Felicien David's 'Herculaneum'

[edurban]

Forgive me if this has been mentioned since BerlinExpat's original list of novelties for 2014...but I see that the Palazzetto Bru Zane folks have recorded their March 8, 2014 concert performance (at Versailles, no less) of David's grand opera Herculaneum (1859.)  A good cast will compliment their usual high production values: http://www.bru-zane.com/?concerti=herculanum&lang=en   I can't wait.

David

[Mark Thomas]

Whoop-de-do!

[DrSchoen]

I have it on good authority that this opera will be presented at the Wexford Festival Opera in October/November of 2016 in Wexford, Ireland. Stay tuned (wexfordopera.com)

[BerlinExpat]

The sound bites on the CPO site are pretty impressive and spurred me into ordering immediately as it's in stock!

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/felicien-cesar-david-herculanum/hnum/8272949

[Alan Howe]

MDT has it too:
http://www.mdt.co.uk/david-felicien-herculanum-herve-niquet-ediciones-singulares-2cds.html

[jdperdrix]

I've ordered it too (real CD and book). It'll be released Sept. 8 in France (will be available on Qobuz for downloading at 13.99 euros).

[Mark Thomas]

Wow! Herculaneum should be a must buy for any lover of 19th century French opera. David is at his most spectacular and imaginative in this full-blooded work, which is a much more muscular and atmospheric piece than Lalla Roukh, say, and has little of the perfumed delicacy which characterises his "oriental" pieces or the late string quartets. Meyerbeer seems to be the model but, although David's orchestral writing is just as inventive, his pacing just as sure-footed and his melodic inspiration just as generous, it has none of Meyerbeer's often four-square short-windedness. The singing and playing are absolutely first rate, as is the recording and of course there's another of Palazzetto Bru Zane's handsome booklets. I don't think that I've been so bowled over at first hearing by a new opera recording since Bru Zane's issue of Massenet's Le Mage!

[Alan Howe]

Great review. Duly ordered!

[wexoperafan]

I have it on good authority that this opera will be presented at the Wexford Festival Opera in October/November of 2016 in Wexford, Ireland. Stay tuned (wexfordopera.com)

Herculanum by David will indeed be staged at Wexford 2016. The other works will be Vanessa by Barber and Maria de Rudenz by Donizetti.

Wex

[Alan Howe]

This is a first-class recording and presentation of a thoroughly enjoyable opera. My reservations, however, are twofold: first, although attractive (and featuring some beautiful orchestration), I wouldn't say it was very memorable melodically; secondly, it's very difficult to encounter this (very good) example of grand opera without thinking that a better composer could turn the formula into something far greater. Even a work such as Verdi's roughly contemporary Sicilian Vespers - hardly one of the composer's major successes - beats this hands down. Suddenly mere entertainment becomes real drama.

I suppose I'm not really a fan of the genre (although I do like Les Huguenots), but I was hoping for rather more.

[BerlinExpat]

The reviewer in Opernwelt says that although there is space on the 2nd CD, the ballet music extending to 20 minutes is not included. Also missing is a brilliant solo for Olympia!
Such a pity as it is very unlikely that another recording will ever be made. One can only hope the Wexford production next year will be complete.

[Alan Howe]

Yes, that's a shame. But I'm only mildly disappointed, frankly. The music didn't excite me and the soloists are good, but don't possess the wow factor that would make one sit up and take notice of the singing per se, which is essential in this genre of opera. Mind you, I'm currently listening to Verdi (Sicilian Vespers) featuring some world-class singers. Now if some great soloists were to be cast in Herculaneum it would make a huge difference...

[Mark Thomas]

What a shame. I hadn't realised that there was such an extensive ballet too. Heigh ho, I'll just have to carry on enjoying it without. And I do enjoy it, for all that I acknowledge Alan's criticisms. It's clearly not on a par with Verdi on an average day, but then what in that era is? The singers aren't in Kaufmann's or Netrebko's class, but they are much more than adequate, even if their performances don't quite thrill one. Melodically, I think this one of David's stronger works and I for one do find this aspect of the piece memorable. Maybe because my expectations were low, and were exceeded, I look more favourably on the work than does Alan, but it continues to give me pleasure which is all I ask.

[Alan Howe]

Oh, I'm undoubtedly being harsh; but my mind goes back to a time when great singers were cast in unfamiliar operas (e.g. Sutherland in Les Huguenots, Siegfried Jerusalem in The Queen of Sheba - see below). Of course, Herculaneum is a good deal more obscure than Meyerbeer's major operas, so I'm no doubt being very unfair...

It's clearly not on a par with Verdi on an average day, but then what in that era is?

Answer: very little in this genre of opera . Les Troyens (1856-8) would be one; and I have a soft spot for Goldmark's Queen of Sheba (but that's rather later - completed 1875), which was superbly done on Hungaroton in a performance surpassing that of Herculaneum. Otherwise, in the field of grand opera, Verdi and Wagner between them developed the concept in their own highly individual directions. Later, Massenet had some success, although his greatest achievements lie in other forms of opera.

[Aragion]

I've just listened the BBC Radio 3 broadcast of Wexford production of "Herculanum" and I must say, that it is a very exciting and well worked-out grand-opéra. The performance is spectacular and stylish. Though the ballet is cut, the Olympia's Hymn to Venus "Viens, ô blonde déesse" and the chorus-assisted Bacchanale in Act III, that are absent in the official recording, have been restored in Wexford version.