Search - Ropartz, Delunsch, Ragon :: Pays

Bold, impressionistic score with a whallop

John C. Mucci | Wilton, CT USA | 08/29/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This opera comes out of nowhere! Other than Fauré having admired it, who ever heard of poor Ropartz? A Breton composer, he wrote the incidental music to Pêcheur d'Islande (the play version of Pierre Loti's book), and set this opera also in Iceland. A Breton man is shipwrecked and rescued by woman with whom he falls in love. Since no priest comes around in winter, the woman's father accepts an oath that they will be bound forever by swearing to be faithful at a mysterious peat-bog. While the man becomes more and more restless to return to Brittany (where he has a fiancée waiting), his wife, bearing his child, releases him to find happiness back in France. However, as he rides across the peat bog to get to the shore, he is swallowed up and dies, with a whirlwind of crows marking his body. While somewhat difficult to connect with logically, as an opera it is quite extraordinary. Very beautiful music, much like Fauré's, impressionistic and big. There are only these three characters, moving about in a very cinematic libretto. At three short acts, it is quite long for such a work, but the main action takes place in the music, in the characters' hearts. It's not something you'd listen to every day, but as a treat it certainly is a worthwhile score and a moving experience.Just stay away from peat bogs if you've sworn an oath at one."

Fascinating

Penet Guy | 03/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have just received this cd, and I find it quite powerful. Mr Mucci wrote "Other than Fauré having admired it, who ever heard of poor Ropartz?" A quite poor argument! shall we always stay in the known track with Mozart, Brahms, Beethoven...? I could just reply with "who ever heard of d'Indy, Marcel Dupré, Weingartner, Alexandre Guilmant, Ahmed Adnan Saygun or the symphonies of Villa-Lobos? this is not a valid argument, and I find this opera very convincing both as far as the music and the story are concerned. More than worth a try..."