Search - Jacques Offenbach, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Gustave Charpentier :: Romantic French Arias

Enjoyable, with the normal Sutherland reservations

Matteo Bueno | Kansas City, MO United States | 07/31/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is an enjoyable and overdue reissue from Joan Sutherland. She was uniquely poised to expose opera fans to this mostly unfamiliar repertoire. That said, it is a qualified success. High points include the waltz song from Mireille (putting Fleming's recent outing to shame) and an aria from Auber's Manon Lescaut that finds her diction uncharacteristically strong. The Doll Song from Hoffman is also stunning if mushy, with a trill on a high C that must be heard to be believed. Avoid the tracks from Louise, Pecheurs and Faust. They're well known and are performed in a droopy and muddled manner. All in all, superb bravura singing from the master."

Finally. . .

Lawrence F. Jagdfeld | Cicero, Illinois | 05/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"We have waited far too long for some of Dame Joan's original releases. Yes, much of this material has been released in other compilations; but nothing could replace the excitement one enjoys when listening to these arias one after the other as they were originally released in the two disc vinyl recordings that came out so many years ago. For those of you who are addicted to "La Stupenda," this is a rare treat indeed. And who could resist but being addicted to the shimmering quality of her voice in this wonderful collection from the world of all too infrequently produced French operas. I will never hear the like again in my lifetime."

Coloratura Spectacular and then some!

The Reluctant | San Luis Obispo, CA USA | 10/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Even long time admirers of Dame Joan Sutherland may be astounded by what they're going to hear in this collection of mostly little known arias from the French repertoire. Sutherland's husband often expressed a preference for the sound of Joan's voice when singing in french, and you'll hear why in these selections. More importantly, Joan pours out that golden voice in torrents of fantastic coloratura that must be heard to be believed. The trills, the roulades, the rapid scales and astounding leaps, the sheer speed and spectacle of the cascades of notes which issue forth from this woman's throat defy belief! I've never heard anything like it, nor do I expect to ever again. Listen to the arias from L'etoile du Nord, Mirielle, Robinson Crusoe, Manon Lescaut, Tales of Hoffman ... you are not likely to encounter singing of this caliber anywhere on stage today. She simply slays the competition. Yes, there are instances of mushy diction and occasional pitch problems. So what? Who else could even begin to come close to singing like this? For the most part, this is coloratura singing that is almost superhuman. You will have to hear this collection to believe it. And to hear it sung by a voice of this size and power? Unbelievable. This may well be Sutherland's best work for Decca/London, and is well worth having in any operatic collection."