Massenet
The Golden Age of Singing Vol 1, 1900 – 1910 (Nimbus Prima Voce)
There is a reason why “The Golden Age of Singing” is so named here… [RMo]
Adèle Charvet (mezzo-soprano) Belle époque! (Alpha Classics)
An elegant, sophisticated mélange of mélodies, beautifully sung and played, incorporating some pleasing surprises and novelties [RMo]
Eva Zaïcik (mezzo-soprano) Rebelle (Alpha Classics)
Eva Zaïcik gives a fitting tribute to the artistry of Célestine Galli-Marié who created the role of Carmen [MC]
Roberto Alagna (tenor) French Opera Arias (Deutsche Grammophon)
Alagna brings to each aria his familiar intelligence and musicality [RH]
Great Singers in Moscow: 1901-1913 (Nimbus Prima Voce)
A remarkably listenable and comprehensive survey, showcasing the extraordinary depth of vocal talent available in Moscow in the first decade of the 20C [RMo]
Manon (Opus Arte)
A good choice for the ballet enthusiast but it doesn’t outperform older versions of this production [MP]
Massenet: Hérodiade (Naxos)
An exciting and well sung account of Massenet’s biblical opera [RWe]
Massenet: Le mage (Bru Zane)
This revival of a rare Massenet opera is compromised by a lack of melodic memorability and some less than ingratiating singing [rmo]
Teatro La Fenice Opera Collection Vol 1 (Dynamic)
A mixed bag of operatic performances from La Fenice contains some unexpected riches, but the choice of repertoire is unusual [PCG]
Massenet: Grisélidis (Bru Zane)
An admirable revival of one of Massenet’s most varied, inventive, yet neglected scores [RMo]
Earliest French Piano Recordings (APR)
A splendidly remastered and historically important tranche of piano recordings [JW]
The Earliest French Piano Recordings (APR)
A perfect picture of French pianism in the early part of the twentieth century [RCh]
Recordings of fifteen lesser-known Massenet operas
A survey by Ralph Moore
Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon: (Opus Arte)
An outstanding performance marks the 50th birthday of MacMillan’s great ballet [RMay]
Mischa Elman (violin)The complete Victor recordings (1926-32) (Biddulph)
Elman’s glittering morceau (and some others) in splendid transfers [JW]
Pene Pati (tenor): Nessun Dorma (Warner Classics)
That Pene Pati is a talented tenor far beyond the ordinary is obvious, and I hope he isn’t tempted to take on heavier roles too early [GF]
Sonya Yoncheva (soprano) The Courtesan (SY11 Productions)
A captivating album of arias on a courtesan theme [MC]
Massenet: Werther (Bru Zane)
A version with a baritone title role, much more than a curiosity [RWe]
American Virtuosa – Tribute to Maud Powell (Cedille)
(Déjà Review) I had anticipated dipping in to this disc, but found I could not switch it off [CF]
Aigul Akhmetshina (mezzo-soprano): Aigul (Decca)
By far the best mezzo-soprano to emerge for a generation [RMo]
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]
Massenet: Werther (Bru Zane)
I will return to this recording with pleasure when I am in baritone mood [GF]
Cherubini Quartet: The Complete Warner Classics Recordings (Warner Classics)
The Cherubini Quartet’s favourite and less well-remembered recordings [JW]
Véronique Gens (soprano): Paysage (Alpha Classics)
Delightful lost treasures from French musical history [JF]
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