Search - Hector Berlioz, Sir Colin Davis, Jon Vickers :: Berlioz: Les Troyens

Still the Finest

Theodore Deacon | Seattle, WA United States | 10/14/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I own all three complete CD versions of this magnificent opera. This set, Sir Colin Davis' first recording of "Troyens", remains the finest of the lot. Vickers may not be as smooth or as tender as Lakes or Heppner, but he expresses Aeneas' pain with a chilling intensity that neither his later rivals equal. Veasy is unequalled in warmth and pathos. Partidge is richly elegant, his mesmerizing "Blonde Ceres" aria simply incomparably done. The list goes on. Above all is Davis, more urgent and thus more in connection with the drama than his later "live" recording. Dutoit is good as well, but no rival for Davis in impetus and epic sweep. What really sets this album apart from the others is the recorded sound. Neither of the digital rivals come close to capturing the depth and richness of this analogue original. The balance, perspective, and acoustical ambiance are perfect. (The later Davis captures the deadly dry acoustics of the Barbican all too well.) Good as the later sets are, this first "Troyens" remains the finest."

Pinnicle of French Opera

Christopher Forbes | Brooklyn,, NY | 09/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For much of the 19th and early 20th century the music of Berlioz was considered an in joke in musical circles. Outside of the Symphonie Fantastique and perhaps Harold in Italy, most of the composer's works were relegated to the dustbins of history. This was especially true of his operas, which were considered old fashioned and failures. But around 1960 the tables began to turn. Sir Colin Davis and a small group of other conductors spearheaded a Berlioz revival in Britain and America, rescuing many of Berlioz' greatest works from oblivion. Perhaps the biggest feat of rescue was this seminal recording of Berlioz' masterwork, Les Troyens.Berlioz had a life long love affair with Virgil and particularly with his Carthaginian heroine Dido. Les Troyens is his paean to Dido and to classical civilization in general. The opera is in the traditional French five-act form. The first two acts concern the downfall of Troy and center around the figure of Cassandra, the prophet who is given the gift of second sight but the curse never to be believed. From the outset, Berlioz is a master of the dramatic set piece. The opera opens with Trojans rushing to the plain in front of the city, celebrating the seeming retreat of the Greeks. The music is jubilant and even a little vulgar....so that the dramatic entry of Cassandra and her powerful aria is all the more highlighted. Cassandra is a vocally terrifying role. She only is present in the first two acts, and yet she dominates these acts completely. Berit Lindholm is phenomenal in the role, her voice powerful and yet capable of the tender turns of phrase the role requires when Cassandra remembers her husband Corebus.The last three acts concern the love affair between Dido and Aeneas. Much of this music is grand, in the best French sense. Court scenes abound, there is a fourth act ballet, the justly famous Royal Hunt and Storm, and long, aching love duets between the principals. Once again, the female role dominates, Though Aeneas gets a wonderful, dramatic and musical treatment by the incomparable Jon Vickers, it's Dido with whom you feel sympathy....the composer did as well. Josephine Veasey is a wonder, simply breathtaking. The opera is expertly conducted by Sir Colin Davis and the Orchestra of Covent Garden. Davis is one of the least appreciated conductors of his generation. He does not have the charisma of a Karajan or a Bernstein, but he makes up for it in taste, balance, and a fierce and self-effacing dedication to the composer's intentions. Les Troyens has become increasingly popular in the last 30 years, and there is some competition, particularly on DVD. The Met production from 1983 is quite good vocally, though the staging is uninspired at best and laughable at worst. But even with the likes of Tatianna Troyanos and Jessye Norman, that production doesn't hold a candle vocally or musically to Davis' original. Even Davis' own newer recording doesn't compare vocally. This is the version of this masterpiece to get. Berlioz' world in this piece is unique and beautiful and will give you endless hours of enjoyment. A word to the wise consumer...EMI has packaged Les Troyens with Berlioz' two other worthy operas as well and sells them for a cheaper price in total. You don't get libretti, which can be a problem in this repertoire, but otherwise, the deal is far better than springing for each opera separately. It is not available currently at Amazon.us but can be ordered easily from Amazon.uk. I would recommend that to those who just can't enough Berlioz. It's a real deal!"

The Best

william_w_pyle | NY, USA | 01/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is a reason that this recording is in Gramophone's 100 greatest classical recording of ALL-TIME!! I find that list to be uncannily accurate, unfaililngly precise in identifying the best recordings in the classical catalogue. In the case of Les Troyens, I have listened to this set, the Decca Dutoit set, the Davis LSO Live series - the 3 top contenders for the title of "Best Les Troyens on Record".The golden age of singing may not be dead (there are many outstanding singers today who can hold their own with singers of the past). BUT .... the golden age of Heldentenors IS dead. And nobody, absolutely nobody, not Domingo, not Cura, not Heppner, not Lakes, not Seiffert, not Alagna ... there is no great Heldentenor today. And certainly, none can take the unique position that Jon Vickers commanded. That great Heldentenor can always penetrate to the heart and soul of any role that he undertakes, whether it be Florestan, Otello, Radames, Tristan, Parsifal, Samson.... you name it. In the case of Enee, Jon Vickers again takes top honors. Seldom ever has any Heldentenor achieved such simultaneous peaks in German (Tristan, Siegmund, Parsifal), Italian (Radames, Otello) and French (Enee, Samson) and British (Grimes) repertoire. Vickers sings with ringing heroic tone, his emotions unforced and singing impassioned.Veasey and Lindholm are glorious in their respective roles. they sing with passion, beauty of tone, and drama. That greatest of all Berlioz conductors, Colin Davis, conducts a reading that is, to put it short, the greatest of all-time. Linked to 'live' performances at Convent Garden, the 'live' frisson comes across consistently from the first note to the last in this recording.Truly, this is one of the greatest 100 classical recordings of all-time, you are poorer if you have not heard this glorious performance."