Forthcoming from Ediciones Singulares:
http://www.mdt.co.uk/saint-saens-les-barbares-ediciones-singulares-2cds-book.html (http://www.mdt.co.uk/saint-saens-les-barbares-ediciones-singulares-2cds-book.html)
Tremendous! These are usually such high quality productions.
Very interesting release! Thank You for advise us! The people of Palazetto have some much funds!
One note in the page says:
Les Barbares was premièred at the Paris Opéra (Palais Garnier) in October 1901, having originally been intended for the Roman theatre of Orange, in Provence. Rather than concentrating on bloodshed and slaughter, the plot focuses on the evolution of the relationship between Floria, the chief vestal, and Marcomir, the leader of the Barbarians, with the musical interest of the opera culminating furthermore in their splendid duet at the end of Act II. Saint-Saëns, like Massenet too at that time, shows here his ability to adapt his style to suit his literary inspiration. Les Barbares is in the same vein as Berlioz's Les Troyens and contemporary with Fauré's Pénélope The composer does not hesitate to call the work a tragédie lyrique, since it has features of that eighteenth-century genre. We also note an allusion to the 1870 Franco-Prussian war.
Although not an opera buff myself, I'm certainly pleased to see the remainder of Saint-Saëns' operatic works getting a chance to be staged. Probably going to find something better than Samson et Delilah in there somewhere.
Maybe... It will be very interesting listen it!!
May I recommend Saint-Saens' Henry VIII a magnificent powerful work. The characters are all powerfully drawn and the music composed in a symphonic manner. There are 2 recordings available, neither perfect, but the broadcast recording with Alain Fondary and Francoise Pollet is generally superb. Available at PremierOperaItaly. thank you! Looking forward to Les Barbares!
I would equally recommend Étienne Marcel. It's a pity the Montpellier concert performance / Radio France broadcast has never been issued commercially.
Now we have Les Barbares and with this recording I feel Palazzetto Bru Zane must be applauded for demonstrating what a good opera composer Saint-Saens was. The prologue is rather unusal. After an short Introduction Symphonique a narrator gives the background to the drama. There then follows the Conclusion Symphonique - a kind of symphonic poem - which apparently foxed the audience at the première! This is different to the purely orchestral prologue on the recent Melba recording entitled Elan - Ballet Music from Operas by Saint-Saens.
As Aramiraz' note says a highlight is undoubedly the duet at the end of act two. The opera is symphonically conceived so don't expect hummable tunes.
As far as I'm aware there are still six operas to go, not including Étienne Marcel. If the remainder are as good as Les Barbares, I feel IMHO that we have been deprived of some wonderful music.
Wow! First impressions (I'm still listening to it) are that this is a real winner of an opera. Intensely dramatic, but with plenty of light and shade and superbly orchestrated (I was reminded of Massenet at his very best), this is a big work in scale if not in length (exactly 2 hours). BerlinEXpat wrote about it being conceived symphonically, and it certainly is not an episodic piece, but it does have a lot hummable melody in it, even at first hearing. The recording and performances (which include the ballet) are first class. My only gripes (and they are minor) is that downloaders from qobuz.com don't get the usual superb booklet, but only a measly jpg of the cover, and the tenor (don't know who he is as I don't have the booklet!) boasts an annoyingly persistent vibrato in his higher register. But overall, this is a great discovery which I will relish returning to.
The booklet has now mysteriously appeared in the downloads section of my qobuz account, so I guess whatever mistake there was has been rectified. Needless to say, it matches the high standards of Ediciones Singulares previous productions.
If by "conceived symphonically" do you mean to imply there is use of Wagnerian leitmotifs?
Might "conceived symphonically" mean through-composed?
I guess it might mean either. If you think about the date of the opera and various interpretations of Wagner operas as symphonic structures the question from Jim seems a reasonable one. IMHO, of course.
I was simply repeating what BerlinExpat wrote. I took it to mean that Les Barbares is not a number opera, and that's certainly true. I didn't pick up use of leitmotiv, but then I have only heard it through once. It is, of course, through-composed. The Prologue is innovative: a short orchestral prelude and a long (10 minute or so) orchestral postlude frame a brief, sung, introduction by a narrator. No wonder audiences were confounded by that beginning!
Thank you, Mark, for stepping into the breach while I enjoyed a superb performance of Die tote Stadt in Chemnitz.
As Mark said, the opera is through composed, a term I didn't use because after the first hearing I was impressed by the 'symphonic' quality of the music. With the description "symphonically conceived", JimL, I didn't mean to suggest the use of Wagnerian Leitmotifs. In fact, after the Franco-Prussian war, I feel Saint-Saens avoided such devices although Charles Joly in his essay in the accompanying book to the CDs suggests there are four or five of them in Les Barbares. He says they are, "real themes, strong and expressive, and the whole of the prelude is based on those themes, which are nuanced, varied and counterpointed with infinite skill". Perhaps they are just themes and a more careful study of the score would be necessary to arrive at a different conclusion. IMHO, whether Leitmotifs or themes, they don't detract from the mastery of the score and two hours of wonderful music.
In that connection, full and vocal scores at IMSLP over here (http://imslp.org/wiki/Les_barbares_(Saint-Sa%C3%ABns,_Camille)). Will try to fill out that page by adding links to analytical material, maybe a link to a manuscript if BNF has uploaded one (as they have for other Saint-Saëns works), &c. so that one has something in addition to the scores to refer to, though if one can read a full opera score that is usually, I think, the best recourse in the long run in trying to answer a question of the above sort (in general, depending on the complexity of the score, &c. And if a score needn't be ultramodern to be complex- that's a description(or?) somewhat at an angle from style, more "idea" :) )
I have been listening to my new recording of Les Barbares and it is a superb work! Every time that I listen to it I discover new and beautiful ideas in the music. May I add that "symphonically conceived" (in my opinion) is that the orchestra and voices are all employed in delineating the action and bringing the characters to life, with the voice first among equals; using musical processes that one would hear in symphonic music. With Saint-Saens, Liszt's concept of transformation of themes is always a vital component, and this seems to be characteristic of all of the Saint-Saens operas that I have heard so far. Saint-Saens bristled at being called a Wagnerian since he knew and understood Wagner, but was not swept away by him as so many French composers were (Chabrier probably the most notable example). I can understand that the first audience for Les Barbares would have been somewhat baffled, but this is a serious, even gloomy work but very strong. I am so glad that it has been recorded and very well presented, with the disks set in a small book. The soprano is superb; the mezzo a little too much vibrato for me, but everyone seems to be able to handle their assignments well. May I suggest that Premieropera Italy is a great source for operas of Saint-Saens (I have just ordered Etienne Marcel and Phryne- the latter from 1960 which is on Youtube; they have both recordings of Henry VIII too) and many other Unsung Composers.
Mjmosca, altogether agree with you!! It's wonderful music!! Very important discovery!! In what link I can to buy Etienne Marcel and Henry VIII??
Dear Aramiarz...if I may take the liberty of responding:
For Henri viii:
http://premiereopera.net/product/henry-viii-by-saint-saens-montpellier-1989/
(http://premiereopera.net/product/henry-viii-by-saint-saens-montpellier-1989/)
For Etienne Marcel:
http://premiereopera.net/product/etienne-marcel-by-saint-saens-montpellier-1994-mono/
(http://premiereopera.net/product/etienne-marcel-by-saint-saens-montpellier-1994-mono/)
Henri viii is much the better of the two, a great French music drama. Marcel, as Tchaikovsky complained, lacks really good tunes...It's still fun, though.
Best, David
Dear David!
Thank You!
One question, between three operas, what do You like more?
Henri viii, by a mile. There are so many great things, just about all of Act 1: Henry's aria "Qui donc command" all the way through the first act finale where Henry creepily makes love to Ann as Buckingham is led to the block...Act 2's scene for Ann and the tenor (a former love...not historical) and Henry's love duet with Ann (his lust vs her ambition) Act 3 is the climax, really, with the great synod scene where Henry breaks with Rome & Queen Catherine (the Synod march may be the greatest 8 minutes of music Saint-Saens ever wrote) The end of the Act is thrilling and at the performance at Bard a few years back, the audience roared! Finally, the last act with a great scene for Catherine of Aragon and the final quartet, a stunning and truly refined bit of cruelty: Henry passionately and insincerely sings of his love for Ann in the hope that a jealous (and dying) Catherine will be stung to produce an incriminating letter of Ann's, so he can have Ann executed for infidelity. All this in inspired melody and orchestration...Saint-Saens at a peak he did not always let himself achieve...the influence of his friend Tchaikovsky appears from time to time and all to the good. There's even a cracking Scottish ballet.
Here's link to the New York Times review of the Bard Festival performance:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/arts/music/leon-botstein-conducts-henry-viii-at-bard-festival.html?_r=0
(http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/arts/music/leon-botstein-conducts-henry-viii-at-bard-festival.html?_r=0) Best, David
Dear David, you are very kind for your comments!! I like very much "Les barbares"!! Surely Henry is one master work! I NEED Listen it soon!!
I agree- Henry VIII is a top flight masterpiece! I love it. As Saint-Saens once said, he could not understand how it was not played everywhere. A great opera. We really need a first rate studio recording- Renee Fleming would be an excellent Catherine- the ideal Henry existed in the person of Alain Fondary, happily captured opposite the equally perfect Francoise Pollet as Catherine-in 1989. I believe that they have both retired.
I agree too. It is a great opera and should be performed all the time. Perhaps the fact that it is a psychological drama rather than a spectacle counted against it in France.
Etienne Marcel, however, is also beautiful music- clearly more lyrical than the impressive Les Barbares. The problems may be with the libretto, but there is much highly melodic music- an ecstatic duet for the soprano and tenor, fine ensembles and great choruses. Tchaikovsky's criticism is, frankly, preposterous. I am listening the Etienne Marcel now, the cast in the 1994 recording is very good- again Alain Fondary with Michele Legrand as Etienne's daughter, Beatrice. I think that once we have a first rate recording of Henry VIII that Etienne Marcel should be next in line! But, Henry VIII has the better libretto, permitting the development of real characters- splendidly achieved by Saint-Saens.
How good is the sound quality on the Etienne Marcel recording?
The 1994 Etienne Marcel recorded quality is somewhat variable, not as good as the recording of Henry VIII of 1989, but completely listenable. The tenor's voice suffers somewhat as certain notes tend to blast. I guess serviceable would be the best description. I find that the shortcomings of the recording does not impede enjoyment of the music.
Les Barbares, alas and alack, is not great Saint-Saëns. It certainly has some rousing orchestral writing, but is almost devoid of the sort of memorable melodic inspiration that the composer was famous for. Of course, he was probably aiming for something more through-composed, but one simply longs for a juicy tune.
Of course, I may have been on bad listening form. However, I can recognise a good tenor when I hear one - and the Lithuanian Edgaras Montvidas...
http://www.edgarasmontvidas.com/en/biography (http://www.edgarasmontvidas.com/en/biography)
...is absolutely superb. He almost rescues the opera. But not quite...
Although I like Les Barbares very much, after repeated hearings I must agree that overall it is certainly not up to the very high standard of Samson et Dalila or Henry VIII, but I have to disagree with Alan about the lack of melody. Of course, there isn't a stand out big tune like Dalila's "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix", but I know that's not what Alan means. I think that Les Barbares easily gives the impression he complains of because it is, as we have discussed earlier, very consciously through composed and so the material quickly moves on and is developed. Sometimes Saint-Saëns throws away a strong melodic idea in the interests of development, which I find a mite frustrating. I guess that he was just trying out something different.
...and. although I like Henry VIII a lot more, I'm not convinced that's top-flight Saint-Saëns either. A case of the great (Samson et Dalila) being the enemy of the good, maybe...
... I should go listen to Les Barbares, because I'm beginning to conjecture that another possibility, is that Saint-Saëns wanted to try his hand at being more than one kind of composer, over his life... (and succeeded, on the evidence of some of his last works- while maybe- maybe- a little less melodically instantly memorable- are often memorable, distinctive, even tenacious for sheer quality and beauty in the sum of their parts...)
For me, Henry VIII is definitely first rate, comparable to Samson et Dalila- all of the characters spring to life, through great music forged to a fine libretto. Unlike the triumphant end of Samson et Dalila, the end of Henry VIII is chilling, and that is a big part of its power! The video of the 1991 production (on Kultur) though somewhat underfunded (and it shows) is worth seeing and illustrated that an excellent opera Henry VIII is. As for Les Barbares, Saint-Saens seemed to be working toward a more austere music palette- he writes of a perfect balance between all of the aspects of opera, and I am not sure that it works- though it may have in the theater (for which it was written). Saint-Saens claimed that Helene was (among) his best works- he served as his own librettist and it too is beautiful, but is about development of musical themes without big standout melodies. Saint-Saens mentioned that "others would achieve" the goal of perfect balance- and indeed it may be that Debussy did, in Pelleas et Melisande ... much to Saint-Saens consternation! Without sounding like a broken record, (LP!) I am finding Etienne Marcel to be full of drama and melodic- the libretto has problems- it is a tragic story that has a happy ending, which is a form that is no longer in style.
Helene is available? Or never has been recorded?
Very well recorded, as it happens:
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=10566&name_role1=1&genre=33&bcorder=19&comp_id=285724 (http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=10566&name_role1=1&genre=33&bcorder=19&comp_id=285724)
Most enjoyable!
Best, David
A most beautiful recording of "Hélène" (coupled with "Nuit Persane") has been realized on the enterprising MELBA label, also featuring Steve Davislim, whom I consider a successor of Fritz Wunderlich, and whose CD with orchestral songs by Richard Strauss is a real highlight in this repertoire.
QuoteSteve Davislim, whom I consider a successor of Fritz Wunderlich
He wouldn't be my choice. But then, who is? Wunderlich is unmatchable IMHO.
A half-hour of (basically fairly continuous?) excerpts from Les Barbares can be heard for the next month or so, for those who (like me) don't yet have this recording, at the end of the March 16th broadcast of Swedish Radio P2's Klassik Formiddag as available online here (http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/517580?programid=2480) (after works by Charles Stanford (1st piano quartet), Amy Beach, and various other composers.)
Les Barbares is a very uneven work, in my view. It has some very impressive moments - very impressive - but too often the standard isn't maintained and tension dissipates. There's also some very variable singing on the ES recording: oh, for the grand voices of past years.