Beverly Sills, Nicolai Gedda - Charpentier: Louise
Facts
Tracks
Disc 1
- Prelude - Orch du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris
- Act One, Scene One: O coer ami! O coer promis! - Orch du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris
- Act One, Scene One: Depuis longtemps j'habitais cette chambre - Beverly Sills/Nicolai Gedda
- Act One, Scene Two: Moi, je vous avais remarque bien avant ce jour-la! - Beverly Sills/Nicolai Gedda/Mignon Dunn
- Act One, Scene Two: Eh bien! vous ne dites plus rien, chere Louise? - Nicolai Gedda/Mignon Dunn
- Act One, Scene Three: C'etait mon adoree! - Beverly Sills/Mignon Dunn
- Act One, Scene Four: Bonsoir... La soupe est prete? - Mignon Dunn/Jose Van Dam
- Act One, Scene Four: Ah! quelle journee! - Beverly Sills/Mignon Dunn/Jose Van Dam
- Act One, Scene Four: La bonheur, vois-tu, c'est d'etre comme nous sommmes - Mignon Dunn/Jose Van Dam
- Act One, Scene Four: Une lettre?... Oui, une lettre du voisin - Orch du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris
- Act One, Scene Four: O mon enfant, ma Louise - Orch du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris
- Act One, Scene Four: Mais avant d'aimer, avant d'etre (aveugle) - Beverly Sills/Mignon Dunn/Jose Van Dam
- Act Two: Prelude - Orch du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris
- Act Two, Scene One: Dir' qu'en c'moment y a des femmes - Christiane Chateau/Carla Rutili/Martyn Hill
- Act Two, Scene One: Malice du destin qui revet de satin et de robes d'aurore - Carla Rutili/Martyn Hill/Marie Bertola/Jean-Jacques Doumene/Claude Vierne
- Act Two, Scene One: Je suis le Plaisir de Paris! - Claude Vierne/Martyn Hill/Jacques Mars
- Act Two, Scene One: Ah! je le connais... le miserable! - Jacques Mars/Carla Rutili/Jean-Jacques Doumene/Christiane Chateau
- Act Two, Scene Two: Les bons lits! Les belles robes! - Christiane Chateau/Jean-Jacques Doumene/Claude Vierne/Sonia Nigoghossian
- Act Two, Scene Threee: C'est ici?... C'est la qu'elle travaille? - Pierre-Yves Lemaigat/Robert Tallec/Nicolai Gedda/Tibere Raffali/Renne Massis/Guy Gabel/Guy De Kehrig
- Act Two, Scene Three: Etre des dieux!... Bravo! - Renne Massis/Guy Gabel/Pierre-Yves Lemaigat/Mireille Laurent/Nicolai Gedda/Tibere Raffali
- Act Two, Scene Four: Elle Va Paraite, ma joie, ma tourment, ma vie! - Nicolai Gedda
Disc 2
- Act Two, Scene Four: Mouron pour les p'tits oiseax! - Mireille Laurent/Nicolai Gedda
- Act Two, Scene Five: Bonjour!... Bonjour!...Comment vas-tu? - Elya Weismann/Marie Bertola/Marie Mella/Martine Surais/Eliane Lublin/Christiane Chateau...
- Act Two, Scene Six: Pourquoi te retourner? - Mignon Dunn
- Act Two, Scene Seven: Laissez-moi... ah! de grace! - Beverly Sills/Nicolai Gedda
- Act Two, Scene Seven: Ah! Louise, si tu m'aimes - Beverly Sills/Beverly Sills
- Act Two, Scene Eight: Marchand d'habits! avez-vous des habits! a vendr'? - Pierre-Yves Lemaigat
- Act Two, Second Tableau: Interlude - Orch du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris
- Act Two, Second Tableau, Scene One: La la la la la! C'est enervant... je n'peux y arriver - Elya Weissman/Sonia Nigoghossian/Matine Surais/Marie Bertola/Marie Mella/Carla Rutili...
- Act Two, Second Tableau, Scene One: Voyez, Louise... Quell'drol de tete elle fait aujourd'hui - Christiane Chateau/Elya Weismann/Eliane Lublin/Maria Mella/Sonia Nigoghossian/Mireille Laurent/Bever
- Act Two, Second Tableau, Scene One: Qu'apparaisse le predestine - Mireille Laurent/Eliane Lublin/Sonia Nigoghossian/Matine Surais/Elya Weismann/Marie Mella...
- Act Two, Second Tableau, Scene Two: Ah? La musique! - Maria Mella/Eliane Lublin/Christiane Chateau/Sonia Nigoghossian/Mireille Laurent
- Act Two, Second Tableau, Scene Two: Dans la cite lointaine - Nicolai Gedda/Beverly Sills
- Act Two, Second Tableau, Scene Two: Louise, qu'avez-vous? - Matine Surais/Mireille Laurent/Beverly Sills/Christiane Chateau/Eliane Lublin
- Act Two, Second Tableau, Scene Three: Qu'est-c' qui lui prend? - Christiane Chateau/Eliane Lublin/Sonia Nigoghossian/Elya Weismann/Mireille Laurent/
- Act Three: Prelude-(Vers la cite lointaine...) - Orch du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris
- Act Three, Scene One: Depuis le jour ou je me suis donnee - Orch du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris
- Act Three, Scene One: Que puis-je regretter? - Orch du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris
- Act Three, Scene One: Ainsi tout enfant a le droit de choisir lui-meme - Orch du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris
- Act Three, Scene One: De Paris tout en fete - Beverly Sills/Nicolai Gedda
- Act Three, Scene One: Julien!... Louise!... - Beverly Sills/Nicolai Gedda
- Act Three, Scene One: Ah!... La parole ideale dont s'enivre mon corps tout entier! - Beverly Sills/Nicolai Gedda
Disc 3
- Act Three, Scene Two: lls sont la?... Oui!/Divertissement - Choeurs du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris/Nicolai Gedda/Mignon Dunn/Jose Van Dam...
- Act Three, Scene Three: Par Merure aux pieds legers - Martyn Hill
- Act Three, Scene Three: O Jolie! Soeur choise! - Martyn Hill/Beverly Sills
- Act Three, Scene Three: O Jolie! Soeur choise! - Nicolai Gedda/Eliane Lublin/Christiane Chateau/Beverly Sills
- Act Three, Scene Three: Ah!... Ah!... Regardez! - Eliane Lublin/Christiane Chateau/Nicolai Gedda/Beverly Sills/Jean-Jacques Doumene
- Act Three, Scene Three: Je ne viens pas en ennemie... - Mignon Dunn/Nicolai Gedda/Beverly Sills
- Act Three, Scene Three: Seule une joie peut le sauver... - Mignon Dunn/Jacques Mars
- Act Three, Scene Three: Promettez-moi de me rendre Louise? - Mignon Dunn/Nicolai Gedda/Christiane Chateau
- Act Four: Prelude - Orch du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris
- Act Four, Scene One: Tu devrais te rapprocher de la fenetre... - Mignon Dunn/Jose Van Dam
- Act Four, Scene One: Voir naitre une enfant - Jose Van Dam
- Act Four, Scene One: Louise!... Louise!... Quoi? - Mignon Dunn/Beverly Sills
- Act Four, Scene Two: Bonsoir, Pere - Beverly Sills/Jose Van Dam
- Act Four, Scene Two: Si tu veux etr libre - Beverly Sills/Jose Van Dam/Mignon Dunn
- Act Four, Scene Two: Les parents voudraient qu'on restat le marmot - Beverly Sills/Jose Van Dam
- Act Four, Scene Two: Tout etre a le droit d'etre libre! - Beverly Sills/Jose Van Dam/Mignon Dunn
- Act Four, Scene Two: Qu'il vienne vite, vite, mon bien-aime - Beverly Sills/Jose Van Dam/Mignon Dunn
- Act Four, Scene Three: Louise! Louise! - Jose Van Dam
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User Reviews
Average user review: 
(2 reviews)
At 3 hours long, Charpentier's all but forgotten Louise is a great opera. If only singers like Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna can revive this opera on a studio recording! The ligher, more elegant, French-style voices of Beverly Sills and Nicolai Gedda make this particular version a lot like Massenet's Manon. Rudel conducts with a mixture of dramatic realism, romance and bubbly music. Sills is past her prime but can still sing a difficult role like Louise with a style that is uniquely her own and with undying commitment. Jose Van Dam and Mignon Dunn are fine as the "baritone" father and "mezzo" mother, making their roles as convincingly real as possible, though mostly lyrical. This is a fine opera and you shouldn't hesitate to buy it if you are a fan of any of the singers.
February 5, 2006Louise is interesting and lovely work, the most important French answer to Italian "verismo" wich was, by the way, deeply influenced by Massenet in the beginning. This good sound recording is well conducted and has an idiomatic cast in every roles - except the title one, unfortunately. Both the young lovers are declining stars. In 1977 Sills had a style but her voice was lost. Although 52 years old, Gedda still had his clear tone and style, but his French is unidiomatic. The best of all is Jose van Damm as Father, curiously 12 years younger then his "daughter" Sills. With better production it would be a valuable recording, because Louise has few issues now. I didn't hear CBS/Sony version, but could be Cotrubas better?
February 28, 2002More reviews at Amazon.com ...
