Delibes: Jean de Nivelle

Among Léo Delibes's output of some twenty operas, Jean de Nivelle falls within his mature period, between Le Roi l'a dit and Lakmé. The work's premiere at the Opéra-Comique on 8 March 1880 was a resounding success. The press praised the charm of the melodies and the quality of the libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille, remarking on the coexistence of two styles in the score: one melodic and light, typical of opéra-comique, and another in which the vocal writing seemed more serious, the orchestration richer and the harmonies more complex. It is true that the listener frequently feels a dramatic sweep 'that transports one into the realm of grand-opéra', to quote Le Ménestrel. Beyond its intrinsic interest, Jean de Nivelle reveals the growing seriousness that had come to dominate the opéra-comique genre. So much so, indeed, that critics regretted the retention of spoken dialogue (however characteristic of the genre) in Delibes's work. But recitatives were soon added to facilitate its international dissemination. It is this version that the Palazzetto Bru Zane has reconstructed and decided to record.

Artists:
Cyrille Dubois (tenor)
Melissa Petit (soprano)
Marie-Andree Bouchard-Lesieur (mezzo-soprano)
Tassis Christoyannis (baritone)
Juliette Mey (mezzo-soprano)
Adrien Fournaison (bass-baritone)
Francois Rougier (tenor)
Jean-Philippe Mc Clish (bass)
Hungarian National Choir (chorus)
Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra (orchestra)

Conductor:
Gyorgy Vashegyi