Quotea particular favourite of mine is Gounod's Le Tribut de Zamora and Saint-Saen's Ascanio on B records.
Except Bru Zane had nothing to do with the recording of Ascanio.
But you have good reasons to rejoice as BZ plans many more exciting projects (among which) : 3 Reynaldo Hahn (L'Ile du Rêve, La Carmélite, O mon bel inconnu), Lancelot (Joncieres), Psyché (Thomas), Charles VI (Halévy), Phèdre (Lemoyne), Le Docteur Miracle (Lecocq, much less know than its Bizet counterpart), Yes (Yvain).
Just a reminder that they recently issued a set of 10 Cds with totally unknown material recorded in the last 10 years, as well as an exciting original version of Gounod's Faust....
There are also questions whether recent productions of rare works will see commercial issues : Madame Favart (Offenbach), Maitre Péronilla (Offenbach), Le Timbre d'Argent (Saint-Saëns). Another French rarity is due out soon : Massenet's Don César de Bazan (without PBZ).
Whew. That sounds lovely Ebubu. Hope they don't take years and years to be released though :)
(I'm well aware that Ascanio's not on Bru zane but like I said it's on B Records)
Well, such major planned releases will be expensive and probably/possibly linked to public performances, so I think we'll have to be patient.
What I would very much like to see is a continuation of Godard's symphonic works. CPO issued a marvellous disk a few years ago of Godard symphonies which was supported (and initiated) by Bru Zane.
QuoteWell, such major planned releases will be expensive and probably/possibly linked to public performances, so I think we'll have to be patient.
Well, most of these are planned for this coming season (with, yes, staged or public performances), except for the Joncieres et the Halevy.
I forgot to mention a complete song album of Hahn (4 CDs) which is just out.
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8675087--reynaldo-hahn-complete-songs
I've not heard plans on the series of Prix de Rome, yet, but I hope they'll go on, as there's still so much fascinating material to cover !!!
The cast of Don César de Bazan (Massenet) is :
LES FRIVOLITES PARISIENNES Don César de Bazan... dans la boîte - (in the box, which means "recorded") [So, it should be issued in a few months from now, at the latest].
Du 13 au 17 février (2019), enregistrement pour le label Naxos de Don César de Bazan, l'inédit de Massenet, pépite de notre saison 2015-2016.
Don César, un Grand d'Espagne ruiné, se bat en duel pour sauver Lazarille des griffes d'un capitaine cruel. Un édit royal ayant interdit les duels durant la Semaine Sainte, Don César est arrêté et condamné à mort par pendaison. Dans la cellule de sa prison, Don José trame une intrigue amoureuse savoureuse et rocambolesque...
DON CÉSAR DE BAZAN « LE FANTASQUE », LAURENT NAOURI
MARITANA « L'AMBIGÜE »,ELSA DREISIG
LAZARILLE « LE FIDÈLE », MARION LEBÈGUE
DON JOSÉ DE SANTAREM « LE MANIPULATEUR », CHRISTIAN HELMER
LE ROI,THOMAS BETTINGER
LE CAPITAINE, CHRISTIAN MOUNGOUNGOU
LE CHŒUR AEDES ET L'ORCHESTRE DES FRIVOLITÉS PARISIENNES SERONT DIRIGÉS PAR MATHIEU ROMANO
Yes I just received the Godard CPO CD today in the postmail... wonderful performance with the Munchner Radio Orchestra.. the piece Trois Morceaux Op 51 is especially delightful... full of melodies that stay in your memory... almost wish they had words. Impressive to read about the Bru Zane Center of French Romantic Music mission is to re discover the lost French musical heritage of the years 1780-1920.
Of course, quite a bit has happened with the PBZ since the last post in this thread, most of which has been dealt with in specific threads, but I thought it would be useful to post here the updates on PBZ projects for the coming season (concerts and recordings).
After recent issues of recordings of O Mon Bel Inconnu, L'Ile du Rêve, La Fille de Madame Angot, Phryné, La vie Parisienne (on YT), Les Abencerages (soon on YT I think, and later as a 2 CD set), a 2-CD set of complete Franck songs and duets, the following projects are on track, or to be issued soon :
-- MEYERBEER's Robert le Diable (recorded in Bordeaux, with Minkowski, featuring Erin Morley)
-- FRANCK's Hulda (Madaras)
-- SPONTINI's La Vestale (Rousset)
-- JONCIERES's Lancelot (Niquet, with the Saint-Etienne Opera forces)
-- OFFENBACH's Voyage dans la Lune (Dumoussaud)
-- BERTIN's Fausto (Rousset, concert on June 20th 2023 at the TCE in Paris)
-- Concert of Women Composers at the TCE on June 23, 2023. (recording to be issued most probably).
-- MASSENET's Hérodiade (Rustioni and the Lyon Opera forces). Concert at the TCE, and probably recording to be issued).
-- MASSENET's Grisélidis (Zeitouni). Concert at TCE and probably recording to be issued.
-- MASSENET's Ariane (Schirmer ?). Concert and recording in Munich.
-- SAINT-SAËNS's Déjanire.
Previously cancelled projects, HAHN's La Carmélite and THOMAS's Psyché seem to be "on hold" for now, unfortunately.
PS : Forgot a production of HOLMES's La Montagne Noire in Dortmund, during next season.
Franck's Hulda (its second recording) and Joncière's Lancelot are of particular interest to me. Thanks for the update.
And for me Joncière's Lancelot and Bertin's Fausto.
No Bertin for me, thanks. Esmeralda gave me a rash. Very curious about Holmes' opera, though.
I wouldn't mind hearing Bertin's piano trio, e.g. (or, I gather, unpublished string quartets.)
SAINT-SAËNS's Déjanire was performed in Monte Carlo on 16th October this year. A studio recording was made during the previous week!
HOLMES's La Montagne Noire in Dortmund seems to have disappeared. Perhaps it was so dark they couldn't find it.
A real unsung next year in Wexford: Camille Erlanger's L'aube rouge!
Great shame about the HOLMES. I would be very interested to hear that.
Quote from: BerlinExpat on Thursday 17 November 2022, 15:07Perhaps it was so dark they couldn't find it.
;D 8)
Quote from: BerlinExpat on Thursday 17 November 2022, 15:07A real unsung next year in Wexford: Camille Erlanger's L'aube rouge!
Yep !!! And we are grateful that the 3 productions of this Festival have been broadcast (La Tempesta and Lalla Roukh, already).
Sadly, Lancelot hasn't been recorded, during the performances in Saint-Etienne.... :'( Only 2 excerpts are available on YT.
In the previous list, no mention of Cherubini's Les Abencerages, which was just issued on a 3-CD album... But all the others are apparently still on, with the addition of a WERTHER, in the barytone version, sung by Tassis Christoyannis.
Quote from: BerlinExpat on Thursday 17 November 2022, 15:07HOLMES's La Montagne Noire in Dortmund seems to have disappeared. Perhaps it was so dark they couldn't find it.
According to the newsletter sent earlier today by Palazzetto Bru Zane, one of their teams is still working on editing a score for Holmes's La Montagne Noire. Nothing about a coming performance, though.
In the same newsletter, they let us know that another team recently found scores by Félicien David and Cécile Chaminade that were previously considered to be lost. No details about which music it is (they certainly will say more eventually), but an exciting news, still!
Intriguing. Hopefully some day the full score (or set of parts) to Chaminade's Op.26 (Les amazones, discussed here awhile back on the basis of its surviving vocal score), for example, will turn up so :)
Regarding the Bru Zane project of a concert and recording of Ariane by Massenet, the concert is due to take place this coming Sunday, January 29 at 19.00H from the Prinzregententheater, Munich. It is being broadcast live on BR Klassik. A future cd release is projected. I do hope someone may be able to record the broadcast for listening prior to the eventual cd release.
That a really great prospect. Thanks!
I am wondering if anyone was able to record the Ariane broadcast on BR Klassik on Sunday January 29 ?
HOLMES's La Montagne Noire in Dortmund has reappeared. The première is on 13.1.2024 with the following performances: 19.1.2024, 24.1.2024, 17.2.2024, 11.4.2024 & 10.5.2024
Quote from: strelsa42 on Sunday 12 February 2023, 02:53I am wondering if anyone was able to record the Ariane broadcast on BR Klassik on Sunday January 29 ?
Yes.I'll upload it.
We also have the Herodiade, By Daniele Rustioni broadcast from the Théatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris.
Hulda will be released on 23 June, Ariane on 8 September and Aux étoiles - French Symphonic Poems by Henri Duparc, Alfred Bruneau, Charlotte Sohy, Ernest Giraud... with the Orchestre national de Lyon, conducted by Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider on 20 October
Thanks for the update. Very encouraging.
Quote from: BerlinExpat on Thursday 17 November 2022, 15:07SAINT-SAËNS's Déjanire was performed in Monte Carlo on 16th October this year. A studio recording was made during the previous week!
Do you know if there is any update on the release of this recording? It is mentioned here - https://bru-zane.com/en/evento/dejanire-2/ (https://bru-zane.com/en/evento/dejanire-2/) - but with no details.
Thanks so much to Ebubu for the "Massenet" downloads.
I have tried several times to find some information about the proposed releases of Déjanire and Lancelot but have been unsucessful. There's a short excerpt of the concert performance of Déjanire in youTube. There are now three excerpts from Lancelot in youTube, two of which probably make up the complete first act as they are labelled scenes I and 2. The third is an excerpt from act 4.
It doesn't look like the complete Lancelot will ever be published. There doesn't seem to have been a studio recording alongside the stage production... Maybe we'll get further excerpts on YT, like the 3 that have been uploaded, but chances still look slim...
Quote from: strelsa42 on Tuesday 16 May 2023, 05:32Thanks so much to Ebubu for the "Massenet" downloads.
Most welcome !
Quote from: Christopher on Monday 15 May 2023, 18:03Quote from: BerlinExpat on Thursday 17 November 2022, 15:07SAINT-SAËNS's Déjanire was performed in Monte Carlo on 16th October this year. A studio recording was made during the previous week!
Do you know if there is any update on the release of this recording? It is mentioned here - https://bru-zane.com/en/evento/dejanire-2/ (https://bru-zane.com/en/evento/dejanire-2/) - but with no details.
It is said on the Palazzetto Bru Zane website about Saint-Saëns's "Déjanire":
Recording for the 'French opera' series - Bru Zane Label
QuoteIt is said on the Palazzetto Bru Zane website about Saint-Saëns's "Déjanire": Recording for the 'French opera' series - Bru Zane Label
Yes, just no info (that I can see) about what or when.
Please see new thread on Massenet's Ariane:
https://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,9185.0.html
BERTIN's Fausto (Rousset, concert on June 20th 2023 at the TCE in Paris) will be released in the usual form on 26 January 2024.
An enterprising release, but I'm not impressed by the excerpts I've heard - so far.
The vocal score of the Holmès opera is up (well, ok, has been up for 14 years.), though I notice that Wikipedia is unusually POV about it even as it quotes contemporary negative critics. Maybe the editors of that article should wait until after the Dortmund production :)
Camille Saint-Saëns' Déjanire is on the way! To be released on 12th April 2024.
See bru-zane.com/en/pubblicazione/dejanire/ (http://bru-zane.com/en/pubblicazione/dejanire/) for details.
Very good news - thanks!
Quote from: BerlinExpat on Tuesday 06 February 2024, 22:36Camille Saint-Saëns' Déjanire is on the way! To be released on 12th April 2024.
See bru-zane.com/en/pubblicazione/dejanire/ (http://bru-zane.com/en/pubblicazione/dejanire/) for details.
Hurrah! Thank you for this update BerlinExpat.
I think that's now all Saint-Saens operas recorded?
Following some of the recent posts at UC on Bru Zane recordings, worth noting are some forthcoming recordings, not yet mentioned on this forum I believe, which will tickle some members' fancies. You can find out more towards the end of their 2024-25 season booklet (https://www.calameo.com/read/0074296017afb029fdfed) (from pages 94-99).
Recordings include:
- Offenbach: La vie parisienne
- Massenet: Grisélidis
- Bizet: Djamileh
- 'The Unknown Bizet' (including: Vasco de Gama; La mort s'avance; Le retour de Virginie; Le Golfe de Baïa; etc)
Other recordings mentioned in the booklet (with no official release dates, as yet, as far as I can tell) include works for cello and orchestra by Franchomme, Ropartz, Dubois, Caplet, Widor, Schmitt, etc - see page 11 of the booket.
What a fantastic institution this is!
4c
More Bru Zane productions: Three great operatic rediscoveries mark the season 2024-25: L'Ancêtre by Camille Saint-Saëns (1906) in Monaco; Mazeppa by Clémence de Grandval (1892) in Munich (27. 01. 25); and Psyché by Ambroise Thomas (1857-1878) in Budapest and Vienna. Performed in concert and recorded on CD, these rarities will perhaps have the same fortune as the gems unearthed in previous years, which, after winning over their first audiences, are now returning in staged versions to European theatres.
Thanks for this information - great to hear!
The Palazzetto has announced future plans :
HEROLD - Zampa (with Julien Dran)
HOLMES - La Montagne Noire, staged in Bordeaux and recorded subsequently (dir. Pierre Dumoussaud)
MASSENET - An album of orchestral songs (already recorded with the Rouen Opera Orchestra, dir. P. Dumoussaud)
DELIBES - Jean de Nivelle (dir. G. Vashegyi)
and being involved in some way or another in the following staged productions :
HERVE - Le Petit Faust
OFFENBACH - Robinson Crusoé (at the Opera-Comique, by the Pelly-Minkowski team, so probably an audio and video recording)
FOURDRAIN - Les Contes de Perrault (staged production is over, but a recording is probably on its way)
SILVER - La Belle au Bois Dormant, staged production in Saint-Etienne. Not sure whether it will be followed by a CD recording.
A work I'd love to see recorded is Saint-Saëns's complete incidental music of La Foi. Only the Trois tableaux symphoniques have been recorded. Judging by the quality of those extracts, I imagine that the whole work contains more great music.
A live recording of Hérold's Zampa, with the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, under the direction of Erik Nielsen, is currently available until the end of the week here:
https://www.br-klassik.de/programm/radio/ausstrahlung-3915898.html?fbclid=IwZnRzaAOaosRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeNDRzOpIAz9zjbQ4UoVbpV8uAeUVJeAppSoR2CF1qu2iNYUS-abU867sN15Y_aem_-bWAYI64EMLpLf6yLP4euA
There was a rumour a few years ago that Bru Zane had located a hitherto "lost" or "unknown" orchestral/vocal work by Chaminade, and people were speculating that it might be the full score of her Symphony "Les Amazones". Since then, everything has gone quiet. Does anyone have any further information on this? Or should we just consign it to the wastepaper basket of wishful thinking?
It's the ballet Callirhoé and the 1st Orchestral Suite, which MAY one day be recorded... But it all seems very uncertain at this point. No definite plans.
These were recorded for Dutton Epoch by the BBC Concert Orchestra under Martin Yates, back in 2017.
The orchestral suite of Callirhoé has been recorded for Bru Zane by David Reiland and Orchestre National de Metz. It is included in the 8 CD set "Compositrices, New Light on French Romantic Women Composers" published in 2023.
And the Suite No. 1 is also on Dutton, being a coupling with Anton Simon's Piano Concerto and his other orchestral works.
Bru Zane have again announced that La Montagne Noire by Augusta Holmes is to be recorded as part of the French Opera Series: here (https://bru-zane.com/en/stagione-2025-2026/evento/la-montagne-noire-2/)
And the Saint-Etienne Opéra has announced Auguste Mermet's Roland à Roncevaux, as part of its 2026-27 season. Most probably a CD recording for the French Opera series to follow.
We are also waiting for the publication of Delibes' Jean de Nivelle (which was recorded in Budapest some months ago).
Bru Zane has also announced the performance of Daniel Steibelt's opera Roméo et Juliette for June 2027, and the work will also be released in the French Opera series in 2028. This sounds very promising!
I still hope they will eventually take on Ernest Reyer's Sigurd though!
There's also Louis Joseph Ferdinand Hérold's "Zampa ou La fiancée de marbre" recorded November 2025 in Munich with the following:
Julien Henric, Tenor
Hélène Carpentier, Soprano
Héloïse Mas, Mezzosoprano
Cyrille Dubois, Tenor
Pierre Derhet, Tenor
François Rougier, Tenor
Lukas Mayr, Baritone
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Erik Nielsen, Conductor
Quote from: UnsungMasterpieces on Monday 08 June 2026, 11:18Bru Zane has also announced the performance of Daniel Steibelt's opera Roméo et Juliette for June 2027, and the work will also be released in the French Opera series in 2028. This sounds very promising!
I still hope they will eventually take on Ernest Reyer's Sigurd though!
There is of course a somewhat older recording of
Sigurd (https://archive.org/details/sigurd-73) that I remember as being not all that bad.
Edit: I see there have been at least five recordings of this opera.
I hope that while they are digitising the scores, they find Alkan's long lost symphony!
I'm not ... hopefilled, but I hope so too. That said, if it's not outside of their orbit, recordings of things like Dallier's symphony, all 4 (or as many as are complete) of Gedalge's symphonies (and other works), etc., would be great too, imhonesto?
Quote from: Ilja on Monday 08 June 2026, 22:18There is of course a somewhat older recording of Sigurd (https://archive.org/details/sigurd-73) that I remember as being not all that bad.
Edit: I see there have been at least five recordings of this opera.
I am aware of some of those recordings, but I mentioned it more in the sense that I feel it's an opera that is very deserving of what I would call the "Bru Zane treatment": an informative CD-book with a wonderful recording of the work. I seem to remember reading - but correct me if I'm wrong - that some recordings of
Sigurd do not respect the completeness of the score. If Bru Zane were to release a sort of "definitive version" I think that would be incredible.
Also, a multitude of recordings does not mean an opera is not of interest to Bru Zane. After all, Gounod's
Faust has been released several times in the past, but Bru Zane released the original version with spoken dialogue.
From what I gathered, there isn't a complete version at all - but to be honest, it's a beast of a thing, well over four hours in its full glory. This YouTube user (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9Uy0kdx01c)cobbled together a complete-ish version from the then extant recordings.