Berlioz: Les Troyens [Box set, Import, Live, Original recording reissued]

Hector Berlioz (Composer), Sir Colin Davis (Conductor), London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (Orchestra), Ben Heppner (Performer), Michelle DeYoung (Performer), Peter Mattei (Performer), Petra Lang (Performer), Sara Mingardo (Performer), Stephen Milling (Performer), Kenneth Tarver (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Ben Heppner, Michelle DeYoung, Peter Mattei, Petra Lang, Sara Mingardo, et al.
• Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
• Conductor: Sir Colin Davis
• Composer: Hector Berlioz
• Audio CD (January 30, 2002)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Import, Live, Original recording reissued
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: London Symphony Orchestra
• ASIN: B000063DQA
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,368 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting Live Performance at Incredible Bargain Price, October 29, 2001

By 

Nicholas A. Deutsch (Tarrytown, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: BERLIOZ:LES TROYENS (COMPLETE OPERA) (Audio CD)

This live 2000 performance is both a thrilling experience & one of the bargains of all time - & it comes with full French/English libretto plus David Cairns's authoritative essay. But... in Sir Colin Davis's landmark 1969 (studio) version, there were 3 French-speaking soloists (in supporting roles) & - aside from 1 Swede & 1 Canadian - the rest were British, which gave some linguistic consistency to the performance. Here a lone Frenchwoman (in a minor role) is surrounded by a United Nations of artists: Canada, the U.S., Germany, Bulgaria, Turkey, Britain, Armenia, Sweden, Denmark & China... No language coach could be expected to bring verbal cohesion to such a group, nor to fix basic deficiencies in language training; the French on these discs ranges from well-schooled to mediocre.
That aside, this performance deserves all the praise it's received. Davis's fine interpretation hasn't changed in basic conception; where things are different, it's for the better, especially in the tender care he now brings to the more lyrical passages. Plus there's the added excitement of a live performance. Orchestra & chorus are excellent, & so is almost all of the solo singing. Petra Lang is a vivid Cassandra, using her dark mezzo to great effect. Ben Heppner sings Aeneas really beautifully with no strain whatsoever, in itself a tremendous accomplishment; not by temperament a "live wire," he nonetheless rises to the dramatic challenges of the last act to great effect. Michelle DeYoung's Dido is more a very promising role debut that a fully finished portrayal (she was "moved up" from Cassandra on short notice). This gifted singer, blessed with a beautiful voice & strong theatrical instincts, does much lovely singing, but the part isn't fully "in" her voice yet. Her French vowels, too, are surprisingly unreliable, & she tends to fuss the musical line in the cause of "expressiveness." (Listen to Marisa Ferrer on Sir Thomas Beecham's electrifying 1947 broadcast Troyens [Malibran-Music CDRG 162] to hear what a difference correct, clear vowels & an unshakable legato can make).
Highly recommended - & thank you, LSO, for making these wonderful performances available at reasonable cost. (But if you love, or fall in love with Les Troyens, please hear the Beecham version for that extra dimension of linguistic authenticity.)

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb at any price, October 29, 2001

By 

Ed Beveridge (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: BERLIOZ:LES TROYENS (COMPLETE OPERA) (Audio CD)

This recording is based on performances by the LSO at the end of last year, which generated a great deal of excitement at the time. Eye witness accounts tell of white-hot performances to tell the grandchildren about, and their release on CD is very good news. This is Sir Colin Davis' second recording of this piece and whilst I haven't heard the first, it's hard to imagine him producing better. The recording is coherent across its sprawling whole (the two "parts", not remotely equal) in spite of having been recorded at different times.

Yes, the playing of the LSO is the star of the recordings. All the textures - from the big set pieces to the intimate moments, by way of the spooky "ghost" music and the plentiful dances - are perfectly brough to life, the tempi ideal. Perhaps the zenith comes in Act 4, where the dances are followed by the languorous love music, which provides an overwhelming palate of sound. The chorus sounds a bit thin and lacklustre for my liking, and indeed for me are the set's main drawback.

And the singers? The principal roles are notoriously difficult and Davis has a mix of the well known and the less well known among his cast. Spanning both parts, Heppner's Enee is thrilling and he makes light of the killer tessitura. There is no lack of spirit and fire, though perhaps more sensuous singing in Act 4 would be useful - although this is already an astonishing performance. Lang's Cassandre is fabulous, fiery, crazed and ultimately triumphant. Technically she is wonderful, solid from bottom to top without betraying her mezzo status. The other main mezzo, Michelle de Young, is aptly queenly as Dido, producing creamy sound with occasional pitch difficulties. She is at her best in the outbursts in Act 5 where her anger could strip paint. Sara Mingardo, as her sister Anna, sings gloriously thorughout - what a wonderful Dido she would be. Among the rest of the cast, Mattei's Chorebe is smooth, Tarver's Iopas beautifully and tastefully sung, and Spence's Hylas eager and lyrical.

All in all, a great triumph. The sound quality is good, the amount of extraneous "live" sound is minimal, and the accompanying literature adequate. At an unbvelievably low price, this recording is recommendable to just about anyone who cares about Berlioz, Opera, or epic music theatre.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5-plus, July 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Berlioz: Les Troyens (Audio CD)

This recording really deserves more than 5 stars but, as 5 is the limit then I guess I'll have to stick with it. I agree with what the other '5 star reviewers' have said. This is a quite superb account of Berlioz's stunning masterpiece. I love every single note of it, especially when played as it is here, with such passion, fervour, commitment, and beauty. Davis's conducting is extraordinary. The 4 hours whip past in no time at all, completely involving the listener, but never rushing on at the expense of the more lyrical moments, for example the beautiful 20 minute ending of Act IV. The sound quality is the best I have of any recorded opera: bright and clear yet also warm; an amazing achievement for a live performance (there is almost zero audience noise). I've had this recording for 12 months now, and it's certainly in my top three recordings of all time. Included is a libretto too. My one highlight (if I had to choose only one) would be Petra Lang's Cassandra. She gives a scene-stealing performance of remarkable intensity, and her long duet with Chorebus in Act One is probably my favourite part of the score. Berlioz was an absolute genius, and this recording does that genius full justice...