r e l e a s e s e p t e m b e r 2015 – ES1020 – french opera
Félicien David
Herculanum Véronique Gens : Lilia Karine Deshayes : Olympia Edgaras Montvidas : Hélios Nicolas Courjal : Nicanor / Satan Julien Véronèse : Magnus Flemish Radio Choir Brussels Philharmonic Hervé Niquet, direction
Félicien David was already famous through his ‘ode-symphonie’ Le Désert (1844) when his opera Herculanum was first staged at the Paris Opéra in 1859. This ambitious work, later to gain him entrance to the Opéra-Comique and the Institut de France, also played a part in earning him the Légion d’Honneur. Leaving behind the Middle Eastern inflections of his earlier scores, Herculanum is a remarkably strong 1 book + 2 CDs – total time: 72:58 + 49:06 composition (vast, intensely dramatic scenes), Book: hard cover, 160 pages, size 13,5 cm x 21,00 cm, French and English impressive in the diversity of its style (including Limited and numbered edition of 3000 Verdian influences) and its vocal variety (including the ISBN/EAN: 978-84-606-8439-8 rare coloratura contralto voice often used by Rossini). There is also a fantastic vein, as made popular by Boieldieu (La Dame blanche, 1825) and Meyerbeer (Robert le Diable, 1831); but the supernatural is used here to serve an openly stated mysticism: the eruption of Vesuvius brings a spectacular, cataclysmic ending, Recorded at salle Fiocco in La Monnaie (Brussels) signifying the decadence of the ancient world and the – 24 Feb. to 7 March 2014 triumph of Christianity. recording & artistic direction: Steven Maes & Felicia Bockstael
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