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César Franck: Hulda
Jennifer Holloway, Judith van Wanroij, François Rougier, Véronique Gens, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Gergely Madaras
Awards:
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International Opera Awards, 2023, Nomianted - Recording (Complete Opera)
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International Classical Music Awards, 2024, Nominated - Opera
Jennifer Holloway is magnificent in the immense title-role here, if occasionally steely in tone, marvellously alert to the text...and superb in her delineation of Hulda’s transformation from...
César Franck: Hulda
Jennifer Holloway, Judith van Wanroij, François Rougier, Véronique Gens, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Gergely Madaras
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Awards:
-
International Opera Awards, 2023, Nomianted - Recording (Complete Opera)
-
International Classical Music Awards, 2024, Nominated - Opera
Jennifer Holloway is magnificent in the immense title-role here, if occasionally steely in tone, marvellously alert to the text...and superb in her delineation of Hulda’s transformation from...
About
The injustices of history are made to be redressed. Here a cast of international singers, under the dynamic direction of Gergely Madaras, devotes itself with conviction to the task of reviving one of the forgotten glories of French Romantic opera. Hulda, c ompleted in 1885, was never staged in César Franck’s lifetime. This gory medieval legend recounts the multiple acts of vengeance its heroine inflicts on the Aslak clan, which slaughtered her family, and on her unfaithful lover Eiolf. The ferocious performa nce of American soprano Jennifer Holloway in the title role is matched by the sinister presentiments of her French colleague Véronique Gens and the tender outbursts of Dutch soprano Judith van Wanroij. Although the imaginary Norwegian setting brings Wagner to mind, Franck continues the tradition of French grand - opéra while adopting the contemporary Verdian idiom. The intensity of the action is reflected in harmonic and instrumental experiments that place Franck in the forefront of the modernists of his time . The inventiveness of the ballet is matched only by the splendour of the choral writing. How could such a masterpiece have languished in oblivion for so long? Quite simply, because it was deliberately buried by Franck's pupils, who preferred to keep for t hemselves the glory of personifying the French operatic revival.
Contents and tracklist
- Jennifer Holloway (soloist), Marie Gautrot (soloist), Matthieu Lécroart (soloist)
- Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Chœur de Chambre de Namur
- Gergely Madaras
- Véronique Gens (soloist), Ludivine Gombert (soloist), Marie Gautrot (soloist), Judith van Wanroij (soloist), Matthieu Lécroart (soloist), Artavazd Sargsyan (soloist), Sébastien Droy (soloist), Guilhem Worms (soloist), Matthieu Toulouse (soloist), Jennifer Holloway (soloist), François Rougier (soloist), Christian Helmer (soloist), Edgaras Montvidas (soloist)
- Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège
- Gergely Madaras
- Christian Helmer (soloist), Véronique Gens (soloist), Jennifer Holloway (soloist), Edgaras Montvidas (soloist), Matthieu Toulouse (soloist)
- Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège
- Gergely Madaras
- Matthieu Toulouse (soloist), Judith van Wanroij (soloist), Ludivine Gombert (soloist), Edgaras Montvidas (soloist), Jennifer Holloway (soloist), Artavazd Sargsyan (soloist), Sébastien Droy (soloist), Guilhem Worms (soloist)
- Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège
- Gergely Madaras
- Jennifer Holloway (soloist), Artavazd Sargsyan (soloist), Sébastien Droy (soloist), Guilhem Worms (soloist), Edgaras Montvidas (soloist)
- Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Chœur de Chambre de Namur
- Gergely Madaras
Spotlight on this release
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Awards and reviews
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International Opera Awards2023Nomianted - Recording (Complete Opera)
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International Classical Music Awards2024Nominated - Opera
September 2023
Jennifer Holloway is magnificent in the immense title-role here, if occasionally steely in tone, marvellously alert to the text...and superb in her delineation of Hulda’s transformation from victim to monster.
10th August 2023
As Hulda, Jennifer Holloway copes wonderfully well with what is a fearsomely demanding role of Wagnerian proportions, even if her tone sometimes hardens uncomfortably, while as Eiolf, the opera’s closest thing to a hero, Edgaras Montvidas, certainly brings some charisma...Connoisseurs of operatic curios shouldn’t hesitate.