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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Paris 1961
Denise Boursin (Lakmé), Alain Vanzo (Gérald), Pierre Savignol (Nilakhanta), Agnes Disney (Malika) Pierre-Michel Leconte This international cast gives a wonderful performance of Delibes’ Lakme opera, taken from a concert in Paris from 1961. | 
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Emma Matthews (Lakmé), Aldo Di Toro (Gerald), Stephen Bennett (Nilakantha), Dominica Matthews (Mallika), Edmond Choo (Hadji) & Luke Gabbedy (Frederic) Opera Australia Chorus & Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Emmanuel Joel-Hornak (conductor) & Roger Hodgman (director) Designer Mark Thompson Light design Nigel Levings Lakmé, Delibes greatest opera, is performed by Opera Australia in all its oriental glory. Starring the exquisite coloratura soprano Emma Matthews as the innocent girl priestess Lakmé, and superb tenor Aldo Di Toro as the love-struck Gerald, the story tackles religion and cross-cultural love against a backdrop of British rule in India in the mid-19th century. French conductor Emmanuel Joel-Hornak brings out the full depth of the lush, dramatic score, with familiar high points being the beautiful renditions of the well-known Flower duet and Bell Song. Dominica Matthews adds her rich voice as Mallika and Stephen Bennett is darkly dominating as Brahmin priest Nilakantha, Lakmé’s father, while Roxane Hislop is a consumate Mistress Bentson. Set and costume designs by Mark Thompson fill the stage with rich colour, atmosphere and exoticism, complemented by Nigel Levings’ warm lighting. This restudied production, originally conceived by Adam Cook, is skilfully directed by Roger Hodgman. Sung in French with English, French, German, Spanish and Italian subtitles “The production is ornate in a postcard-from-India sort of way but is never vulgar...[Matthews is] a bit more restrained than in her Traviata though still vocally amazing. Leading tenor Aldo di Toro has genuine French sound and style. So convincing are these singers that the opera at times ceases to be a Victorian imperialist souvenir and becomes a window into a genre of opera that has faded from the 21st century” Gramophone Magazine, February 2013 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Recorded July 1952 in the Maison de la Mutualité, Paris
Mado Robin (Lakmé), Libero De Luca (Gérald, Agnès Disney (Mallika), Jean Borthayre (Nilakantha), Claudine Collart (Ellen) & Simone LeMaître (Rose) Chorus and Orchestra of the Opéra-Comique, Paris, Georges Sébastian This disc includes an Appendix of three Lakmé arias sung by French singers of the 20s and 30s | | | (also available to download from $16.50) | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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“Opera audiences in 19th-century Paris may never have visited India, but they loved to dream about it. After the successes enjoyed by Lespêcheurs de perles and Le roi de Lahore Delibes knew what he was doing when he chose to set an adaptation of Pierre Loti's exotic Indian novel Rarahu and duly scored a hit with his opera Lakmé at the Opéra-Comique in 1883. The opera is nothing without a star in the title-role.
Natalie Dessay is certainly that and yet she never fails to remember that Delibes's heroine must be fragile and sensitive. Her Bell Song, brilliantly sung, is also intent on telling a story. Her singing of the death scene, with its delicate fil de voce perfectly poised each time the high A comes round, is heartfelt and leaves no doubt that this is a Lakmé who deserves to go to heaven. EMI found a worthy tenor to partner her. Gregory Kunde, as Gérald, is at ease at the top of his voice. At the first entrance of the colonial Brits, Frédéric describes Gérald as a poet and Kunde lives up to the promise by phrasing his opening solo, 'Fantaisie aux divins mensonges', with poetic sensibility. In the duets he and Dessay are tender young love personified. The supporting cast is also a decent one.
Michel Plasson gives the music room to breathe and is able to conjure a dreamy atmosphere in the scenes of romance. His Toulouse orchestra is adequate, if not exceptional, and the recording is of a good standard. What reason is there to resist?” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Emma Matthews (Lakmé), Aldo Di Toro (Gerald), Stephen Bennett (Nilakantha), Dominica Matthews (Mallika), Edmond Choo (Hadji) & Luke Gabbedy (Frederic) Opera Australia Chorus & Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Emmanuel Joel-Hornak (conductor) & Roger Hodgman (director) Designer Mark Thompson Light design Nigel Levings Lakmé, Delibes greatest opera, is performed by Opera Australia in all its oriental glory. Starring the exquisite coloratura soprano Emma Matthews as the innocent girl priestess Lakmé, and superb tenor Aldo Di Toro as the love-struck Gerald, the story tackles religion and cross-cultural love against a backdrop of British rule in India in the mid-19th century. French conductor Emmanuel Joel-Hornak brings out the full depth of the lush, dramatic score, with familiar high points being the beautiful renditions of the well-known Flower duet and Bell Song. Dominica Matthews adds her rich voice as Mallika and Stephen Bennett is darkly dominating as Brahmin priest Nilakantha, Lakmé’s father, while Roxane Hislop is a consumate Mistress Bentson. Set and costume designs by Mark Thompson fill the stage with rich colour, atmosphere and exoticism, complemented by Nigel Levings’ warm lighting. This restudied production, originally conceived by Adam Cook, is skilfully directed by Roger Hodgman. “The production is ornate in a postcard-from-India sort of way but is never vulgar...[Matthews is] a bit more restrained than in her Traviata though still vocally amazing. Leading tenor Aldo di Toro has genuine French sound and style. So convincing are these singers that the opera at times ceases to be a Victorian imperialist souvenir and becomes a window into a genre of opera that has faded from the 21st century” Gramophone Magazine, February 2013 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Emma Matthews (Lakmé), Aldo Di Toro (Gerald), Stephen Bennett (Nilakantha), Dominica Matthews (Mallika), Edmond Choo (Hadji) & Luke Gabbedy (Frederic) Opera Australia Chorus & Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Emmanuel Joel-Hornak (conductor) & Roger Hodgman (director) Designer Mark Thompson Light design Nigel Levings Lakmé, Delibes greatest opera, is performed by Opera Australia in all its oriental glory. Starring the exquisite coloratura soprano Emma Matthews as the innocent girl priestess Lakmé, and superb tenor Aldo Di Toro as the love-struck Gerald, the story tackles religion and cross-cultural love against a backdrop of British rule in India in the mid-19th century. French conductor Emmanuel Joel-Hornak brings out the full depth of the lush, dramatic score, with familiar high points being the beautiful renditions of the well-known Flower duet and Bell Song. Dominica Matthews adds her rich voice as Mallika and Stephen Bennett is darkly dominating as Brahmin priest Nilakantha, Lakmé’s father, while Roxane Hislop is a consumate Mistress Bentson. Set and costume designs by Mark Thompson fill the stage with rich colour, atmosphere and exoticism, complemented by Nigel Levings’ warm lighting. This restudied production, originally conceived by Adam Cook, is skilfully directed by Roger Hodgman. | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Recorded in 1976 in the Sydney Opera House
“On these discs Sutherland takes noticeably more care with the language...Bonynge conducts with sympathy and support for the voices...Aged around 50 when this recording was made, Sutherland’s instrument is not longer quite as perfect as it was...That said, her voice as captured on these discs remains one of life’s miracles.” MusicWeb International, July 2012 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Recorded in Philadelphia in 1968 | | | This item is currently out of stock at the UK distributor. You may order it now but please be aware that it may be six weeks or more before it can be despatched. |
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Alessandra Ruffini (Lakme), Giuseppe Morino (Gérald), Bruno Pratico (Nilakantha), Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia, Coro da Camera di Bratislava, Carlos Piantini | | | (also available to download from $21.00) | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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“Bonynge has the right idiom at his finger tips, the recording is beautiful ...and the subsidiary casting is unusually strong...Miss Sutherland lifts her voice into the upper reaches without the faintest deterioration in quality so that she is singing limpid, round, unforced and poised notes full of charm and colour” Gramophone Magazine, May 1969 | | | (Sorry, download not available in your country) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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