Saint-Saëns Les Barbares

[mjmosca]

For me, Henry VIII is definitely first rate, comparable to Samson et Dalila- all of the characters spring to life, through great music forged to a fine libretto. Unlike the triumphant end of Samson et Dalila, the end of Henry VIII is chilling, and that is a big part of its power! The video of the 1991 production (on Kultur) though somewhat underfunded (and it shows) is worth seeing and illustrated that an excellent opera Henry VIII is. As for Les Barbares, Saint-Saens seemed to be working toward a more austere music palette- he writes of a perfect balance between all of the aspects of opera, and I am not sure that it works- though it may have in the theater (for which it was written). Saint-Saens claimed that Helene was (among) his best works- he served as his own librettist and it too is beautiful, but is about development of musical themes without big standout melodies. Saint-Saens mentioned that "others would achieve" the goal of perfect balance- and indeed it may be that Debussy did, in Pelleas et Melisande ... much to Saint-Saens consternation! Without sounding like a broken record, (LP!) I am finding Etienne Marcel to be full of drama and melodic- the libretto has problems- it is a tragic story that has a happy ending, which is a form that is no longer in style.

[Aramiarz]

Helene is available? Or never has been recorded?

[edurban]

Very well recorded, as it happens:

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=10566&name_role1=1&genre=33&bcorder=19&comp_id=285724

Most enjoyable!

Best, David

[adriano]

A most beautiful recording of "Hélène" (coupled with "Nuit Persane") has been realized on the enterprising MELBA label, also featuring Steve Davislim, whom I consider a successor of Fritz Wunderlich, and whose CD with orchestral songs by Richard Strauss is a real highlight in this repertoire.

[Alan Howe]

Steve Davislim, whom I consider a successor of Fritz Wunderlich

He wouldn't be my choice. But then, who is? Wunderlich is unmatchable IMHO.

[eschiss1]

A half-hour of (basically fairly continuous?) excerpts from Les Barbares can be heard for the next month or so, for those who (like me) don't yet have this recording, at the end of the March 16th broadcast of Swedish Radio P2's Klassik Formiddag as available online here (after works by Charles Stanford (1st piano quartet), Amy Beach, and various other composers.)

[Alan Howe]

Les Barbares is a very uneven work, in my view. It has some very impressive moments - very impressive - but too often the standard isn't maintained and tension dissipates. There's also some very variable singing on the ES recording: oh, for the grand voices of past years.