Bizet: Ivan IV [Import]

Georges Bizet (Composer), Michael Schønwandt (Conductor), Inva Mula (Performer), Julian Gavin (Performer), Ludovic Tezier (Performer), Paul Gay (Performer), Alexandre Vassilev (Performer), Henriette Bonde-Hansen (Performer), Franck Bard (Performer), Sonia Nigoghossian (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Inva Mula, Julian Gavin, Ludovic Tezier, Paul Gay, Alexandre Vassilev, et al.
• Conductor: Michael Schønwandt
• Composer: Georges Bizet
• Audio CD (November 12, 2002)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Naive
• ASIN: B00006BHE9
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #439,510 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Introduction n.1 Puisons Mes Soeurs, L'eau Des Fontaines - Choeur De Radio France

2. Scene Et Morceau D'Ensemble n.2 Mon Pere! Qu'avez-vous? - Choeur De Radio France

3. Final n.3 Victoire! Victoire! - Choeur De Radio France

4. Scene, Choeur Et Recit n.4 Sonnez, Eclatantes Fanfares! - Choeur De Radio France

5. Serenade n.5 Ouvre Ton Coeur A L'amour Qui M'emflamme - Henriette Bonde-Hansen

6. Recit Et Chant Du Cosak n.6 Eh! C'est Un Chant De Femmes - Ludovic Tezier

7. Final n.7 Boyards, J'ai Fait Fouiller La Plaine Et La Montagne - Choeur De Radio France

8. Choeur Danse n.8 Sous Nos Pas Le Sol Resonne - Choeur De Radio France

9. Marche, Scene Et Choeur n.9 Silence, Le Csar S'avance - Choeur De Radio France

Disc: 2

1. Duo n.10 Et Moi, J'aurais Quitte Mon Pere Vainement - Paul Gay

2. Trio Et Choeur Final n.11 N'est-ce Pas Toi, Jeune Homme - Paul Gay

3. Choeur n.12 Venez, Souveraine Adoree - Choeur De Radio France

4. Air n.13 Il Me Semble Parfois Que Ma Vie Est Un Songe! - Inva Mula

5. Recit n.14 Pour La Fete De Nuit La Moskowa S'allume - Ludovic Tezier

6. Scene Et Recit n.15 Tiens, Lis Ce Billet - Ludovic Tezier

7. Recit Et Air n.16 Ma Vengeance Va Donc Etre Enfin Satisfaite - Julian Gavin

8. Duo n.17 Marie!/Igor! - Julian Gavin

9. Final n.18 Voyez!/Ah, Mon Ivan! - Inva Mula

10. Marche Et Recit n.19 Qui Vive? - Franck Bard

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real find..., January 4, 2008

By 

B. Cathey "ParsifalCSA" (Wendell, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bizet: Ivan IV (Audio CD)

I stumbled across this recording in a second-hand shop, and it came as something of revelation. I already had the EMI edition (reconstructed by Henri Busser, and not complete); but this edition, which is more complete, and on which apparently greater care was taken, by Howard Williams, is quite remarkable. Bizet had apparently destroyed the original score, so the presentation of the Williams reconstructed edition in London in 1987 and this Radio France production in 2002 have been the only two, to my knowledge, presentations. This collaboration between Naive and Radio France is hugely successful. The major protagonists--Inva Mula (as Marie), Julian Gavin (as Igor), Ludovic Tezier (as Ivan), and Paul Gay (as Temrouk)--account themselves quite well, and make a persuasive case for this unknown opera. I am inclined to agree with an earlier reviewer that this work stands up quite well to anything else Bizet wrote. I've now listened through it about four times, and each time it impresses me more. The Orchestre Nationale de France, under Michael Schonwandt, play quite nicely; the sound is excellent. So, one of those rare instances when a real buried gem is uncovered, indeed. High recommended to opera lovers, and in particular lovers of French opera.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Bizet's best!, May 23, 2007

By 

Brett Farrell "Offenbachinate!!!" (Cape May, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bizet: Ivan IV (Audio CD)

This is one of the most beautiful opera's Bizet ever wrote. The music is sweepingly gorgeous. While it might not be as popular as 'les Pecheurs de perles' or 'Carmen' it never really got a chance. Bizet had started it early in his career and had tried unsuccesfully to have it staged at the Theatre-Lyriqe and then at the Opera. He eventually scrapped the whole thing. An unfinished version was eventually found in the Library of the Paris Conservatoire and completed. Howard Williams completed this recorded version. Since the piece was never preformed during Bizet's lifetime we'll never know how great it could have been.

We are more fortunate than the people of Bizet's lifetime in that we get to hear 'Ivan IV' for it is a true opeartic masterpiece. There is never a boring section. While it may not be as good as Carmen it is as good if not better than 'Les Pecheurs...' and 'la jolie fille de Perth'. In fact speaking of 'la jolie fille de Perth', Bizet took a stunning opening duet from Ivan and used it for the prelude to 'La jolie...' Though the prelude is beautiful, as a duet it is stunning. But that is not the only stunning portion of the opera. It keeps going from there. The dramatic end to act 1 where Marie is discovered kidnaped by her brother then the dark and chilling opening of act 2 which opens with Ivan hanging several prisoners and then it's rousing serenade and the haunting numbers of the act 2 finale and I could keep going. Each number is brilliant and inspiring and addicting and everything an opera should be.

I recommend with complete confidence that you add this opera to your collection whether you are a Bizet fan or just an opera fan for 'Ivan IV' will not disapoint you.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More French grand-opéra, July 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Bizet: Ivan IV (Audio CD)

If you want to know what French gran-opéra is about perhaps you should begin with Rossini's Guillaume Tell, Meyerbeer's Les huguenots or Halévy's La Juive. But there is much more grand-opéra which is not so often recorded: Auber's La Muette de Portici, or Massenet's Le roi de Lahore and Esclarmonde. Even Verdi composed two grand-opéras, Don Carlos and Les vêpres sicilennes. Bizet in more known for his opéra-comiqués, mostly Carmen and Pearlfishers, but he did write this beautiful grand-opéra. Besides, the version recorded here is the new edition by Howard Williams, who seems to have been more respectful to Bizet's intentions than Henri Büsser, who prepared the edition partialy recorded by Emi, available with Pearlfishers altogether. The cast is better in this second version, most notably Inva Mula and Ludovic Tézier, except for Julian Gavin, the tenor, and I don't really like Henri Legay, who played Igor in the old Emi edition.