MAssenet: Manon (1928-1929)

soliści;
Paris Opera-Comique Orchestra;
Paris Opera-Comique Chorus;
Cohen, Elie

8.110203-04

"The Naxos label has reissued an even older performance of Massenet's 'Manon,' recorded in 1928 and 1929 with Germaine Feraldy in the title role. This is a famous set, featuring the chorus and orchestra of the Opera-Comique in Paris under the direction of Elie Cohen. Not surprisingly, considering its source, this is a light rendition of 'Manon' that occasionally seems closer to operetta than to grand opera. Feraldy is an endearing, delicate heroine, and Joseph Rogatchewsky's interpretation of Des Grieux, despite the tenor's Ukrainian heritage and upbringing, couldn't sound much more French. As the critic Tully Potter observed, 'The superb cast sings in a conversational fashion that is a lost art today. The 'highlights' are not thrown away, but they take their natural place in the scheme of things, rather than being emphasized.' Indeed, despite the opera's tragic ending, it is the charm of happier passages, their chatter and patter, that remains with the listener long after this 'Manon' has finished playing." • Tim Page, The Washington Post, May 2003

CD x 2

Muzyka klasyczna

Naxos

21-02-2003

636943120323