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Les Urnes de l'Opera
Les Urnes De L'opera
Les Urnes de l'Opera
Genre: Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (25) - Disc #1
  •  Track Listings (22) - Disc #2
  •  Track Listings (15) - Disc #3

On December 24, 1907, 48 gramophone records of the greatest singers of the day were buried in the basement of the Paris Opéra, with instructions to leave them there for 100 years. In 2007, the records were unearthed a...  more »

     
   
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CD Details

All Artists: Les Urnes De L'opera
Title: Les Urnes de l'Opera
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 1
Label: EMI Classics
Original Release Date: 1/1/2009
Re-Release Date: 4/7/2009
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera & Classical Vocal
Number of Discs: 3
SwapaCD Credits: 3
UPCs: 400000014678, 5099920626723

Synopsis

Album Description
On December 24, 1907, 48 gramophone records of the greatest singers of the day were buried in the basement of the Paris Opéra, with instructions to leave them there for 100 years. In 2007, the records were unearthed and restored with painstaking care with the help of EMI Classics technicians. Now the contents of the so-called "Urnes de l'Opéra" are being released by EMI Classics in partnership with the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, the Opéra National de Paris, and the Association pour le Rayonnement de l'Opéra de Paris. These recordings feature performances of mythic proportions, including Enrico Caruso in Bohème, Rigoletto, and Lucia; Nellie Melba singing Mozart's Figaro; Reynaldo Hahn singing his own composition and another by Chabrier; Pol Plançon as Méphistophélès; Adelina Patti in Don Giovanni; and more! The set also includes legendary instrumental soloists such as Fritz Kreisler, Raoul Pugno, Jan Kubelik, and Ignacy Paderewski.

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CD Reviews

A Rare Treasure
William R. Franklin | Timonium, MD USA | 06/07/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)

"These discs are truly remarkable, not the least because of their fascinating history. Dozens of recordings, made by some of the world's greatest singers, were buried in the cellars of the Paris Opera in 1907, with instructions that they be exhumed 100 years later - a touching gift to a future generation. When a second set was added in 1912, the thoughtful benefactor even included a gramophone with operating instructions in the event that the recordings were no longer compatible with the reigning playback technology.



As for the recordings themselves, they are nothing short of amazing. The sound extracted from the pristine originals is so clear and thrilling that it is difficult to believe that most were produced more than a century ago. And even if they were not so perfect, these performances would still serve as an invaluable record of the style both of the individual artists and the classical era in which they were singing, a stunning and moving glimpse into the past.



I cannot praise this release too highly. It is an absolutely essential addition to the library of anyone who cherishes great singing."
Fascinating release... with one major flaw
L. Ackerman | Ashburn, VA (USA) | 04/15/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)

"There are no doubts about the significance of this release. Recordings buried in 1907, resurfaced (as per instructions) 100 years later. However, the historical pleasure one can get from it is totally obliterated by EMI's decision to include a booklet in FRENCH only. I do not want to sound xenophobic here (btw: English is NOT my first language) but every international label (e.g., German, Dutch, Mexican...) acknowledges that our common language, nowadays, is English; not the French, no (but, are you surprised?) That such an historically significant label like EMI would do this just tells us of the depressing stage of the business. I regret that no serious label (and there are many independent ones in the classical business!) was enganged in this enterprise."
Les urnes de l'opera
Michael J. Doherty | Wichita, KS | 06/27/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Very well done, cosidering the technology of the early 1900's which had to be overcome. Still I was surprised at the amount of 'hiss' which was unable to be filtered out. Mayor disappointment was the liner notes; sure wish they were in ENGLISH, as this is being sold here in the USA. I'm sure they are very interesting but not everyone can read French. Considering the 4 most used languages use at an international level are English, German, Italian, and French; at least the liner notes could have been in all 4 languages, just as the instructions for my CD and DVD players are."