A French composer of many grand operas of the mid-19th century, Fromental Halévy received the greatest acclaim for La Juive (1835), and while his works of the 1830s and 1840s enjoyed varying levels of popularity, he could also count La Reine de Chypre (1841) as a major success. This five-act opera received high praise from Hector Berlioz and Richard Wagner, and its effectiveness as entertainment in the grand style is apparent. Halévy's music today seems tuneful and competently scored, though hardly the masterpiece it was ...
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A French composer of many grand operas of the mid-19th century, Fromental Halévy received the greatest acclaim for La Juive (1835), and while his works of the 1830s and 1840s enjoyed varying levels of popularity, he could also count La Reine de Chypre (1841) as a major success. This five-act opera received high praise from Hector Berlioz and Richard Wagner, and its effectiveness as entertainment in the grand style is apparent. Halévy's music today seems tuneful and competently scored, though hardly the masterpiece it was hailed at the time. Indeed, after the composer's death in 1862, La Reine de Chypre faded from the repertoire. This revival production by Hervé Niquet and the Orchestre de chambre de Paris re-creates the opera's vibrant atmosphere, and as much as this splendid recording can convey its drama and color through sound, the spectacle is easy to imagine. A strong cast is featured, including Véronique Gens as Caterina Cornaro, the Queen of Cyprus; Cyrille Dubois as Gérard de Coucy, a French...
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