French Coloratura Arias

Jacques Offenbach (Composer), Jules Massenet (Composer), Felicien David (Composer), Andre-Ernest-Modeste Gretry (Composer), Michael William Balfe (Composer), Andre Messager (Composer), Ambroise Thomas (Composer), Adolphe Adam (Composer), Ferdinand Herold (Composer), Leo Delibes (Composer), Francois-Adrien Boieldieu (Composer), Victor Masse (Composer), Richard Bonynge (Conductor), English Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra), Sumi Jo (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Sumi Jo
• Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra
• Conductor: Richard Bonynge
• Composer: Jacques Offenbach, Jules Massenet, Felicien David, Andre-Ernest-Modeste Gretry, Michael William Balfe, et al.
• Audio CD (September 14, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B00020QW9G
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #350,244 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Les Pantins de Violette, operetta: La Chanson du canari

2. Le roi l'a dit, opera: Portons toujours des robes sombres

3. La Reine Topaze, opera: Carnaval de Venise

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Carnaval, December 4, 2005

By 

M. Tietjen "tietj" (Syracuse, NY, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: French Coloratura Arias (Audio CD)

There is no track listing on Amazon for this album. It is a re-release of Sumi Jo's album "Carnaval" which had, for some insane reason, gone out of print (something to do with a merger).

As for the album itself, there is no way to accurately describe how impressive this singing is. Jo's coloratura may not be as fast as Emma Kirkby's or as accurate as Cecilia Bartoli's, but nobody can surpass her sense of fun or the ease with which she sustains her highest notes.

Two tracks in particular stand out: "Le jour sous le soleil beni" is a rather slow, beautiful aria (the only non-coloratura aria included on the disc) which is capped with what must be the longest sustained high D-flat in history--sung pianissimo. Montserrat Caballe, eat your heart out. The other is the Carnaval de Venise, made famous by Mado Robin. Although Jo does not hit Robin's B-flat above high C, her version is infinitely more impressive, particularly the last two minutes, which is simply a roller-coaster ride of coloratura with no rests, no rubato, and very few breaths. Everyone I've ever played this track for has been rendered speechless.

Although those two arias stand out, there are really no tracks on this album which are not impressive and/or beautful. The Sevillana captures her sense of fun, "Canari" and the "Couplets de Mysoli" emphasize her control of pianissimo high notes, and "Jours de mon enfance" and "Reves d'amour, reves de gloire" both end in perfect, sustained high E's. One of my favorite albums ever. I'm happy it has been re-released.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars French Coloratura Arias, April 15, 2010

By 

C. Quesada "quepia" (Buenos Aires-Argentina) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: French Coloratura Arias (Audio CD)

French Coloratura Arias One of the best CD of french coloratura arias by Sumi Jo in a great moment of her artistic life.