A Bouillabaisse
Donald Macleod explains how the demise of Chabrier's final comic opera Le roi malgre lui on the Paris stage saw the composer's reputation spread in Germany.
The demise of Chabrier's brilliant comic opera, Le roi malgr茅 lui, on the Paris stage sees the composer's reputation spread in Germany.
Chabrier must surely be one of the most likeable fellows to have graced this earth. It seems no-one had a bad word to say about him. His wide circle of friends included all the leading musicians, writers, poets and painters of the day. Chabrier owned a remarkable collection of impressionist paintings including several by Manet, who produced the best known portrait of the composer.
Emmanuel Chabrier's life slots into a fascinating point in French musical history. When he was born in 1841, Berlioz was already thirty-eight and famous, Saint-Sa毛ns was six, while the rising stars of the future, Massenet and Faur茅, were not yet born. Despite Wagner's dominance, and indeed Chabrier's own reverence for the German composer, Chabrier's music retains a staunchly Gallic individuality, with critics subsequently paying tribute to him as a "direct forerunner of the modern school." The reason for this may well relate, at least in part, to his studies. Chabrier was largely self-taught, and although he was better educated than most musical amateurs, he never followed the accepted route into the Paris Conservatoire or a similar institute. He trained first in law, only taking up full time composition in his thirties.
Today Donald Macleod looks at Chabrier's final comic opera, a work in which the riches and innovation of the music managed to overcome the deficiencies of a confusing plot and weak libretto. Fellow composer, Ravel, declared that its premiere had "changed the direction of French harmony."
Danse slave. Allegro con brio
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Neeme J盲rvi, conductor
Ode 脿 la musique
Barbara Hendricks, soprano
Toulouse-Midi-Pyr茅n茅es Womens' Chorus
Capitole Toulouse Orchestra
Michel Plasson, conductor
Suite pastorale
Orchestra de la Suisse Romande
Neeme J盲rvi, conductor
Introduction & choeur dans茅 (Act 2, Le roi malgr茅 lui)
Ah! Hurrah!
Chris de Moor, bass, Laski
Chorus of Radio France
New Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France
Charles Dutoit, conductor
O r锚ve 茅teint! R茅veils fun猫bres (Act 3, Le roi malgr茅 lui)
Barbara Hendricks, soprano, Minka
Isabel Garcisanz, soprano, Alexina
New Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France
Charles Dutoit, conductor.
Last on
Music Played
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Le Roi malgre lui - opera comique in 3 acts
Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi. Performer: Suisse Romande Orchestra.- CHANDOS.
- CHSA 5122.
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Le Roi Malgre Lui - Act 3, no16 Danse slave
Orchestra: Suisse Romande Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi.- CHANDOS : CHSA 5122.
- CHANDOS.
- 15.
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Le Roi Malgre Lui - Act 3, no16 Danse slave
Orchestra: Suisse Romande Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi.- CHANDOS : CHSA 5122.
- CHANDOS.
- 15.
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Ode a la musique vers. for soprano, female chorus & orchestra
Conductor: Michel Plasson. Performer: Barbara Hendricks. Performer: Toulouse Capitole Orchestra. Performer: Midi-Pyrenees Regional Chorus.- EMI.
- CDC 754-004-2.
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Ode A La Musique
Performer: Toulouse Capitole Orchestra. Performer: Midi-Pyrenees Regional Chorus. Conductor: Michel Plasson. Singer: Barbara Hendricks.- EMI : CDC 754-004-2.
- EMI.
- 3.
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Ode A La Musique
Performer: Toulouse Capitole Orchestra. Performer: Midi-Pyrenees Regional Chorus. Conductor: Michel Plasson. Singer: Barbara Hendricks.- EMI : CDC 754-004-2.
- EMI.
- 3.
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Suite pastorale for orchestra [from 4 of '10 Pieces pittoresques' for piano]
Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi. Performer: Suisse Romande Orchestra.- CHANDOS.
- CHSA 5122.
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Suite Pastorale
Orchestra: Suisse Romande Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi.- CHANDOS : CHSA 5122.
- CHANDOS.
- 7.
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Suite Pastorale
Orchestra: Suisse Romande Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi.- CHANDOS : CHSA 5122.
- CHANDOS.
- 7.
-
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Le Roi malgre lui - opera comique in 3 acts
Conductor: Charles Dutoit. Performer: Chris de Moor. Performer: French Radio Chorus. Performer: French Radio New Philharmonic Orchestra.- ERATO.
- 2292-45792-2.
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Le Roi Malgre Lui - Act 2
Singer: Chris de Moor. Choir: French Radio Chorus. Orchestra: French Radio New Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Dutoit.- ERATO : 2292-45792-2.
- ERATO.
- 10.
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Le Roi Malgre Lui - Act 2
Singer: Chris de Moor. Choir: French Radio Chorus. Orchestra: French Radio New Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Dutoit.- ERATO : 2292-45792-2.
- ERATO.
- 10.
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Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No 5
Conductor: Ainars Rubikis. Orchestra: Royal Northern Symphonia. -
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Le Roi malgre lui - opera comique in 3 acts
Conductor: Charles Dutoit. Performer: Barbara Hendricks. Performer: Isabel Garcisanz. Performer: French Radio New Philharmonic Orchestra.- ERATO.
- 2292-45792-2.
-
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Le Roi Malgre Lui - Act 3, no.18 Nocturne a deux voix (O reve eteint!)
Singer: Barbara Hendricks. Singer: Isabel Garcisanz. Orchestra: French Radio New Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Dutoit.- ERATO : 2292-45792-2.
- ERATO.
- 8.
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