Régine Crespin & Guy Chauvet, Nuit d'ivresse - Les Troyens

[baltoman24]

This is a glorious recording, one which I have not been without since it came out in 1965 on EMI vinyl. Thank heaven it has been re-released on CD. This is the twilight of the distinctly French sound, both in the glorious voices and in the specific character of the Paris Opera orchestra. Since the Opera became an international house, everything changed- the loss of that distinctly French sound. How I wish they had recorded the entire opera instead of excerpts- it is one of the greatest operas!

[m0e4g2]

The balance between these two exquisite voices is breathtaking. Thank you for posting this page. They represent the French school of singing at its best.

[AlmaWinemiller]

@m0e4g2 You are very welcome! There is indeed something breathtaking about this recording.

[AulicExclusiva]

Although this is perhaps the greatest duet in French opera, it has been seldom recorded, and this is unquestionably the best recording of it, ever. Georges Prêtre's conducting finds the exact balance between stasis and a floating propulsivity that suggests the breezes of the night. Great posting.

[AlmaWinemiller]

@AulicExclusiva This is, indeed, a magical recording, the best of a few. I can't help but be surprised that this duet was seldom recorded. A part of me wishes Georges Thill had recorded it... but I realized this afternoon while reading his singing chronology that he had sung 'Les Troyens' only 6 times... one in 1929 with Germaine Lubin and Marisa Ferrer and 5 times in 1930 with Marisa Ferrer again... A duet Thill/Ferrer...

[AulicExclusiva]

@AlmaWinemiller That didn't stop him from making his famous record of Énée's grand scene. A two-sided version with Lubin would have been something! But they were under contract to different companies: Lubin La Voix de son Maître, Thill Columbia. A version with Ninon Vallin would have been great too, but they hated each other.

[AlmaWinemiller]

@AulicExclusiva I tend to forget that singers were already contracted at the time...

The lengendary enmity between Ninon and Georges... a "big baby" was he? ;-) Still Vallin/Thill for this duet would have been great, it's true.

[AulicExclusiva]

@AlmaWinemiller Marisa Ferrer, unfortunately, never made commercial recordings. Her radio recording with Beecham is the only souvenir of her remaining.

I wish Paul Franz had recorded both the scene and the duet: he sung in Les Troyens at the Opéra in the early 20s. The Didon of those performances, Georgette Frozier-Marrot, did record what for many years was the only version of the final scene. But Franz never recorded one note from the opera.

[AlmaWinemiller]

@AulicExclusiva I would have loved to hear Marisa Ferrer singing other parts. I found a picture of her a while ago, I think it is from Strauss' Rosenkavalier... Did she ever sing Octavian's part? I keep meaning to post her final scene from Les Troyens, but I always forget...

We were born a bit too late, weren't we? All these great singers whose art we only have glimpses... Hearing Paul Franz' Enée, that would have been something indeed.

[AulicExclusiva]

@AlmaWinemiller And think of Suzanne Balguérie in a complete recording of Didon's Death Scene! Alas.

[AlmaWinemiller]

@AulicExclusiva You're building a dream record collection, aren't you? ;-) Suzanne Balguérie... another singing legend.