Massenet - Amoureuse, Sacred and Profane Arias (1998) [FLAC] {Illing, Bonynge}

Massenet - Amoureuse, Opera Arias, Etc - Rosamund Illing, Richard Bonynge

Release Date: 06/05/2007
Composer: Jules Massenet
Performer: Rosamund Illing, Joanne Goodman, Elizabeth Stannard, Rosemary Gunn

"What a pleasure this disc is... exquisitely beautiful..." Fanfare (US)

"Rosamund Illing sings with warmth, purity, depth of feeling...Richard Bonynge ... is an ideally responsive accompanist. AllMusic Guide (US)

"Rosamund Illing, a most accomplished young soprano... The sound is superb, and so is the text booklet ..." American Record Guide (US)
In a treat for lovers of Massenet’s sumptuous music, soprano Rosamund Illing performs arias showcasing a wide range of Massenet’s perceptively drawn heroines.

Massenet’s richly melodic and exquisitely crafted scenes on Amoureuse make this recording a wonderful point of contact with this now under-rated composer, who at the peak of his popularity was the most performed opera composer living.

Richard Bonynge brings out a depth of detail and nuance from within Massenet's divinely crafted scores that gives evidence of his life’s passion for the French master. Richard Bonynge happily offers his view that, in his dramatic scenes, Massenet “can out Wagner Wagner”.

Included in the annual 'Best CDs and DVDs yearbook' from Gramophone. Critically acclaimed.


Conductor: Richard Bonynge
Orchestra/Ensemble: Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra
Label: Melba
Catalogue Number: MR301106
Spars Code: DDD
Length: 1 Hours 16 Mins.
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Rreview[-]by Stephen Eddins
Australian soprano Rosamund Illing, accompanied by Richard Bonynge leading the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, presents a program of almost entirely obscure arias by Jules Massenet; the only pieces that might be familiar to audiences are "Il est doux, il est bon" from Hérodiade and "Pleurez, mes yeux" from Le Cid. The CD includes mostly selections from operas, but also arias from several almost completely forgotten oratorios: Marie Magdalene, La Vierge, and Eve, which perhaps not surprisingly, are musically indistinguishable from the secular pieces. Massenet was certainly drawn to subjects where spiritual and carnal passions were commingled; witness Thaïs and Hérodiade, for instance. What these arias have in common is the sensuality that characterizes Massenet's best work. "Rêve infini!" from La Vierge, is an evocation of paradise with a practically Wagnerian intensity. The Infanta's aria from Le Cid, "Plus de tourments," is an uncommonly lighthearted piece for the composer and is especially charming and memorable. The CD includes three excerpts from Ariane that have a level of lyrical expressivity that makes the listener wonder why the work is so little known. Soprano Rosamund Illing sings with warmth, purity, and depth of feeling, but her voice lacks the easy limpidity to be ideally melting in this repertoire. Still, she does a highly credible job of bringing this obscure repertoire to life with urgent commitment and lovely tone. Richard Bonynge, leading the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, is an ideally responsive accompanist.

http://www.melbarecordings.com.au/catalogue/album/amoureuse