French Romantic Cantatas

Featuring

David Stern
Karine Deshayes
Opera Fuoco
Luigi Cherubini
Xavier Boisselot
Ferdinand Hérold

Charles-Simon Catel

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Historical Context

The French cantata, a genre revived in the 19th century with lavish orchestration and theatrical dramaturgy, was featured in concert halls and prestigious competitions like the Prix de Rome.

Compositional Technique

In the 19th century, the 'scène lyrique' was a vocal piece for a single voice and orchestra, alternating recitative and aria styles, often based on mythology or history.

Recording & Production

This album, 'Cantates Romantiques', is the fourth recording by Opera Fuoco, an ensemble dedicated to 18th and 19th-century operatic repertoire, performing on period instruments.

Historical Context

The French Baroque cantata, originally a salon genre, was modeled on the Italian cantata and adapted for French tastes by Jean-Baptiste Rousseau in the early 18th century.

Compositional Technique

Unlike the Italianate scena, the French cantata of the 19th century emphasized declamation and prosody, with powerful, dramatic voices, and excluded exuberant coloratura.

Performer Biography

Karine Deshayes, the mezzo-soprano on this album, was named 'Operatic artist of the year' at the Victoires de la Musique Classique in 2011.

Critical Reception

The 'scène à l'italienne' (scena in the Italian style) was criticized by many French commentators, including Berlioz, for its abrupt and often unrealistic changes in atmosphere and sentiment.