Berlioz Cantates du Prix de Rome
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Hector Berlioz
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Magazine Review Date: 9/1996
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 61
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: HMC90 1542
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Herminie |
Hector Berlioz, Composer
Hector Berlioz, Composer Jean-Claude Casadesus, Conductor Lille National Orchestra Michèle Lagrange, Soprano |
| (La) Mort de Cléopâtre, '(The) Death of Cleopa |
Hector Berlioz, Composer
Béatrice Uria-Monzon, Mezzo soprano Hector Berlioz, Composer Jean-Claude Casadesus, Conductor Lille National Orchestra |
| (La) Mort de Sardanapale |
Hector Berlioz, Composer
Choeur Régional Nord, Pas de Calais Daniel Galvez Vallejo, Tenor Hector Berlioz, Composer Jean-Claude Casadesus, Conductor Lille National Orchestra |
| (La) Mort d'Orphée (monologue et bacchanale) |
Hector Berlioz, Composer
Choeur Régional Nord, Pas de Calais Daniel Galvez Vallejo, Tenor Hector Berlioz, Composer Jean-Claude Casadesus, Conductor Lille National Orchestra |
Author: Lionel Salter
Musical competition juries have frequently – and not always without cause – been accused of bias, skulduggery or incompetence; but those involved in Berlioz’s four attempts at the Prix de Rome were prize specimens. They disqualified his first, La mort d’Orphee, because the pianist deputed to present the score in reduction (as was the custom) declared it unplayable; his second, Herminie, was awarded second prize, Berlioz afterwards learning that he had upset some of the jury by writing a prayer instead of a final agitato, as expected; by tradition, second prize winners were assured of first prize on their next entry, but La mort de Cleopatre so frightened the jury by its boldness that no prize was awarded; and only when Berlioz cynically put in his most “commonplace” cantata (as he called it), La mort de Sardanapale, was he declared the winner. It is an irony that only a fragment of this latter now survives: now that we have a chance to hear it, it proves – despite Berlioz’s deprecation of the work – to contain very characteristic orchestral sections; but here it is lent distinction by the singing of Daniel Galvez Vallejo, a splendid tenor with a heroic ring in his voice and a fine unforced top register. He is also heard to advantage in Orphee, the most impressive parts of which are the pastoral opening and the postlude (which Berlioz felt “had its point”).
Of Herminie the composer said that if it contained anything good, it was the prayer (the one that caused the dissension) which precedes the extremely original ending. Michele Lagrange enters fully into the emotions of the piece and, with admirable backing from Casadesus and the orchestra, produces the most rewarding performance of the cantata now available. A glance at the catalogue reveals, surprisingly, that of seven current recordings of Cleopatre (without question Berlioz’s finest and most harmonically advanced cantata, with a superb ending) five are reissues from between 35 and 20 years back, and the only two recent ones both have failings – Vejzovic unconvincing tempos, Plowright indistinct words. The present performance, in comparison, rates very highly indeed, with some brilliant orchestral support, though the rich-voiced Uria-Monzon, a singer of real quality, might arguably have been placed slightly more forward.
No listener will miss, in Herminie, the early version of the idee fixe of the Symphonie fantastique, and few the phrases in Cleopatre that reappear in Benvenuto Cellini; but not everyone will be sufficiently familiar with Lelio to spot the borrowings from Cleopatre and Orphee, which the insert-note teasingly avoids identifying. The whole disc is warmly recommended to all Berlioz lovers.'
Of Herminie the composer said that if it contained anything good, it was the prayer (the one that caused the dissension) which precedes the extremely original ending. Michele Lagrange enters fully into the emotions of the piece and, with admirable backing from Casadesus and the orchestra, produces the most rewarding performance of the cantata now available. A glance at the catalogue reveals, surprisingly, that of seven current recordings of Cleopatre (without question Berlioz’s finest and most harmonically advanced cantata, with a superb ending) five are reissues from between 35 and 20 years back, and the only two recent ones both have failings – Vejzovic unconvincing tempos, Plowright indistinct words. The present performance, in comparison, rates very highly indeed, with some brilliant orchestral support, though the rich-voiced Uria-Monzon, a singer of real quality, might arguably have been placed slightly more forward.
No listener will miss, in Herminie, the early version of the idee fixe of the Symphonie fantastique, and few the phrases in Cleopatre that reappear in Benvenuto Cellini; but not everyone will be sufficiently familiar with Lelio to spot the borrowings from Cleopatre and Orphee, which the insert-note teasingly avoids identifying. The whole disc is warmly recommended to all Berlioz lovers.'
Berlioz Cantates du Prix de Rome
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