CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Massenet - Manon / Fleming, Alvarez, Vernhes, Chaignaud, Lopez-Cobos, Paris Opera

starring: Renée Fleming, Marcelo Alvarez, Jean-Luc Chaignaud, Michel Sénéchal, Alain Vernhes

Release Date October 21, 2003
And a very satisfying one too!

Massenet's music is sublime; the satin-voiced Renee Fleming portrays a charming Manon and Marcelo Alvarez, a convincing Des Grieux (although no one can live up to my childhood memories of seeing the great Brazilian soprano Bidu Sayao and Giuseppe Di Stefano in the leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera). The highlight for me was Alvarez's heart-breaking rendition of "Ah, fuyez, douce image!" as Des Grieux waits to take his vows at Saint Sulpice. The red-haired Fleming is stunning in the title role, but she presents such a picture of health that I had to suspend my disbelief when she is supposed to be dying on the rode to Le Havre. This is partly the fault of the costumer, who dressed her in shiny ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Ambroise Thomas - Hamlet - Barcelona Opera

starring: Simon Keenlyside, Natalie Dessay, Béatrice Uria-Monzon, Alain Vernhes, Daniil Shtoda
directed by: Toni Bargalló

Release Date October 05, 2004
Great work by miss Dessay who set the bar for Ophelia quite high, perhaps a new standard for this role.

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Prokofiev - L'Amour des Trois Oranges (The Love for Three Oranges)

starring: Sandrine Piau, Alain Vernhes, Martial Defontaine, Francois Le Roux, Anna Shafajinskaia
directed by: Laurent Pelly

Release Date September 26, 2006
I enjoyed very much this version of Prokofiev's "L'Amour des Trois Oranges". In general is a very fresh and imaginative put in scene of a work that was written in the times of the "Commedia del Arte" by Carlo Gozzi.
The presentation of the classical personages of the "Commedia del Arte" such as the "polichinella", "prince", "dottore" among others, with a funny new approach of garderobe is a smart feature. Some of the dynamics on the stage are inspired in the classical greek theater (a very participative Chorus), with many other modern and ingenious resources.
Everything fits with great accuracy within the music opera of Prokofiev like an amazing and clever clockwork.

Jorge Fernandez

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Manon

starring: Renée Fleming, Marcelo Álvarez, Jean-Luc Chaignaud, Michel Sénéchal, Alain Vernhes
directed by: François Roussillon

Release Date
I enjoyed very much this version of Prokofiev's "L'Amour des Trois Oranges". In general is a very fresh and imaginative put in scene of a work that was written in the times of the "Commedia del Arte" by Carlo Gozzi.
The presentation of the classical personages of the "Commedia del Arte" such as the "polichinella", "prince", "dottore" among others, with a funny new approach of garderobe is a smart feature. Some of the dynamics on the stage are inspired in the classical greek theater (a very participative Chorus), with many other modern and ingenious resources.
Everything fits with great accuracy within the music opera of Prokofiev like an amazing and clever clockwork.

Jorge Fernandez

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Les Contes d'Hoffmann

starring: Neil Shicoff, Susanne Mentzer, Bryn Terfel, Michel Sénéchal, Désirée Rancatore
directed by: François Roussillon

Release Date
I enjoyed very much this version of Prokofiev's "L'Amour des Trois Oranges". In general is a very fresh and imaginative put in scene of a work that was written in the times of the "Commedia del Arte" by Carlo Gozzi.
The presentation of the classical personages of the "Commedia del Arte" such as the "polichinella", "prince", "dottore" among others, with a funny new approach of garderobe is a smart feature. Some of the dynamics on the stage are inspired in the classical greek theater (a very participative Chorus), with many other modern and ingenious resources.
Everything fits with great accuracy within the music opera of Prokofiev like an amazing and clever clockwork.

Jorge Fernandez