Cherubini: Les Abencérages or The Standard of Grenada / Vashegyi, Orfeo Orchestra
Details
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Artist
- Gyorgy Vashegyi
- Format
- CD
- Label
- Bru Zane
- Released
- Nov 11, 2022
- Catalog #
- BZ1050
- UPC
- 8055776010076
About
Cherubini’s Les Abencérages, premiered in 1813, heralds the spectacle and extravagance of Romantic grand opera. From the Alhambra gardens to the battlefield, the action skillfully intertwines political conspiracies with a love story. Underpinned by the energy and timbres of period instruments, this recording demonstrates the work’s modernity and its musical qualities. Anaïs Constans valiantly tackles the demanding role of Noraïme, while Edgaras Montvidas displays his lyric tenor voice in a series of sublime airs whose beauty was already hinted at by none other than Roberto Alagna in a recital disc released in 2003. Around this couple, a plethoric cast of soloists (Dolié, Sargsyan, Williams, Martin, Lavoie, etc.) achieves the same high standards of French diction and style. The Hungarian conductor György Vashegyi, flanked by the Purcell Choir and Orfeo Orchestra, reveals here another key milestone of French Romantic opera.
REVIEWS:
Unstaged in Paris for over two centuries Les Abencérages, a kind of ‘missing link’ in the history of French opera, has been disinterred by Bru Zane. The overture with its two warring themes – romantic passion versus battlefield chivalry – announce a changed sensibility where the political is properly personal.
György Vashegyi and the Orfeo Orchestra find Beethoven – drums and trumpets and driving rhythms – in Cherubini’s score, and hints at the start of Act III of the Romanticism to come with Mendelssohn. While Étienne de Jouy’s libretto is set in the exotic Alhambra of late-15th century Moorish Grenada, its spectacle and masterly use of the chorus suggests the coming French Grand Opéra. Its story presents two warring factions within the last Spanish caliphate ready to be reconciled through the warrior Almazor’s marriage to Princess Norïme. That is until the villainous Vizier Alémar starts to plot!
Cherubini’s vocal line is free of Italian decorative thrills. Anaïs Constans handles Norïme’s high tessitura with grace, and Edgaras Montvidas’s Almanzor is a worthy heir to Louis Nourrit, the tenor who created the role in 1813. His farewell when exiled from Grenada having ‘lost’ the kingdom’s sacred standard on the battlefield is properly affecting.
Yet it’s the Purcell Choir who steal the vocal honours, with magnificent singing by the women in Act I as they prepare for the wedding, and the men rattling their vocal sabres handsomely as the plot thickens in Act II. For all that, the musical history is perhaps more striking than the opera itself.
-- BBC Music Magazine
Tracklist 48 tracks
- Disc 1
-
1 Overture 05:50
- Track
- 1
- Title
- Overture
- Duration
- 05:50
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
2 Act I Scene 1: Trio: Son trimphe s'apprete (Kaled, Alamir, Alémar) 05:39
- Track
- 2
- Title
- Act I Scene 1: Trio: Son trimphe s'apprete (Kaled, Alamir, Alémar)
- Duration
- 05:39
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Tomislav Lavoie, Thomas Dolié
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
3 Act I Scene 1: Air: Enfin j'ai vu naitre l'aurora (Almanzor, Noraïme) 05:56
- Track
- 3
- Title
- Act I Scene 1: Air: Enfin j'ai vu naitre l'aurora (Almanzor, Noraïme)
- Duration
- 05:56
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Edgaras Montvidas, Anaïs Constans
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
4 Act I Scene 1: Duo. Qu'il est doux de pouvoir se dire (Almanzor, Noraïme) 06:00
- Track
- 4
- Title
- Act I Scene 1: Duo. Qu'il est doux de pouvoir se dire (Almanzor, Noraïme)
- Duration
- 06:00
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Edgaras Montvidas, Anaïs Constans
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
5 Act I Scene 4: Paraissez, Alemar attende le couple hereux (Kaled, Almanzor) 00:48
- Track
- 5
- Title
- Act I Scene 4: Paraissez, Alemar attende le couple hereux (Kaled, Almanzor)
- Duration
- 00:48
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Edgaras Montvidas
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
6 Act I Scene 6: Que l'amitie, que l'hymen vous rassemble (Chorus) 02:11
- Track
- 6
- Title
- Act I Scene 6: Que l'amitie, que l'hymen vous rassemble (Chorus)
- Duration
- 02:11
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
7 Act I Scene 6:Chœur: Que Zéphyr sans cesse (Chorus) 02:54
- Track
- 7
- Title
- Act I Scene 6:Chœur: Que Zéphyr sans cesse (Chorus)
- Duration
- 02:54
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
8 Act I Scene 6: Chœur: Palais des rois, noble séjour (Chorus) 01:51
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Act I Scene 6: Chœur: Palais des rois, noble séjour (Chorus)
- Duration
- 01:51
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
9 Act I Scene 6: Scene and Air: Braves Zegris, nobles Abencerages (Gonzalve) 04:34
- Track
- 9
- Title
- Act I Scene 6: Scene and Air: Braves Zegris, nobles Abencerages (Gonzalve)
- Duration
- 04:34
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Artavazd Sargsyan
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
10 Act I Scene 6: Laissons respirer la victoire (All) 04:56
- Track
- 10
- Title
- Act I Scene 6: Laissons respirer la victoire (All)
- Duration
- 04:56
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Agnes Pinter, Anaïs Constans, Artavazd Sargsyan, Edgaras Montvidas, Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Tomislav Lavoie, Lóránt Najbauer, Douglas Williams, Thomas Dolié
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
11 Act I Scene 6: Gavotte 04:07
- Track
- 11
- Title
- Act I Scene 6: Gavotte
- Duration
- 04:07
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
12 Act I Scene 6: Recitative: Arioso et Chœur:Des troubadours, le cortège joyeux (Gonzalve, Chorus) 05:06
- Track
- 12
- Title
- Act I Scene 6: Recitative: Arioso et Chœur:Des troubadours, le cortège joyeux (Gonzalve, Chorus)
- Duration
- 05:06
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Artavazd Sargsyan
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
13 Act I Scene 6: Romance: Vous qui naimez rien sur la terre (Troubadour, Chorus) 03:31
- Track
- 13
- Title
- Act I Scene 6: Romance: Vous qui naimez rien sur la terre (Troubadour, Chorus)
- Duration
- 03:31
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Artavazd Sargsyan
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
14 Act I Scene 7: Les Folies d'Espagne 03:33
- Track
- 14
- Title
- Act I Scene 7: Les Folies d'Espagne
- Duration
- 03:33
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
15 Act I Scene 7: Finale 02:25
- Track
- 15
- Title
- Act I Scene 7: Finale
- Duration
- 02:25
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
16 Act I Scene 7: Que nous veut Octair? (Almanzor, Noraime, Octair, Chorus, Gonzalve, Abencerages, Kaled, Alamir, Zegris) 07:54
- Track
- 16
- Title
- Act I Scene 7: Que nous veut Octair? (Almanzor, Noraime, Octair, Chorus, Gonzalve, Abencerages, Kaled, Alamir, Zegris)
- Duration
- 07:54
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Edgaras Montvidas, Anaïs Constans, Lóránt Najbauer, Artavazd Sargsyan, Douglas Williams, Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Tomislav Lavoie
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
17 Act I Scene 8: Finale: Armez-vous, enfant d'Ismaël (All) 03:53
- Track
- 17
- Title
- Act I Scene 8: Finale: Armez-vous, enfant d'Ismaël (All)
- Duration
- 03:53
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Agnes Pinter, Anaïs Constans, Artavazd Sargsyan, Edgaras Montvidas, Tomislav Lavoie, Thomas Dolié, Lóránt Najbauer, Douglas Williams, Philippe-Nicolas Martin
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
- Disc 2
-
1 Act II Scene 1: Air: Il est vainqueur! Son triomphe s'apprete (Noraïme, Chorus) 06:22
- Track
- 1
- Title
- Act II Scene 1: Air: Il est vainqueur! Son triomphe s'apprete (Noraïme, Chorus)
- Duration
- 06:22
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Anaïs Constans
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
2 Act II Scene 1:Chœur: Ô jeune et charmante princesse (Chorus) 01:41
- Track
- 2
- Title
- Act II Scene 1:Chœur: Ô jeune et charmante princesse (Chorus)
- Duration
- 01:41
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
3 Act II Scene 1:Air avec chœur: Livrez vos cœurs à l'allégresse (Noraïme, Chorus) 02:34
- Track
- 3
- Title
- Act II Scene 1:Air avec chœur: Livrez vos cœurs à l'allégresse (Noraïme, Chorus)
- Duration
- 02:34
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Anaïs Constans
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
4 Act II Scene 2: Air de danse 00:48
- Track
- 4
- Title
- Act II Scene 2: Air de danse
- Duration
- 00:48
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
5 Act II Scene 3: Duet: C'est Egilone (Noraïme, Egilone, Almanzor) 02:06
- Track
- 5
- Title
- Act II Scene 3: Duet: C'est Egilone (Noraïme, Egilone, Almanzor)
- Duration
- 02:06
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Anaïs Constans, Agnes Pinter, Edgaras Montvidas
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
6 Act II Scene 4: Duet. Il vient! … Cher Almanzor! (Égilone, Noraïme, Almanzor) 05:02
- Track
- 6
- Title
- Act II Scene 4: Duet. Il vient! … Cher Almanzor! (Égilone, Noraïme, Almanzor)
- Duration
- 05:02
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Agnes Pinter, Anaïs Constans, Edgaras Montvidas
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
7 Act II Scene 5: Recitative: Organe de nos lois (Noraïme, Almanzor, Kaled) 01:02
- Track
- 7
- Title
- Act II Scene 5: Recitative: Organe de nos lois (Noraïme, Almanzor, Kaled)
- Duration
- 01:02
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Anaïs Constans, Edgaras Montvidas, Philippe-Nicolas Martin
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
8 Act II Scene 6: O victoire fatale! (Chorus) 03:04
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Act II Scene 6: O victoire fatale! (Chorus)
- Duration
- 03:04
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
9 Act II Scene 6: Air: Venerables guerriers, l'Espagne vous contemple (Alémar) 03:21
- Track
- 9
- Title
- Act II Scene 6: Air: Venerables guerriers, l'Espagne vous contemple (Alémar)
- Duration
- 03:21
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Thomas Dolié
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
10 Act II Scene 6: Scene: Noble et vaillant Abencerage (Abderame, Almanzor, Alémar) 02:12
- Track
- 10
- Title
- Act II Scene 6: Scene: Noble et vaillant Abencerage (Abderame, Almanzor, Alémar)
- Duration
- 02:12
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Douglas Williams, Edgaras Montvidas, Thomas Dolié
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
11 Act II Scene 7: Princes, voici les defenseurs (Abderame, Zegris, Alémar, Kaled, Alamir, Chorus) 01:33
- Track
- 11
- Title
- Act II Scene 7: Princes, voici les defenseurs (Abderame, Zegris, Alémar, Kaled, Alamir, Chorus)
- Duration
- 01:33
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Douglas Williams, Thomas Dolié, Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Tomislav Lavoie
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
12 Act II Scene 7: Recitative: Almanzor, tes juges en larmes (Abdérame, Alémar, Alamir, Kaled) 02:44
- Track
- 12
- Title
- Act II Scene 7: Recitative: Almanzor, tes juges en larmes (Abdérame, Alémar, Alamir, Kaled)
- Duration
- 02:44
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Douglas Williams, Thomas Dolié, Tomislav Lavoie, Philippe-Nicolas Martin
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
13 Act II Scene 7: Air: Suspendez a ces murs (Almanzor, Chorus) 05:18
- Track
- 13
- Title
- Act II Scene 7: Air: Suspendez a ces murs (Almanzor, Chorus)
- Duration
- 05:18
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Edgaras Montvidas
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
14 Act II Scene 8: Quatuor avec chœur. Dans ce moment qui nous sépare (Almanzor, Kaled, Alamir, Alémar, Chorus) 02:47
- Track
- 14
- Title
- Act II Scene 8: Quatuor avec chœur. Dans ce moment qui nous sépare (Almanzor, Kaled, Alamir, Alémar, Chorus)
- Duration
- 02:47
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Edgaras Montvidas, Tomislav Lavoie, Thomas Dolié
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
15 Act II Scene 8: Finale: Les Zegris sont venges (Alémar, Kaled, Alamir, Zegris, Chorus) 02:44
- Track
- 15
- Title
- Act II Scene 8: Finale: Les Zegris sont venges (Alémar, Kaled, Alamir, Zegris, Chorus)
- Duration
- 02:44
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Thomas Dolié, Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Tomislav Lavoie, Edgaras Montvidas
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
- Disc 3
-
1 Act III Scene 1: Air: Epaissis tes ombres funebres (Noraïme) 05:52
- Track
- 1
- Title
- Act III Scene 1: Air: Epaissis tes ombres funebres (Noraïme)
- Duration
- 05:52
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Anaïs Constans
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
2 Act III Scene 2: Duet: Protege-moi, Dieu tutelaire (Almanzor, Noraïme) 02:04
- Track
- 2
- Title
- Act III Scene 2: Duet: Protege-moi, Dieu tutelaire (Almanzor, Noraïme)
- Duration
- 02:04
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Edgaras Montvidas, Anaïs Constans
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
3 Act III Scene 2: Duet: Providence céleste (Noraïme, Chorus) 04:28
- Track
- 3
- Title
- Act III Scene 2: Duet: Providence céleste (Noraïme, Chorus)
- Duration
- 04:28
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Anaïs Constans
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
4 Act III Scene 2: Recitative: Derrière ces rochers (Almanzor, Noraïme, Alémar, Kaled, Alamir) 03:47
- Track
- 4
- Title
- Act III Scene 2: Recitative: Derrière ces rochers (Almanzor, Noraïme, Alémar, Kaled, Alamir)
- Duration
- 03:47
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Edgaras Montvidas, Anaïs Constans, Thomas Dolié, Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Tomislav Lavoie
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
5 Act III Scene 5: Air: D'une haine long-temps captive (Alemar) 04:26
- Track
- 5
- Title
- Act III Scene 5: Air: D'une haine long-temps captive (Alemar)
- Duration
- 04:26
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Thomas Dolié
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
6 Act III Scene 6: Grand Dieu! Quel triste journee (Chorus) 05:29
- Track
- 6
- Title
- Act III Scene 6: Grand Dieu! Quel triste journee (Chorus)
- Duration
- 05:29
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
7 Act III Scene 6: Scene: Almanzor a perdu l'etendard (Le Herault, Alamir, Kaled, Almanzor) 02:57
- Track
- 7
- Title
- Act III Scene 6: Scene: Almanzor a perdu l'etendard (Le Herault, Alamir, Kaled, Almanzor)
- Duration
- 02:57
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Lóránt Najbauer, Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Tomislav Lavoie, Edgaras Montvidas
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
8 Act III Scene 6: Air: Mes amis ne me plaignez pas (Almanzor, Chorus) 03:15
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Act III Scene 6: Air: Mes amis ne me plaignez pas (Almanzor, Chorus)
- Duration
- 03:15
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Edgaras Montvidas
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
9 Act III Scene 6: Veillez sur Noraïme (Alémar) 03:25
- Track
- 9
- Title
- Act III Scene 6: Veillez sur Noraïme (Alémar)
- Duration
- 03:25
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Thomas Dolié
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
10 Act III Scene 6: Chœur: Protège-nous, dieu secourable (Abdérame, Almanzor, Alémar) 01:48
- Track
- 10
- Title
- Act III Scene 6: Chœur: Protège-nous, dieu secourable (Abdérame, Almanzor, Alémar)
- Duration
- 01:48
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Douglas Williams, Edgaras Montvidas, Thomas Dolié
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
11 Act III Scene 6: Recitative: Dieu veut, le roi permet (Chorus) 00:30
- Track
- 11
- Title
- Act III Scene 6: Recitative: Dieu veut, le roi permet (Chorus)
- Duration
- 00:30
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
12 Act III Scene 6: Combat: Il triomphe! (Abdérame, Alémar, Alamir, Kaled) 04:24
- Track
- 12
- Title
- Act III Scene 6: Combat: Il triomphe! (Abdérame, Alémar, Alamir, Kaled)
- Duration
- 04:24
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Douglas Williams, Thomas Dolié, Tomislav Lavoie
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
13 Act III Scene 7: Chœur: Pour venger nos communs outrages (Almanzor, Chorus) 01:15
- Track
- 13
- Title
- Act III Scene 7: Chœur: Pour venger nos communs outrages (Almanzor, Chorus)
- Duration
- 01:15
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Edgaras Montvidas
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
14 Act III Scene 7: Recitative: De toutes parts la vérité s’élève (Almanzor, Kaled, Alamir, Alémar, Chorus) 01:23
- Track
- 14
- Title
- Act III Scene 7: Recitative: De toutes parts la vérité s’élève (Almanzor, Kaled, Alamir, Alémar, Chorus)
- Duration
- 01:23
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Edgaras Montvidas, Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Tomislav Lavoie
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
15 Act III Scene 7: Finale: Un jour d'allegresse (All) 04:02
- Track
- 15
- Title
- Act III Scene 7: Finale: Un jour d'allegresse (All)
- Duration
- 04:02
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Performer
- Agnes Pinter, Anaïs Constans, Artavazd Sargsyan, Edgaras Montvidas, Tomislav Lavoie, Lóránt Najbauer, Douglas Williams, Thomas Dolié, Philippe-Nicolas Martin
- Ensemble
- Purcell Choir, Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi
-
16 Act III Scene 8: Air de danse finale 05:02
- Track
- 16
- Title
- Act III Scene 8: Air de danse finale
- Duration
- 05:02
- Composer
- Luigi Cherubini
- Ensemble
- Orfeo Orchestra
- Conductor
- György Vashegyi