Opera Rara continues to do sterling work in resurrecting and recording
forgotten operatic repertoire of the nineteenth century. Following hard on
the heels of their award-winning recording of Donizetti’s
Les Martyrs (
review) is Gounod’s
La Colombe which is Sir Mark
Elder’s second release for the label in 2015. The two operas couldn’t be
more different. In four acts
Les Martyrs - a tragic story of
Christian martyrdom - was Donizetti’s first Grand Opera for Paris. Gounod’s
La Colombe (
The Dove) is a heart-warming
opéra-
comique in which the original title
Le
Faucon (
The Falcon) was probably thought to be too aggressive
a bird for the sensibility of opera-lovers. It was replaced by a more placid
alternative,
La Colombe (
The Dove).
The success of Gounod’s
Le Médecin malgré lui and
Faust
at the Théâtre Lyrique prompted its manager Léon Carvalho to request the
staging of his next opera
Philémon et Baucis. This was despite the
fact that it had already been commissioned by Edouard Bénazet for the
Baden-Baden opera house in Germany. Impresario and casino director Bénazet
agreed to forego
Philémon et Baucis if he could have another new
production which was to be
La Colombe. The French libretto was
written by Gounod’s favoured partnership of Jules Barbier and Michel Carré
based on Jean La Fontaine’s text
Le Faucon which was in turn
inspired by Boccaccio's
Decameron tales.
Gounod completed
La Colombe in 1860 and it was staged to
considerable acclaim the same year at Baden-Baden. In 1866 it was revived at
the Opéra-Comique, Paris, including some revisions. Soon after that it was
staged in several European cities but its initial popularity soon ran out of
steam. Charming and witty this is a rather twee tale which has no
pretensions in the direction of emotional profundity. The hard-up Horace
falls in love with the wealthy Countess Sylvie and he invites her to dinner.
His manservant Mazet desperately searches his garden for something suitable
to cook for the table. With all the chickens already eaten Horace asks Mazet
to serve his pet dove. After dinner Horace confesses to Sylvie that as a
token of his love he has sacrificed his cherished pet dove. A happy ending
ensues when Sylvie agrees to marry him only for Mazet to admit it was not
the dove he served up but a neighbour’s parrot.
Outstandingly chosen, all the four soloists have strikingly differentiated
voices and make conspicuous and rewarding contributions. Sylvie, a wealthy
countess is sung by American soprano Erin Morley who demonstrates her
relative ease with Gounod’s coloratura demands. Morley’s highpoints are her
admirable control in the substantial act 1 Air
Je veux interroger
(
I’d like to have a word) where Sylvie is certain her looks will
win Horace’s affections. Then there's the tender act 2 Romance
Que de rêves (
What lovely dreams) as Sylvie muses on how
badly she has treated Horace. Morley, certainly no stranger to French roles,
excels and gives a charming and appropriately girlish feel to her brightly
focused soprano. Mexican Javier Camarena, who made his Metropolitan Opera
debut in 2011, certainly deserves praise for his Horace, the rather
inexperienced Florentine bachelor. Beautifully rendered is Horace’s touching
act 1 Romance
J’aimais jadis (
Once I was in love)
declaring how the sweet dove reminds him of Sylvie. He is exquisitely tender
in the act 2 Madrigal
Ces attraits (
This beauty) in praise
of Sylvie’s attractions. Bright in his high register with a smooth and sweet
mid-range the Mexican tenor displays an attractive timbre giving a
thoroughly engaging performance.
Described as Horace’s manservant, Mazet is his Godson, a trouser role
taken by Michèle Losier a mezzo-soprano. Losier’s success in the
Metropolitan Opera auditions led to her house debut in 2007. With her
experience shining through like a beacon I admired every note of her
performance. The Canadian distinguishes herself singing expressively to the
dove in her act 1 Romance
Sylvie, Sylvie! Venez-la ma mignonne!
(
Sylvie, Sylvie! Come here, my pretty bird) and in the same act
delivers a suitably amusing tirade of annoyance in
Dans la solitude
(
Living in solitude). Striking and resilient, Losier’s unmannered
mezzo has a distinctive, medium-dark colouring together with a generous
supply of character. I look forward to hearing her in a more substantial
part. The role of Maître Jean, major-domo of the countess is played by
Frenchman Laurent Naouri. Gounod has given Maître Jean some excellent
writing to work with and Naouri, a solid bass-baritone, certainly doesn’t
disappoint in his act 1 Ariette
Le amoureux (
Lovers)
extolling how lovers have generous hearts. He's also successful in
the amusing act 2 Air
Le grand art de cuisine (
The great art of
cooking) complaining how can he possibly cook without food? Appearing
regularly at many of the world’s most prestigious opera houses Naouri is in
unwavering form, dark and strong and one senses plenty of power remains
under the bonnet. Undoubtedly the Hallé have been well prepared and the
level of assurance in this performance is evident from the first bar to the
last. Sir Mark draws playing of elevated quality that is stylishly
expressive and engagingly sympathetic to Gounod’s musical personality.
The engineering team provide excellent sound which is especially clear and
detailed with a well judged balance. In the generously detailed booklet the
essay by Hugh Macdonald, as authoritative as I have come to expect from this
label, is interesting and instructive. I will not be alone in expressing
gratitude to Opera Rara for providing full French texts with an English
translation in the handsome booklet.
There are a couple of features about this outstanding release that
somewhat jar. The spoken dialogue in
La Colombe, which is
extensive, is not to my taste. It seems for its Monte Carlo revival in 1923
Francis Poulenc composed sung recitatives which although not authentic would
have been my definite preference. The use of a plain cover design rather
than a picture from the period such as that of Maître Jean on page 25 just
doesn’t work for me. A similarly unadorned image used for
Les
Martyrs was effective but not this one.
Having briefly discussed Opera Rara during my
2011 interview with its artistic director Sir Mark Elder, his
enthusiasm for French Grand Opera, a genre that interests me passionately,
was infectious. There is certainly plenty of scope for suitable operas for
Opera Rara to explore and record. Showing my predilection for heavier fare I
live in hope that several French grand operas, which have long intrigued me,
might become a reality in the recording studio such as Fromental Halévy’s
Charles VI,
La reine de Chypre and
La magicienne
and Daniel Auber’s
Gustave III.
Michael Cookson
