Customer Reviews

Meyerbeer - Les Huguenots / Sutherland, Arroyo, Tourangeau, Vrenios, Ghiuselev, Bacquier, NPO, Bonynge

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A hundred years ago, Meyerbeer's operas were among the bread-and-butter staple of the world's most famous opera houses. Nowadays, all of them are rarities. There are various theories as to why these operas have disappeared from the repertoire--the difficulty of the music, the rise of Wagnerism, and so forth. Fortunately, the beautiful arias Meyerbeer wrote for these operas have at least kept the names of the works themselves in the mind of the public, and so the occasional performances that these operas receive are important and well publicized events in the music world.

Of the half-dozen or so mature Meyerbeer operas that are still revived (the youthful works are mostly footnotes in the music history books), Les Huguenots is probably the most popular. Its several big arias have received many recordings and some have even made it to the cinema. Jeanette MacDonald's performance of the page's aria in the 1937 film Maytime is a classic, but not everybody knows that Marion Talley had beaten her to the punch by singing this same aria in her single film called Follow Your Heart, made in 1936 (she also performed part of the Act IV duet with tenor Michael Bartlett in the same film).

Fans of this opera have mostly had to rely on private recordings, and fortunately there have been some very good ones, such as the 1962 La Scala and the 1971 Vienna performances, both of which however are cut. But Les Huguenots lovers have true reason to rejoice at the reissue of this recording originally released at the beginning of 1970, and which reunites the cast and conductor of the 1968 Covent Garden concert performance of the opera.

I think the true star of this recording is conductor Richard Bonynge. Although his conducting can sometimes be less than incisive, I find him to be darn near perfect here, with the scene of the Blessing of the Swords being a particular standout.

Among the singers, the most famous is easily Joan Sutherland as Queen Marguerite de Valois. Sutherland and her husband Bonynge were particular champions of the music of Meyerbeer, having recorded several of his arias in their two-LP set of French arias made around the same time as this recording. Fortunately, that French set and this Huguenots were made when Sutherland was at the top of her very considerable form. The only disappointing aspect is that Marguerite's role is not larger than it is. Of the opera's five acts, the Queen is only onstage for Act II and for a brief appearance at the end of Act III (her silent return at the very end of the opera does not matter for our purposes here). But this recording is a must for all Sutherland fans.

Martina Arroyo has very good credentials for this kind of music, having, among other things, also appeared in the same composer's L'africaine in Vienna in 1977, of which there is a good-sounding private recording, and recorded Verdi's French grand opera Les vepres siciliennes in its standard Italian translation as I vespri siciliani for RCA Victor earlier in the decade. She is in very good form as Valentine, and the nearly complete recording fortunately reinstates her Act IV aria which is usually omitted in live performances, including the two I mentioned above. The principal contribution of Huguette Tourangeau as the page Urbain is another often-cut piece, the second-act aria "Non, non, non, vous n'avais jamais, je gage." Meyerbeer added this low-lying aria for Covent Garden contralto Marietta Alboni, whose voice was so deep that she sang the baritone role of Carlo at the first Covent Garden performance of Ernani, after the two men the company first invited to sing the role turned it down. Tourangeau's upper range is not that strong, and she and Sutherland sometimes trade lines in their Act II ensembles, but she is still very enjoyable.

Perhaps the most controversial casting in this set is that of tenor Anastasios Vrenios as Raoul. Raoul is a pivotal role, being the only one of the seven leads to sing in each of the five acts, and is also a very difficult part for one tenor to encompass. For the first act and most of the second act, the role requires a lyric tenor suited to Donizetti's Don Pasquale; the second-act finale and the rest of the opera require a dramatic tenor of the kind who would be successful in Verdi's Il trovatore. Vrenios is definitely the former, and so he sensitively sings Raoul's first-aria "Plus blanche," and admirably partners Sutherland in the second-act duet "Beaute divine," which is often trimmed so much as to become almost a soprano solo. Vrenios doesn't really have enough voice to cope with the heavier music of the rest of the opera, although his enthusiasm is always in evidence. Both he and Arroyo are somewhat cavalier in their treatment of the French text.

Nicola Ghiuselev displays a gruff Slavic bass which is more than appropriate for the crusty old retainer Marcel. In the less showy parts of Saint-Bris and Nevers, Gabriel Bacquier and Dominic Cossa are always adequate.

There are some very minor cuts in the opera, mostly in the third act. Interestingly, the legendary Mapleson cylinder of the third-act finale made live from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera at the turn of the last century contains a little extra music that is not in this recording.

Each recording of Les Huguenots that I have heard has something to add to my enjoyment and appreciation of the opera. Still, this recording is my first choice. Highly recommended.

At last, the release of this demostration of Sutherland's immense powers. This is a coloratura role exclusively. And although she is only on stage for perhaps 25 minutes, it is a 25 minutes of the most taxing coloratura moments that any composer had put on paper. The coloratura feats here has to be heard to realize. We are talking 64th notes, so fast that only the most agile of coloratura can hope to attempt. And thus, this is powerful evidence that La Stupenda is the utmost master of the art of the coloratura.

Firstly, it must be stated this is NOT a live recording, and Franco Corelli does NOT sing in it. There have been reviews of this Opera that have mistaken it with a live Italian version. This is the Original French version of the opera and is a studio recording.

This version of the opera is basically complete. There are repeats that are sometimes cut, and some measures left out. Some dances are not there. However, we have an entire aria that is there (one for Valentine) which is not included in the published score, but is in the manuscript. It is a wonderful addition.

The singing in this opera is stupendous all around, even if the tenor is somewhat weak and has a very reedy voice. This tenor (Vrenios) sings the music adequately and includes all the very high notes, which in the live Italian version of this opera Corelli does NOT do (I stress this because if you read the reviews of that recording everyone is going on and on about all his high B's and C's and D's; he sings a few high B flats, one High C, and NO high D flats at all, that is the facts, and all the cadenzas are left out). I have heard this tenor in other recordings, and the voice is very different. He does have very powerful high notes in the traditional manner. That makes me wonder if Bonynge was trying to have the tenor sing in accordance to the time the opera was written. High notes from the chest were seldom heard, and tenors sang them either in a full falsetto or in a mixed falsetto middle voice. To my ear, that is the sound he is trying to achieve. It works, though there is some strain, but it is so different from the sound we are used to I am not that sure it comes across that effectively.

Sutherland sings the role of Queen Marguerite, and she does an incredible job with it. This is NOT the most difficult coloratura role in all opera as some would have you believe, but it is a real challenge considering this is the first thing the singer sings when they come on the stage. I have to admit, I bought this recording way back when it was released on LP, and the only reason I bought it was because of Joan Sutherland; everyone else singing I had never heard of at that time. I soon learned that this was not "the star" female role in this opera, no matter how hard that one scene is.

The star female role falls to Martina Arroyo. Unlike many interpreters of this role (Valentine), Arroyo sings all the music, and all the high notes, and all the cadenzas (which Simionato does not do, even though her performance is electrifying). The creator of the role was Madame Cornelie Falcon who was noted for having a huge dark soprano that often was not that secure above a high B flat. Meyerbeer wrote lower options for her to sing (Arroyo does not use any of these options). One of the greatest interpreters of this role was Pauline Viardo-Garcia (for whom Meyerbeer would eventually write the very difficult role of Fides). She did use some of the lower alternatives. From the female lead persepective, this role carries the opera, not the role sung by Sutherland (as important as that role is). I think Arroyo does a super job. Like with Sutherland, I find her recordings often leave out the vital energy of the voice. In performance she is really quite exciting, but in all her recordings she sounds sort of not fully involved, which is simply not the case. Her voice is fairly huge, and it seems we never get a good representation of huge voices; even Sutherland's is not a real reflection of the wonder she really is.

All the male leads are exceptional, and Ghiuselev sings the "Piff Paff" song with real vigor.

The "male role" of Urbain is well sung by Huguette Tourangeau. I have to admit, she is not my favorite singer most of the time. However, she is wonderful here, and the first act ends on an interpolated high D (which strangely sounds exactly like Sutherland's high D; which of the two actually sang it? Sutherland doesn't appear in this act). Included in this recording is the second act aria for Urbain that was written for the contralto Marietta Alboni. In the score, it appears strange to see an aria written so low while the first act aria is written much higher (including a high C). Well, the reasons for that are simple. The original key of the first act aria is lower; it was originally written in G but would later be published in later additions of the opera in B flat. Thus we have the treat of hearing this wonderful singer sing in a more "soprano" range in the first act, and a good contralto range in the second.

In this recording, we also get a small cameo role from a very young Kiri Te Kanawa which is a treat to hear.

This is by far the best version of this opera to buy if you are interested in what Meyerbeer wrote, and what he was trying to get across. Tradition eventually removed the very vital 5th act from the opera, and in all old live recordings one will find the opera ends with the great duet between Raul and Valentine. Though love is an element of this opera, the real issue is the fight over religion. Removing this act removes the real issue that everyone is talking about all through out the opera. Fortunately, we have that act once again where it should be.

It is expensive, but this is well worth the money for all the wonderful singing you are getting. As an aside, Meyerbeer isn't just singing. He was a master of orchestration, and like any composer who was a master of the orchestra, it is vitally important to hear what he wrote. Fortunately, in this studio recording we can hear what he was offering us in regards to orchestration.

Well worth hearing, and not just for Sutherland's predictably glorious pyrotechnics. Arroyo is quite splendid and the men admirable. Vrenios was below his best form when he recorded this, but he sings with great style and feeling, and he's most enjoyable. The lower voices are nicely tuned, and the delectable Tourangeau makes a fine page. Dame Joan herself sings with great beauty and firm line, crowning the ensembles magnificently. Her performance here is much to be preferred to her video outing in Australia two decades later, however nostalgic that occasion (her operatic farewell) was.

Although Dame Joan's appearance in this opera is roughly only about 20 minutes. It is possibly the most difficult 20 minutes in terms of coloratura singing.
In fact, in 1962, when the diva sang Marguerite, she thrilled the La Scala audience, upstage its primo tenore Franco Corelli, and the Italians gave Sutherland 28 curtain calls.
What do you think of that?
That's what you call great singing.

Wonderful singing from Sutherland, Arroyo, and the lower male voices. What prevented Decca London from casting the young Pavarotti as Raoul, who at this point in his career could be both sweetly lyrical and show some vocal heft, as well as having all the high notes still in place, and Marilyn Horne as Urbain, whose arias were staples of her recitals, has always been a mystery. Vrenio and Tourangeau are distant seconds in this respect. Bonynge's conducting is energetic, and the supporting cast (including Te Kanawa and Auger as the ladies in waiting (!) are very good.

La Sutherland first sang the Queen in Hugenotts in 1962 when her voice was the essence of perfection.
This recording was done in 1968, I believe. Although the coloratura remains awesome. The highest notes of Ds and Es are smaller than those of her live recording with Franco Corelli. Mind you, however. Even though these highest of notes are smaller than those in 1962's Hugenotts, they are still at least twice the size of Beverly Sills or Maria Callas's high notes. They're just not able to challenge the high notes of Birgit Nilsson anymore.
I still consider this one of the most impressive of Dame Joan's recordings. If you like Meyerbeer's music, this Hugenotts is onlybeaten by the 1962 La Scala one with Sutherland/Corelli/Simionato. Although that vintage set is mono. But it is generally consider one of the greatest operatic performance of the XX Century. But buy this version too, the sound is great, and Dame Joan even added more ornamentations and difficulities to her role.

This is one fine recording. In fact, my only real quibble is that it should be on 3 instead of 4 CDs. An easy break would appear right after Urbain's act two aria, just before Raoul enters.
Richard Bonnynge conducts a tight and forceful performance ... and if feels like one, even if it isn't Joan Sutherland's singing of her Act Two aria is amazing. No one today can sail through coloratura like that. I wonder why she never tackled other Meyerbeer. Martina Arroyo has just the right vocal weight for Valentine. When she finally gets to sing (late in Act two), the quality and tone of her voice are easily recognizable, helping us to keep her presence in our ear. Many complain about Anastasios Vrenios, and indeed a little more beef would be ideal, but he sings with a lot of style and commitment, trilling with Sutherland, and singing a "Plus blanche" that is full of poetry. (Pity that contractual problems wouldn't let Gedda sing it. He did some performances of Huguenots about that time, and they were wonderful.) Dominic Cossa and Gabriel Bacquier contribute wonderful energy and dramatic push when the drama needs it. The many minor characters are well handled -- hey, Arleen Auger and Kiri TeKanawa are comprimarios in the cast!
To me the problems are the French and Huguette Tourangeau. The French ranges from very good (Bacquier), to acceptable (Sutherland - yes, you can understand her), to awful - Arroyo, Vrenios and the chorus. Particularly the chorus needed to spit those words out with some meaning. Sure Meyerbeer hasn't some pretty jumpy melodies to sing, but diction might help us follow this story a bit better. Huguette Tourangeau is the other problem. Her voice emits some awfully strange and strained sounds. Where was Horne when we needed her? (The one really high note in act one is, I think, Sutherland standing in for her colleague.)
Now if only Decca/London would split Act Two and get this thing down to 3 CDs.

Giacomo Meyerbeer was a Jewish, but naturalized French composer who wrote the most successful grand operas of the mid 19th century (1850's, 1860's). The grand opera was an opera style that was most popular in Paris. The four act operas were very long, they would later influence Wagner opera, and usually there was a ballet in the middle of act three. Meyerbeer's operas were high art and drama. The music, which called for large orchestra, expressed the Romantic flavor of the period in a variety of tone colors and sublime melody. Although L'Africaine, Robert Le Diable and the recently discovered Marguerite D'Anjou are some of his best, Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots is the ultimate. It is a rarely performed opera and perhaps it's gotten to the point where it is not performed at all. The panoramic opera is supposedly too difficult to put on. Large orchestra, chorus, an all-star cast of singers which amount to seven principal soloists. For this reason it is known as the Night Of The Seven Stars. The main reason is that the style of opera is no longer "singable" to many of today's opera singers.

Joan Sutherland was an Australian soprano with an enormous popularity and following in the 60's and 70's. She has the most recorded voices for any soprano, several albums attest to that. Highly regarded are her Lucia, her Amina from La Sonambula, her Norma, her Lucrezia Borgia, Violetta from Traviata, Gilda from Rigoletto and many other bel canto heroines. Her big voice was similar to Maria Callas in vigor and dramatics and Sutherland certainly held position as a diva. In this early 60's recording, she sings the role of Queen Marguerite. Together with a strong cast of singers, this recording is the best version of Les Huguenots you'll ever find. The story is about lovers who happen to be of opposing faiths- Catholic and Protestant. Eventually, the lovers marry but they are killed in the historic St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. The opera turned heads with its frank portrayal of the dark event, but it tried to raise people's level of tolerance by portraying both Catholics and Protestants as good people in the form of the main lovers and not siding with either religions. Sutherland is in great shape here vocally speaking. There is a filmed performance on DVD but Sutherland is in the latter part of her career and she does not sing with the freshness and virtuosity she does in this recording. Despite the expensive price, it's an opera recording that's worth getting.

Les Huguenots is the perfect example of what french grand opera was all about. It is not a profound work but it is very accessible and enjoyable despite its lenght. The women are very good indeed with Joan Sutherland dazzling as Queen Marguerite - a coloratura feast, Martina Arroyo a warm and vibrant Valentine and Huguette Tourangeau a sparkling Urbain (a page-boy). The men are also faring well with one exception. Gabriel Bacquier and Nicolai Ghiuselev are both rich-voiced and resonnant as de Blois and Marcel. Dominic Cossa is a swaggering Nevers. There remains Anastasios Vrenios as Raoul - he has a pleasant enough voice and sings with a certain elegance but next to his heavy-weight colleages he sounds rather whimpish - his singing has no brillance or ring - it is unfortunate that no better tenor could be found. Chorus and orchestra are excellent and a good deal of credit must be given to Maestro Bonynge for his lively conducting and obvious love for the piece. Excellent DECCA sound.