Offenbach: La Vie Parisienne (Original Version) (2-CD) – Véronique Gens

Composer: Jacques Offenbach
Artists: Anne-Catherine Gillet, Véronique Gens, Artavazd Sargsyan, Sandrine Buendia, Marc Mauillon, Jérôme Boutillier, Pierre Derhet, Elena Galitskaya, Louise Pingeot, Marie Kalinine, Marie Gautrot, Caroline Meng, Philippe Estèphe, Carl Ghazarossian, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Chœur de l’Opéra du Capitole de Toulouse
Conductor: Romain Dumas
Number of Discs: 2
Label: Bru Zane
Release Date: October 18, 2024

“The rehearsals for La Vie Parisienne are almost driving me insane,” wrote librettist Ludovic Halévy a few days before the work’s first performance. The artists of the Palais-Royal company were struggling with some of the musical numbers Offenbach had written for them. Under pressure, composer and librettists had to simplify, cut, rewrite, and sometimes even abandon some of their most successful inspirations. The international success of the final score soon ensured the hundreds of pages reluctantly deleted by Offenbach were well and truly forgotten. 

Now the research of the Palazzetto Bru Zane team has uncovered all this musical material, making it possible to present the world premiere recording. Listeners can now enjoy a delightful Diplomatic Trio, a Seduction Quintet, a Roadsweeper’s Song, an air for Urbain, the Fabliau of the Baroness, and more. 

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