Saint-Saëns/Guiraud Frédégonde

[BerlinExpat]

Another production of Frédégonde! Again supported by Palezzetto Bru Zane.

Two performances on 10 & 12 June 2022 in the Grand Théâtre de Tours with the following:

Frédégonde I Kate Aldrich
Brunhilda I Angélique Boudeville
Mérowig I Florian Laconi
Hilpéric I Tassis Christoyannis
Prétextat I Jean-Fernand Setti
Fortunatus I Artavazd Sargsyan
Landéric I Yuri Kissin
Choeur de l'Opéra de Tours et du Capitole de Toulouse
Orchestre Symphonique Région Centre-Val de Loire/Tours
Direction musicale I Laurent Campellone

[Christopher]

Hi BerlinExpat! Do you know if this version was also recorded? It would be good to have the Saint-Saens ballet music from Act III. Thank you SO much for the other Fredegonde upload, I am really looking forward to listening to it.

[Christopher]

This is the Bru Zane web page about the recording which BerlinExpat uploaded - https://bru-zane.com/en/evento/fredegonde-21-22/ - and with a graphic for those like me who are obsessive about how their MP3 files look!

[BerlinExpat]

Do you know if this version was also recorded?

This is next year, but judging by the two and a half hours given for the whole performance I think it's unlikely. There are three numbers for the Airs de Ballet; covered by 25 pages in the vocal score!

[Christopher]

That does sound a lot.  Hopefully someone might think it's valid as a standalone piece on a CD of Saint-Saens orchestral works - some of his other ballet works from operas have been given that treatment.

[Christopher]

Another production of Frédégonde! Again supported by Palezzetto Bru Zane.

Two performances on 10 & 12 June 2022 in the Grand Théâtre de Tours with the following:

Frédégonde I Kate Aldrich
Brunhilda I Angélique Boudeville
Mérowig I Florian Laconi
Hilpéric I Tassis Christoyannis
Prétextat I Jean-Fernand Setti
Fortunatus I Artavazd Sargsyan
Landéric I Yuri Kissin
Choeur de l'Opéra de Tours et du Capitole de Toulouse
Orchestre Symphonique Région Centre-Val de Loire/Tours
Direction musicale I Laurent Campellone

I just came across this on youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZgPBEtsWFo - which appears to be a recording of the version that Berlinexpat mentioned above.  I'm not sure if it's an official recording or some kind of bootleg...

[Alan Howe]

I'm pretty sure, judging by the proximity of the audience's applause, that this is an 'unofficial' recording. And I'm certain that no label concerned would post it on YouTube unattributed.

Update: the accompanying details say 'Enregistrement amateur', i.e. amateur recording.

[Alan Howe]

The aria 'Nous partirons ce soir' from Act 1 of Ernest Guiraud's incomplete opera Frédégonde is featured on the forthcoming recital CD with the rather fine Samoan-born tenor, Pene Pati (now from New Zealand):
https://www.europadisc.co.uk/classical/242094/Pene_Pati:_Nessun_Dorma.htm

A reminder of the bootleg recording of the whole opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZgPBEtsWFo

Finally, here's Pati singing 'Nessun Dorma' from the CD to give you some idea - what a voice!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_lqm7v2_DM

[eschiss1]

Hrm. "Fredegund has traditionally been given a rather poor reputation, foremost by the accounts of Gregory of Tours, who depicts her as ruthlessly murderous and sadistically cruel, and she is known for the many stories of her cruelty, particularly for her long feud with her sister-in-law queen Brunhilda of Austrasia."
"The accounts of Gregory of Tours" sounds like a terrific source...

[Christopher]

Does anyone know if the official or "bootleg" versions include or exclude the 3rd act ballet music which was written by Saint-Saens?

[Alan Howe]

There is, as yet, no official recording of the opera - the bootleg is all we have. I've no idea about the inclusion of the 3rd Act Ballet. You might have to give it a listen!

[Christopher]

Thanks (was it both?). When I have time I will listen through it more carefully and I might extract the ballet as a stand-alone piece (for my own benefit at least). The official version (or at least the one I have)  is in 5 tracks (1 track per act), making it hard to know in Act 3 where Guiraud stops and Saint-Saens starts.  (Plus the fact that I have the composer for Act, 1, 2 and 3 listed as Guiraud, pressing all my OCD buttons now that I know Saint-Saens' ballet music is included! )