110203-04 bk Manon EC 30|01|2003 4:36 PM Page 12 Great Opera Recordings ADD 8.110203-04 Also available: MASSENET Manon Germaine Féraldy Louis Guénot Joseph Rogatchewsky Georges Villier Chorus and Orchestra of the Opéra-Comique, Paris Elie Cohen 8.110238-39 Recorded in 1928-29 2 CDs 8.110203-04 12 110203-04 bk Manon EC 30|01|2003 4:36 PM Page 2 Great Opera Recordings Ward Marston In 1997 Ward Marston was nominated for the Best Historical Album Grammy Award for his production work on Jules BMG’s Fritz Kreisler collection. According to the Chicago Tribune, Marston’s name is ‘synonymous with tender loving care to collectors of historical CDs’. Opera News calls his work ‘revelatory’, and Fanfare deems him MASSENET ‘miraculous’. In 1996 Ward Marston received the Gramophone award for Historical Vocal Recording of the Year, (1842-1912) honouring his production and engineering work on Romophone’s complete recordings of Lucrezia Bori. He also served as re-recording engineer for the Franklin Mint’s Arturo Toscanini issue and BMG’s Sergey Rachmaninov Manon recordings, both winners of the Best Historical Album Grammy. Born blind in 1952, Ward Marston has amassed tens of thousands of opera classical records over the past four Opera in 5 Acts decades. Following a stint in radio while a student at Williams College, he became well-known as a reissue producer in 1979, when he restored the earliest known stereo recording made by the Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1932. Manon Lescaut . Germaine Féraldy In the past, Ward Marston has produced records for a number of major and specialist record companies. Now he is bringing his distinctive sonic vision to bear on works released on the Naxos Historical label. Ultimately his goal is Le Comte Des Grieux . Louis Guénot to make the music he remasters sound as natural as possible and true to life by ‘lifting the voices’ off his old 78 rpm Le Chevalier Des Grieux . Joseph Rogatchewsky recordings. His aim is to promote the importance of preserving old recordings and make available the works of great Lescaut . Georges Villier musicians who need to be heard. Poussette . Andrée Vavon Javotte . Jeanne Rambert Javotte (side 31) . Mme. Ravery Rosette . Andrée Bernadet Rosette (sides 29, 32) . Marguerite Julliot Rosette (side 33) . Marinette Fenoyer Guillot . Émile de Creus De Brétigny . Jean Vieuille De Brétigny (sides 17, 20, 21) . André Gaudin L’Hôtelier . Paul Payan Chorus and Orchestra of the Opéra-Comique, Paris Conducted by Elie Cohen Recorded on 36 sides by French Columbia, December 1928-March 1929 The Naxos historical label aims to make available the greatest recordings in the history of recorded music, in the best Matrices: WLX 655, 656, 661, 676-80, 683-87, 689-93, 723-31, 740, 741, 823, 824, 827-29, 835, 836 and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number of respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standards Catalogue: D 15156-73 in the field of historical recordings. 8.110203-04 2 11 8.110203-04 110203-04 bk Manon EC 30|01|2003 4:36 PM Page 10 Producer’s Note CD 1 76:08 Massenet’s Manon was the second complete opera to have been recorded by French Columbia, the first having been Act I 33:37 Act II 22:58 Bizet’s Carmen. Both recordings were released in Europe as well as America and remained in the catalogue until the close of the 78rpm era. By the year 1932, three additional recordings of Carmen had become available to the 1 Prélude 3:26 ! Manon! Avez-vous peur que mon visage 6:49 record buying public but this version of Massenet’s most popular opera remained unchallenged for more than (Orchestra) (Manon, Des Grieux) twenty-five years. The sound of this recording is extremely good for its time possessing an excellent balance between the singers 2 Holà! Hé! Monsieur l’hôtelier? 2:18 @ Enfin, les amoureux 8:15 and the orchestra. Its major flaw, however, is the fact that it was recorded in an acoustically dead studio with the (Poussette, Javotte, Rosette, Guillot, De Brétigny, (Lescaut, De Brétigny, Manon, Des Grieux) singers placed a bit too close to the microphone. I have taken the liberty of adding a small amount of artificial L’hôtelier) reverberation which will, hopefully, give the performance a more pleasant sound without detracting from its # Allons! Il le faut!... 2:31 immediacy. I have transferred the recording from two sets of French and two sets of American pressings, all in mint 3 Hors d’oeuvre de choix! 2:06 Adieu, notre petite table condition. I compared all copies of each side and chose the one which yielded the quietest surface without (L’hôtelier, Guillot, De Brétigny, Poussette, (Manon) compromising the recorded sound. In fact, some of the American pressings, though quieter, occasionally lacked Javotte, Rosette) sonic vividness. In such cases, I opted to use the slightly noisier French pressings. I also used several stylus sizes $ C’est lui!... Instant charmant... 5:23 to achieve optimum reproduction. 4 Entendez-vous la cloche... 4:49 En fermant les yeux...Oh! Ciel! déjà! It took several months to complete this recording, and consequently, it possesses certain inconsistencies that I Allez à l’auberge voisine... Les voilà! (Des Grieux) should mention. First, glancing at the cast list, one can’t help but notice that several minor rôles were shared by (Lescaut) two or even three different singers depending upon the particular side. This is probably due to the fact that Columbia used whoever might have been available on any particular day. So long as the important singers were 5 Je suis encore tout étourdie 3:21 Act III 19:34 present, the others were left to chance. The second inconsistency concerns the recorded sound. Considering the fact (Manon) that the performance heard here was recorded over a number of sessions, the actual sound is remarkably consistent Scene 1 19:34 from one side to another. It should be noted, however, that two sides in Act I were defectively recorded. The first 6 Hôtelier de malheur! Il est donc entendu 2:37 of these is side two (matrix WLX730) which begins with the words “Allons Messieurs.” The sound here is (Guillot, Manon, De Brétigny, Poussette, Javotte, % Entr’acte 2:21 extremely distorted and strident, resisting my best efforts at improvement. The same sonic flaw afflicts side five Rosette, Lescaut) (Orchestra) (matrix WLX729) beginning “Hôtelier de malheur.” Finally, I should mention that there is an inconsistency in speed, not only from one side to another but also within particular individual sides. In remastering this recording, 7 Il vous parlait, Manon?... 3:08 ^ Voyez mules à fleurettes! 4:06 I have attempted to correct the pitch whenever necessary. Regardez-moi bien dans les yeux! (Street Trader) (Lescaut) & A quoi bon l’économie... Bonjour, Poussette! 4:55 8 Restons ici... 2:54 (Lescaut) Voyons, Manon, plus de chimères! (Manon) * Voici les élégantes!... Suis-je gentille ainsi? 2:20 (Manon) 9 Quelqu’un... J’ai marqué l’heure du départ... 6:36 Et je sais votre nom ( Je marche sur tous les chemins 2:25 (Des Grieux, Manon) (Manon) 0 Nous vivrons à Paris tous les deux!... 2:22 ) Obéissons quand leur voix appelle (Gavotte) 3:27 Plus un sous! (Manon) (Manon, Des Grieux) 8.110203-04 10 3 8.110203-04 110203-04 bk Manon EC 30|01|2003 4:36 PM Page 4 CD 2 65:25 Act IV 17:45 comes in. # He yields and accepts the challenge of Guillot, to the excitement of the actresses, who are looking on, Act III 34:38 ! Faites vos jeux, Messieurs!... 2:21 6 The Comte asks his son if he is resolved to continue while Manon expresses the fascination that gold, love, C’est ici que celle que j’aime... in the church, and Des Grieux expresses his distaste for beauty and material things have for her. Scene 1 (continued) 15:41 J’enfourche aussi Pégase the world. His father advises him to find a wife, but Des (Lescaut, Guillot) Grieux is adamant. $ Des Grieux and Guillot play, the latter losing and 1 Et maintenant restez seul 1:59 eventually accusing Des Grieux of cheating, to the (Manon, Le Comte, De Brétigny) @ Mais, qui donc nous arrive... 5:04 7 Alone, Des Grieux admits that he cannot forget latter’s immediate anger. Threatening them, Guillot Manon! Sphinx étonnant Manon. He leaves for another service. leaves, to return later with the police. 2 C’est elle? Oui, c’est Manon! 3:38 (Des Grieux, Manon, Lescaut) (Le Comte, Manon) 8 Manon enters and hearing the sounds of the % The Comte Des Grieux arrives, assuring his son of # Un mot, s’il vous plaît... Ce bruit de l’or 3:01 Magnificat, prays for forgiveness. release, while Manon, for whom he refuses to intervene, 3 Répondez-moi, Guillot!...Voici l’Opéra! 3:07 (Manon, Pousette, Javotte, Rosette, Les Aigrefins) is taken away, now separated from her lover. (Guillot, De Brétigny) 9 Des Grieux returns and when he sees Manon tells $ Au jeu! au jeu! 4:40 her to go. She pleads with him, admitting her cruelty, Act V 4 Ballet...C’est fête au Cours-la-Reine! 6:57 (Les Aigrefins, Lescaut, Guillot, Des Grieux, but at first he will not listen to her. (Manon, Lescaut, Guillot) Manon) ^ On the road to Le Havre Des Grieux waits for 0 She pleads further, asking if her hands, voice and Manon to pass, with the women arrested and Scene 2 18:58 % Oui, je viens t’arracher à la honte 2:40 eyes no longer have any charms for him.