The Berlioz songs

[Sean]

Just got hold of a copy of the two CD DG survey, I think complete (after a quick check in Grove)- very pleasant listening, music in Berlioz's strong voice as you'd expect from the rest of his output- whereas some composers find it hard to be so characteristic in lieder. Many of the songs are for multiple voices accompanied by a range of instruments; melodic and quirky rather than great music but better than a lot of other garbage I'm into these days.

[knight66]

Amongst those songs is the cycle Les Nuit d'ete. Those songs are of the highest quality. I think I am correct; it was the first orchestral song cycle. Written for a combination of four singers, I prefer the cohesion that one singer can bring to it, despite the odd transposition.

As so often, here was Berlioz experimenting with form.

Mike

[Sean]

Sure thing Mike; I bought that cycle coupled with Lelio if I remember in the Davis survey- the melodic invention is remarkable. The set I've just borrowed though is all lieder, plus a few originals of orchestral songs.

[knight66]

One particularily charming I recall is called La Captive, not a great song, but the tune gets inside your head.

Mike

[Lethevich]

Great thread. Like many, I am only familiar with his famous orchestral songs - it would be fascinating to hear the others, although I feel they must be very sparsely recorded, given that I have not yet run into a disc of them in all these years...

[karlhenning]

Amongst those songs is the cycle Les Nuit d'ete. Those songs are of the highest quality. I think I am correct; it was the first orchestral song cycle. Written for a combination of four singers, I prefer the cohesion that one singer can bring to it, despite the odd transposition.

As so often, here was Berlioz experimenting with form.

Mike

Yes, Les nuits d'été is lovely!

[knight66]

Perhaps Sean can give us a note of the disc details. There is an Ann Sophie von Otter Berlioz disc, but it has the cycle taking up quite a bit of it and most of the rest consists of short earl;y cantatas and an extract of Romeo et Juliet, which is lovely, but is not a song.

Here is a list of most, if not all, his non-operatic vocal music. This therefore includes his Faust.

http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/b/berlioz.html

I have not tried to disentangle it all, but there look to be quite a few songs. The site may not have ALL his songs on the database.

Mike

[Sean]

One particularily charming I recall is called La Captive, not a great song, but the tune gets inside your head.

Indeed; Grove advises of three versions.

[Sean]

DG 435 860-2

Pollet, Von Otter, Allen, Garben, etc- two CDs, recorded throughout the early 90s.

[knight66]

Thanks, Pollet once had a superb voice. Do you know, is it all the songs or an extended collection?

Mike

[jochanaan]

I've played in the orchestra for Les nuits d'été.  Lovely music, and an exercise in delicacy for the orchestra; very different from, say the Symphonie Fantastique

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Here is a pic of the original OOP two-disc set Sean mentions:





Fortunately the contents of this set have been repackaged as part of this box set:





The liner notes to the original set make no mention as to completeness.

[knight66]

Thanks Sean, I recall seeing the box, but too late now. Not to worry...I will survive.

Mike

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I can't help feeling something is awry.....unless I missed something....

[knight66]

Care to expand on that...a bit gnomic. 

Mike

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Oh, I was just delicately trying not to jump the gun about that post of yours thanking Sean when it was me who provided the pics and additional info about that set of songs.

Though like I said it could be something I'm missing...

[knight66]

My apologies, I had asked Sean and assumed it was he who had answered. It does not say much for my powers of comprehension or observation.

Mike

[Sean]

Divertimentian's picture is correct.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

My apologies, I had asked Sean and assumed it was he who had answered. It does not say much for my powers of comprehension or observation.

Mike

Believe me, I had my own misgivings about even mentioning the whole thing.

[ccar]

Victoria de los Angeles was never as widely Known as other star-famous singers of her generation. She was not italian, didn't belong to the german-viannese school, had not a born french accent and never married a powerful british producer. And neither she had a powerful voice nor a nightingale register or ability. All she had was an immense talent made with warmness and intelligence.

For me, in spite of mentioned "references" like Janet Baker or Anne Sofie Von Otter (or even Regine Crespin, Eleanor Steber or Suzanne Danco) Victoria de los Angeles portrays the Berlioz's Nuits d'Eté with a unique character and intimacy. We may listen to her magic with Munch and the BSO (complete "cycle") or in a live performance (only melodies I,II,VI ) with Schwartz and the BBCSO.