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Anticyclone

Raphaël

French Music - Released September 22, 2017 | Columbia

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Fume !....c'est du Best

Jacques Dutronc

French Music - Released February 1, 2019 | Legacy Recordings

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Indocile heureux

Bénabar

French Music - Released January 15, 2021 | RCA Group

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Pour de vrai pour de rire

Chanson Plus Bifluorée

French Music - Released January 1, 2001 | Rym musique

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Atys

Christophe Rousset

Opera - Released January 5, 2024 | Château de Versailles Spectacles

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Backed by the Sun King despite a lukewarm audience reception at first, Lully's Atys (1676) went on to become one of the composer's most successful operas, with revivals at French court theaters as late as 1753. In modern times, however, it is a considerably rarer item due to the massive forces and time required. Christophe Rousset was in the pit as harpsichordist when conductor William Christie gave the first modern revival of the work in the late '80s. That experience marks this 2024 release, which made classical best-seller lists at the beginning of that year. That is not common for a hefty five-act Baroque opera, but even a bit of sampling will confirm why it happened: Rousset, from the keyboard, brings tremendous energy to the opera. He pushes the tempo in the numerous dances and entrance numbers, and the musicians of Les Talens Lyriques and the singers of the Choeur du Chambre de Namur, all of whom have worked closely with Rousset in the past, keep right up. The singers in the solo roles are all fine; haut-contre Reinoud Van Mechelen in the title role and Ambroisine Bré as the goddess Cybèle, who sets the tragic plot in motion, are standouts. The sound from the increasingly engineering-expert Château de Versailles label is exceptionally clear in complex textures, and the sensuous cover art (representing, it is true, not the Roman mythological figure of Atys but Hippomène and Atalante) is a bonus. In the end, this is Rousset's Atys, and that is a very good thing.© James Manheim /TiVo
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Spontini: La vestale

Les Talens Lyriques

Classical - Released May 12, 2023 | Bru Zane

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Gaspare's Spontini's French-language La Vestale is probably the most often heard of his operas, but that is not saying much; the work was sung by Maria Callas in the 1950s, but performances are sparse. Here, it is revived in period style by Les Talens Lyriques and conductor Christophe Rousset, and a very good case is made for further attention. The story is action-packed; Julia, in the absence of her lover, General Licinius, becomes una Vestale, a Vestal Virgin and guards a sacred flame. When Licinius returns to town, the flame goes out, and Julia is sentenced to be buried alive. Licinius rallies his troops, vowing to kidnap Julia, and the flame is reignited later by a lightning strike. Spontini's orchestration of this tale is Beethovenian in its dimensions, and despite the difficulties of natural horns, it is exciting to hear this opera as Napoleon (thought to be the model for Licinius) and Josephine (who backed the opera) heard it. The singers are not Callas-level, but throughout, and especially in the choruses, there is a commitment to the text and its meaning that is rare in any kind of recording. Marina Rebeka, in the role of Julia, is fully involved in the character's plight, and the smoky-voiced Aude Extrémo as La Grande Vestale is worth the price of admission on her own. The singers are aided by clear, spacious studio sound engineering from the early opera specialist label Palazzetto Bru Zane, whose high standards are perhaps even exceeded here. © James Manheim /TiVo
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Psyché

Christophe Rousset

Classical - Released January 13, 2023 | Château de Versailles Spectacles

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Françoise Hardy (Tous les garçons et les filles)

Françoise Hardy

French Music - Released October 28, 2022 | Vogue

Distinctions The Qobuz Ideal Discography
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Lully: Armide

Les Talens Lyriques

Classical - Released March 24, 2017 | Aparté

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L'album de sa vie 50 titres

Michel Sardou

French Music - Released October 18, 2019 | Universal Music Division Mercury Records

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L'In Extremis Tour

Francis Cabrel

French Music - Released October 14, 2016 | SMART

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Mes Débuts

Françoise Hardy

French Music - Released November 9, 2018 | Universal Digital Enterprises

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Bercy 95

Johnny Hallyday

French Music - Released December 2, 2022 | Universal Music Division Mercury Records

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Visages de l'amour

Charles Aznavour

French Music - Released January 1, 1974 | Universal Music Division Barclay

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Debussy: Harmonie du soir, mélodies & songs

Alain Planès

Classical - Released August 24, 2018 | harmonia mundi

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions Gramophone Editor's Choice - Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik
This fine album centred on Debussy, entitled, Harmonie du soir (it is now the fashion to give classical releases titles of their own) presents a bouquet of melodies mostly dedicated to the nocturnes of which Debussy was so fond. It has a romantic opening, with the Nocturnes by John Field, and then by Chopin and Fauré. The programme is a delight for the ears , with a certain, rather precious, "je ne sais quoi" alongside the consummate articulation and diction offered by both Sophie Karthäuser and Stéphane Degout, two artists at the dazzling height of their maturity. The evocative, tender, liquid piano of both Alan Planès and Eugène Asti also provides an air of great expansiveness. The melodies emerge very subtly, helped along by performers who possess a deep knowledge of the unique world of French mélodie which Debussy renewed with the novelty of his harmonies and an often-demanding choice of lyrics, from Baudelaire or Mallarmé. This is yet another fantastic contribution from the harmonia mundi team to the year of Debussy. © François Hudry/Qobuz

L'album de sa vie 100 titres

Johnny Hallyday

French Music - Released September 28, 2018 | Universal Music Division Mercury Records

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Elle: French Opera Arias

Marina Rebeka

Opera - Released March 20, 2020 | Prima Classic

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Elle is Marina Rebeka's fourth solo album, celebrating the diversity of the female roles in some of the greatest French Opera arias of the canon. From a sweet recounting of the pleasures of love in Charpentier's Louise, to the steely determination of Juliette in Gounod's last scene, passing through the new-found piety of Thaïs, Carmen's indomitably wild character, Chimène's extreme sadness in Le Cid, and Marguerite’s transformation from an innocent girl in love into a woman longing for a man who will not return, these and the many more arias that fill this recording explore the emotional spectrum of the female roles in French Opera. A perfect modern introduction to French Opera for the new listener as well as a valuable addition to the library of the connoisseur, Elle showcases the extraordinary art of Marina Rebeka, one of the most complete sopranos of our times, with not only a unique vocal prowess and range but with unusually deep interpretative powers, making each aria come to life in a new way. Elle is a studio recording featuring the Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen (Switzerland) conducted by Michael Balke. © Prima Classic
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Vive la France

Das Kapital

Contemporary Jazz - Released February 1, 2019 | Label Bleu

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Destouches : Issé, pastorale héroïque

Ensemble Les Surprises

Classical - Released November 8, 2019 | Ambronay Éditions

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Recorded at the Royal Opera of Versailles, this "pastorale héroïque" is a co-production of the Festival d’Ambronay, which has released it on its own label. Inspired by Lully's Acis and Galatea of ten years earlier, André-Cardinal Destouches composed Issé to mark the prince's wedding celebrations at Trianon. The work met with great success right away and was performed several times at Versailles, right up to the wedding celebrations of the future king Charles X, before it went on to conquer the Paris Opéra. Issé's lighthearted plot is full of the obligatory amorous reversals and twists: Apollo, disguised as the shepherd Philémon, is assiduously pursuing the nymph Issé. The work delighted the King, who had it staged again, with Madame de Pompadour reprising the role of the nymph, in 1749. "The version upon which this record is based was published in 1724, by Jean- Baptiste Christophe Ballard. This revision truly perfected the work: it improved whole sections and added some remarkable pages. Houdar de La Motte re-wrote several lines, while Destouches undertook a wide-ranging re-working of the rhythm and the instrumental setting of the great arias, in such a way that the dramatic material remained recognisable", François Escande says. Closely linked to the needs of the French Court, this pastorale is probably Destouches's masterpiece, quite a feat if you consider that this was his first lyrical work. It links the charm and refined sensibilities of the 17th Century with the eloquent, brilliant and expressive spirit that the following century would love so passionately. Conducted by Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, this version sparkles with intelligence thanks to a virtuoso orchestra (Les Surprises) and a team of larger- than-life singers who fit their roles perfectly. © François Hudry/Qobuz

1965-1967 : Les succès

François Deguelt

French Music - Released July 20, 2019 | Parlophone (France)

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