Offenbach: La Périchole

Jacques Offenbach (Composer), Alain Lombard (Conductor), Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg (Orchestra), Régine Crespin (Performer), Alain Vanzo (Performer), Jules Bastin (Performer), Gérard Friedmann (Performer), Jacques Trigeau (Performer), Aimé Besançon (Performer), Paul Guigue (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Régine Crespin, Alain Vanzo, Jules Bastin, Gérard Friedmann, Jacques Trigeau, et al.
• Orchestra: Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg
• Conductor: Alain Lombard
• Composer: Jacques Offenbach
• Audio CD (February 11, 1992)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Erato
• ASIN: B000005E7V
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,844 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #2 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Crespin, Regine
  • #16 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Featured Performers, A-Z > C to G

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 1: Overture

2. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 1: 'Promptes à servir la cousines'

3. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 1: 'Sans en souffler mot à personne'

4. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 1: 'Le conquérant dit à la jeune indienne'

5. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 1: 'Vous a-t-on dit souvent'

6. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 1: 'Levez-vous et prenez vos rangs'

7. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 1: 'O mon cher amant, je te jure'

8. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 1: 'Holà! hé!... holà!'

9. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 1: 'Je dois vous prévenir, Madame'

10. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 2: Entr'acte

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 2: 'Les femmes il n'y a que ça!'

2. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 2: 'Nous allons donc voir un mari!'

3. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 2: 'Que veulent dire ces colères'

4. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 2: 'Ecoute, ô roi, je te présente'

5. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 2: 'Sautez dessus! Sautez dessus!'

6. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 2: 'Conduisez-le, bons courtisans'

7. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 3: 'Les maris courbaient la tête'

8. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 3: 'On me proposait d'être infâme'

9. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 3: 'Dans ces couloirs obscurs'

10. La Périchole, operetta in 2 acts: Act 3: 'Je suis le plus joli geôlier'

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vanzo & Crespin - Wonderful!, December 11, 2000

By 

Mr JB (Karlskrona Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Offenbach: La Périchole (Audio CD)

Offenbach wrote La Perichole just in his transition from his favorite genres operetta and parodies of Grand Opera, to writing 'serious' opera himself (Les contes d'Hoffman), and this can be heard throughout the score. There's still a lot of easy, lovely, tuneful music, and generous parts of humor, for example the role of Don Andres is a caricature of Napoleon the 3rd . But what's new is the more 'true' characterization of the lover's (Perichole & Piquillo) trouble, of which maybe the farewell (O mon cher amant) from la Perichole to Piquillo is the most 'serious' - yet not missing Offenbach's lovely sense for melody. The changes from 'the old' style to 'the new' style are sometimes abrupt, showing that Offenbach yet wasn't the perfect 'dramatizer' of serious moodes - but that's easily forgotten when listening to the beautiful music, and there's PLENTY of it to be found here, that stretches from ridicolous trios to mournful arias.

Maybe hard to record such an operetta / light french opera? If leaving the above mentioned details about the score aside - this is an excellent recording. All three leading roles are sung in exceptionally stylish french, with it's use of slight portamento and easy, sensual and heady tone. Crespin and Vanzo, the latter one of the most under-recorded lyrical tenors of his time, are as beautifully sounding as any soprano & tenor can get, and their 'acting' is good too. They might sound a little too old for their parts, but that's no great problems since they match eachother very well. Bastin as Don Andres is wonderfully pathetic and warm-sounding. All minor roles are well made as well, especially Besancon and Guige as the two notaries are great fun.

Lombard gives great support to the singers, and oomph to the music. The orchestra is really good and french sounding, the choruses are clearly audible (unfortunately quite rare in opera on record) and the sound quality is superb. The only negative thing to say about the recording is that all dialog has been cut, and the narrator of the original LP-version is also omitted. But sinces the libretto is included and the text that the narrator on the LP read is put in at the right places, it's no great deal to follow the plot.

The lover of Offenbach's operettas won't be disappointed, yet maybe a little surprised, and those of you who's found those operettas a little too light probably also will be positively surprised. Simply great!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful, March 12, 2001

By 

John Cragg (Delta(greater Vancouver), B.C Canada) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Offenbach: La Périchole (Audio CD)

La Pericole may well be Offenbach's most satisfying work. There is all the dazzle and wit that marks his operettas, but more real development of character and real emotion than in earlier pieces. It is given a riveting presentation in this recording. Crespin and Vanzo are perfectly matched - their love is more convincing that in most opera - and Crespin especially is a pure delight. Jules Bastin delivers his buffoon's role with penache. The whole production is infused with a true Gallic feel.

The producers' solution to the problem of spoken dialogue and continuity of plot, which arises in operetta (and Singspiel), is I think almost ideal. The libretto contains fairly detailed descriptions of the action and words (though not the words themselves) but these are not spoken in the performance. This means that on repeated listenings one does not have to wait while the dialogue, with which one is familiar and often is not very interesting, is gone through, while having the development at the tips of one's fingers.

All together, a highly satisfactory set.

0 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Replacement copy, November 13, 2008

By 

Sally Waldmann - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Offenbach: La Périchole (Audio CD)

I gave my original copy to a friend-- this is going to be MINE! A beautiful rendition...to my taste.