In the Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra's new season brochure is the announcment that during the season the orchestra will be putting on four opera concert performances:
Saint-Saens: Proserpine [October 9th 2016] (in co-operation with Palazzetto Bru Zane)
Beethoven: Leonore [November 20th 2016]
Mozart: Die verstellte Gärtnerin [January 22nd 2017]
Delibes: Lakmé [May 14th 2017]
The operas are usually broadcast on the days of performance. So stand by your recorders!
Saint-Saëns' Proserpine is a particularly enticing prospect. Good though it is to see Lakmé produced, I would love to hear Delibes' other full operas Jean de Nivelle and Kassya (in Massenet's completion).
Proserpine (with an "R") - thanks for this good news! Orchestral score is on IMSLP and a nice entr'acte (piano version) on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3pNwq9wygw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3pNwq9wygw)
And read this interesting essay:
http://www.franciskayali.com/saintsaens.pdf (http://www.franciskayali.com/saintsaens.pdf)
"I would love to hear Delibes' other full operas Jean de Nivelle and Kassya (in Massenet's completion)."
Yep, so do I !!!!
Proserpine will be recorded for CD by Bru Zane, as well as another rare Saint-Saëns, given at the Paris Opera-Comique at the end of next season : Le Timbre d'Argent.
Among the other great projects of Bru Zane are :
Olimpie (Spontini)
Uthal (Méhul)
Phèdre (Lemoyne)
La Reine de Chypre (Halévy)
Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde (Hervé) (there's been a video broadcast already)
and issues of past recordings of La Jacquerie (Lalo) and Le Pré aux Clercs (Hérold)
There was a project of Pierné's Saint-François d'Assise (oratorio), but I don't know whether it's been delayed or cancelled.
Opera Rara has also announced a list of (exciting) projects for the 3 coming years !
http://www.opera-rara.com/media/appeal/2016/index.html#p=4
(http://www.opera-rara.com/media/appeal/2016/index.html#p=4)
The Méhul is particularly interesting for its orchestration - no violins.
I believe there will be a France Musique broadcast of the June 3 performance "Olympie" [recorded at the Theatre des Champs Elysees]. It will take place on Saturday June 11 at 19h.
Quote from: strelsa42 on Sunday 05 June 2016, 07:16
I believe there will be a France Musique broadcast of the June 3 performance "Olympie" [recorded at the Theatre des Champs Elysees]. It will take place on Saturday June 11 at 19h.
Information here (in French):http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/samedi-soir-l-opera/2015-2016/olympie-de-gaspare-spontini-06-11-2016-19-00 (http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/samedi-soir-l-opera/2015-2016/olympie-de-gaspare-spontini-06-11-2016-19-00)
Grateful thanks for the Spontini "Olympie" upload. I tried to "reecouter" it online but by the time it got all the way to Australia the sound was very average. It's a thrilling performance with what I take to be "period" instruments. I presume the BruZane people will issue a recording at some stage. I see that it is due to be given again in October in Holland.
Will try to record "Proserpine" from the Bavarian Radio this coming Sunday :-)
Thanks!
Yes, thanks Hadrianus. Unfortunately I can't record it myself.
The recording of "Proserpine" is complete, but, as usual, Bayern Klassik is problematic. Over the digital channel, there are places in which higher sections are a bit distorted (overridden), but, strangely enough, the internet radio channel (which generally is inferior) is far more better, in sound and dynamics. But this, since this morning I am testing it, it has constant interruptions. I never get such problems with France Radios - and not even with the Polish ones I have used lately, so you may have to live with the first version, which I will upload tomorrow (with the usual cover art, program and vocal score - this time even with a complete evening program, in German only). Hope there will be a podcast one of these days, enabling me (or one of you colleagues) to try another chance. As you see, I try to do my best...
...and we're enormously grateful.
Proserpine is already uploaded on:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/sfuhep6f57mgixw/Saint-Saens+PROSERPINE.zip
Now I continue listening to the master preview of those Jaques-Dalcroze orchestral pieces, I've recorded in Bratislava in September. The vocal cycle is still missing since the soprano (Elena Mosuc) got a cold and had to return home. We will record this in March-April...
My next recording from braodcast will be Donizetti's Rosmonda. My friend Eva Mei just wrote that the Maggio Musicale premiere was a great success and that RAI 3 is going to broacast the next performance of saturday.
You did Dalcroze? Wonderful!!! Can't wait to hear it. Bravo!
@ minacciosa. Yes, this will be my 3rd CD with music by Dalcroze - and the vocal cycle for soprano and orchestra "Tragédie d'amour" is a real discovery! Dalcroze's wife Nina Faliero premiered it in 1906 - and since then it was totally forgotten. I had to prepare a new vocal score...
That is fascinating. I had not heard of Dalcroze until I received classes in Dalcroze method at conservatory. Then I discovered he was a composer and have wanted to hear his music ever since. I did not know you had already recorded him. I will find your recordings.
Many thanks for recording this delightfully tuneful work.
You are welcome, mikehopf :-)
Still, these newly discovered Saint-Saens operas never reach the magnificence and impact of "Samson et Dalila" - although this was at first conceived as an oratorio...
Press release of the Palazzetto Bru Zane about "Proserpine": http://www.bru-zane.com/2016/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/SAINT-SA%C3%8BNS-Proserpine-press-release-EN.compressed.pdf
Thanks Aragion. Palazzetto Bru Zane must have a lot of money to produce all this wonderful series.
The Rossetti picture probably refers to the mythological Proserpine, which has nothing to do with the Saint-Saens one...
I don't know about Bru Zane, but they release new CDs more often then, for example, Opera Rara. I suppose Opera Rara currently faces more financial problems (especially after the death of Sir Peter Moores, who supported this label for many years).
Proserpine is an enjoyable listen, as one would expect from Saint-Saëns, but it's not one of his greatest efforts. The story is a grubby little tale of love and murder (it would be well suited to verismo), so I expected an ardent, driven piece, but in this performance at least it all seemed rather tepid and bloodless. One could almost define the work by what it isn't: not as symphonic as Les Barbères, not as psychological as Henry VIII and lacking its period colour, not as passionate as Samson et Delilah, not as sumptuous as Hélène. Curiously, I was reminded more than once of the earthly scenes in Bioto's Mephistofole. It's all rather anonymous, although still a welcome treat for fans of romantic French opera such as me.
My sentiments entirely, Mark. I kept waiting for something to 'happen' and at the end wondered if I had dropped off while listening. Delightful Saint-Saëns music as always. but failing to satisfy dramatically.
I'm surprised Ulf Schirmer and Bru Zane gave it preference over Étienne Marcel, which really deserves a modern recording if the Montpellier concert performance is never to be released commercially.
Has Ascanio ever been recorded in full, commercially or otherwise?
After listening to Proserpine 3 times, I find it very good indeed. First of all, the forces involved are fully up to their assignment, as opposed to Les Barbares, so it was possible to assess the work. The story is no worse than many other operas of the time, and better than some. I do find that one misses the stage picture- after all this was written as a staged work, and when listening only, the suicide of Proserpine seems abrupt. It would be different in the opera house. So far, I find that Henry VIII is outstanding, and should be performed often, Etienne Marcel nearly as good (here again, the ending needs the stage to be fully effective). Martin Cooper (in French Music from the Death of Berlioz to the Death of Faure) claims that Ascanio is the finest of Saint-Saens' operas after Samson. Looking forward to hearing that one. But, I am really happy to have this and wlil purchase the book/CD when it is issued. Thank you hadrianus for uploading this wonderful work.
my pleasure mjmosca :-)
The opera's now forthcoming from Ediciones Singulares:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/camille-saint-saens-proserpine/hnum/6598922 (https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/camille-saint-saens-proserpine/hnum/6598922)
It's been released now !