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Offenbach: La Belle Helène

Dame Felicity Lott (Hélène), Yann Beuron (Paris), Michel Sénéchal (Ménélas), Laurent Naouri (Agamemnon), François Le Roux (Calchas), Eric Huchet (Achille), Marie-Ange Todorovitch (Oreste)

Les Musiciens du Louvre - Grenoble, Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski

The wit sparkles, the one-liners are beautifully timed and delivered, and there's none of the 'big opera star does laboured comic turn' heaviness you sometimes hear in this kind of production...Beuron... — Andrew McGregor, bbc.co.uk, 20th November 2002 More…

Catalogue No: 5454772
Label: Erato
Length: 1 hour 57 minutes

Gramophone Magazine

Awards Issue 2001

Editor's Choice

Offenbach: La Belle Helène

Work length1:57:12

$43.00

$55.90

Alain Gabriel (narrator), Hjördis Thébault (narrator), Yann Beuron (tenor), Dame Felicity Lott (narrator), Alain Gabriel (tenor), José Canalès (narrator), Françoix Le Roux (narrator), Dame Felicity Lott (soprano), Magali Léger (soprano), Yann Beuron (narrator), Eric Huchet (narrator), Marie-Ange Todorovitch (mezzo-soprano), Hjördis Thébault (soprano), Marie-Ange Todorovitch (narrator), Eric Huchet (tenor), Stéphanie d'Oustrac (mezzo-soprano), François Le Roux (baritone), Laurent Alvaro (baritone), Laurent Alvaro (narrator), Françoix Le Roux (baritone), Laurent Naouri (baritone), Laurent Naouri (narrator), Michel Sénéchal (tenor), Michel Sénéchal (narrator)
Chœur des Musiciens du Louvre, Les Musiciens du Louvre
Marc Minkowski
Recorded: 2000-10-31
Recording Venue: October 2000 / Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris

La Belle Hélène: Ouverture

Track length1:31

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Introduction: Vers tes autels, Jupin (Choeur du peuple)

Track length2:38

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Trop de fleurs (Calchas / Philocome)

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Choeur des jeunes filles: C'est le devoir des jeunes filles (Choeur des jeunes filles / Hélène)

Track length1:46

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Couplets: Amours divins (Hélène / Choeur des jeunes filles)

Track length3:32

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Restez, Calchas ... Toujours, fille de Léda (Hélène / Calchas)

Track length2:44

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Chanson d'Oreste: Au cabaret du labyrinthe (Oreste / Calchas / Parthénis / Léoena / Choeur des jeunes filles)

Track length2:55

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Mesdemoiselles, voici le Calchas demandé (Oreste / Calchas / Léoena / Parthénis)

Track length1:17

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Monsieur, c'est vous le devin de Jupiter? (Pâris / Calchas)

Track length2:28

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Le jugement de Pâris: Au mont Ida, trois déesses (Paris)

Track length3:36

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Compliments, félicitations, bravo! Vénus ordonne (Calchas / Pâris / Hélène / Oreste)

Track length2:23

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Marche et couplets des roi: Voici! les rois de la Grèce (Choeur / Les deux Ajax / Oreste / Calchas / Achille / Pâris / La foule)

Track length4:05

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Rois et peuples de la Grèce, salut à vous! (Agamemmon / Hélène / Oreste / Ménélas / Les deux Ajax / Achille / Pâris / La foule)

Track length5:25

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Finale: Gloire! Gloire au berger victorieux (Choeur / Tous)

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Ainsi êtes-vous gentilhomme (Ménélas / Hélène / Pâris / Calchas / Tous)

Track length3:17

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Les Dieux decrétènt par ma voix (Calchas / Ménélas / Hélène / Pâris / Tous)

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Entracte

Track length2:55

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Choeur: O reine, en ce jour (Choeur / Bacchis / Hélène)

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Mais enfin, Madame, vous n'allez pas rester comme ça! (Bacchis / Hélène)

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Invocation à Vénus: On me nomme Hélène la blonde (Hélène)

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Voilà, ca va mieux! (Hélène / Bacchis / Pâris)

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Marche de l'oie: Le voici, le roi des rois (Choeur / Hélène / Bacchis / Oreste / Achille / lLes deux Ajax / Agamemmon / Calchas)

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Scène du jeu de l'oie: Alors qu'est-ce que nous jouons (Tous)

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A Calchas qui tremblote (Tous)

Track length5:22

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Tout ça est d'un désagréable (Hélène / Bacchis / Calchas / Pâris)

Track length2:22

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Couplets: Je la vois, le vent du soir caresse (Pâris)

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Duo: C'est le ciel qui m'envoie (Hélène / Paris)

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Ciel! Mon mari! (Hélène / Ménélas / Pâris)

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Finale; A moi, rois de la Grèce (Ménélas / Hélène / Pâris / Oreste / Tous / Choeur)

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Ne criez pas notre cher hôte (Tous)

Track length2:46

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Va t'en, va t'en, mon amour te suivra (Hélène / Tous)

Track length3:20

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Entracte

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Choeur et chanson d'Oreste: Dansons, aimons, buvons, chantons!

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L'eau est-elle bonne, bouillant Achille? (Achille / Les deux Ajax / Agamemmon / Calchas)Léoena / Parthénis / Ménélas / Hélène /

Track length3:01

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Couplets: Là, vrai, je ne suis pas coupable (Hélène)

Track length1:48

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Mais, ma Nénène (Ménélas / Hélène / Agamemmon / Calchas)

Track length0:41

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Trio patriotique: Lorsque la Grèce est un champ de carnage (Agamemmon / Calchas / Ménélas)

Track length2:59

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Allons! Immolez-vous! (Calchas / Ménélas / Agamemmon)

Track length2:27

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Quand les dieux commandent (Agamemmon / Ménélas / Calchas)

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Choeur: La galère de Cythère (Choeur / Ménélas / Parthénis / Léoena / Oreste / Les deux Ajax / Achille / Agamemmon / Calchas)

Track length1:56

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Couplets de Pâris: Et tout d'abord, ô vile multitude (Pâris / Choeur / Tous)

Track length3:19

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Quelle tenue pour un augure (Calchas / La grand Augure / Agamemmon / Ménélas / Tous)

Track length1:10

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Finale: Elle vient! C'est elle! (Tous)

Track length4:35

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Reviews
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Reviews

20th November 2002

The wit sparkles, the one-liners are beautifully timed and delivered, and there's none of the 'big opera star does laboured comic turn' heaviness you sometimes hear in this kind of production...Beuron is in wonderful form, floating some delicious pianissimo lines at the top of his tenor

2010

From its very first bars, this recording strikes a chord of authenticity. Too often Offenbach's works are recorded with large orchestra, huge chorus and swimming-bath acoustics. Offenbach himself was perfectly happy to accept larger forces when available, but they do rather swamp the gossamer lightness and piquancy of what he actually composed. This newcomer derives from a stage production received enthusiastically at the Châtelet in Paris in September 2000.
The feeling of a stage production pervades the recording in its integration of dialogue and music, as also in the uninhibited singing and playing of Orestes' opening couplets. Marie- Ange Todorovitch performs with appropriately boyish high spirits throughout, and Michel Sénéchal as Ménélas, Laurent Naouri as Agamemnon and François Le Roux as Calchas ensure this recording is cast from strength. Although Felicity Lott's Hélène lacks that distinctive French way of wrapping the voice round the words in her great arias, she succeeded in capturing Paris (the city as well as the Trojan prince).
What appeals especially is her lightness of voice compared with the mezzo tones of many other interpreters. Yet the voice and interpretation that captivate the ear most here are those of Yann Beuron as Pâris. His honeyed tones are heard to absolute perfection throughout, but his pianissimo singing of the final verse of the 'Judgement of Paris' makes it an especially model interpretation.
Moreover, Beuron has music to sing that isn't in any previous recording – a lullaby, complete with dove cooing, preceding the Dream Duet. There's more, too. In the 1865 German version, the scene of the Game of Goose was longer than in the 1864 French original, and here it's longer still. But most importantly, this is a sparkling, beautifully paced recording and is now a clear first choice for what's surely Offenbach's most captivating operetta.

2011

The whole production fizzes and has touches of romantic naughtiness which only the French can bring off with real style...Favouring brisk speeds and light textures, using the period instruments of Les Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski gives a winning sparkle to this delectable send-up of the classical story.

Offenbach: La Belle Helène

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