Janet Baker as Cassandra in Les Troyens

More known is her Dido, but she sang also the role of Cassandre.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Berlioz
• janet
• baker
• les
• troyens
• the
• trojans
• fall
• of
• troy

[TheGregMitchell]

When Davis recorded "Les Troyens" and "La Damnation de Faust" for Philips, Baker had an exclusive recording contract with EMI. Although she continued to record for EMI, once the exclusive part of her contract elapsed, she did eventually make several fine recordings for Philips, among them the Davis recordings of "Beatrice et Benedict" and "L'Enfance du Christ". She also recorded with him "Herminie" and "La Mort de Cleopatre". It is absolutely wrong to suggest that Davis ignored her.

[franceseattle]

Absolutely beautiful! Such sensitivity to the music and text itself--gorgeous. I second the BOOS for Colin Davis.

[drwpeace1]

Thanks foropera for sharing this clip. I'd always thought tha Dame Janet MUST have performance of Cassandra. I prayed that someday it would surface and it has in good sound. It is not Jessye Norman--surely the standard bearer for this role and this opera, but it has the advantage of Dame Janet at her absolte best and being sung in my language. So there is an immediacy of the tragedy usually available only to the French. BOOS for Colin Davis for his decisions to ignore the greatest mezzos.

[franceseattle]

Thanks to Colin Davis, we now have two complete recordings of this exquisite opera with squawling Wagnerian Cassandras. What was wrong with his ears and taste? Far better in this role were: Janet Baker, Regine Crespin, Marilyn Horne, Nadine Denize, Shirley Verrett, and probably many others. I've never understood the fulsome praise of Davis' Berlioz recordings. Anyone who actually enjoys listening to Berit Lindholm's performance should problem have their hearing checked.

[Tsaraslondon]

Baker has always been my yardstick for Dido. Looks as though she may now become my yardstick for Cassandra. I had no idea she'd ever sung it! I agree with tonioeld. Baker is without doubt one of the greatest singers of the 20th century.

[pproust]

Thanks, foropera, for sharing this rarity here. Truly, Baker was the singer's singer -- one of the very few truly great artists who were also singers...she was always able to penetrate to the meaning of the music through her inimitable and beautiful voice and phrasing. She was a one person 'golden age of singing'.

[tonioeld]

Wonderful Baker ..do we HAVE to wait until she dies before declaring her one of the most complete and fabulous singers of the 20th century..as for the language...who cares? Berlioz is a marvelous composer..it is only the snobbish French who systematically and neurotically refute anything great that comes from their own country... but that's their perverted problem..Baker obviously thought differently....and thank God!!!

[pelegrino791]

Baker est aussi magistrale en Cassandre qu'en Didon ! Grande, très grande tragédienne . Dommage qu'elle ne chante pas en français ...