Musical director – Fabien Gabel
Marie-Nicole Lemieux, contralto
Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Program
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde, Act III Prelude
Wagner: Wesendonck Lieder
Mahler: Blumine, excerpt of the Symphony n°1
Schubert: Symphony n° 8 « Unfinished »
Mahler: Rückert Lieder
“For the beauty of such generous music, for the delectable pleasure and joy of singing that transports you from laughter to tears, I say, ‘Rossini ? Sì, sì, sì, sì!’ ” – Marie-Nicole Lemieux
This Rossini album, which will be released on the 3rd of March 2017, has been recorded in December 2015 in the southern French city of Montpellier, is Canadian contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux’s debut album for Erato.
She is joined by Italian soprano Patrizia Ciofi, the orchestra and chorus of the Opéra National Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon and conductor Enrique Mazzola in a richly rewarding programme comprising excerpts from Tancredi (which Lemieux, Ciofi and Mazzola performed at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris in 2014), L’italiana in Algeri, Semiramide, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Matilda di Shabran, La gazza ladra and La pietra del paragone. In addition, Lemieux and Ciofi sharpen their claws in the famous Duetto dei gatti, which is attributed to Rossini (probably spuriously) because it draws on his opera Otello.
“Rossini has been a revelation for me,” says Canadian contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux. “You have to display virtuosity, but Rossini allows you to breathe … Strangely, with Rossini, you sing twice as much, but you’re half as tired at the end of the performance! Rossini is organic and well crafted, and he understood the voice perfectly.”
You may find on Facebook an exclusive recording of “Cruda sorte” : http://bit.ly/2kL16zQ
To buy the album, click here.
More information here.
Rossini Sì Sì Sì Sì!
Opera Arias & Duets
“For beautiful, somptuous music, for the sheer indulgence and joy of vocal writing that can inspire everything from laughter to tears, I say: Rossini? ‘Sì, sì, sì, sì !” – Marie-Nicole Lemieux
Musical director – Enrique Mazzola
Marie-Nicole Lemieux, contralto
Patrizia Ciofi, soprano
Julien Véronèse, bass
Orchestre national Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon
Choeur de l’Opéra national Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon
1. L’italiana in Algeri, “Cruda sorte!”
2. Tancredi, “Oh patria!… Di tanti palpiti”
3. Tancredi, “Fiero incontro!… Lasciami: non t’ascolto”
4. La pietra del paragone, “Quel dirmi, oh Dio!”
5. Semiramide, “In sì barbara sciagura”
6. L’italiana in Algeri, “Amici, in ogni evento… Pensa alla patria”
7. Matilde di Shabran, “Sazia tu fossi alfine…Ah! Perché, perché la morte”
8. La gazza ladra, “Deh, pensa che domani… E ben, per mia memoria”
9. Il barbiere di Siviglia, “Una voce poco fa”
10. Duetto buffo di due gatti
International release date: 3rd March 2017 by Warner Classics
Musical director – Simone Young
Carmen – Marie-Nicole Lemieux
Don José – Michael Spyres
Micaëla – Vannina Santoni
Escamillo – Jean-Sébastien Bou
Frasquita – Chantal Santon-Jeffery
Mercédès – Ahlima Mhamdi
Moralès – Frédéric Goncalves
Le Dancaïre – Francis Dudziak
Remendado – Rodolphe Briand
Zuniga – Jean Teitgen
Orchestre National de France
Chœur de Radio France
Maîtrise de Radio France direction Sofi Jeannin