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Results 1 to 20 out of a total of 5847
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Maestro(s) (Bande originale du film)

Florencia di Concilio

Film Soundtracks - Released December 6, 2022 | Vendôme

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Les Noces de Figaro (Intégrale)

Huub Claessens

Opera - Released January 1, 2000 | Accent

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Les Noces de Figaro

David Parry

Full Operas - Released August 1, 2004 | Chandos

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Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492

Various Artists

Classical - Released July 2, 2020 | Les Indispensables de Diapason

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An Unexpected Mozart

Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas

Classical - Released October 21, 2022 | harmonia mundi

Hi-Res Booklet
Unfamiliar Mozart. Always curious about unjustly neglected repertoire, Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas introduces us here to a Mozart we have not met. Above and beyond his church sonatas, works written on commission, pieces meant to showcase a vocalist or an instrument (such as the rarely heard glass harmonica) or as a mark of friendship with another musician, this is a veritable treasure chest of musical gems that reflect the incredible versatility of the Salzburg genius. © harmonia mundi
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Les amants

Marine Bercot

French Music - Released April 16, 2021 | Le Chant du Monde

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Opera Arias

Marie-Nicole Lemieux

Classical - Released September 3, 2012 | naïve classique

Distinctions Stereophile: Record To Die For
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Le cinéma de Bach à Wagner

Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra

Classical - Released March 24, 2014 | naïve classique

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Glass: Cocteau Trilogy

Katia Labèque

Classical - Released February 23, 2024 | Universal Music Division Decca Records France

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions Qobuz Album of the Week
Philip Glass' three operas based on films by Jean Cocteau, inspired by the composer's youthful experiences in Paris, are among his most variegated works and perhaps among the ones most likely to win over those unpersuaded by the composer. This release took shape as Katia and Marielle Labèque performed concerts devoted to two-piano arrangements of numbers from these operas in 2020 and 2023; the arrangements are by Glass colleague Michael Riesman. Many recordings of Glass have come from his own orbit, but this one, released by the Deutsche Grammophon label and a presence on classical best-seller charts in early 2024, shows the value in opening up the field. The Labèques bring a fluent but lively quality to the music that illuminates the material out of which the operas are woven. Sample the ragtime-like opening, "Le café," from Act I at the beginning. Elsewhere, one hears echoes of Gluck, Bach, and more, all superimposed on Glass' characteristic repeating patterns. The durable popularity of Katia and Marielle Labèque, still at the top of the duo piano heap, is remarkable, and it has occurred in part because the sisters are unafraid to take on new repertory. Here, they have done a spectacular job.© James Manheim /TiVo
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Festin Royal du Mariage du Comte d'Artois

Alexis Kossenko

Classical - Released August 25, 2023 | Château de Versailles Spectacles

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions Diapason d'or
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Pancrace Royer: Surprising Royer, Orchestral Suites

Les Talens Lyriques

Symphonic Music - Released May 5, 2023 | Aparté

Hi-Res Booklet
Beyond the neglect of French Baroque music in general, it is a bit hard to understand why composer Pancrace Royer was almost completely unknown until Christophe Rousset came along to champion him, first in harpsichord music and now, with these suites of music drawn from operas, in orchestral music. In the 18th century, Royer was quite well known and admired among others by Rameau, whose music he helped along considerably. Royer certainly inhabited Rameau's stylistic world, but from the evidence here, his music is distinctive and merits the adjective "surprising" that Rousset has attached to it. It is colorful, given to unexpected turns of harmony, and vivid in its evocation of the exotic scenes of French opera. Sample the "Air pour les turcs" ("Air for the Turks") from Zaïde, reine de Grenade, with its crackling percussion. Royer challenged his orchestra with virtuoso ensemble writing in the likes of the "Premier et second tambourins" from Almasis, and Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques step up with precise, vigorous readings that one imagines would have made the composer overjoyed. The inclusion of two alternate versions for movements from Zaïde is also unusual and gives insight into the compositional thinking of the day. Essential for specialists and enthusiasts interested in the French Baroque, this album is a lot of fun for anyone, with only overdone church sound detracting from the overall effect. © James Manheim /TiVo
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Spontini: La vestale

Les Talens Lyriques

Classical - Released May 12, 2023 | Bru Zane

Hi-Res Booklet
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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Lully: Thésée

Les Talens Lyriques

Opera - Released October 13, 2023 | Aparté

Hi-Res Booklet
Christophe Rousset and his Les Talens Lyriques continue their exploration of the operas of Jean-Baptiste Lully for the Aparte label with 1675's Thésée ("Theseus"), the composer's third "tragédie en musique" with librettist by Philippe Quinault. Commissioned by King Louis XIV, the libretto recounts some early-life exploits of the titular character from Ovid's Metamorphoses. It was immensely popular for more than a century before finding itself in less demand than later, more compact versions of Quinault's text, which were set by composers such as Handel (Teseo, 1712). What is there for a king and his court not to like when the Prologue declares the king a god and sings the praises of king and kingdom? Rousset has his Les Talens Lyriques in fine form, and the ensemble plays crisply and concisely throughout. Rousset, conducting from the harpsichord, keeps the action moving in this colossal and dramatic work. The soloists, especially mezzo-soprano Karine Deshayes as Médée ("Medea") and tenor Mathias Vidal as the titular Thésée, display clear expertise in the realm of early French opera. This work is a major vehicle for mezzos in the role of the jealous sorceress Médée, and Deshayes is splendid. The Prologue has some awkward, almost hesitant singing from the chorus, but as the work progresses, the Chœur de chambre de Namur becomes stronger and, in the end, proves to be an asset to the whole (consider their turn as the inhabitants of the underworld with Deshayes on "Sortez, ombres, sortez de la nuit éternelle" from Act Two). This is a worthy addition of a lesser-known opera to the growing Lully collection from Les Talens Lyriques.© Keith Finke /TiVo

Starmania

Starmania

French Music - Released January 1, 1978 | Warner (France)

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Almanach

Malicorne

World - Released January 1, 1976 | Griffe

This beautifully packaged album consists of seasonal songs and music from around France and is Malicorne's most consistently excellent album.© Steve Winick /TiVo
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David & Jonathas

Gaétan Jarry

Classical - Released June 9, 2023 | Château de Versailles Spectacles

Hi-Res Booklet
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Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre: Céphale et Procris

Reinoud Van Mechelen

Classical - Released February 9, 2024 | Château de Versailles Spectacles

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions Diapason d'or
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Marais: Ariane et Bacchus

Le Concert Spirituel

Classical - Released March 24, 2023 | Alpha Classics

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions Diapason d'or
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Mozart : La Flûte enchantée 

Ferenc Fricsay

Full Operas - Released December 25, 2009 | Les Indispensables de Diapason

Booklet Distinctions Diapason d'or