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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't be put off by 'abridged', December 8, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Berlioz: Les troyens (Abridged) (Audio CD)
Although the sleeve notes claim that this recording contains only about three-quarters of Berlioz' music, it's actually almost complete. As far as I can tell, there are some repeats cut in the dance in Act I, the artisans' dances are cut in Act III, and so are the dances from Act IV. Apart from that (and I'm sure someone will correct me if I've missed something) nothing is cut apart from a couple of lines sung by the soldiers during Hylas's aria: puzzling, as no actual bars are cut - they just don't sing their words. The singing cast is the best recorded: Horne really has the vocal range for Cassandre; sopranos generally have trouble at the bottom and mezzos at the top. She sings the whole thing seamlessly. Gedda is a wonderful Enée - lighter than the usual, but far more stylish with clean, totally secure top notes. Verrett is an excellent Didon, and she and Gedda between them offer the best-sung 'Nuits d'ivresse' I have heard. Pretre's conducting is perhaps a bit of an acquired taste: he goes for excitement more than beauty, and compared with Colin Davis it sounds hectic, particularly in Act I, and without the sense of continuity that Davis achieves. On the other hand, he does often produce a heightened sense of drama and it's interesting to hear such a different approach to the score. At such a bargain price this set is definitely worth the money.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
5 stars for what it is..., February 2, 2004
This review is from: Berlioz: Les troyens (Abridged) (Audio CD)
... and it is abridged, though what's cut appears to be mainly instrumental music. As the album claims, the important passages for voice are here, and the arc of the narrative is maintained. I have the first Davis recording on lps -- in fine condition and in manual sequence -- and I wanted a different set on CD. After reading a number of reviews, I had reservations about Davis' new recording, as well as the one from Montreal on Decca. The cast of this Opera d'Oro issue promises much, and the recording delivers. This is easily the best sounding OD set I've yet encountered. I don't know if it is stereo or binaural, but voices come through beautifully, including the choruses, and there is supurb balance between voice and orchestra -- and the orchestra plays very well indeed. The layout is well managed: acts 1&2 on cd1, 3&4 on cd2, and act 5 on cd3. If you enjoy the 4-act version of DON CARLO as well as the 5 act, you will probably find this LES TROYENS a worthy addition to any of the complete sets you own. No libretto, of course, but a synopsis and a listing of the tracks. Marilyn Horn's Cassandra alone is worth the small price of this album. If all the OD issues sounded as good as this one, their catalog would be reduced to perhaps two or three pages.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good supplement to Davis/Vickers version for fans, December 7, 2008
This review is from: Berlioz: Les troyens (Abridged) (Audio CD)
Hardly anything is abridged. Mostly just a few of the dances are gone. However, it is conducted much more quickly than I am used to--I learned the opera on the Colin Davis/Vickers version. That is still my first choice, it has much better sound, and it makes more of a few of the big moments (which Pretre takes too fast sometimes). Pretre's fast pacing actually works really well for some of the music, though. The quicker tempi give some more shape to certain moments that Davis's slower speeds can make to seem slack and un-rhythmic. Another really good reason to have this version is Gedda. His Enee is much more in the lighter-voiced French style, and makes a good contrast with Vickers' more Wagnerian approach. This is probably more the type of sound that Berlioz had in mind for Enee. The diction is also better throughout this recording than on the Davis/Vickers set. Marilyn Horne and Shirley Verrett, the two American leading ladies, have excellent diction, as does Gedda, of course.
Finally, I would like to say that the sound is quite good. Extremely good for Opera D'oro. It is clean and clear stereo, although the bass sounds a bit muffled at times, but it is not troubling. This is almost studio quality sound, and there is no audience noise.
Again, an enjoyable release, especially at this price you shouldn't pass up the chance to hear Gedda and Pretre's approach.
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