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Massenet: Ballet Music / Gallois, Barcelona
Naxos

Massenet: Ballet Music / Gallois, Barcelona

$19.99 Only 2 left

Details

Composer
MASSENET
Artist
Patrick Gallois, Orquestra Simfonica De Barcelona I Nacional De Catalunya (Obc)
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Nov 19, 2013
Catalog #
8573123
UPC
747313312375

About

This disc is just a peach. Jules Massenet’s ballet music brings together all the most charming musical trends of the 19th century: the new French ballet tradition, the lightness of Offenbach’s operettas, the lush tunes of Strauss’s Vienna, the big splashy orchestration of late-century “exotic” potboilers. The music keeps getting better and better as the CD goes along.

First I listened out of order and decided the opener, Bacchus, was my least favourite. Then I went in order and, mid-Bacchus, wondered what I had been complaining about. Yes, “Chasseresses et Bacchantes” has an early role for a percussion instrument so wimpily played that I’m not sure what it is, but then the most glorious Johann Strauss parody waltz breaks out and all is forgiven. Yes, the final bacchanale isn’t as crazy as Saint-Säens’ or Roussel’s, but what music is?

Hérodiade is an opera about Herod, where he’s the central character, in contrast with Richard Strauss’s Salome. The ballet music comes from a banquet where Herod entertains guests with dances by exotic slave girls from various foreign lands. It’s the shortest selection here.

Then we have big suites from Thaïs and Le Cid, each over 20 minutes, the highlights of the disc. Those who know Thaïs only for its “Meditation” will be happy to hear that the rest of the opera is also jam-packed with beautiful music. It’s varied, too, from the stern timpani roll of the opening andante to the perky Pierné-like flute and piccolo solos of the sixth movement, to the unexpected two-minute church-like organ solo. Le Cid is a festival of Spanish tropes, tunes and clichés from the very start. The inevitable cor anglais solo, in ‘Madrilène’, is just gorgeous. It’s as tuneful and colourful as the Spanish pastiches of Chabrier and Debussy, which is to say it’s a ton of fun.

The Barcelona Symphony plays excellently throughout, that one wimpy percussion issue confined to a single track. They seem to especially enjoy the Le Cid music, but who wouldn’t? Patrick Gallois continues to prove himself an extremely skilled, sensitive conductor of ballet music. You could imagine people dancing to this album. Given how good the music is, it’s extremely rare to have it collected on disc without the full operas alongside. Frémaux and Marriner have recorded Le Cid but for sound, panache and comprehensiveness, it’s hard to beat this. What fun.

– Brian Reinhart, MusicWeb International

Tracklist 32 tracks

  1. 1 Allegro moderato - Nocturne 01:52
    Track
    1
    Title
    Allegro moderato - Nocturne
    Duration
    01:52
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  2. 2 Faunes et Satyres 02:01
    Track
    2
    Title
    Faunes et Satyres
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  3. 3 La Procession des Offrandes 02:59
    Track
    3
    Title
    La Procession des Offrandes
    Duration
    02:59
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  4. 4 Chasseresses et Bacchantes 03:15
    Track
    4
    Title
    Chasseresses et Bacchantes
    Duration
    03:15
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  5. 5 Initiation I 01:08
    Track
    5
    Title
    Initiation I
    Duration
    01:08
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  6. 6 Initiation II 01:58
    Track
    6
    Title
    Initiation II
    Duration
    01:58
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  7. 7 Initiation III 01:25
    Track
    7
    Title
    Initiation III
    Duration
    01:25
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  8. 8 Initiation IV 01:30
    Track
    8
    Title
    Initiation IV
    Duration
    01:30
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  9. 9 Le Bapteme par le Vin 01:28
    Track
    9
    Title
    Le Bapteme par le Vin
    Duration
    01:28
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  10. 10 Bacchanale 03:03
    Track
    10
    Title
    Bacchanale
    Duration
    03:03
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  11. 11 Les Egyptiennes 01:53
    Track
    11
    Title
    Les Egyptiennes
    Duration
    01:53
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  12. 12 Les Babyloniennes 01:47
    Track
    12
    Title
    Les Babyloniennes
    Duration
    01:47
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  13. 13 Les Gauloises 01:37
    Track
    13
    Title
    Les Gauloises
    Duration
    01:37
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  14. 14 Les Pheniciennes 03:33
    Track
    14
    Title
    Les Pheniciennes
    Duration
    03:33
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  15. 15 Final 01:51
    Track
    15
    Title
    Final
    Duration
    01:51
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  16. 16 I. Andante 02:40
    Track
    16
    Title
    I. Andante
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  17. 17 II. Largo 03:40
    Track
    17
    Title
    II. Largo
    Duration
    03:40
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  18. 18 III. Presto vivace 01:19
    Track
    18
    Title
    III. Presto vivace
    Duration
    01:19
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  19. 19 IV. Andante cantabile 03:06
    Track
    19
    Title
    IV. Andante cantabile
    Duration
    03:06
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  20. 20 V. Scherzetto molto vivace 01:16
    Track
    20
    Title
    V. Scherzetto molto vivace
    Duration
    01:16
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  21. 21 VI. Allegretto moderato 01:58
    Track
    21
    Title
    VI. Allegretto moderato
    Duration
    01:58
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  22. 22 VII. Tres lent 02:16
    Track
    22
    Title
    VII. Tres lent
    Duration
    02:16
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  23. 23 VIII. Andante religioso 04:26
    Track
    23
    Title
    VIII. Andante religioso
    Duration
    04:26
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  24. 24 IX. Allegro vivace frenetico 02:40
    Track
    24
    Title
    IX. Allegro vivace frenetico
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  25. 25 X. Allegro moderato 00:55
    Track
    25
    Title
    X. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    00:55
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  26. 26 I. Castillane 03:40
    Track
    26
    Title
    I. Castillane
    Duration
    03:40
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  27. 27 II. Andalouse 02:59
    Track
    27
    Title
    II. Andalouse
    Duration
    02:59
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  28. 28 III. Aragonaise 01:55
    Track
    28
    Title
    III. Aragonaise
    Duration
    01:55
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  29. 29 IV. Aubade 01:11
    Track
    29
    Title
    IV. Aubade
    Duration
    01:11
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  30. 30 VI. Madrilene 04:53
    Track
    30
    Title
    VI. Madrilene
    Duration
    04:53
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  31. 31 V. Catalane 03:25
    Track
    31
    Title
    V. Catalane
    Duration
    03:25
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois
  32. 32 VII. Navarraise 03:54
    Track
    32
    Title
    VII. Navarraise
    Duration
    03:54
    Composer
    Jules Massenet
    Ensemble
    Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Patrick Gallois