Thomas: Mignon

Excellent complete performance of this rarely performed beautiful opera

superb

All OK. Thank You!

SUPER GOOD AMAZING OPERA , ... RUTH WELTING IS FANTASTIC ,,, ALMEIDA RULES .. ALSO ... VANZÓ .. ZACCARIA .. HORNE .. VON STADE ... TOUR DE FORCE ... 20 bit REMASTERED ... DELIGHTFUL 3+ HOURS PLAY

Beautiful opera, beautifully performed.

Eventually Director of the Paris Conservatory, Ambroise Thomas was considered a conservative even in his lifetime and that might partially explain why, after extraordinary success and long runs during his life and just after his death, his operas have gradually fallen into desuetude. There are three or four rightly famous arias in "Mignon" and much charming music, but being charmed for over three hours can wear thin on modern ears and it must be said that not all the music is very striking or memorable. It is for that reason that I have deducted a star but the recording itself here could hardly be bettered.Marlyn Horne resists too much in the way of hefty, chesty sound to depict the initially androgynous Mignon delicately; Alain Vanzo,last of the great French lyric tenors, sings very attractively in his distinctive, reedy tenor, enunciating beautifully and reminding us of the nature of true Gallic elegance. Ruth Welting copes admirably with her deliberately shallow coloratura - one can't help feeling that her typical "coquette" character is one who one would benefit from a good slap, if you would excuse for a moment my recidivist chauvinism (really, I am in no sense a proponent of violence against women), but her irritating laugh and self-absorbedness flightiness are meant as a contrast to Mignon's naive sincerity and the pathos she elicits. Greek/La Scala veteran bass Zaccaria has a grainy bass that fits the role of the slightly loony minstrel perfectly; Frederica Von Stade in a relatively minor role treats us to an airing of one of the most beautiful voices of its type and the francophone supporting cast is ideal. De Almeida is quite at home in the idiom and utterly unobtrusive; the Ambrosian Chorus is lusty.You notice it when the music changes up a gear in quality with an aria like "Connais-tu le pays", "Adieu, Mignon!" or "Elle ne croyait pas" and rather too much is jolly rum-ti-tum with a Spanish flavour but there is still much to enjoy, even if one can understand why its appeal has waned. It's a sentimental story, expertly crafted and could be pruned by at least half an hour. We won't get a better recording.The new issue has no libretto, of course, so you'd do better to buy the earlier box set. The analogue sound is great - you can hear the birdies tweeting in All Saints' Church, Tooting.

Opera lovers who buy this 3 CD set will receive very good value indeed. There's three and a quarter hours of delight. Arias for the four or five principal characters in the opera are frequently heard in extract; here they can be heard in context. There's a lullaby, a styrienne, a polonaise and - of course - Mignon's "Connais-tu le pays?". Thomas, the composer, somehow managed to express homesickness much more successfully in this aria than Schubert, Hugo Wolf, or any other composer who attempted settings of Goethe's text.Opera lovers are unlikely nowadays to see a production mounted of this once popular opera. I saw it once only in Vienna when I was nineteen. I remember being enchanted by its melody and rhythm driven score. I remember the suspense created when the soprano attempted her five minute "Je suis Titania". Would she get through? Could she provide genuine trills? Would she finish her final cadenza in tune? I remember also thinking that it was a difficult opera to stage (Mignon is rescued from a fire).No such thoughts need spoil your enjoyment of these CDs. All members of the starry, international cast are in fine voice, Almeida draws every nuance and colourful detail from the score, and the warm, comfortable acoustic makes for easy listening.

This recording, the only complete Mignon is without a doubt, the finest available. Marilyn Horne as Mignon is the astonishing Horne, as she always is. Ruth Welting is always supreme, and in this recording, one of a handful of Welting's recordings available, her voice is magnificent. The high reaches of her range are smooth and effortless. The recording is Ruth's legacy to the opera world, and we will forever miss her beautiful coloratura voice. Vanzo is magnificent as are Zaccaria and von Stade. The recording is a must have for anyone's collection.

Excellent

Wunderbare Klänge---und ich wusste so wenig von französischer Oper, dabei liebe ich sie so.Eine wunderbare Zusammenstellung auf drei Cds. Mitreißende Musik, wie ich sie kaum erlebte. Oder doch?