Philippe Jaroussky: La voix des rêves

 

Philippe Jaroussky: La voix des rêves (The voice of dreams) recital disc. This is a compilation of arias and songs from Phillippe Jaroussky, a leading countertenor. The music was performed in many different venues. The program is:

  • Vivaldi Giustino "Vedrò con mio diletto"

  • Vivaldi Orlando finto pazzo "Se in ogni guardo"

  • Vivaldi Orlando furioso "Sol da te"

  • Handel Rinaldo "Venti, turbini"

  • Handel Giulio Cesare in Egitto "Son nata a lagrimar"

  • Purcell Come, ye Sons of Art "Sound the trumpet"

  • Handel Alcina "Mi lusinga il dolca affetto"

  • Vivaldi Ercole sul Termodonte "Sento con qual diletto"

  • Handel Alcina "Verdi prati"

  • Handel Ariodante "Scherza, infida"

  • Monteverdi L'incoronazione di Poppea "Pur ti miro"

  • Monteverdi L'incoronazione di Poppea "Adagiati, Poppea"

  • Strozzi "L'Eraclito amoroso"

  • Vivaldi Orlando furioso "Nel profondo cieco mondo"

  • Vivaldi Nisi dominus "Cum dederit dilectis suis somnum"

  • Handel Aminta e Fillide "Se vago rio"

  • Handel Rodelinda "Lo t'abbraccio"

  • Handel Polifemo "Alto Giove"

  • Caldara L'Olimpiade "Lo seguitai felice"

  • Rossi L'Orfeo "Lasciate Averno"

  • Anon. "Ciaccona di Paradiso e dell'Inferno"

  • Monteverdi "Ohimè ch'io cado"

  • Piazzolla "Los pájaros perdidos"

  • Hahn "À Chloris"

  • Lekev "Sur une tombe"

  • Linda/Salvador "Le lion est mort ce soir"

  • Handel Rinaldo "Lascia ch'io pianga"

  • Massanet "Élégie"

  • Shostakovich Prelude for two violins and piano

  • Monteverdi L'incoronazione di Poppea "Sento un certo non so che"

  • Cavalli Erismena "Uscitemi dal cor, lacrime amare"

  • Strozzi "Sul Rodano severo"

  • Sances "Lagrimosa beltà"

Other individuals and groups that appear in this title are Anne Sofie Von Otter, Nuria Rial, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Pascal Bertin, Jérôme Ducros (piano), Renaud Capuçon (violin), Gautier Capuçon (cello), Quatuor Ebène, Le Concert d'Astrée with Emmanuelle Haïm, Ensemble Matheus with Jean-Christophe Spinosi, L'Arpeggiata with Christina Pluhar, Ensamble Artaserse, Ensamble La Fenice with Jean Tubéry, and Concerto Köln. The Bonus includes interviews with Jaroussky, Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Emmanuelle Haïm, Christina Pluhar, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Jérôme Ducros, Renaud Capuçon, Gautier Capuçon, and Quatuor Ebène. No videographer credited. Released 2012, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A-

The music runs 161 minutes + a 30 minute bonus. Wonk Gordon Smith watched this and reports that you get your money's worth for sure (and maybe more than you wanted). We have quite a few performances in HDVD of early operas, and these usually have contertenor parts, often originally written for castrati. Most of the countertenors sound strained to me. But even I enjoyed the singing of Jaroussky with Cecilia Bartoli in her Mission recording. Per Gordon, a couple of chapters in La voix des rêves are in SD, but most of the music is in HD. Based on Gordon's comments, I'll grade this A- and hasten to say that if you are really interested in countertenors, this is an A+ (and maybe the definitive) recording.