Messages

Unfortunately, Déjanire concert is cancelled (Palazzetto Bru Zane website). Don't know if it is postponed.

The performance and recording of Bacchus is actually not part of Massenet Festival of Saint-Etienne but of Radio-France Festival in Montpellier. Indeed, it was cancelled because of coronavirus. But it is postponed to July 2021, at the same place, with (maybe) the same interpreters. More information in a few months...

There's no recording of La Carmélite yet. We must wait for the concert of February 2021 in Toulouse (and the release of the CD in the months which will follow).

I totally agree ! But I think that La Carmélite is even more interesting : the opera is longer than L'île du rêve (the work lasts 2 hours and a half) ; there are many characters, a very large orchestra (with harpsichord, organ and piano) ; vocal and musical style is more personnal than Hahn's previous opera. That's a colourful and contrasted work : the first act is neo-classical, with sections composed alla Lully (especially the ballet of the second scene) ; the second act is more lyrical (an important duet at the end between Louise and the King) but also choral ; the third act, which is the longest, is the most contrasted (some passages could belong to operetta but some others are very introspective) ; the fourth act is solemn.
Hahn has composed a work which contains a lot of ravishing music. If L'île du rêve is influenced by Massenet, La Carmélite rather remembers Saint-Saëns. Fortunately, the cancelled concert of March is postponed until 13th February 2021 (with a recording). 

In an interview (given in French), Marie Karall (who will sing Frédégonde in Dortmund) said that there was a recording project of Frédégonde !

My mistake ! I understand now. Thanks 

The recording (Phryné) will indeed take place with the Rouen forces, under the supervision of PBZ.  With possibly a concert version or public recording sessions in late June, and possibly a stage production in the fall of 2021 (to be confirmed).

Update : no Phryné in Rouen for the season 2020-21. Maybe later, for the season 2021-22 ? Let's hope...

Unfortunately, Phryné is not scheduled at la Seine musicale in June 2021. What a disappointment !
But the opera is normally planned at Rouen Opéra. We will know if it is confirmed on Monday.

Déjanire will be recorded by Bru Zane (in December) and will release in CD.
Concerning Frédégonde, I have no information. And I'm not sure that there will be a CD release and even a radio broadcast...

Here is the cast of the concert version of Déjanire

13th December 2020

Déjanire : Véronique Gens
Iole : Chantal Santon-Jeffery
Phénice : Marie Gautrot
Hercule : Michele Angelini
Philoctète : Boris Pinkhasovich

Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Münchner Rundfunkorchester (conductor : Stefan Blunier)

As it is a Sonntagskonzert, there will be a broadcast on BR Klassik (and probably a CD release) !

The singers are Laurent Naouri (Don César), Elsa Dreisig, Marion Lebègue, Thomas Bettinger, Christian Helmer and Christian Rodrigue Mongoungou. You can listen to an extract from the overture on SoundCloud.

I'm looking forward to this recording, too ! (and also Bacchus in July, if the concert is not cancelled...)

Christopher, as Phryné is supported by Palazzetto Bru Zane, I suppose that a recording is scheduled. About Déjanire, I suppose that Bru Zane is also involved (but we will have to wait for a confirmation in the next months). Concerning the other works, I have no idea or information.

By the way, I have forgotten two other events :
- the release in CD of Le timbre d'argent
- Henry VIII (in Brussels with Véronique Gens, Enguerrand de Hys and Nora Gubisch)

2021 will be the 100th birthday of Saint-Saëns' death. The next season will be an opportunity to hear some unsung works by this great French composer. Some operas are planned :

- Phryné (in Rouen and Paris, with Florie Valiquette, Patrick Bolleire and Anaïs Constans)
- Déjanire (with Véronique Gens, Chantal Santon-Jeffery and the Bayerischer Rundfunk Orchester)

Moreover, according to the website "Société Camille Saint-Saëns" :

- La princesse jaune (in Nantes)
- Les barbares (in Leipzig)
- Frédégonde (in Dortmund)

There will be a radio broadcast. So we can suppose that there will be a CD release too !

The recording of Don César de Bazan will release in June, according to Les frivolités parisiennes.