Offenbach: La Belle Helène

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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

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

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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)

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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)

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

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

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

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

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

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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)

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

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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)

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

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Entracte

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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)

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

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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)

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

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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 /

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

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

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

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

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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)

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

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

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

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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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