Meyerbeer: Le Prophète

[Alan Howe]

Thing is, though: that particular L'Africaine performance on DVD/Blu-ray is magnificently sung.

[adriano]

I agree with you, Mark & Alan. Still, such a pity that of "L'Africaine" there is still no complete - and good - studio recording! "Les Huguenots" and "Le Prophète" are masterworks.

[eschiss1]

This may however be because the composer didn't finish Vasco da Gama, and maybe some people see "Fétis" and think "I could do a better job than -that- fellow" of finishing and preparing it for performance or - something. Don't know, don't know (and not expressing my own opinion of Fétis but rather what I gather something of a prevailing view is.)

[Mark Thomas]

I wasn't criticising Fétis, Eric. Making sense of the state in which Meyerbeer had apparently left Vasco da Gama was a huge job. Not only did he do so quite selflessly, not claiming co-authorship or credit, he did a pretty good job of tightening the work up. He was also no spring chicken, being 80 at the time.

[Alan Howe]

Trouble is, the cpo recording's not well enough sung. In fact, it's really pretty awful. You might get the complete opera, but what's the point when there's no pleasure to be had from listening to the singing qua singing?

[adriano]

Yes, Alan!
By the way, the 1988 Montpellier live recording (Erato) of "Les Huguenots" has cuts, as, for example an unpardonable one, omitting Urbain's comic aria after his "Peeping Tom" scene in the second act, including its following short ensemble. The action continues only after Raoul's arrival...
One has to live since years with those Montpellier cuts, they are being done even if the total timing would make a difference of 10 minutes!

- Incidentally, does anyone in this forum have the DECCA LP or CD booklet of "Les Huguenots"? In my CD booklet version, page 113 is totally blank, which means that the 3rd act's ensemble after the Soldier's "Ah! grand Dieux!" until the final dance ensemble is missing. I would pay all expenses for a scan, of course! All online versions of  the libretto are referring to another version, with a totally different text, unfortunately.

[Mark Thomas]

My booklet is complete and I'll email you a scan Adriano.

[adriano]

Oh, infinite thanks, dear Mark 

[scottevan]

Re-igniting this topic, as I've just seen a video of the 2017 production from Toulouse of "Prophete," conducted by Klaus Peter Flor. Though I agree with the consensus here that the stellar recording from the 1970's with McCracken, Horne and Scotto remains the gold standard, what I especially appreciated about the Tolouse production was not only its musical virtuosity, but its fidelity to the historical period. I think one good reason that grand opera, apart from finding singers capable of meeting its demands, does not fare well these days is that stage directors feel compelled to yank the proceedings into modern or recent times, to show the "relevancy" of the events.

The themes of "Le Prophete" -- uprising against tyranny, divided loyalties, charismatic leaders, the corruption of power -- are relevant enough today that they need no such modern interpretations. Combine those themes with its central domestic conflict, a literate libretto by Eugene Scribe, and a faithful, visually stunning production such as that from Toulouse, and you have even more to appreciate in addition to the heart of the matter, which is glorious music, superbly performed. All three principals, Sofia Fomina, John Osborne and Kate Aldrich, are outstanding. In fact, through Aldrich's performance as Fides, you may come to the conclusion, as I did, that Fides is one of the richest, most complex and ultimately most sympathetic characters in opera, sung or unsung. John Osborne, by the way, also performed the title role, Jean of Leyden, in the production from Essen ( also from 2017) that inspired this topic,

It must have been a very good year for Meyerbeer; here's hoping that we have more of those ahead!

[scottevan]

"Le Prophete" will be staged at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York this coming August, conducted by Botstein. Bard and Botstein performed "Les Huguenots" in a vocally good, curiously staged production some years ago; it will be interesting to see what they do with Meyerbeer's other great work.

https://fishercenter.bard.edu/events/le-prophete/