Audio CD review:
Hector Berlioz, Sir Colin Davis, Ben Heppner, Michelle DeYoung, Peter Mattei, London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Petra Lang - Berlioz: Les Troyens

Hector Berlioz, Sir Colin Davis, Ben Heppner, Michelle DeYoung, Peter Mattei, London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Petra Lang - Berlioz: Les Troyens

Band: Hector Berlioz, Sir Colin Davis, Ben Heppner, Michelle DeYoung, Peter Mattei, London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Petra Lang Title: Berlioz: Les Troyens Rating: Release Date: 30 January, 2002 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Act One, No.1 Chor: Ha, Ha! Apres Dix Ans - London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop 2: Act One, No.2 Recitative And Aria: Les Grecs Ont Disparu! - Petra Lang 3: Act One, No.2 Recitative And Aria: Malheureux Roi! - Petra Lang 4: Act One, No.3 Duet: C'est Lui! - Petra Lang 5: Act One, No.3 Cavatina: Reviens A Toi, Vierge Adoree!/Pauvre Ame Egaree!/Si Tu M'aimes, Va-t'en... - Peter Mattei/Petra Lang 6: Act One, No.4 March And Hymn: Dieux Protecteurs De La Ville Eternelle - London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop 7: Act One, No.5 Gauntelet Combat - Wrestlers' Dance - LSO/Sir Colin Davis 8: Act One, No.6 Pantomime - London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop/Petra Lang 9: Act One, No.7 Recitative: Du Peuple Et Des Soldats - Ben Heppner 10: Act One, No.8 Octet And Double Chor: Chaitment Effroyable! - Alan Ewing/Tigran Martirossian/Peter Mattei/Ben Heppner/Bulent Bezduz/Petra Lang/Isabelle Cals... 11: Act One, No.9 Recitative And Chor: Que La Deesse Nous Protege - Ben Heppner/Alan Ewing/Michelle DeYoung/Petra Lang/Sara Mingardo/Peter Mattei/Stephen Milling... 12: Act One, No.10 Aria: Non, Je Ne Verrai Pas La Deplorable Fete - Petra Lang 13: Act One, No.11 Finale (Trojan March): De Mes Sens Eperdus - Petra Lang/London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop 14: Act Two, Scene 1, No.12 Scene And Recitative: Intro - LSO/Sir Colin Davis 15: Act Two, Scene 1, No.12 Scene And Recitative: Intro - LSO/Sir Colin Davis 16: Act Two, Scene 1, No.12 Scene And Recitative: Intro: O Lumiere De Troie!/Ah!...Fuis, Fils De Venus - Ben Heppner/Orlin Anastassov 17: Act Two, Scene 1, No.13 Recitative And Chor: Quelle Esperance Encor Est Permise - Ben Heppner/Tigran Martirossian/Isabelle Cals/Peter Mattei 18: Act Two, Scene 2, No.14 Chor (Prayer): Ha, Puissante Cybele - London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop 19: Act Two, Scene 2, No.15 Recitative And Chor: Tous Ne Periront Pas/Oh Digne Soeur D'Hector - Petra Lang/London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop 20: Act Two, Scene 2, No.16 Finale: Complices De Sa Gloire/Le Tresor! Le Tresor! - London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop/Petra Lang/Mark Stone 21: Act Three, No.17 Chor: De Carthage Les Cieux - London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop 22: Act Three, No.18 Nat Anthem: Gloire A Didon - London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop 23: Act Three, No.19 Recitative And Aria: Nous Avons Vu Finir Sept And A Peine - Michelle DeYoung/London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop 24: Act Three, No.19 Recitative And Aria: Chers Tyriens - LSO/Sir Colin Davis 25: Act Three, No.20 Entry Of The Builders - LSO/Sir Colin Davis 26: Act Three, No.21 Entry Of The Sailors - LSO/Sir Colin Davis 27: Act Three, No.22 Entry Of The Farm-Workers - LSO/Sir Colin Davis 28: Act Three, No.23 Recitative And Chor: Peuple! Tous Les Honneurs - Michelle DeYoung/London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop 29: Act Three, No.24 Recitative And Duet: Les Chants Joyeux - Michelle DeYoung/Sara Mingardo 30: Act Three, No.25 Recitative And Aria: Echappes A Grand Peine - Kenneth Tarver/Michelle DeYoung 31: Act Three, No.25 Recitative And Aria: Errante Sur Les Mers - Michelle DeYoung 32: Act Three, No.26 Trojan March (In The Minor Mode): J'Eprouve Une Souldaine Et Vive Impatience - Michelle DeYoung 33: Act Three, No.27 Recitative: Auguste Reine, Un Peuple Errant Et Malheureux - Isabelle Cals/Michelle DeYoung/Tigran Martirossian 34: Act Three, No.28 Finale: J'Ose A Peine Annoncer La Terrible Nouvelle!/Reine! Je Suis Enee!... - Stephen Milling/Michelle DeYoung/London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop/Ben Heppner/Petra Lang... 35: Act Four, Scene 1, No.29 Royal Hunt And Storm (Pantomime) - LSO/Sir Colin Davis 36: Act Four, Scene 2, No.30 Recitative: Dites, Narbal, Qui Cause Vos Alarmes? - Sara Mingardo/Stephen Milling 37: Act Four, Scene 2, No.31 Aria: De Quels Revers Menaces-tu Carthage - Stephen Milling 38: Act Four, Scene 2, No.31 Cavatina: Vaine Terreur - Sara Mingardo 39: Act Four, Scene 2, No.31 Aria And Cavatina: De Quels Revers Menaces-tu Carthage - Stephen Milling/Sara Mingardo 40: Act Four, Scene 2, No.32 March For The Entry Of The Queen - LSO/Sir Colin Davis 41: Act Four, Scene 2, No.33.Ballets: Dance Of The Egyptian Dancing Girls - LSO/Sir Colin Davis 42: Act Four, Scene 2, No.33.Ballets: Dance Of The Slaves - LSO/Sir Colin Davis 43: Act Four, Scene 2, No.33.Ballets: Dance Of The Nubian Slave Girls - LSO/Sir Colin Davis 44: Act Four, Scene 2, No.34.Scene And Iopas' Song: Assez, Ma Soeur - Michelle DeYoung 45: Act Four, Scene 2, No.34.Scene And Iopas' Song: O Blonde Ceres - Kenneth Tarver 46: Act Four, Scene 2, No.35 Recitative And Qnt: Pardonne, Iopas - Michelle DeYoung/Ben Heppner 47: Act Four, Scene 2, No.35 Recitative And Qnt: O Pudeur! Tout Conspire - Michelle DeYoung/Ben Heppner/Sara Mingardo/Kenneth Tarver/Stephen Milling 48: Act Four, Scene 2, No.36 Recitative And Sept: Mais Bannissons Ces Tristes Souvenirs - Ben Heppner 49: Act Four, Scene 2, No.36 Recitative And Sept: Tout N'est Que Paix Et Charme - Michelle DeYoung/Ben Heppner/Isabelle Cals/Sara Mingardo/Kenneth Tarver/Stephen Milling... 50: Act Four, Scene 2, No.37 Duet: Nuit D'ivresse Et D'extase Infinie! - Michelle DeYoung/Ben Heppner/Leigh Melrose 51: Act Five, Scene 1, No.38 Hylas Song: Vallon Sonore - Toby Spence/Andrew Greenan/Roderick Earle 52: Act Five, Scene 1, No.39 Recitative And Chor: Preparez Tout, Il Faut Partir Enfin/Chaque Jour... - Tigran Martirossian/London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop 53: Act Five, Scene 1, No.40 Duet: Par Bacchus! Ils Sont Fous Avec Leur Italie! - Andrew Greenan/Roderick Earle 54: Act Five, Scene 1, No.41 Recitative And Aria: Inutiles Regrets! - Ben Heppner 55: Act Five, Scene 1, No.41 Recitative And Aria: Ah! Quand Viendra L'instant Des Supremes Adieux - Ben Heppner 56: Act Five, Scene 1, No.42 Scene: Enee! - London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop/Ben Heppner 57: Act Five, Scene 1, No.43 Scene And Chor: Debout, Troyens, Eveillez-vous, Alerte!/Alerts!... - Ben Heppner/London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop 58: Act Five, Scene 1, No.44: Duo And Chor: Errante Sur Tes Pas - Michelle DeYoung/Ben Heppner 59: Act Five, Scene 1, No.44: Duo And Chor: Italie! - Ben Heppner/London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop 60: Act Five, Scene 2, No.45 Scene: Va, Ma Soeur, L'implorer - Michelle DeYoung/Sara Mingardo 61: Act Five, Scene 2, No.46 Scene: En Mer, Voyez! Six Vaisseaux! - London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop/Kenneth Tarver/Michelle DeYoung/Sara Mingardo/Stephen Milling 62: Act Five, Scene 2, No.47 Monologue: Ah! Ah! Je Vais Mourir - Michelle DeYoung 63: Act Five, Scene 2, No.48 Aria: Adieu, Fiere Cite - Michelle DeYoung 64: Act Five, Scene 3, No.49 Ceremony For The Dead: Dieux De L'oubli', Dieux Du Tenare - London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop/Sara Mingardo/Stephen Milling 65: Act Five, Scene 3, No.50 Scene: Pluton...Semble M'etre Propice... - Michelle DeYoung 66: Act Five, Scene 3, No.51 Chor: Ah! Au Secours! Au Secours! La Reine S'est Frappee! - Ben Heppner/Michelle DeYoung/Petra Lang/Sara Mingardo/Peter Mattei/Stephen Milling/Kenneth Tarver... 67: Act Five, Scene 3, No.52 Imprecation: Rome...Rome...Immortelle!/Haine Eternelle A La Race D'enee! - Michelle DeYoung/London Sym Chor/Stephen Westrop

Editoral Review This is Colin Davis's second recording of Les Troyens, following his (out-of-print) 1969 version. The epic tale of the fall of Troy haunted Berlioz from childhood and inspired some of his most passionately dramatic, richly colorful music. Magnificent though it was, some reckoned that reading lacked something in zip. Here, however, such reservations could never apply. Recorded across several lavishly praised concert performances in London in December 2000, this Troyens has an extraordinary electricity and rhythmic drive. Ben Heppner combines lyricism with heroic strength as Aeneas, while Michelle de Young as Dido, though not erasing memories of Janet Baker's brilliance in the role, produces a ravishing, creamy sound. Both perhaps lack the last ounce of character (and their French is occasionally flat-vowelled). Petra Lang as Cassandra is attention-grabbing from the start of the opera with her panache and commitment. Also catching the ear are Stephen Milling's granitelike Narbal and Sara Mingardo's bewitching tones as Anna. The LSO gives its magnificent all and the London Symphony Chorus is likewise in terrific form, although some will miss the clear-cut timbre of a full-fledged opera chorus. The ultimate stars, though, are Berlioz and his faithful champion, Davis. --Andrew Green .. You can see a complete list of all Hector Berlioz, Sir Colin Davis, Ben Heppner, Michelle DeYoung, Peter Mattei, London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Petra Lang discography, or go back to the Hector Berlioz, Sir Colin Davis, Ben Heppner, Michelle DeYoung, Peter Mattei, London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Petra Lang tabs