Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Phryné, opéra-comique in two Acts (1893, (André Messager version of 1896)
Phryné – Florie Valiquette (soprano)
Choeur du Concert Spirituel
Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Normandie/Hervé Niquet
rec. 2021, Opéra de Rouen Normandie
Full libretto and synopsis – Bilingual edition (French and English)
Bru Zane – ‘French Opera’ – CD-book series, volume 31
BRU ZANE BZ1047 [65]
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.
Saint-Saëns had a passion for ancient history, especially ancient Greece, as borne out by a number of works, notably Scène d'Horace (1860), Spartacus overture (1863), Les noces de Prométhée (1867), Le Rouet d'Omphale (1871) Phaëton (1873), Samson et Dalila (prem. 1877), La Jeunesse d’Hercule (1877) and his incidental music to Sophocles’ Antigone (1893). In the early 1890s, Saint-Saëns’ involvement in the complete edition of Rameau’s operas rekindled his enthusiasm for the connection of opera to the ancient world. A request for a new opera the Théâtre de la Renaissance, Paris, resulted in Phryné. He decided to use a libretto that had been presented to him some years earlier by fledgling playwright Lucien Augé de Lassus, which is freely based on the life of the legendary Athenian courtesan thought to have been born around 371 BC.
The story of Phryné, had become famous through Jean-Léon Gérôme’s scandalous depiction of her naked in his oil painting ‘before the Areopagus’ (1861). An extraordinary beauty, Phryné was on trial for impiety in front of all-male judges. In an attempt to influence the decision, Hypereides who was defending her, outrageously disrobes her to reveal her nakedness, which leads to her being acquitted. Augé de Lassus’ libretto amusingly relates ‘the love affair between Nicias and Phryné, who dupes the old archon Dicephilus in order to avenge his cruelty.’
Saint-Saëns completed Phryné in March 1893 in Algiers, and instant acclaim followed the premiere given the same year at the Théâtre national de l'Opéra-Comique. In the years up to World War One, Phryné was one of Saint-Saëns’ most popular operas. Prominent composers, notably Saint-Saëns’ contemporaries Charles Gounod and André Messager, spoke highly of it. Some stage directors had been deterred by the spoken dialogue that also restricted international stagings, too, so at the composer’s request Messager prepared recitatives that were added in 1896 known as the ‘Messager version’. After gaining success in France, international acclaim followed with stagings in The Hague, Brussels, Milan, Geneva, Algiers, Cairo, Monte Carlo et al. Until 1950, Phryné received a number of revivals before quickly vanishing from the repertoire.
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. She achieves her high notes well but when under significant pressure in the concluding section of the air her tone becomes a touch harsh, bordering on the screechy.
A singer in demand, especially in French opera houses, Bordeaux-born Thomas Dolié has featured on a number of recordings including three for this Bru Zane ‘French Opera’ series - Salieri’s Les Danaîdes, and Hahn’s
L'Île du rêve and
Ô mon bel inconnu. Dolié takess the role of the irascible old archon Dicéphile, demonstrating sincere engagement with his Act Two recitative and couplets Voyons! mon petit inventaire, declaring how his past involvement with women has always come at a cost. A confident singer, Dolié projects his baritone well, displaying a noticeably steady tone and clear enunciation.
Soprano Anaïs Constans, from Montauban, has appeared on Bru Zane recordings of both Maître Péronilla in the small role of Manoëla and as the voice in
La Princesse jaune. Here, she takes the role of Phryné’s slave Lampito who has the ariette from act two C’est Phryné! Lampito is showing Dicéphile where Phryné lives and explains how the sight of her will take his breath away. Constans’ singing is beautiful and joyous, revealing excellent phrasing and colourful tones.
Cyrille Dubois has made a number of recordings predominantly French repertoire including Halévy’s La Reine De Chypre and Hahn’s
L'Île du rêve, both on Bru Zane. Normandy-born tenor Dubois takes the role of Dicéphile’s nephew Nicias who sings the Act One air Ô ma Phryné, my highlight of the opera where after grumbling over his lot he tells Phryné of his love and implores her to return it. Displaying his stylishly attractive tenor, Dubois as the suitor gives a most affecting performance of the air with an especially lovely conclusion.
Standing out, too, is the Act One duo Bonjour, mon cher oncle where Nicias, who has now come of age, asks his uncle Dicéphile to lend him the money he believes is owed. With their voices nicely contrasted, Dubois and Dolié provide a most entertaining interchange between nephew and uncle. In the minor roles, baritone Patrick Bolliere as Agoragine (and a herald) and tenor François Rougier as Cynalopex provide fine support. 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.
Unlike the earlier Saint-Saëns operas Bru Zane has recorded in its French Opera series, with Phryné my attention soon wandered and subsequent playings provoked the same reaction, as Augé de Lassus’ libretto just didn’t hold my interest. Of course, the responsibility lies with Saint-Saëns’ score, which seems unremarkable by his high standards and - with a few exceptions - melodically unmemorable. Bru Zane must take credit for providing the opportunity to hear Phryné in such a splendid performance, but overall, I find the opera rather disappointing.
Michael Cookson
Other Cast
Dicéphile, archon – Thomas Dolié (baritone)
Nicias, his nephew – Cyrille Dubois (tenor)
Lampito, Phryné’s slave – Anaïs Constans (soprano)
Agoragine, demarch / A herald – Patrick Bolliere (baritone)
Cynalopex, demarch – François Rougier (tenor)
Book Contents:
Bilingual Edition - French and English (Hardback book, 164 pages)
Alexandre Dratwicki, ‘Removing the veils of oblivion’
Vincent Giroud, ‘Saint-Saëns and Antiquity’
Alexandre Dratwicki, ‘Phryné in the press’
Pierre Sérié, ‘An opéra-comique after an easel painting’
Félix Régnier, ‘The evening of the premiere’
Synopsis
Libretto
