CD REVIEW
– FRENCH
MUSIC FOR THE STAGE
Estonian National Symphony
Orchestra
Neeme Järvi
Chandos CHAN 20151
(78:40)
'
The estimable
Estonian ensemble under its
fellow countryman and former MD,
the highly regarded veteran
maestro Neeme Järvi (described
by his record company as
"legendary"), bring us
another enjoyable classical-lite
Chandos collection; this time of
melodic lesser-known French works
for the stage from the 19th and
early 20th centuries – the
kind of music I recall that Sir
Thomas Beecham and his Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra played to
perfection.
The first four of
the 23 tracks are overtures by
Ambroise Thomas,
Daniel-François-Esprit Auber and
François-Adrien Boieldieu (2),
which were all composed for
staging at the Opéra Comique in
Paris. This was the form of opera
in which spoken dialect
alternates with self-contained
musical numbers.
Next is incidental
music written by Léo Delibes for
a Victor Hugo play: Scéne du
Bal and Vielle Chanson from 'Le
Roi s'amuse' (The King
Amuses Himself / The King Has
Fun). This is subtitled 'Dance
Tunes in the Olden Style'. They
include a lovely Pavane,
while Vielle Chanson
(Old Song) features the mandolin.
The play was first performed in
1832 but banned after one
performance for being reckoned an
attack on the reigning monarch,
Louis Philippe. It was later used
for Verdi's 1851 opera 'Rigoletto'.
The last and
longest work, at just under 30
minutes, is Jules Massenet's
one-act ballet 'Espada'
(Sword). Set in Spain, with a Boléro
and Fandango, it is a
bit reminiscent of Bizet's 'Carmen'
in pieces such as March of
the Toréadors and Scène
des Cartes (The Card Game).
There is a 31-page
booklet with informative notes on
the works from the musicologist
Nigel Simeone, the author of
several books on Leonard
Bernstein, and comprehensive pen
pictures of the orchestra and
conductor.
Recorded in
maestro Järvi's beautiful home
city of Tallinn during May 2018
and 2019 – when the thought
of a pandemic would have been the
stuff of nightmares – with
generous timing and the usual
sumptuous Chandos sound, this
attractive album gives the
listener very good value,
especially if obtained direct
from the record company at www.chandos.net
© Peter
Burt 2021
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