# Nuit d'ivresse



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

And now for something slightly different which was inspyred by another post, the big duet from the end of act 4 of Les Troyens. In order to keep it somewhat workable I have only included contemporary singers...

Georghiu/Alagna





Westbroek/Hymel/Pappano





Graham/Kunde/Gardiner





DiDonato/Spyres/Nelson


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I found the Hymel version a bit shouty and less fluid, but thrilling. He is paired with a suitable mate in Westbroek.

I love Alagna, but his version is hampered by Gheorghiu's light weight contribution, though some may accuse him of the same sin.

I didn't take to the di Donato/Spyres version.

The couple I found best suited was Graham/Kunde, and to my ears, blend well vocally. I liked the smoothness and fluidity of their voices.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Why are they all in such a hurry? Yes, a flowing tempo, but it just need to be a tiny bit slower. Davis gets it right in his two commercial recordings.

Vocally, I didn't care for Westbroek/Hymel. I didn't mind him so much, but I didn't much like her vibrato.
Alagna and Gheorghiu had a better tempo, but her voice is too light and soprano-ish for this music. I don't know how Alagna would have fared in the whole role, but he is fine here.
Spyres and DiDonato are nice, if a bit on the light side, which leaves Graham and Kunde. They would have made a better impression at a slightly slower tempo, but still managed to create an atmosphere of dreamy eroticism.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I found this difficult at first. None of these are really displeasing, but each is flawed in a different way. I'm inclined to agree with Tsaraslondon that the tempos are rather fast; the piece should never suggest a waltz - which it occasionally does here - but that's as much a matter of articulation as of tempo.

Alagna and Gheorghiu sing well, though her soprano really doesn't suit the tessitura. He's on the light side too, for that matter. DiDonato and Spyres have good intentions but also sound lightweight. I like Bryan Hymel's vocal timbre in this music; it has a darkly heroic tinge, and he manages the difficult high passages quite well. His partner Westbroek keeps her heavy vibrato fairly well under control, at least at lower pitch and volume (a Santuzza at the Met some years ago was unbearably wobbly), but it's still not ingratiating. Mezzo Susan Graham has just the right vocal quality and sings beautifully; she's the best of the Didons here. Gregory Kunde has a suitable voice and sings sensitively, but is taxed by his high notes. Had Hymel been Graham's partner I wouldn't hesitate to give them first place. As it is, I'll hesitate and give them the prize anyway; they get the mood right, and John Nelson conducts with sensitivity and style.

I really don't think I've heard this scene sung as well as I'd like it to be. Voices of a calibre suited to the complete roles - especially tenors - are apt not to have the elegance and ease required for this uniquely delicate love duet. Given that the opera languished in semi-obscurity for so long, I'm guessing we don't have any recordings from the prewar period, unless there's something from Georges Thill and some French mezzo. We do have Thill's "Inutiles regrets," setting a standard unmatched since:






That leaves me all atingle.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Given that the opera languished in semi-obscurity for so long, I'm guessing we don't have any recordings from the prewar period, unless there's something from Georges Thill and some French mezzo. We do have Thill's "Inutiles regrets," setting a standard unmatched since:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I did find this, which was recorded in 1947, two years after the end of hostilities. Apparently it had been a dream of Sir Thomas's to stage a complete performance, but the war put paid to staged performances of Covent Garden, and this BBC radio performance was the closest he ever came to conducting it.

Beecham gets the tempo just right and his singers, Jean Giaraudeau and Marisa Ferer (who also sang Cassandre) are rather good, sensitive to the music and each other. I really liked this version


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Gheorghiu/Alagna - I really like Alagna in this but Gheorghiu, as many have pointed out, is not the best choice here, but she still manages great.
Westbroek/Hymel - Oh no, not my cup of tea, Westbroek's vibrato and especially Hymel's timbre break the spell of the duet. During the first few moments of the opening recitative is when I start thinking "okay, maybe let's move to the next video". Moreover, it seems as if Pappano's orchestra is playing on its own, not paying much attention to the singers. Not sure what happened there but they all have hard time synchronizing their efforts.
Graham/Kunde - definitely the winning couple! I am not a fan of Kunde (well, he was very good before his health problems kicked in) but he's an expert singer and the ensemble feel between the partners is exceptional! Bravi!
DiDonato/Spyres - again, I applaud the way the two voices unite and intertwine, but DiDonato is not singing quite "in the style" and her very specific vibrato is a bit distracting in solo passages. Spyres is of course a Rossini specialist and probably a tad light for this whole role, but I find his ringing and sweet voice very enchanting here.


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## JanacekTheGreat (Feb 26, 2021)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I did find this, which was recorded in 1947, two years after the end of hostilities. Apparently it had been a dream of Sir Thomas's to stage a complete performance, but the war put paid to staged performances of Covent Garden, and this BBC radio performance was the closest he ever came to conducting it.
> 
> Beecham gets the tempo just right and his singers, Jean Giaraudeau and Marisa Ferer (who also sang Cassandre) are rather good, sensitive to the music and each other. I really liked this version


It's my favorite recording, and I think it deserves a remastering (Pristine or Marston, please). Marisa Ferrer sang Didone in the 1929 revival, when other great dramatic voices like Paul Franz, Germaine Lubin, Georges Thill were also involved, so she is no stranger to the part.

The Covis recordings are very fine, but the majority of singers are non-native speakers. When it comes to French opera, I prefer the native. 

My dream cast for Les Troyens would be:

Énée: Georges Thills or Paul Franz
Cassandre: Germaine Lubin
Didon: Ninon Vallin
Chorèbe: Maurice Renaud
Iopas: Miguel Villabella 
Narbal: Vanni Marcoux
Anna: Jeanne Gerville-Réache

Back to the poll, Kunde/Graham is the most well-rounded, so I pick them.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

While i am in agreement with the opinions expressed to date, I am a bit surprised to see that this is turning into a rout, it wasn't chosen to that end! Having said that, if i went further back and included (e.g.) Vickers etc., it might not have been. Although having said that, I do feel that Vickers is rather overwhelming in a duet of this nature.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Becca said:


> While i am in agreement with the opinions expressed to date, I am a bit surprised to see that this is turning into a rout, it wasn't chosen to that end! Having said that, if i went further back and included (e.g.) Vickers etc., it might not have been. Although having said that, I do feel that Vickers is rather overwhelming in a duet of this nature.


I agree about Vickers. His heroic sound makes an exciting effect elsewhere in the opera, but I find him a tad ungainly in the love duet.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Bobby and Angie's version is nice, but it's sung too much in the nature of an out of context gem. It's no surprise that Hymel and Westbroek are more involved and their more heroic voices suit the roles better. On the other hand it is somewhat lacking in _tendresse_. Possibly the best contribution from this performance comes from Pappano.

Kunde and Graham (two singers who I don't usually like) stand out as giving the most lyrical of the performances. Kunde's technique is under control here (I've heard both good and bad singing from him over a very long career), but I find the performances anodyne as is the limp conducting by Gardiner.

One can tell right at the begining of the last version that Nelson has an intuitive way with Berlioz and reminds us that no matter how radical this composer was, he was still composing very much in a French style. DiDonato's voice isn't quite as smooth and even as Graham's. Spyres' technique is also inferior to Kunde's (interestingly they have similar flaws when Kunde isn't on form).

There is no clear winner and it comes down to the Nelson or the Pappano versions. I am going to have to listen to these two again before voting.

N.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

The Pappano - Westbroek - Hymel is the only one in which a duet from an opera is performed. The others could be singing a very nice oratorio for Queen Victoria. Despite its flaws, I'm going with Pappano.

N.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Becca said:


> While i am in agreement with the opinions expressed to date, I am a bit surprised to see that this is turning into a rout, it wasn't chosen to that end! Having said that, if i went further back and included (e.g.) Vickers etc., it might not have been. Although having said that, I do feel that Vickers is rather overwhelming in a duet of this nature.


Oh, well if we're going down that route, you might as well put in the live Del Monaco/Giulietta Simionato version in Italian translation. Perhaps we could have a poll of which is the worst version?! 

N.


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