475 070-2

THE UNDISCOVEREDRECORDINGS

MASSENETCigale – Complete BalletFantasy for Cello & Orchestra •Songs

ARIAS FROM FORGOTTEN OPERASWith Huguette Tourangeau

ARIE ANTICHEWith Renata Tebaldi

J.C. BACH • SALIERIAUBER • POPPER

Richard BonyngeAUSTRALIANH E R I T A G E

CONDUCTOR

AUSTRALIAN HERITAGE is a sub-label of ABC Classics devotedto recordings of historic value made by artists whose musicallegacies are a lasting influence on Australian culture.

JOHANN CHRISTIAN BACH (1735-1782) ed. BonyngeSinfonia Concertante in C, T289/4, C43 for flute, oboe, violin, cello and orchestra [21’36]

2 I. Allegro 8’003 II. Larghetto 7’044 III. Allegretto 6’32

Richard Adeney, flutePeter Graeme, oboeEmanuel Hurwitz, violinKeith Harvey, celloEnglish Chamber Orchestra

ANTONIO SALIERI (1750-1825) ed. BonyngeSinfonia in D (Veneziana) [8’15]

5 I. Allegro assai. II. Andantino grazioso – 6’326 III. Presto 2’15

English Chamber Orchestra

ANTONIO SALIERI ed. BonyngeConcerto in C for flute, oboe and orchestra [17’38]

7 I. Allegro spiritoso 6’228 II. Largo 6’569 III. Allegretto 4’20

Richard Adeney, fluteJames Brown, oboeEnglish Chamber Orchestra

JOHANN CHRISTIAN BACH ed.BonyngeSymphony in E-flat, Op. 9 No. 2 (T268/3, C18) [11’52]

0 I. Allegro 5’41! II. Andante con sordini 3’39@ III. Tempo di menuetto 2’32

English Chamber Orchestra

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CD 1 79’20

JULES MASSENET (1842-1912)Cigale – Ballet in 2 Acts [43’04]

1 Act I 21’582 Act II 21’08

Enid Hartle, mezzo-sopranoLondon VoicesNational Philharmonic Orchestra

DANIEL FRANÇOIS ESPRIT AUBER (1782-1871) orch. Douglas GamleyConcerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra [16’21]

3 I. Allegro ma non troppo 6’354 II. Adagio – quasi Andante 4’195 III. Vivace 5’27

Jascha Silberstein, celloL’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

DAVID POPPER (1843-1913)Concerto in E minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 24 [19’49]

6 I. Allegro moderato 8’567 II. Andante 6’358 III. Allegro molto moderato 4’19

Jascha Silberstein, celloL’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

CD 2 77’37

JULES MASSENET1 Fantasy for Cello and Orchestra 17’16

Jascha Silberstein, celloL’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

Richard Bonynge – The Undiscovered Recordings

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GIOVANNI BATTISTA BONONCINI (1670-1747) arr. Douglas Gamley! Deh più a me non v’ascondete 2’07

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759)@ ‘Verdi prati, selve amene’ from Alcina 4’07

ALESSANDRO SCARLATTI (1660-1725) arr. Douglas Gamley£ ‘Le violette’ from Il Pirro e Demetrio 2’49

CHRISTOPH WILLBALD GLUCK (1714-1787)$ ‘Divinités du Styx’ from Alceste 4’06

Renata Tebaldi, sopranoNew Philharmonia Orchestra

CD 4 76’04

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL1 ‘Frondi tenere … Ombra mai fù’ from Serse 4’05

GIOVANNI PAISIELLO (1740-1816) arr. Douglas Gamley2 Nel cor più non mi sento from La Molinara 2’00

GIOVANNI PERGOLESI (1710-1736)3 ‘Stizzoso, mio Stizzoso’ from La Serva Padrona 3’05

VINCENZO CIAMPI (1710-1762)4 ‘Tre giorni son che Nina’ from Gli tre cicisbei ridicoli 2’28

GIOVANNI PAISIELLO arr. Douglas Gamley5 ‘Chi vuol la zingarella’ from I zingari in fiera 2’17

attr. ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678-1741) arr. Douglas Gamley6 ‘Piango, gemo, sospiro’ 3’22

CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK arr. Douglas Gamley7 ‘O del mio dolce ardor’ from Paride ed Elena 3’49

Renata Tebaldi, sopranoNew Philharmonia Orchestra

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CD 3 71’48

ARIAS FROM FORGOTTEN OPERAS

MICHAEL WILLIAM BALFE (1808-1870)1 ‘Sventurata Ildegona … Chiuso nell’armi e splendido’

from Ildegonda nel Carcere 9’15

GEORGES BIZET (1838-1875)2 ‘Nour-Eddin, roi de Lahore’ from Djamileh 5’02

GAETANO DONIZETTI (1797-1848) orch.Douglas Gamley3 ‘Al mio core oggetti amati’ from L’assedio di Calais 4’42

DANIEL FRANÇOIS ESPRIT AUBER4 ‘Ah pour un jeune Coeur … O tourment du veuvage’

from Le cheval de bronze 5’48

JULES MASSENET5 ‘C’est sa tête que je réclame’ from Hérodiade 3’47

GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813-1901)6 ‘Ah! Sgombro è il loco alfin – Sotto il paterno tetto’ from Oberto 7’19

NICOLA VACCAI (1790-1848)7 ‘E questo il loco … Ah! Se tu dormi’ from Giulietta e Romeo 9’20

AIMÉ MAILLART (1817-1871)8 ‘Il m’aime, il m’aime, espoir charmant’ from Les Dragons de Villars 6’06

Huguette Tourangeau, mezzo-sopranoL’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

ARIE ANTICHE

JEAN PAUL MARTINI (1741-1816) arr. Douglas Gamley9 Piacer d’amor (Plaisir d’amour) 4’06

GIUSEPPE SARTI (1729-1802) arr. Douglas Gamley0 ‘Lungi dal caro bene’ from Giulio Sabino 3’14

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MASSENET SONGS

JULES MASSENET8 Le sais tu? (Stéphane Bordèse) 2’209 On dit! (Jean Roux) 3’040 Passionnément (Charles Fuster) 2’39! L’âme des fleurs (Paul Declair) 1’44@ Pensée d’automne (Armand Silvestre) 4’31£ Souvenance (Paul Mariéton) 2’20$ Le petit Jésus (Georges Boyer) 3’21% Les yeux clos (Gaston Maurice Buchillot) 2’31^ Ce que disent les cloches (Jean de la Vingtrie) 3’58& La mélodie des baisers (André Alexandre) 2’06* Pitchounette (Jacques Normand) 2’04( Nuit d’Espagne (Louis Gallet) 3’20) L’éventail (‘Stop’ [Morel-Retz]) 2’54¡ Je t’aime (Suzanne Bozzani) 2’17™ Les amoureuse sont des folles (Duc de Tarente) 2’33# Printemps dernier (Philippe Gilles) 2’21¢ Rose d’Octobre (Paul Collin) 2’06∞ Sérénade d’automne (Madame Blanchecotte) 2’43§ Souhait (Jacques Normand) 2’07¶ Elle s’en est allée (Lucien Solvay) 3’53

Huguette Tourangeau, mezzo-sopranoReginald Kilbey, cello (9, %, ¡ )Richard Bonynge, piano

Richard Bonynge, conductor

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If every conductor’s dream is to recordhis favourite music, then surely RichardBonynge’s dream came true. His forty

years of recordings have left a rich legacy,full of rare and interesting repertoire, hisartistic credo stamped on every one ofthem. With no desire to record the standardrepertoire, he concentrated only on theareas about which he was passionate,though he was fortunate that his recordcompany, Decca, was open to suggestionsand took risks; and of course, he wassupremely lucky in having a great sopranowith whom he was able to realise fully hisambitious projects. Together, Joan Sutherlandand Richard Bonynge dominated a largepart of the operatic scene for almost thirtyyears, at the same time encouraging andhelping young singers – most famouslyLuciano Pavarotti and Marilyn Horne –and a host of distinguished performers,including the highly characterful HuguetteTourangeau, both of whose recital recordswith Bonynge are here released completefor the first time on compact disc.

Born in Australia on 29 September1930, Richard Bonynge was the only son ofCarl Bonynge, an accountant, and BerylBonynge. Bonynge’s childhood was a happyone, with his parents providing the perfectenvironment to nurture his naturally curious

mind. His father, encouraged by Bonynge’sgrasp of foreign languages (not to mentionthe great personal charm of which he wascapable), had hopes that his son might enterthe Diplomatic Corps; but this forlorn hopeseemed more unlikely as the son’s childhoodprogressed. Not parents to push their owncareer ideas, they noticed his aptitude formusic, facilitated in a house where 78s ofTetrazzini and Galli-Curci were gramophonefavourites. These, along with Gilbert andSullivan at the Theatre Royal, were his firstintroductions to opera.

When he reached the age of four, hisparents engaged a professional teacher – theformidable Mrs. Florence Crocker. She wasa strict disciplinarian and stood for nononsense, with any lapses of attention orsilly mistakes resulting in a quick rap acrossthe knuckles. He showed an obvious flairfor the piano, with a firm technique, andwas considered quite a child prodigy. Still,his parents had to keep a sharp eye on hispractice at home. One of his tricks was toread comics whilst mechanically playingvarious exercises on the keyboard. This sortof mischievous behaviour was turned toadvantage in helping Joan Sutherland inher singing by playing in a higher key thanshe thought; but that was yet to come. Inthe meantime, he was auditioned at the age

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of twelve by the well-known and much-loved Lindley Evans (who accompaniedMelba on her last Australian tour) of theSydney Conservatorium, who was impressedenough to offer his services for free.

Bonynge’s life at the excellent BronteSchool was unmarked by any great turmoil,as were his years at Sydney High School,and he did well in the subjects which interestedhim (music, French and German) and poorlyin those that did not (physics, mathematicsand chemistry). At the age of fourteen,Bonynge went up to the Conservatorium inSydney and was, at last, able to free himselffrom all those (maths and physics) lessonswhich he found a bore. Evans made thegreatest impression on Bonynge – being akind and helpful man who transferred hisenthusiasms to his pupils – firing even furtherBonynge’s curiosity in all things operatic.By fourteen, Bonynge had bought a completescore of I puritani and learnt to sing all thearias by heart, and at the same age gave hisfirst important concert as a soloist, playingGrieg’s Piano Concerto with the SydneySymphony Orchestra in the Town Hall. Itwas around this time, he was introduced toJoan Sutherland, and as they both weremembers of the Affiliated Music Clubs ofNew South Wales, they soon started towork together.

Another influence during this periodwas the Director of the Conservatorium,Eugène Goossens (1892-1962). Goossens hada distinguished career in England and Americaas conductor, composer and violinist, andwhen he became Director of the Conserv-atorium in 1947, he sought to raise itsstandards to the level of the famous Europeanand American institutions. He was a rathersevere figure of whom many were afraid,but he got results. Bonynge was nervouswhen Goossens one day asked him to playfor the opera class which, on this occasion,had found itself without an accompanist.The opera was The Marriage of Figaro andBonynge so impressed Goossens that he lethim accompany the opera group regularly.This proved a great opportunity to see themechanics of opera ‘close up’ and to learnthe repertoire. He also studied the cello fora while, no doubt gaining valuable experiencein another discipline which would be of uselater in his career. By the time Bonynge leftthe Conservatorium at nineteen, he hadsecured a scholarship for the Royal Collegeof Music in London which he entered in 1950.

In London – a large curiosity shop,whose fascination has never ceased forBonynge – he devoured everything it had tooffer: museums, galleries, exhibitions, historichouses, concerts, ballet, opera and, above

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all, the theatre. Here, his rapacious appetitefor collecting took hold – paintings, scores,antiques, books – a habit which has neverleft him. The one great source of irritationat this time was that the Royal College ofMusic allowed him neither to study Mozartunder Kathleen Long nor conducting as asecond subject, both of which he was quiteset upon, and understandably he becamefrustrated. But this cloud had a silver liningin the form of Herbert Fryer, to whomBonynge turned for private tuition.

Fryer, a pupil of Busoni, was a greatlyrespected teacher to whom Richard wasvery much drawn. He instilled in his pupila great love of the music of Chopin, andthrough this composer Bonynge developedhis passion for the early nineteenth-centuryoperatic repertoire, in particular the worksof Bellini and Donizetti. Sutherland arrived inLondon in August 1951 and though neitherof them realised the significance of theirfriendship at the time, Bonynge immediatelywhisked her off on a cultural crash-courseof London and they soon began to worktogether. Bonynge, now studying the greateighteenth and nineteenth-century repertoirein detail, passed on his enthusiasm toSutherland, whom he married in October1954. His work with Sutherland has beenwell documented in her autobiography A

Prima Donna’s Progress; suffice it to say herethat Bonynge played a vital part in shapingher voice whilst encouraging and helping herthroughout the years leading up to her greattriumph in Lucia at Covent Garden in 1959.

Although an excellent pianist, Bonyngedid not have the driving ambition to becomea concert pianist and displayed moreinterest in Sutherland’s career than in hisown. He was very busy accompanying formany well-known singing teachers, gainingvaluable experience in voice training, as wellas in coaching other singers. His spare timewas spent acquiring a vast knowledge ofoperatic repertoire and of performing styles,as well as attending a whirlwind of concerts,opera, ballet and theatre, all somehowachieved without the greatest of resources.

It was not until 25 January 1962 thatBonynge was given his first chance to conductan orchestra. The concert was arranged by the Accademia Filarmonica Romanawho suggested that, as Bonynge knewthe repertoire so well, he should conduct it.The program included Handel’s Water Musicand ballet music from Alcina together withthe ‘mad scenes’ from I Puritani and Hamlet(with Sutherland). Bonynge must have beendaunted and not a little terrified in front ofan orchestra (the Santa Cecilia Orchestra)for the first time, as he had virtually no

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conducting experience at all. In spite of this,the concert was a success and was to givehim great encouragement in this direction.

His most significant break, however,came in March 1962 when it was decidedthat he should conduct a new recording ofAlcina for Decca. Though nervous abouthis recording debut, one great strength washis knowledge and deep understanding ofthe idiom. His comprehension of the humanvoice, from the singer’s point of view, earnedhim respect from the stellar cast (whichincluded Teresa Berganza, Monica Sinclair,Graziella Scuitti, Mirella Freni, Ezio Flagelloand Luigi Alva), while the London SymphonyOrchestra, not an orchestra to suffer foolsgladly, was nothing other than kind andhelpful. His conducting was greeted withunanimous praise on the recording’s releaseand forty years later, despite all that hashappened with respect to the rise of the‘authentic’ movement, it sounds freshlyminted.

Several important debuts followed: asan orchestral conductor (Hollywood Bowl,July 1962), conducting a complete opera inperformance (Faust, Vancouver, March 1963),conducting Sutherland in a complete opera(La Sonnambula, San Francisco, September1963), his first appearance Covent Garden(I Puritani, March 1964), and the release of

his first ballet recording, The Art of the PrimaBallerina (subsequently reissued completeon compact disc as part of the award-winning Decca collection Fête du Ballet) –Bonynge had found his place on the stageand the course of his career was set. Histriumphant return to Australia in 1965 withthe formation of the Sutherland-WilliamsonInternational Grand Opera Company harkedback to the great Melba tours and gaveAustralia some of its best opera for years.

By now, he was performing in all theworld’s major opera houses, not to mentiontelevision broadcasts, especially in NorthAmerica. He helped shape many imaginativeprojects along the way, notably the Britishtelevision series ‘Who’s Afraid of Opera?’,ostensibly designed to introduce children toopera, it proved highly entertaining foreveryone and counts as one of the mostsuccessful attempts at raising the popularappreciation of opera. In the 1970s he wasmade Artistic Director of the VancouverOpera (1974-8) and served as Musical Directorof the Australian Opera from 1975-86, hisdrive and flair resulting, once again, insome supremely exciting operatic feasts. Hewas made Commander of the Order of theBritish Empire in 1977, Officer of the Orderof Australia in 1983, and received the FrenchOrdre des Arts et Lettres in 1989.

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From 1963 Bonynge produced a steadyflow of recordings of operas, ballets, orchestralworks and recital programs for Decca, whichare staples of the CD catalogues. They areall imbued with his trademarks, his love ofthe bel canto and the French repertoireespecially apparent, whilst his recordings ofMozart, Puccini and Wagner help to showthe breadth of his interest.

As a piano accompanist, he can hardlybe faulted, and his extraordinary ability asan orchestral conductor to get seeminglyany orchestra to play with both enthusiasmand style is obvious, even from his firstrecordings. He insists that his recordingsremain as close to the composer’s intentionas possible, and if this has involved tirelesswork, his efforts have been rewarded. His1973 recording of Les Contes d’Hoffmannwas the result of a masterful job of historicdetective work, understanding of idiom,dramatic flair, and is now the standardrecommendation. Bonynge’s faith in someof the works he ‘exhumed’ in the opera housewas resented in some quarters, but the publicloved the rediscoveries. La Fille du Régimentis a perfect example of his judgement: awork he felt was ripe for reviving, andwhich was a hit at its 1966 Covent Gardenrevival, of which the 1967 Decca recordingis now a classic.

Exploring Massenet

Bonynge has a special affinity with Massenet,a composer who, in his time, was in analmost permanent state of runaway success.Not only did he compose memorable tunes,gorgeously orchestrated, he also masterfullycombined elements of grand opera and opéracomique, thus satisfying the public appetitefor spectacle, but imbuing his work withgenuine sentiment and intimacy. Bonyngerecorded three of his operas: Thérèse (withHuguette Tourangeau), a short and effectiveverismo type work; the Wagnerian–flavouredEsclarmonde; and Le Roi de Lahore, Massenet’sfirst major success and one of Decca’s firstdigital recordings. Of his orchestral music,there’s the rarely heard Fantasy for cello andorchestra (here receiving its first outing oncompact disc), several short show pieces fororchestra (including the ubiquitous ‘Médit-ation’ from Thaïs which he recorded twice,once with Nigel Kennedy), the colourfulScènes Alsaciennes and Scènes Dramatiquesand two ballets, Cigale and Le Carillon. In1986, Bonynge made a recording of the balletManon, the score comprising Massenet’s musictaken from a myriad of sources, arranged byLeighton Lucas, interestingly using none ofthe music from the composer’s own operaticManon. All in all, this music represents a

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mouth-watering confection of Massenet tunesand, like the ballet Cigale in this set, makesfor thoroughly entertaining ‘pure’ music.

In France, Jean de la Fontaine (1621-1695), best remembered for his fables,embodies a universal memory of childhood,with his writing inspiring many composersto set his words to music, or turn his talesinto ballets. Cigale, originally written for acharity bazaar which never took place,eventually was staged at the Opéra-Comique’sannual benefit concert in 1904. The story,with added flourishes by the librettist HenriCain, is based on The Grasshopper and theAnt, and contrasts the easygoing grasshopper,who spends all her time singing and enjoyingherself, with the well-stocked industriousant. With the advent of winter, the grasshopperdies and the ant, of course, survives. HenriCain and Massenet spiced up the sentimentalstory by making the ant selfish and grotesqueand the grasshopper generous and uncal-culating – all with a Gallic flair resulting ina thoroughly entertaining work.

Massenet got much pleasure from writingthe score, no doubt enjoying the lack ofpressure which composing operas invariableentailed. The writing is highly tuneful, thoughat times with more weight than might beexpected; the splendidly vivacious numberscontrast with the sentimental ones and there

are nice surprises, such as the inclusion ofan old Christmas carol, and the mezzo andchorus used for the final Berceuse angélique.Jeanne Chasles performed the role of Cigaleat its premiere, and Madame Fourmi (theAnt) was made suitably grotesque by beingmimed by a man, Monsieur Mesmaecker.

Romantic Cello Concertos

In 1972, Decca released an enterprising disccalled ‘Romantic Cello Concertos’, with thedistinguished Polish cellist Jascha Silbersteinand L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. DanielFrançois Esprit Auber is best rememberedfor his sparkling overtures with their catchytunes, but before he embarked on his operaticcareer, he wrote four cello concertos around1804 for his friend, the French cellist LaMarre. No orchestral parts of these scoreshave been found, suggesting that in the event,they were only ever played with piano accom-paniment. However, Douglas Gamley, along-time collaborator with the Bonynges,arranged the highly sympathetic orchestralparts for the A minor Concerto recordedhere. The work has a gently pleasing quality,with an attractive first movement (surprisinglywithout a cadenza), followed by a sereneadagio; but it is the jolly finale which ismost memorable, with a vivaciousness which

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became a hallmark of his best works.Czech composer David Popper was one

of the leading cellists of his time, studyingwith Julius Goltermann in Prague, beforeembarking on a celebrated career as a virtuoso,eventually settling in Budapest, where heonce performed with Brahms in his C minorPiano Trio. As one would expect, Popper’sown compositions are full of understandingfor his instrument, with many of his salonpieces firm favourites in the cello repertoire.In fact, so popular were his own works inhis day, that every cello recital featured atleast one of his works, which earned himthe title, by George Bernard Shaw ‘Popperthe Inevitable’! The E minor Concerto of1879 – the second and most popular of thefour he wrote – gives ample opportunity forthe soloist to display both the lyrical beautyand brilliant virtuosity. The first movementis, more or less, in sonata form, thoughallowing plenty of freedom to give themovement a strong rhapsodic feel. Thesecond movement has a charming cantilenaand the finale, which has an attractive rusticflavour to it, has passages of great virtuosity,especially in the exciting coda.

Massenet’s Fantasy for cello and orchestra,was written in 1897 and dedicated to theBelgian cellist J. Hollmann. It was due to beperformed at the Concerts Colonne in Paris

the year of its composition, but nothingcame of this, and remains something of ararity, and an especially beautiful one atthat. It is a striking work in three linkedmovements; richly lyrical and rhapsodic infeeling, they are unmistakably the work ofthe composer of Manon. There are manydelights along the way, not least the piquantgypsy-flavoured passage in the centralmovement, a jaunty gavotte, its quirkyharmonies adding to the memorability ofthe piece.

18th-century forays

Perhaps the most unlikely disc Bonynge wasto record was a 1969 LP of Johann ChristianBach and Antonio Salieri orchestral musicwith the English Chamber Orchestra; it hasalways been something of a rarity. Theserecordings, collectively making their firstappearance on CD, showcase the crisp, stylishplaying of the English Chamber Orchestra.

It is thought that J.C. Bach’s delightfulSinfonia Concertante in C was first performedin 1775 during the interval (as was then thecustom) of a performance of Handel’s Samsonat the King’s Theatre. The first movement isdominated by the striking coup d’archettheme of the broad opening ritornello,which spawns several subsidiary ideas, one Jascha Silberstein

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of which introduces the first solo for theflute, then the oboe, and finally the violin.The interplay between the instruments is adelight, often witty in invention, bubblingalong, until the grand opening theme marksthe recapitulation and final ritornello. Theslow movement is for strings and bassoon,and combines elegance and tranquillity,The finale is essentially good hearted andinfectious with a wonderfully lilting theme,though there is one minor keyed section witha rather poignant passage for oboe accom-panied by his fellow soloists, before thegood natured mood of the opening returns.

The Sinfonia in E flat, Op. 9 No. 2 – awork much admired in its day and stillimpressive now – was first published in1773 and is a fine example of J.C. Bach’sLondon symphonic style. The first movement’sbroad, impressive opening incorporates thefamous ‘Mannheim crescendo’ over pedalpoint; the movement is written in fullsonata form, complete with development,and rich invention. The ensuing slowmovement is especially delightful, with anenchanting melody accompanied by pizzicatostrings, though the Tempo di Menuetto finale(also in sonata form) is hardly less appealing,with Charles Cudworth, who wrote theoriginal sleeve note, describing it, withoutexaggeration, as ‘magnificent’.

The unjustly maligned Antonio Salieriis gradually having his reputation restoredand understood in its proper perspective.The lively Sinfonia in D (‘Veneziana’) is anearly work, written in Venice (hence thework’s title) in the 1770s, very much in theearly classical / stile gallant of the day. Thefirst movement begins with a burst ofenergy, with its early sonata-form themesdiscursive rather than developing in aserious way. The slow movement for stringsalone provides the right contrast for thelively finale, written in a more developedsonata form, and full of energy with its 3/8rhythms and scurrying string passages.

The Concerto in C for flute, oboe andorchestra is another early but charmingpiece composed around 1774. The interplaybetween the two instruments is a constantdelight, with several operatic touches. Theouter movements brim with charm and witand are separated by an especially effectiveslow movement, in which the two soloinstruments have been likened to an operaticlove duet sung by two unusually gifted operasingers. It worth mentioning that both theSalieri pieces have some passages discreetlypruned for this recording, presumably forreasons of timing in the days of LP.

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Tebaldi’s swansong

Renata Tebaldi is, of course, one of the greatimmortal sopranos of the twentieth century.Adored by the La Scala audience in the 1940sand 1950s and a major Decca artist through-out the 1950s and 1960s, her beautiful andpowerful soprano is best remembered forher many Verdi and Puccini roles, of whichseveral remain top CD recommendations.

She retired from the stage in 1973, butmade some recordings with Richard Bonynge(as both, pianist and conductor) in the early1970s, of which Arie Antiche was released in1975, here presented complete on CD.Though Tebaldi’s voice was no longer in itsprime, her star quality and artistry remainedfully intact, and she sensibly chose a moreintimate repertoire suited to her voice at thisstage. Douglas Gamley’s rich orchestrationsfor these songs have alarmed purists, butthey delight those who love gorgeous ear-tickling sounds. The overall result is a touching,personal recital, with the warmth andobvious affection for the music being anespecially striking feature.

Throughout the program, Tebaldi wellunderstands the importance of maintaininga beautiful legato line in both the dramaticand pastoral numbers. A wide tessitura iscalled for, too: Vivaldi’s beautiful melancholy

Piango, gemo, sospiro draws the voice intothe deep, chest mezzo, while vocal agility isdemanded in Scarlatti’s Le violette. Two old-world favourites are included: the well-knownPlaisir d’amour and the delightful Paisiellosong, with the flutes adding rustic piquancy,as they do also in the following Bononciniaria. Arie Antiche was Tebaldi’s last completedstudio recording, marking the end of a distin-guished recording career.

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Renata Tebaldi

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Huguette Tourangeau

Huguette Tourangeau was a particularlydistinctive singer whom Bonynge workedwith extensively from the late 1960s. Bornin 1938, the French-Canadian studied atthe Quebec Conservatory under RuzenaHerlinger, and made her debut as Cherubinoat the Stratford Festival in Ontario in 1964.That year she was also a finalist in theMetropolitan Opera Auditions and wassubsequently engaged by the Metropolitan’stouring company. Here she came to theattention of Bonynge. At her best, she cut astriking theatrical figure; her unique, vibranttimbre was able to draw upon a large paletteof colour, not to mention an extraordinaryvocal range of almost three octaves. She wasa terrific actress, and both, her physicalpresence and personality radiated beauty.Bonynge encouraged her career whereverpossible and made some striking recordingswith her.

“Much of our success”, Tourangeau says,“was due to the intense and thoroughpreparation during the weeks of coachingRicky gave me and although I always enjoyedlearning the new material, I suppose it wasthe ‘daring’ part of working with him that Ienjoyed the most. I will always rememberwith delight the enormous pleasure andexcitement that overtook us when he began

inventing those inspired cadenzas of his. Ashe composed them and revised them, withevermore surprising twists and turns, hewas overtaken with the devilish glee of amad scientist. It was pure fun!”

Tourangeau appeared in many operarecordings conducted by Bonynge from thelate 1960s to the early 1980s, including aninvigorating Messiah – a striking performance,ahead of its time in many ways. Specialmention must be made of her delightfulUrbain in Les Huguenots; her dual role as LaMuse and Nicklausse in the fabled 1971 LesContes d’Hoffmann, and by way of contrast,her wonderfully regal snarling as QueenElizabeth in Maria Stuarda – the Queen ofScots doesn’t stand a chance! She made twosuperb recital discs with Bonynge for Decca,both released here on CD for the first time:‘Arias from Forgotten Operas’ and a collectionMassenet songs, released in 1971 and 1976respectively.

Huguette Tourangeau

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OF HUGUETTE TOURANGEAU, BONYNGE

WRITES: “I first met Huguette Tourangeau in1964 at the Stratford Festival in Canada whereshe was engaged to sing Cherubino and I wasconducting my first Marriage of Figaro. I wasimmediately entranced by this singular voice.It seemed to me a rare phenomenon – a truecontralto with the possibility of singing a great dealof the mezzo-soprano repertoire as well. Inaddition to this she had an extension to the E inalt of the coloratura soprano. I imagine that thiswas the type of voice which Calvé also acquired:not an extension of the main voice but a type ofhead voice falsetto which can be heard in severalnumbers in the ‘Arias from Forgotten Operas’.

“Some of the greatest experiences and myhappiest memories in the theatre have been spentwith Huguette. Apart from an extraordinarilyindividual sound, immediately recognisable, shehad great beauty and was a very considerableactress. It gives me pleasure to list all theperformances we did together and rememberthe enjoyment we had.

After the Cherubino she sang her first Zerlinain Don Giovanni (in the tradition of Maria Malabran)in Boston (1967), again in Seattle (1968), then adecade later in Vancouver (1977) and at the

Metropolitan Opera in New York (1978).She added Mallika in Lakmé to her repertoire

in Seattle (1967), repeating it in Philadelphia(1968) and a long series in Sydney (1976). Shesang Urbain in Les Huguenots at the Royal AlbertHall in London (1968). Also, that year, she sangher first Maffio Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia at theRoyal Festival Hall in London with MontserratCaballé making her London debut as Lucrezia.There were more Borgias in Vancouver andEdmonton (1972) and Houston, Texas (1975).

She sang the title role in Giulio Cesare inHamburg (1969) and again in 1971, fifteen timesin all and quite the most musical and excitingperformances I have ever seen in this role. Sheadded Bertarido in Rodelinda (another of hergreat castrato roles) at the Brighton Festival(1971) and then sang it throughout Holland (1973and 1975).

Her first Adalgisa in Norma was at theAcademy of Music in Philadelphia, with furtherperformances in San Francisco (1972) andthroughout Holland (1978). She added Niklaussein Les Contes d’Hoffmann to her repertoire inSeattle (1970), then at the Metropolitan Opera(1973-74) with performances in Atlanta, Memphis,Dallas and Minneapolis with the Metropolitan

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Opera on tour and then again in 1974 in Sydneyto mark the first performances at the AustralianOpera of Joan Sutherland and myself.

1971 saw her first performances of QueenElizabeth in Maria Stuarda in San Francisco withfurther performances in Philadelphia and Hartford(1974), in Las Palmas (1975), throughout Holland(1977) and at the Royal Opera House CoventGarden that same year.

She sang Prince Orlovsky in Die Fledermausat the San Francisco Opera House (1973) and, inthe same House, Parseis in Esclarmonde (1974)and again at the Metropolitan Opera (1976).

In 1975 she added Arsace in Semiramide toher repertoire in Vancouver (1975) and sangPauline in The Queen of Spades at the same theatre(1976). In the same year she sang Carmen in Sydney.

1977 saw her first Mignon in Vancouver,followed by Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera in thesame theatre. In the same year she sang Rosinain Barbiere di Siviglia in Sydney and Kaled in LeRoi de Lahore in both Vancouver and Seattle.

In addition to these performances we recordedtogether Maria Stuarda, Les Contes d’Hoffmann,Esclarmonde, Le Roi de Lahore, Lakmé, LesHuguenots, L’Oracolo (Leoni), Rodelinda and

Messiah. There is a video of Lakmé and perform-ances of Mignon and Maddalena (Rigoletto) in thetelevision series ‘Who’s Afraid of Opera?’.

There were concerts in Vancouver, SantaRosa California, Government House Sydney, SanDiego, New Orleans and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

What a host of memories these perform-ances conjure up. I hope they are as happy forHuguette as they are for me.”

Richard Bonynge

Les Avants, Switzerland

2 December 2002

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Arias from Forgotten Operas

The 1970 Arias from Forgotten Operas wasone of Bonynge’s most daring discs –recording a relatively unknown singer andunknown arias – but the result was anexciting and original release. The PenguinGuide to Compact Discs encapsulates thequality of this disc: ‘A most exciting andinteresting and rewarding program. The vividcolour photograph of Mlle. Tourangeau onthe record sleeve immediately suggests anartistic personality of character, and therecital does not disappoint. The dark, lowerregister of the voice, with its ability to bringa sudden change of character to the melodicline, coupled to the crisp, accurate coloraturaof the upper register is especially effective inthe Donizetti excerpt, whilst the dramaticbite and secure technical control makes thevery most of the opening Balfe aria, whichis of exceptionally high quality. Bizet’slyrical scena is beautifully sung and thelittle-known, but memorable, Verdi aria ismatched by the no less attractive excerptfrom Vaccai’s Giulietta e Romeo. But perhapsthe highlight is the vivacious Maillart aria,another fine lyrical tune and with a finaleworthy of Offenbach. How splendid to hearFrench opéra comique sung superlativelyand with the proper French tang’. Theformidable EMG Monthly letter (March

1972) raves: ‘a fascinating record featuringan exceptional singer of world class potential… she has a huge range with superb flexibilityand almost equal quality throughout … shebelongs to that rare company of singers whocan sing a wide variety of roles … it is allexciting and compelling music … stronglyrecommended’.

Balfe is a largely forgotten composertoday, though his twenty or so operas werein vogue in England and Paris in the mid-nineteenth century. The scena ‘Ildegondanel Carcere’ was written for the contraltoAdele Crescini, presumably for inclusion inMarliani’s opera Ildegonda, first given in Parisin 1837. In the course of the melodramaticplot about the crusades in the twelfth century,the scena here finds the heroine Ildegondain prison for the crime of loving the warriorRizzardo, though she later escapes androuses the people to defend her lover.

Bizet’s exotic opera Djamileh of 1872was lucky enough to have a sumptuousproduction at its premiere, but unfortunatein having a heroine who couldn’t sing. Theexcellent score was just that bit too advancedfor the critics, and the story (based onAlfred de Musset’s Namouna) did not strikeBizet as especially theatrical. However, thisexcerpt shows just how superb the writingis, exotic and perfumed, and how unjustified

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its neglect.Even though L’assedio di Calais, Donizetti’s

first attempt at grand opera of 1836, wascomposed at the height of his success, anoutbreak of cholera at the time of the work’sgala premiere did not get it off to a goodstart, and the work never really took hold.The opera deals with the incident of theburghers of Calais who are prepared tosacrifice themselves to lift the English siege,though they are spared by the EnglishQueen. It is now acknowledged as containingsome of the composer’s finest music. Thearia here is sung by Aurelio, who narrowlyhas escaped being caught in the Englishcamp, and returns to his family with thispassionate aria – the beautiful slow introd-uction if followed by a swinging cabelettashowing the composer on rousing form.

Auber had a knack of writing memorabletunes and captivated France with them formuch of the nineteenth century, though LeCheval bronze, like may of his works, isknown today only by its lively overture.First performed in 1835, the opera concernedthe story of a bronze horse that transportsunsuspecting victims to the Goddess ofLove on the planet of Venus, and enabledthe composer to explore the operatic localeof the orient, where the opera’s earthly scenesare set. French wit combines with fantasy

and the exotic here, and this sparklingcoloratura aria is typical among the composer’smany gems.

Massenet made the exotic a speciality,and after his first success with Le Roi deLahore, his next opera, Hérodiade (1881),was the operatic equivalent of a full-blownHollywood film version of the biblical storyof Salome. The aria recorded here is sung inthe first act by Herodias who begs the headof John the Baptist from her husband.

Oberto is Verdi’s earliest surviving operaand received its premiere at La Scala in1839. Set in Ezzelino’s castle at Bassano in1228, the story is concerned with the strugglefor the town of Verona. Oberto is defeatedin battle by Ezzelino, with the help ofRiccardo Salinguerra, who then securesLeonora, Oberto’s daughter, but continueshis plans to marry Cuniza. However, Cunizawishes to repair this wrong done by herfiancé and insists Riccardo keeps faith withLeonora. Alas, Oberto sees a duel as the onlysolution to maintaining family honour, butis fatally wounded, prompting Riccardo toflee into exile, and Leonora to look forwardto a lonely early death. Verdi’s theatricalskill and some subtle writing – apparenteven at this early stage – give the scenesplausible psychology, whilst his raw vigourpropels the whole scene. The splendid aria

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been highly praised and his elegant sheenand crispness serve to heighten the enjoymentof those gems. The often severe EMGMonthly letter (July 1977) described theoriginal LP as ‘An exciting, even noble recital’,and so it is. As Paul Delaur asserts in thesong L’âme des fleurs, ‘Nothing that hasbeen beautiful perishes forever’, and the returnof this recital – indeed, of much of thiscollection – to the catalogue proves the point.

Paul Westcott

Executive Producers Robert Patterson, Lyle Chan(ABC Classics), Cyrus Meher-Homji (UniversalMusic Australia), Paul WestcottDesign Imagecorp Pty LtdRemastering Emil Berliner Studios, Langenhagen, Germany

ABC Classcis and Universal Music Australia wouldlike to thank Jonathon Bird (Universal MusicInternational), Raymond McGill (Decca MusicGroup Limited) and Jochen Stossberg for theirassistance with this project.

Recorded July 1967 Kingsway Hall, London (J. C. Bach, Salieri Sinfonia), August 1968Kingsway Hall, London (Salieri Concerto), August1970 Victoria Hall, Geneva (Arias from ForgottenOperas), September 1971 Victoria Hall, Geneva(Auber, Popper, Massenet Cello Works), June 1973Kingsway Hall, London (Arie Antiche), July 1975Kingsway Hall, London (Massenet Songs),November 1978 Kingsway Hall, London (Cigale)

PHOTOGRAPHSPage 2: Studio portrait. Photo: Richard Bonynge ArchivesPages 3, 17: At the recording sessions for I Puritani(1975). Photo: Richard Bonynge ArchivesPages 9, 15, 38, 39: At the recording sessions forThe Beggar’s Opera (1981). Photo: Decca / Clive BardaPage 11: At the recording sessions for Le DominoNoir (1995). Photo: Decca / Mary RobertPage 13: A studio portrait. Photo: Richard Bonynge ArchivesPage 26, 27: Renata Tebaldi. Photo: Decca

here, sung by Leonora in Act I, mixes belcanto beauty with Verdi’s pulsating energy.The aria so impressed the great contraltoMarietta Alboni that, sensing a lack ofdramatic writing, she inserted it into theLondon premiere of Luisa Miller in 1858.However, even Verdi’s exciting, crashing chordsat the end don’t prepare one for HuguetteTourangeau’s thrilling final D.

A pupil of Paisiello, Nicola Vaccai istoday an operatic footnote. He wrote sometwenty operas, which had some success,two of them written for Maria Malibran,who was impressed enough with his Giuliettae Romeo to transport the tomb scene fromthat opera into the last act of Bellini’s I Capuletti e i Montecchi. The aria recordedhere displays enough gentle charm toencourage the investigation of some ofVaccai’s other works, which include balletsand a quantity of chamber music.

Nineteenth-century French taste washighly susceptible to stories involving soldiers,and Maillart’s Les Dragons de Villars of 1856is one of the most charming semi-militaryoperas of the period. Its somewhat trivialstory involves Rose Friquet, a capriciousyoung woman who helps some soldiers toescape from the enemy, saves the farmerThibaut from a disastrous marriage, andfinally falls in love with a young peasant

whom she marries. It’s a charming score,full of witty melodies, and the aria here issung with delicious animation.

Massenet Songs

Massenet published more than two hundredand fifty songs between 1872 and 1912 andadded to the genre his own distinctivestamp. Their lovely melodies, tendernessand sentiment – even melancholy – arebalanced with a typically French insoucianceand humour, showing the composer at hismost intimate. All have the sure directionof a master opera composer: the vocal linesand superb accompaniments consummatelyexemplify the texts, the songs lasting as longas they need to, no more. Tourangeau knowsexactly how to inflect her voice in the rightway to bring out the full range of colour inthese varied songs, from the playful fun ofPitchounette to the long sweeping phrases insuch songs as Sérénade d’automne.

Three of the songs include cello obbligatowhich gives those songs a different effect,especially in the impassioned Je t’aime! Otherhighlights include Ce que disent les cloches,with its haunting bell-like accompaniment.And Nuit d’Espagne uses the delightful ‘Airde ballet’ from his Scènes pittoresques with asuitably Spanish accompaniment to greateffect. Bonynge’s accompanying has always

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� 1968 (Salieri, J. C. Bach), 1971 (Arias from Forgotten Operas), 1972 (Auber, Popper, Massenet Cello Works), 1974 (Arie Antiche),1976 (Massenet Songs), 1980 (Cigale) Decca Music Group LimitedThis compilation � 2003 Decca Music Group Limited© 2003 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Distributed in Australasia by Universal Classics & Jazz,a division of Universal Music Group, under exclusive licence.Made in Australia. All rights of the owner of copyright reserved.Any copying, renting, lending, diffusion, public performance orbroadcast of this record without the authority of the copyright owner is prohibited.