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Ravel: L'Enfant et les sortilèges (In English) - Perillo, Verrett, Hoswell, Johnson; Waldman. 1957
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Pros:
- It is no secret that I am a lover of opera sung in English, but even I am not too dogmatic to acknowledge that it works for some operas better than others. Ravel's L'Enfant et les sortilèges is definitely one opera that benefits from hearing it in the vernacular. Ravel's approach was less to craft a vehicle for beautiful singing, but to create music that would evoke the imagination of a child's mind. The librettist, known only as Colette, also seems to have opted for prose that is focused on assembling the most colorful words rather than conveying plot or character motivation. The English translation used in this performance does a very good job at capturing that flavor, and the cast of students (more on that in a moment) deftly finds the unique sound-world of Ravel's score.
- The most notable performance comes from a young Shirley Verrett who does triple-duty singing The Mother, The Dragonfly and The Squirrel. She doesn't get a lot of opportunities to display the full-effect of her vocal brilliance, but her English diction is excellent and she creates many memorable moments.
Cons:
- None to mention.
BONUS:
Shirley Verrett sings excerpts from Carmen
In Mono
OD 12014-1
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