Saint-Saëns: Phryné / Rougier, Valiquette, Dubois, Niquet, Rouen Opera Orchestra

$39.99
Label
Bru Zane
Release Date
February 11, 2022
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      Camille Saint-Saëns
    • ORCHESTRA / ENSEMBLE
      Orchestre De L'Opéra De Rouen Normandie
    • PERFORMER
      Choeur Du Concert Spirituel, Hervé Niquet
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      February 11, 2022
    • UPC
      8055776010021
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      BZ1047
    • LABEL
      Bru Zane
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      1
    • GENRE
      Classical
    Works ⌄

    1. Act I: Introduction

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    2. Act I Scene 1: Le peuple athénien (Le Héraut, Cynalopex, Agoragine, Dicéphile, Chorus)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Concert Spirituel Chorus, Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Patrick Bolleire, Thomas Dolié, François Rougier

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    3. Act I Scene 2: C'est Phryné (Phryné, Lampito, Agoragine, Dicéphile, Chorus)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Concert Spirituel Chorus, Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Florie Valiquette, Patrick Bolleire, Anaïs Constans, Thomas Dolié

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    4. Act I Scene 3: Trouverai-je toujours (Cynalopex, Agoragine, Dicéphile)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Patrick Bolleire, Thomas Dolié, François Rougier

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    5. Act I Scene 4: Bonjour, mon cher oncle (Nicias, Dicéphile)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Thomas Dolié, Cyrille Dubois

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    6. Act I Scene 5: Quelle destinée est la mienne (Nicias, Chorus)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Concert Spirituel Chorus, Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Cyrille Dubois

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    7. Act I Scene 6: Je suis las de la vie (Nicias, Cynalopex, Agoragine, Lampito, Phryné, Chorus)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Concert Spirituel Chorus, Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Patrick Bolleire, Anaïs Constans, Cyrille Dubois, François Rougier, Florie Valiquette

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    8. Act I Scene 7: Phryné, je vous rends grâce (Nicias, Phryné, Lampito, Dicéphile, Chorus)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Cyrille Dubois, Florie Valiquette, Anaïs Constans, Thomas Dolié

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    9. Act II: Introduction

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    10. Act II Scene 1: Duo: Nicias! (Phryné, Nicias)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Florie Valiquette, Cyrille Dubois

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    11. Act II Scene 2: Qui vient là? (Phryné, Lampito, Nicias)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Florie Valiquette, Cyrille Dubois, Anaïs Constans

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    12. Act II Scene 2: Un soir, j'errais sur le rivage (Phryné, Lampito, Nicias)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Florie Valiquette, Anaïs Constans, Cyrille Dubois

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    13. Act II Scene 3: J'aperçois Dicéphile (Phryné, Lampito, Nicias, Dicéphile)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Florie Valiquette, Anaïs Constans, Cyrille Dubois, Thomas Dolié

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    14. Act II Scene 4: Voyons! mon petit inventaire (Dicéphile)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Thomas Dolié

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    15. Act II Scene 5: Seigneur, est-ce bien moi (Phryné, Dicéphile)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Florie Valiquette, Thomas Dolié

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    16. Act II Scene 5: C'est Phryné! (Phryné, Dicéphile, Nicias, Chorus)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Concert Spirituel Chorus, Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Florie Valiquette, Cyrille Dubois, Thomas Dolié

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet

    17. Act II Scene 6: Salut et gloire (Phryné, Lampito, Nicias, Dicéphile, Chorus)

      Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

      Ensemble: Concert Spirituel Chorus, Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie

      Performer: Florie Valiquette, Anaïs Constans, Cyrille Dubois, Thomas Dolié

      Conductor: Hervé Niquet


To mark the centenary of the death of Camille Saint-Saëns, the Palazzetto Bru Zane offers a chance to discover one of his most performed and admired operas in his lifetime, presented here in a rare version. Completed in 1893 and premiered the same year at the Opéra-Comique, the piece amusingly recounts the love affair between Nicias and Phryné, who dupes the old archon Dicephilus in order to avenge his cruelty. Its witty melodies and delightful orchestration made the opera an immediate success in Paris and then throughout France. It was enriched with recitatives composed by André Messager in 1896 to promote its career in theatres abroad.

Hervé Niquet’s dashing interpretation brings out to the full the qualities of the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Rouen Normandie and the Chœur du Concert Spirituel, thus providing a sparkling backdrop for the virtuosic soprano voice of Florie Valiquette, the refined lyricism of the tenor Cyrille Dubois and the vocal authority of Thomas Dolié’s baritone.

REVIEWS:

Undoubtedly, Saint-Saëns’ lesser-known operas have featured heavily in Bru Zane’s CD-book series with releases of La princesse jaune, Le Timbre d’argent, Proserpine, Les Barbares and his Cantatas of the Prix de Rome. Bru Zane’s interest in neglected Saint-Saëns opera continues with this new release of Phryné, an hour-long opéra-comique in two acts. This is the world premiere recording of the André Messager version of 1896.

Bru Zane has assembled a talented cast of mainly first-language French speakers. Young soprano Florie Valiquette has had success as Barberine (Le nozze di Figaro), Madeleine/Madame de Latour (Le Postillon de Lonjumeau) and Gabrielle (La Vie Parisienne) this year. She sings the eponymous role here with fresh voice and no shortage of enthusiasm. In Phryné’s Act Two air Un soir, j’errais sur le rivage where she implores Aphrodite the goddess of love to safeguard her love for Nicias, she characterises well and is in splendid voice, light and attractive with a pleasing tenderness and purity.

Hervé Niquet conducts the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Normandie and the combination is a successful one. I’ve not encountered this Rouen orchestra too often; its playing has commitment, energy and, when required, a pleasing level of sensitivity. The well trained Choeur du Concert Spirituel makes a valuable contribution.

This world premiere recording was satisfyingly recorded in 2021 under studio conditions in the Opéra de Rouen Normandie. A high-end product, Bru Zane’s CD-book series of bilingual editions in French and English maintains its high standards with Phryné and contains a synopsis, five helpful essays and, most importantly the full libretto.

-- MusicWeb International