Plasson

Michel Plasson is one of the most important French conductors from the later twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. He is well known for his interpretations of French opera, particularly those of Gounod and Massenet. He has also received praise for his work in the choral music of Duruflé and Fauré, and the orchestral works of Magnard, Ravel, and other French composers.

Along with the symphonies of Dukas, Chausson, d'Indy, and Roussel, these are key works, tracing an arc from romanticism to a sort of neoclassicism. The performances are brilliant and committed.

Jonathan Scheuer @ Amazon.com

For 30 years Michel Plasson has recorded French music exclusively for EMI Classics. This exclusive box is truly unique as it covers all the masterpieces of French repertoire: concertos by Ravel, Fauré's Requiem, Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, Bizet's only symphony, L'Arlesienne; Lalo's Symphony; etc . . .

Hector Berlioz, France’s greatest Romantic composer, exemplifies the spirit of his age – yet his genius was also ahead of its time. Reflecting his colourful life, his music is astonishing for its originality and ambition, and for orchestration of groundbreaking brilliance. This, the first-ever complete Berlioz edition, comprises carefully selected recordings and even includes works completely new to the catalogue. The accompanying booklet, lavishly illustrated, contains a fascinating commentary from Berlioz biographer David Cairns, whose words bring the composer’s music still more vividly to life.

This is a disc for the Francophile who thinks that they have everything. Myrrha (1901), Alcyone (1902) and Alyssa (1903) are the three cantatas composed by Ravel in his doomed bid for the Paris Conservatoire's prestigious Prix de Rome for composers. Feeling that he was a financial burden on his family, Ravel entered the competition five times in all and was adjudged not talented enough even to proceed to the final round on both his first and the last attempts (1900 and 1905 respectively).

…bietet diese neue Aufnahme unter einem jungen, kraftvollen Dirigenten (Plasson), der es versteht, Donizettis dramatisches Feuer zu entfachen. Auch die jungen Sänger engagieren sich mit vollem Einsatz für das vergessene, aber sehr reizvolle Donizetti-Werk. Allen voran die Pendatchanska, die mit glutvollem, temperamentvollem Sopran die Titelpartie gestaltet, überzeugender als Caballé, die als einzige Vorgängerin betrachtet werden kann. Auch Moretti bringt für den Ugo das Timbre, die Technik und die Leidenschaft mit - unerklärlich deswegen die brutale Kürzung seiner Cabaletta im 2.Akt. Technisch unsicherer aber dramatisch kraftvoll De Andrès als Bösewicht Azzo und kultiviert Aliev als Ernesto. Sieht man in das mitgelieferte Libretto hinein, werden kleine Streichungen in der Oper sichtbar, die uns hier jedoch als Ohrenschmaus und geglückte Wiederentdeckung präsentiert wird.

Pupil of Saint-Saëns, teacher of Ravel, titular organist of the Madeleine church and impactful director of the Paris Conservatoire, Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) was a foremost figure in the French musical history. His complete works - including the emblematic Pavane, Requiem, Sicilienne, Berceuse and Après un rêve… - are documented here by a host of well-reputed artists of the French repertoire, and reveal his clear, pure and absolute style.This 26-CD complete edition spans Fauré's entire career and includes among the finest recordings in Warner Classics' rich catalogue, showcasing Fauré's exquisite lyrical style, emotional depth, and timeless beauty.

Pupil of Saint-Saëns, teacher of Ravel, titular organist of the Madeleine church and impactful director of the Paris Conservatoire, Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) was a foremost figure in the French musical history. His complete works - including the emblematic Pavane, Requiem, Sicilienne, Berceuse and Après un rêve… - are documented here by a host of well-reputed artists of the French repertoire, and reveal his clear, pure and absolute style.This 26-CD complete edition spans Fauré's entire career and includes among the finest recordings in Warner Classics' rich catalogue, showcasing Fauré's exquisite lyrical style, emotional depth, and timeless beauty.

Hard on the heels of a triumphant Lohengrin, Decca follows up with an equally astonishing debut performance from Jonas Kaufmann: Goethe’s love-lorn hero Werther, in Massenet’s romantic opera. His premiere appearance in the role, in Paris in January 2010, took the French operatic world by storm, his performance being hailed by Le Monde: “Werther is portrayed by the tenor of the moment, the German Jonas Kaufmann. He brings to the part a sublime timbre (warm, at times “baritonal” and musky), exceptional musicality, a very wide palette of tonal shadings and immaculate diction. Add to that his histrionic gifts and matinée-idol appeal and you’ve got a cocktail of qualities that rarely all come together at the opera.”…