[78-L] Les_Urnes_de_l'Opéra_(1907-2007)

[Michael Shoshani]

On Fri, 2009-05-22 at 12:31 -0700, Michael Biel wrote:

> That web page made such a big deal about it being
> available ONLY in France, and apparently for good reason.  THE BOOKLET
> IS ONLY IN FRENCH!  Sheeeeeeeeesssshhhh!  (or, as Leah just reminded me
> le Sheeeeeeeeeeesssshhhh!)  

Yes, indeed. I ordered it from Amazon (it's RIDICULOUSLY CHEAP,
something like $15 for three CDs), more for my wife than myself. She
loves the original book "The Phantom Of The Opera" and has wanted to
hear what contemporary opera singers sound like.

I haven't listened to it all the way through, but I did notice some
interesting interpretive differences. The soprano singing the part of
Juliette (as in Romeo et) uses a very straightforward, no-frills
approach devoid of many of the colorings found in the version sung by
Tetrazzini. It may well be that French Opera was "drier" than its
Italian counterpart. (I should really buy and listen to Marston's Pathe
set.)

MS