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Berlioz - L'Enfance du Christ · La Belle voyageuse · Chant sacré / S. Graham · Le Roux · Ainsley · Cokorinos · Wentzel · Get · Bellaau - Mentzer - Dutoit
CD DetailsEdition: Music CD CD Release Date: 2000-11-14 Music Label: Decca Soundtracks: Music CD 1- L'Enfance Du Christ: Premiere Parte. Le Songe D'Herode: Dans La Creche, En Ce Temps, Jesus Venait... - John Mark Ainsley
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Premiere Parte, Scene 1. Marche Nocturne: Qui Veint? - Rome - Gordon Getz/Marc Belleau
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Premiere Parte, Scene 2. Air D'Herode: Toujours Ce Reve!...O Misere Des Rois! - Philip Cokorinos
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Premiere Parte, Scene 3: Seigneur! - Laches, Tremblez! - Marc Belleau/Philip Cokorinos
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Premiere Parte, Scene 4. Herode Et Les Devins: Les Sages De Judee, O Roi - Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards/Philip Cokorinos
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Premiere Parte, Scene 4. Herode Et Les Devins: Evolutions Cabalistiques - Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards/Philip Cokorinos
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Premiere Parte, Scene 4. Herode Et Les Devins: La Voix Dit Vrai, Seigneur - Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards/Philip Cokorinos
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Premiere Parte, Scene 5. Duo: O Mon Cher Fils, Donne Cette Herbe Tendre - Susan Graham/Francois Le Roux
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Premiere Parte, Scene 6: Joseph! Marie! Ecoutez-nous - Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards/Susan Graham/Francois Le Roux
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Deuxieme Partie. La Fuite En Egypte: Ov - Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Charles Dutoit
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Deuxieme Partie. L'Adieu Des Bergers A La Sainte Famille: Il S'en Va Loin De... - Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Deuxieme Partie. Le Repos De La Sainte Famille: Les Pelerins Etant Venus... - John Mark Ainsley/Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards
Music CD 2- L'Enfance Du Christ: Troisieme Partie. L'Arrivee A Sais: Depuis Trois Jours, Malgre L'Ardeur Du Vent - John Mark Ainsley
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Troisieme Partie, Scene 1. Duo: Dans Cette Ville Immense - Susan Graham/Francois Le Roux/Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Troisieme Partie, Scene 2: Entrez, Entrez, Pauvres Hebreux! - Andrew Wentzel/Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards/Francois Le Roux
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Troisieme Partie, Scene 2: Trio Pour Deux Flutes Et Harpe - Timothy Hutchins/Carolyn Christie/Jennifer Swartz
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Troisieme Partie, Scene 2: Vous Pleurez, Jeune Mere - Andrew Wentzel/Susan Graham/Francois Le Roux/Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Troisieme Partie, Scene 3. Epilogue: Ce Fut Ainsi Que Par Un Infidele Fut... - John Mark Ainsley
- L'Enfance Du Christ: Troisieme Partie, Scene 3. Epilogue: O Mon Ame, Pour Toi Que Reste-t-il A... - John Mark Ainsley/Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards
- Sara La Baigneuse, Ballade, Op.11 - Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards
- 9 Melodies (Irlande), Op.2 No.2: Helene, Ballade - Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards
- 9 Melodies (Irlande), Op.2 No.4: La Belle Voyageuse, Ballade - Susanne Mentzer
- Qt E Coro Dei Maggi - Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards
- 9 Melodies (Irlande), Op.2 No.6: Chant Sacre - John Mark Ainsley/Chor De L'Orch Symphonique De Montreal/Iwan Edwards
Music reviews of Berlioz - L'Enfance du Christ · La Belle voyageuse · Chant sacré / S. Graham · Le Roux · Ainsley · Cokorinos · Wentzel · Get · Bellaau - Mentzer - DutoitMusic Review: Good on the lovely notes, weak on the dramatic ones Rating: 4 Stars
It's hard to be a completely fair reviewer once you've attached yourself to one particular recording of a work and stuck with it so long. But if you're truthful with yourself and keep searching, a better recording is bound to present itself. For me it was Michael Tilson Thomas' recording of the Symphonie Fantastique which replaced Boulez's Cleveland reading.
Alas, this recording by Dutoit & Canadian forces does not replace the classic Davis version on Decca. Not that this version is lacking in all respects. Indeed, most of the cast is fairly strong. True, I still prefer Peter Pears' heart-wrenching rendition of "Les pelerins etant venus," but the tenor does an admirable job here as well in the role of the Narrator. What this recording lacks is the drama of Part 1 which is captured so well in Davis' recording. In that recording, Herod's Dream is a scene powerful to hear and imagine, and it tugs your emotional strings. In this recording, you could really care less about Herod. He sounds like a nice king who's in trouble with the law, rather than a tyrant sincerely disturbed at the prospect of the Son of God coming to steal away his power.
What this recording does offer are genuinely beautiful renditions of the rest of the oratorio's scenes. The gentleness and serenity of the Joseph/Marie scenes match those of any other good recording of this piece. The famous trio for two flutes and harp has never sounded so divine, and the sound is so much clearer than on the Davis recording. The "extras" at the end of Disc 2 are not the best available, necessarily. However, the "Coro et quartetto de magi" is lovely (despite being on the subject of the Nativity, it is not part of L'Enfance).
So, all in all a decent set, but seriously lacking in the vital drama needed to pull off Herod's Dream successfully. For that, you have to go to Davis.
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