FAUST: Charles Gounod, 1859. Sentimental yet irresistible, this story of a fatal bargain with the Devil has proved to be one of the most popular operas ever written. Original commission from Surrey Opera. This is the full five-act version as presented at English National Opera – for completists I have also assembled the material from the original version with spoken dialogue. It was recorded for Chandos with Mary Plazas, Paul Charles Clarke and Alastair Miles.
CARMEN: Georges Bizet, 1875. A fiercely independent gypsy destroys the honour and mental stability of her soldier lover and in revenge he kills her. Original commission from English National Opera. This is a complete version with dialogues, used for Calixto Bieito’s ENO production but there are various reduced versions of it available, produced over the years for Scottish Opera-go-round and Co-opera Co. among others.
LA PERICHOLE: Jacques Offenbach, 1868. The Viceroy of Peru installs a street-singer who has taken his fancy in his palace; her lover believes her to have been unfaithful and is imprisoned when he challenges the Viceroy. Original commission from Morley Opera. This is the three act version and includes no dialogues, only the musical numbers.
ORPHÉE ET EURYDICE: Gluck, 1762 arr. Berlioz, 1859. The classic Orpheus myth in its most famous re-telling. Original commission from English National Opera. This is a version based on Berlioz’s adaptation for a mezzo-soprano in the title rôle, which is in turn derived both from Gluck’s original and his subsequent French-language revision. There are two versions of Orpheus’ lament, based respectively on the French and Italian texts.
LOUISE: Gustave Charpentier, 1900. A young woman liberates herself from an oppressive family environment to join the lively world of Montmartre and find love. Original commission from Opera Coast. This is a condensed version of the opera with a running-time of 85 minutes. It features the principal soloists and 21 of the medium and minor rôles. It’s particularly good for a wide variety of female characters and has excellent opportunities for less-experienced singers.
MÉDÉE: Marc-Antoine Charpentier, 1693. Betrayed by a conspiracy to marry her lover, Jason, to another woman, the sorceress enacts a terrible revenge for his desertion. Original commission from English National Opera. N.B. This is in ‘full score’ format rather than piano score. There are performing cuts designed for David McVicar’s production at ENO with Dame Sarah Connolly. Please get in touch if you would like any of the sections in a separate format.
Made with love by Artist Digital
