Anna Samuil, William Burden, Anna Virovlansky, Guido Loconsolo, Alastair Miles, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment & Glyndebourne Chorus, Vladimir Jurowski (conductor) & Jonathan Kent (director)For this 2010 production, the first new staging of the opera in 10 years, Glyndebourne welcome back the winning team of director Jonathan Kent and designer Paul Brown with Festival Music Director, Vladimir Jurowski conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Set at a time of seismic social and cultural change – in a Fellini-esque vision of post-war life – Jonathan Kent’s urgently propulsive production offers a ‘white-knuckle rollercoaster ride’ through the events of the Don’s last day as they unfold in and around Paul Brown’s magical ‘box of tricks’ set. |
Watch - Video trailer available for this item BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 9th April 2011 |
Building a Library - Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 |
 First Choice(coupled with the 'Kreutzer' Sonata No. 9 Op. 47)Isabelle Faust (violin), Prague Philharmonia, Jiri Belohlavek |
Disc of the Week |
 Beethoven: Last Piano SonatasAlexei Lubimov (piano) |
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