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05/30/2025
“Portraits” – Volume 6
Georges Bizet: Djamileh, WD 27 [1, 9, 12, 14, 20, 23, 27] – Vasco de Gama, WD 124 [2, 6, 11, 19, 24, 28] – Le Golfe de Baïa, WD 119 – La Chanson du rouet, WD 120 – Chœur d’étudiants, WD 111 – La Mort s’avance, WD 133 [2, 6, 19, 24, 28] – Overture in A minor, WD 32 [24, 28] – Venise [16] – Variations chromatiques, WD 54 [16] – La Retour de Virginie, WD 117 [4, 6, 13, 21, 25] – Nocturne in D major, WD 55 [15] – Guitare, WD 79 – La Coccinelle, WD 87 – Vielle Chanson, WD 71 – Adieux de l’hôtesse arabe, WD 72 – Chanson d’avril, WD 75 – Pastel, WD 107 – Rose d’amour, WD 80 – La Nuit, WD 100 – Aimons, rêvons !, WD 102 – Si vous aimez, WD 106 [3, 8, 17, 18] – Clovis et Clotilde, WD 121 [1, 7, 10, 22, 26] – Chasse fantastique, WD 51 [15] – La Rose et l’Abeille, WD 70 – Sonnet, WD 78 – Ma vie a son secret, WD 84 – Le Matin – Voyage, WD 98 [8, 18] – Six Chœurs de Gounod [15]
Karina Gauvin [1], Mélissa Petit [2] (soprano), Adèle Charvet [3], Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur [4], Isabelle Druet [5] (mezzo-soprano), Cyrille Dubois [6], Julien Dran [7], Reinoud Van Mechelen [8], Sahy Ratia [9] (tenor), Huw Montague Rendall [10], Thomas Dolié [11], Philippe-Nicolas Martin [12] (baritone), Patrick Bolleire [13] (bass), Maxime Le Gall [14] (actor), Nathanaël Gouin [15], Célia Oneto Bensaid [16], Florian Caroubi [17], Anthony Romaniuk [18] (piano), Flemish Radio Choir [19], Chœur de l’Opéra de Lille [20], Orchestre national de Lyon [21], Le Concert de la Loge [22], Les Siècles [23], Orchestre national de Metz Grand Est [24], Ben Glassberg [25], Julien Chauvin [26], François-Xavier Roth [27], David Reiland [28] (conductor)
Recording: La Seine Musicale, Paris; L’Arsenal, Metz; Cité de la danse et de la usique, Soissons; Auditorium, Lyon, France (2022-2024) – 304’42
Bru Zane BZ 1059 4 CDs (Distributed by Naxos of America) – Book in French and English
“As a musician I tell you that if you were to suppress adultery, fanaticism, crime, evil, the supernatural, there would no longer be the means for writing one note.”
Georges Bizet
Without controversial topics, composers would be devoid of musical fodder. Furthermore, Bizet’s musical output can’t be single-handedly “straight‑lined” to Carmen since it begs an argument to the contrary...rather, a discernment of an unfolding creative process. Thus, there’s an antecedent catalyst inside Bizet’s anthology...now we turn to Bru Zane’s enterprising collective. And in Bru Zane’s sixth “Portraits” release, there’s a cabochon of descriptive adjectives: poignant, dimensional, embracing, multi‑faceted, innocent and romantically articulated.
An “overlooked” Djamileh acts as a barometric buttress for Bizet. Conducted by François-Xavier Roth, the overall “blush” is a tad undervalued as compared to Orfeo’s 1988 Lamberto Gardelli release, featuring Lucia Popp and Franco Bonisolli. Nonetheless, the exotic saveurs redirect earlier persuasions to Les Pêcheurs de perles (1863).
CD II has some of the most revelatory and ravishing appeals: The ode‑symphonie, Vasco de Gama, poignantly highlights Bizet’s ability to excel in the genre, as earlier reflected by Félicien David in Le Désert (1844). This segues into an illustrious four‑sectioned choral interplay though the tones of frothy Mélissa Petit and buttery Cyrille Dubois. Particularly striking is Bizet’s musical inventiveness inside the barcarolle-esque Le Golfe de Baïa (ref: Reynaldo Hahn’s, L’Ile du rêve) as well as the subsequent politely-fractionalized spinning mechanics of La Chanson du rouet which anticipates Camille Saint-Saëns’ 1871 Le Rouet d’Omphale. Exquisite. Ensuing Overture in A minor conjures reflections upon Bizet’s long time friend, Charles Gounod.
This entire book has many immeasurable treasures, though difficult to cite all: Le Retour de Virginie yields Romantic investitutes and, in particular, the “Prière” features the dramatically-grounded and generously-sized voice of Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur. Together with M. Dubois’ Paul, and the firmly stalwart bass voice inside Patrick Bolleire as Le Missionnaire des Pamplemousses, the compartment is beautifully blended with heartfelt resolve. Striking and gorgeous. A peaceful respite to the aforementioned turns to Nathanaël Gouin’s keyboard of the Nocturne en ré majeur...nuanced with fluidly thoughtful passion and sensitivity. Encased within Bizet’s “Mélodie”, we immediately hear the sassy Andalusian accents of Adèle Charvet, giving sharp reminders to Léo Delibes’ higher-voiced coloratura equations found inside the piece, Les Filles de Cadix (1887).
Closely connected to an elderly Charles Gounod and several of his operatic works, Nathanël Gouin, once again, gives important reminders of Bizet’s eloquent paraphrasing qualities in such selections culled from Philémon et Baucis, La Reine de Saba, Faust and Mireille with temperate and polite equations.
Those whose affections lie close to works by Georges Bizet (particularly with his operatic works), will discover shadings that discern subtle detailing and beautfully-crafted outlines within these works. Georges Bizet had a tremendous gift for Romantic eloquence, and Bru Zane beautifully selects and arranges the Frenchman’s scores with loving embrace.
Highly recommended.
Christie Grimstad
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