BaL 17.11.12 - Berlioz: Les Troyens

[Bryn]

I didn't hear all of this BaL. Was there much comment about Dutoit's set?

It got a special mention for strength of the orchestral contribution.

[Nick Armstrong]

Didn't feel this was a very revelatory BaL, and was a bit surprised that it didn't run longer for a long work like this. Not much in the way of side-by-side comparisons

Not a work I know at all, and I was looking forward to this BAL.... It seemed to go by very quickly... I think I might have fallen asleep during it (was having a lie-in listen)... Heard some great choral sections which made me want to hear and know more. But I was surprised to see that a review of such a long work lasted barely 40 minutes: I agree, a didactic rather than a revelatory experience, this BAL.

[Richard Tarleton]

The more I think about it....she mentioned Vickers, of course, but played an extract from an earlier, English-language performance with, er, Amy Shuard - no mention at all (correct me if I'm wrong) of the magnificent Josephine Veasey, who sings the part of Dido on the earlier Davis set. Or of Berit Lindholm's Cassandra, regarded as the weak link on the earlier set. All very odd, considering the importance she gave to the three main voices. This BAL could have been filled out to 45-50 minutes to good purpose and with little extra effort.

For the 1972 ROH revival Janet Baker sang Dido and Veasey Cassandra, with Vickers still.

[Richard Tarleton]

Not a work I know at all

Calibs, this might be a good place to start, from Act 4 - as ecstatic love duets go, this is up there with Otello Act 1, Tristan Act 2....

[Flosshilde]

The earlier Philips Colin Davis set is available in mp3 download format from amazon.co.uk. ... The Philips CDs are the version I return to most often, but that could be partly for nostalgic reasons.

I believe that the first Davis recording was done after performances at Covent Garden, which had some cuts. Was this mentioned?

[Richard Tarleton]

I believe that the first Davis recording was done after performances at Covent Garden, which had some cuts. Was this mentioned?

I've just done a quick comparison of tracks on the Philips and LSO discs - identical, as far as I can see. Davis's timings barely changed. I was not aware there were cuts in the original performances, they were billed as complete.

[Nick Armstrong]

Calibs, this might be a good place to start, from Act 4 - as ecstatic love duets go, this is up there with Otello Act 1, Tristan Act 2....

Many thanks Richard... I'll listen to that!

[Bryn]

I think "the cuts" may be just one 'cut', that of the 'Sinon' scene which I think was reconstructed for the Dutoit recording. See here.

[Flosshilde]

I've just done a quick comparison of tracks on the Philips and LSO discs - identical, as far as I can see. Davis's timings barely changed. I was not aware there were cuts in the original performances, they were billed as complete.

I was wrong in my belief that there had been cuts - I've just looked at the booklet that acompaies the vinyl edition of the first Davis recording, & it says "This recording ... follows the musical text of the work as it was in June 1863, before external circumstances persuaded Berlioz reluctantly to abandon his original plan of a single grand opera in five acts and to split the work"

[Bryn]

I was wrong in my belief that there had been cuts - I've just looked at the booklet that acompaies the vinyl edition of the first Davis recording, & it says "This recording ... follows the musical text of the work as it was in June 1863, before external circumstances persuaded Berlioz reluctantly to abandon his original plan of a single grand opera in five acts and to split the work"

There is the addition of Un traître, un espion! during Act I in the Dutoit recording. This item was cut and partly destroyed by Berlioz, it appears. I do not know the recording but am tempted to download that 'track' (number 9 on the first CD). Dutoit also includes the Prélude - Les Troyens à Carthage (track 8 on disc 2).

[Roslynmuse]

There is the addition of Un traître, un espion! during Act I in the Dutoit recording. This item was cut and partly destroyed by Berlioz, it appears. I do not know the recording but am tempted to download that 'track' (number 9 on the first CD). Dutoit also includes the Prélude - Les Troyens à Carthage (track 8 on disc 2).

I think Davis recorded the Prélude for an LP which also included the Symphonie funèbre et triomphale. Don't know if that has ever made it onto CD.

[David-G]

Not a work I know at all, and I was looking forward to this BAL.... It seemed to go by very quickly... I think I might have fallen asleep during it (was having a lie-in listen)... Heard some great choral sections which made me want to hear and know more.

It's such a wonderful work, with so many treasures from beginning to end. I rather envy you the opportunity to discover it afresh.

[David-G]

Didn't feel this was a very revelatory BaL, and was a bit surprised that it didn't run longer for a long work like this. Not much in the way of side-by-side comparisons between singers, little said about conductors' speeds, styles... Useful to know that I shouldn't bother with any DVDs as I like to hear the orchestra, and would probably hate the production in the only one where Ms Lenton was happy with the balance...

Still, with both Davises on my shelves I probably won't be buying another

I agree that this BAL was rather disappointing. There were some insights, but the programme should have been longer. Also I felt that some of the musical excerpts could have been shortened with advantage, giving more time for more discussion.

LMP, I would seriously like to suggest that you consider the DVD of Gardiner's performance at the Chatelet. The Cassandra and Dido are outstanding (Anna Caterina Antonacci and Susan Graham), the production is very acceptable, the period instruments (with sistra and saxhorns!) are very interesting. This link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RohIuprydrs is an excellent clip from it, the duet between Cassandra and her lover Coroebus. Caliban, I can reccomend this to you too.

[ARBurton]

Finally caught up with this really rather disappointing BAL, even if she did refer to Sir Colin Davis as the greatest Berlioz conductor (quite right too, IMHO). I`m sure she said there were 6 DVDs but I`m only aware of 4 - Levine, Cambreling, Gardiner, and Gergiev. Have I missed some? And no reference to the Scherchen Acts 3-5 last seen on Tahra. Interested in the Original Poster`s reference to an abridged version with Alberto Remedios - would love to know where that can be sourced. I have excerpts and abridged versions of other performance some of which sound like their producers had dropped the score and reassembled it more or less at random. Here`s a most curious set on Caprice from Stockholm 1958 with Set Svanholm and Kerstin Meyerand had the huge fortune to be at 2 of the 3 Berlioz Odyssey performances in 2000 - unforgettable.

[BBMmk2]

I have Davis's LSO Live version,so I hope he get first position here!