Meyerbeer: Le Prophète

[Mark Thomas]

A new recording of Meyerbeer's spectacular opera Le Prophète on the Oehms label is due out on CD on March 16th, downloads are available now. Details and soundbites here. It's a live recording of the recent Essen production using the definitive critical edition of the score. Whether it'll replace the pioneering CBS/Sony recording with Horne, Scotto and McCracken in my affections remains to be seen, but the production itself certainly had great reviews.

[adriano]

Thanks, Mark :-) I share with you your doubts. The legendary McCracken/Horne/Scotto recording is a milestone. Everything is perfect, not even one miscast singer, a perfect orchestra and a passionate conductor. And, last but not least: pristine sound by two top balance engineers.

[Alan Howe]

I'll be sticking with the older recording, recently reissued:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Meyerbeer-proph%C3%A8te-Henry-Lewis/dp/B01CBQIL1K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519983450&sr=8-1&keywords=meyerbeer+le+prophete

[adriano]

I have the 1st CD issue, with a 312-page booklet :-)

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, me too, and I had the LPs before that. Still, I've downloaded the new recording, so I'll be giving it a chance too.

[Alan Howe]

Judging by the excerpts, the singing on the new set isn't really good enough.

[Mark Thomas]

My standards aren't as high as yours, Alan, but I've now played the first two acts and the drama and power of the McCracken/Horne/Scotto recording is completely absent from this one. It's all rather flat and unatmospheric. What a shame. I'm grateful for the restored numbers - the most important of which is Berthe's suicide aria, with its pioneering use of a saxophone - but otherwise I shall return to my old favourite with a clear conscience once I've listened to the rest of this new issue.

[adriano]

... since I need to stay quietly at home because of a (quite strong) influenza, I just finished a complete re-listening of the McCracken CD - this after several years... It's simply fabulous! Thanks, Mark, for taking up this theme :-)
Now I even am in the mood to re-listen "Les Huguenots" (I have both recordings, the Decca and the Erato). Meyerbeer is a real musical Devil! Of course I also have other of his operas, like those 3 on Opera Rara, the cpo "Vasco da Gama", the Dynamic "Robert le Diable" (there is nothing better at the moment in an acceptable sound) and the 2 Naxos...

[Mark Thomas]

:-) Any excuse, eh? Sorry that you're laid low, Adriano. For me, nothing has surpassed the Sutherland/Bonynge Les Huguenots. It's a pity that there's no Robert Le Diable recording to match it and the McCracken Le Prophète. For me at least, these are the three great Meyerbeer operas.

[adriano]

You are right, Although having good singers, the Erato "Les Huguenots" lacks atmosphere and drive. In the DECCA item, Vrenios and Ghiuselev may be a bit inferior and Huguette Tourangeau, sounds a bit too "camp" to me, as usual. Still, I am glad they did not use old Monica Sinclair in there :-)
And as far as the "Patineurs" ballet in "Le Prophète" is concerned, that can be forgottem the music is simply horrible and plumpish, compared to the rest.

[JimL]

Maybe someday they'll do a good performance that dispenses with Patineurs and includes the overture that was recently rediscovered after having been rejected at the premiere.

[Alan Howe]

We just need to get together the best singers in the world under an understanding conductor. Simple, really...

[Mark Thomas]

 

I've listened to the whole recording now and I'm afraid that the performance is a dud. Even Act IV, which is where the drama really should be electric, never takes off. The major restoration of the definitive version of the score - Berthe's suicide aria in Act V with the first use of the saxophone - is over very quickly and certainly isn't worth shelling out for the whole set. Although the recording is advertised as live, I heard no audience noise whatsoever which, paradoxically, might have given the recording some atmosphere. Heigh ho.

[Alan Howe]

the three great Meyerbeer operas

What about this, though?>>>
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Meyerbeer-Lafricaine-DVD-Shirley-Verrett/dp/B000GWBRPO/ref=sr_1_4?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1520360613&sr=1-4&keywords=meyerbeer

[Mark Thomas]

For me at least, L'Africaine doesn't quite have the momentum, imagination and vivacity of Meyerbeer's three original grand operas. This is even truer of Vasco da Gama, the original work from which Fétis cobbled together L'Africaine. They have wonderful moments, whole scenes even, but they also have their longeurs and lack those tremendously exciting act finales which characterise Les Huguenots etc.