Soustrot: Auber – Fra Diavolo (2 CD, APE)

Performer: Jane Berbie, Jules Bastin, Mady Mesplé, Michel Hamel, Michel Trempont, et al.
Orchestra: Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Marc Soustrot
Composer: Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 2
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: EMI Classics
Size: 463 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

# Fra Diavolo, opera Ouverture
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 1. No. 1. Introduction. En bons militaires
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Jules Bastin, Thierry Dran, Remy Corazza, Jane Berbie, Mady Mesple
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 1. No. 2. Couplets. Je voudrais bien
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Remy Corazza, Jane Berbie
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 1. No. 3. Quintette. Un landau qui s’arrête
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Jules Bastin, Remy Corazza, Jane Berbie, Mady Mesple, Nicolai Gedda
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 1. No. 4. Couplets. Voyez sur cette roche
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Mady Mesple, Nicolai Gedda
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 1. No. 5. Trio. Oui, je vais commander le punch
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Remy Corazza, Jane Berbie, Nicolai Gedda
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 1. No. 6. Finale. Ecoutez! Ecoutez! Quelle est donc cette marche
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Thierry Dran, Remy Corazza, Jane Berbie, Mady Mesple, Michel Trempont, Michel Hamel, Nicolai Gedda
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 2. No. 7. Air. Ne craignez rien Milford…Quel bonheur, je respire
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Mady Mesple
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 2. No. 8. Trio. Allons ma femme, allons dormir
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Remy Corazza, Jane Berbie, Mady Mesple
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 2. No. 9. Barcarolle. Agnès la jouvencelle
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Nicolai Gedda
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 2. No. 10. Air & scène. Oui, c’est demain qu’enfin l’on nous marie
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Michel Hamel, Mady Mesple, Michel Trempont, Nicolai Gedda
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 2. No. 11. Finale. N’était-il pas prudent de reconnaître ce qui se passe là-bas
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Thierry Dran, Remy Corazza, Jane Berbie, Mady Mesple, Michel Trempont, Michel Hamel, Nicolai Gedda
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 3. Entracte
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 3. No. 12. Air. J’ai revu nos amis
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Nicolai Gedda
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 3. No. 13. C’est grande fête
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Jules Bastin, Michel Hamel, Michel Trempont
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 3. No. 14. Romance. Pour toujours, disait-elle
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Thierry Dran
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

# Fra Diavolo, opera Act 3. No. 15. Finale. Allons, allons, mon Capitaine
Composed by Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber
Performed by Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Jules Bastin, Thierry Dran, Remy Corazza, Jane Berbie, Mady Mesple, Michel Trempont, Michel Hamel, Nicolai Gedda
Conducted by Marc Soustrot

Disc: 1
01. Ouverture
02. En Bons Militaires
03. Je Voudrais Bien
04. Un Landau Qui S’arrete
05. Voyez Sur Cette Roche
06. Oui, Je Vais Commander Le Punch
07. Ecoutez! Ecoutez! Quelle Est Donc Cette Marche

Disc: 2
01. Ne Craignez Rien Milord… Quel Bonheur, Je Respire
02. Allons Ma Femme, Allons Dormir
03. Agnes La Jouvencelle
04. Oui, C’est Demain Qu’enfin L’on Nous Marie
05. N’etait-il Pas Prudent De Reonnaitre Ce Qui Se Passe La-bas
06. Entracte
07. J’ai Revu Nos Amis
08. C’est Grande Fete
09. Pour Toujours, Disait-elle
10. Allons, Allons, Mon Capitaine

black comedy rossinian style

Fra Diavolo is based on a true character although the plot of
this opera is totally ficticious – it is a black comedy about
a highway robber – the music is rossinian in style with florid
arias and many group ensembles with every singer pattering at
the same time but recitatives are replaced by spoken-dialogues
as is the custom in french opéra-comique. It takes a first-class
cast to pull it off and that is what we get here although most
soloists are in their twillight years. Nicolai Gedda at 58 re-
mains amazingly suave and dexterous as Diavolo – Mady Mesplé
(52) is charmingly girlish and very agile – Jane Berbié (52)
and Rémy Corazza (50) are delighfully funny as an english cou-
ple recently robbed – the rest of the cast is excellent. It is
well conducted and recorded – it comes on two super-bargain CDs
with a synopsis but no libretto which may be a drawback for non
french-speaking people – otherwise it is highly recommandable.