After composing Fiesque and Le Roi d'Ys, Edouard Lalo embarked on the composition of what he intended as his masterpiece; a historical and moral opera set against the background of a peasants' revolt. However Lalo died unexpectedly, having completed only the first act. His family entrusted Arthur Coquard with the task of completing the work. The work had a successful premiere in March, 1895 and was revived in Lyon and Paris during the same year.
REVIEW:
The opera was a succès d’estime in its day, with productions in Lyon and Paris following on from its premiere. Thereafter it sank into obscurity until its revival last year in concert by Radio France, under the auspices of Palazetto Bru Zane, in Paris and Montpellier, where this live recording was made. Conducted by Patrick Davin, it has a restless energy that draws you in and keeps you engaged throughout. The playing is richly detailed, the choral singing fiercely committed and there are some fine central performances. Charles Castronovo’s Robert is all persuasive elegance and ringing high notes: you believe in him as a charismatic revolutionary, and he brings real passion to his scenes with Véronique Gens’s smoky toned Blanche, who is equally convincing as a refined aristocrat, questioning her own moral values as her world slowly crumbles around her. Nora Gubisch’s Jeanne makes up in intensity for what she sometimes lacks in steadiness, and the two baritones are nicely contrasted: Boris Pinkhasovich’s Guillaume sounds very baleful and obsessive; Jean-Sébastien Bou’s Comte gradually strips back the layers of hauteur to reveal the man’s essential vulnerability. The recording itself is scrupulously balanced, with only the final applause to remind us it was made live. A fascinating work, superbly done.
-- Gramophone
