Bizet

Maria – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Warner Classics)

Callas’ voice restored for a film score; if you love her voice, maybe this is one for you [KT]

Paris est une fête-Fuga-Libera

Paris est une fête (Fuga Libera)

Paris, Pelléas, Party – a winning trio in this sparkling collection [RCh]

Bizet Carmen Le Conte Pristine PACO217

Bizet: Carmen (Pristine Audio)

A marvellous restoration of an old and half-forgotten recording [GF]

Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles

A survey by Ralph Moore

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Karajan Conducts French Music (Pristine Audio)

Familiar recordings, probably skippable [SV]

Bizet Carmen Le Conte Pristine PACO217

Bizet: Carmen (Pristine Audio)

An authentically French, operetta-style Carmen of the kind you will not hear today – but over-refined and lacking punch [RMo]

Paris est une fête (Fuga Libera)

Let’s party! [RMay]

Aigul Akhmetshina (mezzo-soprano): Aigul (Decca)

By far the best mezzo-soprano to emerge for a generation [RMo]

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Martial Singher (baritone) French Opera Arias (Pristine Audio)

(Déjà Review) I defy anyone to play these tracks through once and not do so immediately again [ED]

475 Jahre Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden (Profil)

Many first-class performances to celebrate the 475th anniversary of the Staatskapelle Dresden [MC]

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Jacqueline Delman (soprano) More from my archives (Oak Grove)

A valuable documentation of Delman’s versatility, musically, repertoire-wise and linguistically [GF]

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Bizet: L’Arlésienne Complete stage music (SOMM Recordings)

Bizet’s L’Arlésienne returns to its original theatrical roots, and the revelation is enchanting in the hands of Plasson [PCG]

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Bizet: Carmen (Opus Arte)

An altogether outstanding record of a thrilling event [TH]

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New Year’s Concert – Teatro La Fenice 2023 (C Major)

A pleasing concert that will almost certainly cheer you up [MMB]

Neville Marriner (conductor): The Complete Warner Classics Recordings (Warner Classics)

An 80-CD centenary salute to Marriner, with (or without) his ASMF [JW]

Gloire immortelle! Grandes oeuvres patriotiques (Château de Versailles)

A pleasant romp through the realm of French patriotic music and beyond [MP]

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Bizet: Carmen (Warner Classics)

The most authentically French recording of Carmen from the stereo era [MP]

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The Degenhof Sessions (Genuin)

A wonderfully entertaining programme with some real treats [RCh}

Mozart: Don Juan (Narodowy Institut Fryderyka Chopin)

A fine performance of an oddball Bizet curiosity, but Mozart’s orchestration and vocal variety are sorely missed [MZ]

Soaked in Colour (Fuga Libera)

There are a few winners here, but no consistency [MP]

El Nour Fatma Said Warner 9029523360

Fatma Said (soprano) (Warner Classics)

A ravishing debut album that heralds a great future for this artist [MP]

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Bizet: Carmen (DG)

(Déjà Review) A great evening at the opera, crowned by Grace Bumbry’s great performance of Carmen [CH]

Valentin Malinin (piano): Laureate Recital (Naxos)

Pianist Valentin Malinin impresses with his technical ability, but with mixed musical results [LW]