Manlio Benzi, Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia - Charles Gounod: Polyeucte (2005)
Manlio Benzi, Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia - Charles Gounod: Polyeucte (2005)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 670 Mb | Total time: 76:54+75:31 | Scans included
Classical | Label: Dynamic | CDS 474/1-2 | Recorded: 2004
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 670 Mb | Total time: 76:54+75:31 | Scans included
Classical | Label: Dynamic | CDS 474/1-2 | Recorded: 2004
There is much to enjoy in this forgotten (save for an aria or two), late (1878) Gounod opera. Essentially the same story as Donizetti’s Poliuto, its title character is a convert to Christianity under the Romans, and his wife Pauline tries to protect him. The Emperor’s envoy, Sévère, still loves Pauline, to whom he was once betrothed–but despite his hatred of Christians, Sévère is noble and tries to save Polyeucte. But the latter insists on making a public scene denouncing idols, and at the end, along with Pauline “who has been converted by the grace of God”, goes to his death in the public arena. Aside from a sappy baptism scene the likes of which would make the Massenet of Thaïs blush with shame, the opera is tuneful, with exciting arias and duets and an ensemble or two, although none of it remains very long in the memory.
This performance, taped live at the Martina Franca Festival in 2004, is strong. Best is Luca Grassi as Sévère, who despite his name sounds like a French baritone. His voice is supple but a bit tight on top, and he throws himself into his sympathetic role with passion. Pauline is sung by soprano Nadia Vezzu, who’s quite tentative at first but gains in stature as the opera goes on. Tenor Giorgio Casciarri offers a virile, secure sound as Polyeucte, and he shines in his emotion-filled outburst in the Roman Temple in Act 3 and in his fine fourth-act aria. It’s a long role and he rises to the occasion. In the pastoral setting for the baptism, Gounod throws in a nice little aria for a minor character named Sextus, extolling the non-Christian gods; it is prettily sung by tenor Nicolo Amodio.
Conductor Manilo Benzi leads his forces well, and ensemble work is admirable; Gounod’s scoring is quite handsome and Benzi makes whatever points he can. There’s a bit too much that is pageant/oratorio-like in this work, but there’s also some juicy operatic singing that pleases. Recommended particularly for French opera enthusiasts.–Robert Levine
Performer:
Polyeucte - Giorgio Casciarri
Sévère - Luca Grassi
Félix - Pietro Naviglio
Néarque - Vincenzo Taormina
Albin - Fernando Blanco
Siméon - Emil Zhelev
Sextus - Nicola Amodio
Pauline - Nadia Vezzù
Stratonice - Tiziana Portoghese
Coro da Camera di Bratislava
Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia
Conductor - Manlio Benzi
Tracklist:
Charles-François Gounod (1818-1893)
Polyeucte
CD1:
01. Preludio
02. Acte I. Déjà dans l'azur des cieux (Chœur, Stratonice, Pauline)
03. Quelle morne douleur (Pauline, Polyeucte)
04. Seigneur, Néarque est là (Stratonice, Polyeucte, Pauline)
05. Le voila, le voila, ce heros qu'on revere! … (La foule, Chœur)
06. L'ordre de l'Empereur (Sévère, Félix, Pauline)
07. Je frémis! je reste sans voix! (Sévère, Pauline, Polyeucte, Chœur)
08. Clairons, répondez à nos voix (Chœur)
09. Acte II. Que le myrte et la rose (Chœur)
10. Ah! Quittons le festin! (Sévère)
11. A Vesta portez ces offrandes (Pauline)
12. Pauline! (Sévère, Pauline)
13. Oui, vous redeviendrez Sévère (Pauline, Sévère)
14. Mais qui donc vient surprendre (Sévère, Néarque, Polyeucte)
15. Nymphes attentives (Sextus)
16. Il chante de ses dieux (Siméon)
17. Marche religieuse: Christus! (Chœur, Siméon)
18. A genoux! (Siméon, Chœur)
CD2:
01. Christus!… (Néarque, Simeon, Polyeucte, Chœur)
02. Maître suprême (Polyeucte, Chœur, Néarque, Simeon)
03. Acte III. Oui! Cette nuit (Albin, Sévère, Félix)
04. Vous êtes généreux (Polyeucte, Sévère)
05. Quoi! C'est peu de perdre Pauline (Sévère, Polyeucte)
06. Où pensez-vous aller (Néarque, Polyeucte)
07. Marche: Gloire aux maîtres du monde! (Chœur, Polyeucte)
08. Ballet: Le Dieu Pan
09. Ballet: Venus
10. Ballet: Bacchanale
11. Peuple! Suspends tes jeux (Albin, Chœur, Polyeucte, Pauline, Félix, Sévère, Néarque, Priests)
12. Venge donc ta statue (Polyeucte, Néarque, Albin, Chœur, Pauline, Sévère, Félix)
13. Acte IV. Source délicieuse (Polyeucte)
14. Polyeucte! - Pauline! (Pauline, Polyeucte)
15. Sévère! Vous ici! (Pauline, Polyeucte, Sévère)
16. Mon Père! (Pauline, Félix, Polyeucte)
17. Je crois en un seul Dieu Créateur (Polyeucte, Pauline, Chœur)
Exact Audio Copy V1.3 from 2. September 2016
EAC extraction logfile from 11. December 2018, 17:08
Manlio Benzi, Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia / Gounod - Polyeucte CD1
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Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
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Additional command line options : -V -8 -T "Date=%year%" -T "Genre=%genre%" %source%
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Copy OK
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Exact Audio Copy V1.3 from 2. September 2016
EAC extraction logfile from 11. December 2018, 17:37
Manlio Benzi, Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia / Gounod - Polyeucte CD2
Used drive : HL-DT-STDVDRAM GH24NS95 Adapter: 1 ID: 0
Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No
Read offset correction : 6
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 128 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : No
Command line compressor : C:\Program Files\Exact Audio Copy\FLAC\FLAC.EXE
Additional command line options : -V -8 -T "Date=%year%" -T "Genre=%genre%" %source%
TOC of the extracted CD
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Extraction speed 8.3 X
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Copy CRC 966D11F6
Copy OK
No errors occurred
End of status report
==== Log checksum 45A136AE47366DFD0752D1BAEBDC0DCACA7887AFF4BF07307616188FCBDB2EC6 ====
Manlio Benzi, Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia - Charles Gounod: Polyeucte (2005)
Thanks to the original releaser