大象传媒

Leoncavallo's Zaz脿 recorded earlier this year at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, with soprano Svetlana Aksenova in the title role. Rarely heard these days but a world-wide success at the turn of the 20th century, this lyric comedy tells the story of Parisian music-hall singer Zaz脿 and her rejected lover Milio, sung here by tenor Nikolai Schukoff, in an atmosphere imbued with the culture and flavours of French caf茅 music, which Leoncavallo was acquainted with from his days spent in France. Stefan Solt茅sz conducts singers, the Arnold Schoenberg Chorus and the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vienna.
Presented by Flora Willson.

Zaz脿, a concert hall singer: Svetlana Aksenova (soprano)
Anaide, Zaz脿's mother: Enkelejda Shkosa (mezzo-soprano)
Floriana, a singer / Signora Dufresne, Milo's wife: Dorothea Herbert (contralto)
Natalia, Zaz脿's maid: Juliette Mars (mezzo-soprano)
Milio Dufresne, a wealthy Parisian: Nikolai Schukoff (tenor)
Tot贸 Dufresne, daughter of Milio: Livia Gallenga (spoken role)
Cascart, a concert hall singer: Christopher Maltman (baritone)
Bussy, a journalist: Tobias Greenhalgh (baritone)
Courtois, a theatre director: Paul Schweinester (bass)
Duclou, stage manager: Dumitru M膬d膬ra艧膬n (baritone)
Marco, the Dufresnes' concierge / Augusto, auxiliary stage manager: Johannes Bamberger (tenor)

Arnold Schoenberg Chorus
ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vienna
Stefan Solt茅sz, conductor

SYNOPSIS
Zaz脿 is the acclaimed star of the Alcazar variety theatre in St. Etienne, a provincial French town somewhere beyond the outskirts of Paris. All the men adore her, with the exception of the Parisian businessman Milio Dufresne who seems to prefer her rival, Floriana. What seems unobtainable becomes the thing most desired: Zaz脿 has long had her eye on the obstinate man and now enters into a wager with the journalist Bussy that he will fall for her in next to no time. The conquest is easy for her, since Milio secretly desires Zaz脿 but has not yet had the courage to approach a woman coveted by so many, not least because he fears for his reputation. Zaz脿鈥檚 bold attempt to seduce him quickly dispels his misgivings and the two become lovers. However, this conquest prompted by ambition proves Zaz脿鈥檚 undoing. She falls deeply in love with Milio, and wants to marry him and leave the music hall behind. But the dream is shattered when Cascart, her stage colleague and former lover, tells her that he saw Milio in Paris with another woman. Furious, Zaz脿 travels to Paris and bursts into Milio鈥檚 flat to fight for her future with her rival. But the only person she finds there is a little girl: Tot貌, Milio鈥檚 daughter. The girl tells the nice stranger all about her mother and that the little family will soon be going to America. Gradually Zaz脿 realises that Milio is married and has been lying to her about his circumstances all along. When Madame Dufresne eventually comes home she is surprised to see a stranger in her living room. Zaz脿 tells her that she accidentally came to the wrong address and then leaves. She decides not to destroy the family鈥檚 happiness, remembering her own childhood misery and not wishing to inflict the same fate on little Tot貌: Zaz脿's father left her mother Anaide who then took to drink. When Milio next comes to Zaz脿 she ends their affair. He then reveals to her his true, conservative attitudes, and she is left without so much as a happy memory of romantic love. She sadly accepts that her fate is to be a music hall star.