These Naxos opera-ballet collections are really rather good. The
Verdi instalment, with José Serebrier and the Bournemouth Symphony
Orchestra, was a well-deserved Recording
of the Month and Brian Reinhart described the Massenet one as
‘a peach’ (review).
I’ve heard the latter, and I must agree. I was particularly
impressed with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, new to me then, so
I wasted no time when this new Meyerbeer CD came up for review. On
this occasion they are conducted by Michał Nesterowicz, in his
debut recording for Naxos.
This band and maestro may be relative unknowns, but in his heyday
Meyerbeer was the world’s most celebrated opera composer. The
history of 19th-centiry opera would have been so different without
him; not only did he put the grand into grand opera he also influenced
the likes of Halévy, Donizetti and Verdi, and endorsed Wagner
as well. He was a talented tunesmith, and it’s testimony to
his artistic reach that so many of his contemporaries’ works
have their ‘Meyerbeer moments’; that’s especially
true of their ballet music, which was essential for operatic success
in Paris at the time.
Few operas are more spectacular than Les Huguenots, a grand
and grisly tale that ends with the infamous St Bartholomew’s
Day Massacre of 1572. As expected the gypsy ballet from Act 3 is just
a trifle, albeit a mouth-watering one. It blends Italian flavours
with a dash of Germanic seasoning, both elements of which are teased
out in this fresh, well-sprung account. I was a little surprised to
see so many items from Robert le Diable, Meyerbeer’s
first big hit, but any reservations are soon forgotten in a seemingly
endless carousel of delectable tunes. Nesterowicz has the lightness
of touch that this music demands, yet he’s unfailingly dramatic
too; just listen to his thrilling conclusion to the Pas de cinq
(tr. 2).
As much as I enjoyed the Massenet disc, conducted by Patrick Gallois,
I do prefer Nesterowicz’s added spontaneity and supple, very
danceable rhythms. He also brings out Robert le Diable’s
spookier moments very well indeed; he’s aided and abetted by
some highly atmospheric playing and a decent recording. The bass could
be a little tighter – it loses focus at times – but the
treble is clean and fatigue-free; also, the engineers have done a
fair job of conveying the hall’s acoustic. Timps are generally
well caught and the woodwinds play with a winning sense of style,
especially in the burbling Séduction par le jeu (tr.
6). It’s a mark of Nesterowicz’s skill that one can listen
to the entire collection in one sitting without ever losing interest.
One of Meyerbeer’s less-well-known operas, the Russian-themed
L'Étoile du Nord, is not without its charms
either; for a start it has a melting, harp-led Prayer. Le Prophète
opens with a dynamic, nicely proportioned Ballet of the Skaters,
a witty reference to the craze sweeping Paris. The Redowa
evokes the spirit of old Vienna – there’s some nimble,
turn-on-a-sixpence playing here – although the Quadrilles
are a bit cumbersome at times. A momentary lapse, merely, for the
ensuing Galop brims with brio – what a laugh-out-load
finale – while the Indian March from L'Africaine
is sensibly paced and sounds far less clichéd than usual.
This is a most entertaining collection with just a few dull moments
– Meyerbeer’s fault, not Nesterowicz’s – and,
as expected, the orchestra really enters into the spirit of this music.
The sonics aren’t as clean or as analytical as I’d like;
for instance the side drum in the Indian March barely registers.
Then again I have been listening to a few Blu-ray Audio discs lately,
so anything else is apt to sound a bit woolly. Come to think of it
a BD-A version of this CD would be most welcome.
One or two dull patches can’t take the shine off this engaging
disc; great fun.
Dan Morgan
http://twitter.com/mahlerei
Track-List
Les Huguenots (1836)
Act 3: Danse bohémienne [4:46]
Robert le Diable (excerpts)
Act 2: Pas de cinq [9:28]
Act 3: Ballet des Nonnes: Les Feux Follets et Procession des nonnes
[3:53]
Act 3: Ballet des Nonnes: Bacchanale [5:00]
Act 3: Ballet des Nonnes: Premier Air de Ballet: Séduction
par l'ivresse [2:19]
Act 3: Ballet des Nonnes: Deuxième Air de Ballet: Séduction
par le jeu [3:20]
Act 3: Ballet des Nonnes: Troisième Air de Ballet: Sêduction
par l'amour [2:34]
Act 3: Ballet des Nonnes: Finale [1:36]
L'Étoile du Nord (1854) (excerpts)
Act 2: Waltz [3:32]
Act 2: Chanson de cavalerie [1:18]
Act 1: Prayer [2:23]
Entr'acte to Act 3 [2:02]
Le Prophète (1849) (excerpts)
Act 3: Ballet des Patineurs: Waltz [1:41]
Act 3: Ballet des Patineurs: Redowa [7:08]
Act 3: Ballet des Patineurs: Quadrilles des patineurs [4:48]
Act 3: Ballet des Patineurs: Galop [5:01]
L'Africaine (1865) (excerpts)
Act 4: Marche indienne [8:51]
