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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At last!, May 17, 2004
Gluck's "Paris version" of his most well-known work has been much maligned. Most mavens of "early music" and baroque opera (including Gardiner, Jacobs, et. al.) have a definitite preference for the original, Vienna version (with reason), and when the French version is performed at all it is usually the Berlioz revision that we hear, which is quite different from Gluck's "original".
I can understand the gripes of those who don't care for the Paris version: too much filler, etc. But there are some extremely pleasent additions as well: a new aria for Amor in the first act, a lovely new aria for Eurydice in the second (hear sung instead by an "ombre heureuse"), a trio for Amor, Orphee and Eurydice in the third act (borrowed from "Paride ed Ellena"), the Dance of the Furies,Orphee's bravura aria (the authenticity of which was doubted until recently), and a longer version of the famous Dance of the Blessed Spirits.
Not all this music is unknown to the general opera-goer, it was all included in the Berlioz version, an Italian translation of which has been the basis of most modern productions up until recently. But it is a joy to hear them in the original French, using Gluck's original orchestration.
To my knowledge there have been only two other recordings of the Paris version on disc, both now out-of-print, and this is certainly the first recording on period instruments.
And the recording does not dissapoint, not by a long shot. Minkowsky has a sure way with Gluck, as his previous Gluck recordings have proven, and he is in firm control. His tempi are always perfect, and the sound of his "Musiciens de Louvre" exquisite.
As the French taste did not care for castrati, Gluck re-wrote the part of Orphee (a castrato in the Vienna version) for a tenor in the Paris version. But this is not a role that any tenor can sing, it was written for an "haut contre", a peculiarly French type of high tenor, for which most heroic roles in French baroque operas were written. This kind of voice has only been ressurected recently, with the rise of interest in French baroque opera. Richard Croft is perfectly cast, and handles the high tessitura of the part adeptly, never seeming to have any trouble, even in the highly criticized "bravura aria" at the end of the first act which, in my memory, has taxed the vocal power of every tenor who has attempted it before (it's usually sung in Berlioz' version, which was re-written for mezzo-soprano).
The rest of the cast sound as fresh and aptly prepared as Croft.
Mireille Delunsch makes a deliciously naive Eurydice. One only regrets that she does not sing her aria in the second act; although one can agree with Minkowski's reasoning that the aria is hardly in character, and conflicts with the Eurydice we see in the third act, the change here is hardly authentic.
All-in-all a much needed and highly welcome release. Although one may agree with the majority that the earlier Vienna version is purer and less cluttered than the Paris, it is fascinating to hear Gluck's changes to accomodate French taste, and the gains made are greatly worth it.
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13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Now there are three . . . ., June 16, 2004
By A Customer
With the tardy arrival of this CD, there are now three interpretations of Gluck's 1774 Paris revision of Orphée et Eurydice to be had; the legendary 1956 studio recording by Léopold Simoneau is readily obtainable (Philips Duo series 468 537-2, or try Amazon.ca), and The Australian Opera's highly-praised 1993 production (with David Hobson singing the Act I ariette) has long been available in Australia in PAL VHS format and will be released on DVD in Europe later this year.Being happily familiar with these two performances, I looked forward with some interest to the latest offering, despite having read a less than enthusiastic critique of the 2002 Poissy (France) concert which provided the recording.
The major excuse for Gluck's tenor version of "Orphée et Eurydice" not being heard more often is that due to the rarity of haute-contre tenors the very high tessitura required for the leading role has become 'unsingable', particularly at the present-day Standard pitch of A440, so it would be predictable - for the sake of authenticity - to hear this beautiful work performed at Baroque pitch (A415). However, it's a great pity Marc Minkowski decided it would sound even better at A403 - halfway to the Classical French pitch of A392 - which has lowered Orphée's notorious range to a level which most tenors would now find acceptable! As performed on period instruments, the result is a mournful museum piece.
Due to this radical pitch adjustment Richard Croft tends to sound nearer a baritone (think Fischer-Dieskau's Orfeo) than a tenor, although that may have been due, in part, to the cold he was said to be suffering from at the time of the concert, which did nothing to help his diction either, because he was often hard to understand. His singing of the bravura ariette 'L'espoir renaît dans mon âme' at the end of Act I (omitted by Simoneau and Gedda in their recordings) was tidy but unspectacular, with a perfunctary cadenza hardly likely to 'bring the house down', contrary to Gluck's original intentions (according to Berlioz). The Act II arias were so lacking in passion the Furies - far from being enchanted by his singing - probably gave in to Orphée out of boredom! In fact, except for the well-known and lively Dance of the Furies, the whole of Act II is pretty slow, with the flute solo in the Elyssium Fields having a particularly somnolent effect! Apart from L'Amour's appearance in Act I, the sopranos make no real contribution to the action until Act III, and by then the vocal contrast to Orphée is more than welcome. However, having a teenager sing the part of L'Amour was not particularly successful - Marion Harousseau may have had a suitably youthful voice for the role of the child-god, but her inexperience was demonstrated by her lack of dramatic conviction.
Having lost her Act II aria 'Cet asile aimable et tranquille' to A Happy Shade, sung by Claire Delgado-Boge, Mireille Delunsch (Eurydice) had to make the most of her chances in Act III, and did so in the duet and aria, although the trios were less successful for all. Minkowski's tempi are erratic - veering between rushed recits and arias (where was the fire?) and soporific choruses (and arias), while the Overture, and the ballets which conclude the opera are unsuitably rapid - there is nothing stately about the Menuet, which sounds more like the Gavotte should have but didn't, and the closing Chaconne might more suitably be described as a musical 100-metre sprint! So, sadly, this much-needed addition to recordings of the neglected 1774 Orphée is a real disappointment, and it would be interesting to see whether William Christie - who seems to have a way with Gluck - could do better, given the chance. There's plenty of room for another interpretation, and no shortage of suitable tenors when one thinks of Messrs. Agnew, Ainslie, Padmore, etc.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very enjoyable and beautiful recording, September 11, 2006
I bought monsieur Minkowski's recording well before I bought the Opera Lafayette / Ryan Brown recording on NAXOS. Both are excellent in their ways.
Les Musiciens du Louvre are really at home in this music and it shows. I think it was also probably of some benefit that Minkowski and his orchestra recorded Armide and Iphigénie en Tauride before recording Gluck's Orphée. Incidentally, Iphigénie en Tauride is the best of the three recordings in my opinion.
I like almost everything about this recording. The tempi feel right and the style of the playing is very well informed - heck! These people play French Baroque music for a living! Richard Croft's voice is a little "edgier" and more brittle than that of Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, whose timbre is smooth, lyrical and even a little "countertenorish" at times. Still, Croft sounds relatively comfortable in the rôle of Orphée and I listen to his interpretation with no little satisfaction.
The beautiful and beautiful sounding Mireille Delunsch is, as ever, fabulous in the relatively small rôle of Eurydice. She really shines in Armide and Iphigénie, if you need to hear more of her talents. The rôle of L'Amour is sung by the talented teenager, Marion Harousseau. I hope we hear more from this youngster in the future.
The orchestra of Les Musiciens du Louvre, as ever, plays with great style and beauty. They can pour on the power when necessary and play with refined elegance and expressiveness, too. You'll never hear a more beautiful rendition of the Ballet des Ombres heureuses than the one recorded here, which included the middle section of the piece, added for the Paris version of the opera. This middle section contains a very beautiful solo for the traverso - which, it seems to me, represents Orphée plaintively "calling" out "Eurydice!" over then dark slurred semiquavers from the violins I & II. One could easily imagine this section having come from any one of the Opera-Ballets or Tragédie Lyriques of Rameau or Mondonville.
The Paris version of Gluck's Orpheus opera isn't frequently performed or recorded. My compatriot, David Hobson, performed the opera some years ago here in Australia. That production was available on VHS for some years and is now available on DVD. It is well worth considering and it is one of Mr. Hobson's finest achievements. The Berlioz arrangement of the opera is heard more often. Such a pity! For Gluck's Paris operas are quite wonderful and I really consider them to represent the pinnacle of Gluck's career as a composer. The ghost of the recently deceased Jean-Philippe Rameau clearly, to me, influences, informs and infuses these operas - by virtue of the fact that Gluck tried to write and adapt his music to the conditions and tastes of Paris.
Marc Minkowski's recording is a very fine achievement and it is sad that UNIVERSAL/DG/ARCHIV didn't allow/fund Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre to finish the project of recording all Gluck's Paris operas.
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