I like the way they are doing a grapevine step (very folkie "Greek") at the beginning of the song. I can't imagine anyone from the great days of opera doing this - like Treigle or Milnes. Possibly Cyril Ritchard...
Am I crazy, or do I hear a excerpt from "Orpheus in the Underworld" from 2:45-2:47 and a couple times before that?! The part I'm thinking I'm hearing is variously titled "When Jupy Feels The Inclination"
Yeah, you can hear it around 2:17 too. I saw Belle Helene last month in Nantes and thought the very same thing. And funnily enough, one of the tenors in the production was in the same Orphee I own.
You probably know this already but the beginning of this number is a direct, hilarious quote from the big trio in Rossini's WILLIAM TELL, and so is "J'expire!" The French audience of the time, of course, would have recognized the quote and laughed heartily.
What a pleasure is it to have discovered Offbach's operatas on the Youtube, besides his LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN.
tungstino 8 months ago
Excelente puesta de una opereta, formidable
Trulina1 10 months ago
michel senachal is my hero.
thorwickstrom 1 year ago 5
the translation is bad!
mouthmouse 2 years ago
This is the most talent version of La belle Helena I·d ever seen. Grate Laurent Pelly.
paneche 2 years ago
GREEK WORDS EVERYWHERE
GreekOperaLover 2 years ago
I like the way they are doing a grapevine step (very folkie "Greek") at the beginning of the song. I can't imagine anyone from the great days of opera doing this - like Treigle or Milnes. Possibly Cyril Ritchard...
Goethefemme 3 years ago 2
Comme il faut de la volonté pour résister à tant de conviction!!!!
henrydarthenay 3 years ago 4
Am I crazy, or do I hear a excerpt from "Orpheus in the Underworld" from 2:45-2:47 and a couple times before that?! The part I'm thinking I'm hearing is variously titled "When Jupy Feels The Inclination"
qyhubert 3 years ago
Yeah, you can hear it around 2:17 too. I saw Belle Helene last month in Nantes and thought the very same thing. And funnily enough, one of the tenors in the production was in the same Orphee I own.
FoxyGrandpa 3 years ago
this is Offenbach where talking about, of course you'll hear blatant quotations of his own previous music, he was cool like that. :P
yumyumwhatzohai 2 years ago
You probably already know this as well, but the ending is a parody of the chorus from Verdi's Nabucco.
prostotak01 3 years ago
You probably know this already but the beginning of this number is a direct, hilarious quote from the big trio in Rossini's WILLIAM TELL, and so is "J'expire!" The French audience of the time, of course, would have recognized the quote and laughed heartily.
easlovo 3 years ago 7
Laurent...( L )
celly1406 3 years ago
I love Laurent Naouri!!
Viva Agamemnon!
bibu91 4 years ago
Formidable!!
guigui1789 4 years ago 2
Damn, that dance is hilarious. Michel Senechal's so awesome, the very best character-tenor there is.
phanphuc 5 years ago