Gramophone picks La Princesse de Trébizonde as recording of the month

Opera Rara’s recording of Offenbach’s La Princesse de Trébizonde has received international praise, garnering accolades and critical acclaim. It has already received a Diamant d’Opéra in Opéra Magazine, has been included in Presto’s Top 25 for two months in a row, received 5-stars in BBC Music Magazine and has been selected as Editor’s Choice in both Gramophone and Limelight. Gramophone also selected it as recording of the month in its latest issue. Read more about its recent successes here:

They all inhabit their characters; and they all sing warmly and phrase with lightly worn style. At the centre of it all, Anne-Catherine Gillet (Zanetta) and Virginie Verrez (Raphaël) are as likeable a pair of lovebirds as you could ask for, Gillet sparkling brightly (but never too sweetly) over her livelier numbers while Verrez brings a lovely, plangent wistfulness to Raphaël’s gentler, more bittersweet arias. The aim, as so often with Offenbach, is to find just enough emotional truth to make you care for these characters, before returning to the laughter refreshed. In company like this, no lover of 19th-century opera could be blamed for succumbing to the charms of this – very much alive – Princesse de Trébizonde. Gramophone

Paul Daniel gets the style just right, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra – a real luxury in operetta – plays with equal measures of gusto and affection. The finales, in particular, sparkle with fun, and the hunting chorus, in which Offenbach channels Weber, bristles with rustic charm… As a bonus, the release includes seven numbers cut between Baden-Baden and the Paris premiere, all worth hearing. Smartly recorded, and with Opera Rara’s beautifully illustrated booklet and informative notes, this is definitely one for the collection. Limelight

Yet the hero of this splendid set is Paul Daniel, who knows exactly how to take risks with Offenbach’s tempos, the final galop leaving you completely winded. Daniel and the LPO remind us of how skilled an orchestrator Offenbach was, knowing how to pass a winning tune around the orchestra in a manner that keeps you on your toes. BBC Music Magazine

The English label Opera Rara is best known for its attention to 19th-century Italian bel canto, but from the start the French repertoire also received considerable attention, in particular the lesser-known repertoire of Jacques Offenbach. While this initially happened in performances with predominantly British soloists, the recordings now mainly aim for the most French-speaking line-up as possible, which mainly benefits the dialogues and thus the atmosphere. And let me immediately add that conductor Paul Daniel and Opera Rara have once again created a sparkling whole. The hilarious moments tumble over each other, but are alternated with the right touch of slightly sentimental lyricism in which Offenbach’s oeuvre also excels. Opus Klassiek

The major bonus on this recording is that the main cast are perfectly French-speaking and familiar with this repertoire. Under the direction of Paul Daniel, the music-making is always playful and never heavy with Anne-Catherine Gillet, Virginie Verrez and their colleagues succeeding in capturing the spirit of the travelling circus. Good humour and musical seriousness sit side by side in perfect symbiosis.  Opéra magazine

Conductor Paul Daniel is excellent at the head of the formidable London Philharmonic Orchestra which adorns itself in its most beautiful colours to make the spirit of this music shine… The cast is masterful in their French pronunciation, comedy, style, and wit… As always with Opera Rara, the editorial work is exemplary with an exhaustive booklet…. This boxset is truly a gold mine of completeness… and yet another immense musical, artistic and technical success. How wonderful to be able to immerse oneself in this lively and jubilant work, rich in twists and turns and comedy of all kinds in these dark times! Crescendo

Lucky for us, Opera Rara has given us a complete recording of this Offenbach work. The company cannot be commended enough for its continued efforts in bringing Offenbach’s music back to life through its dazzling recordings. At the head of the formidable London Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Daniel brings panache and rhythmic precision to the great act endings. Amongst the cast, all very well balanced and theatrically engaging, one can’t help but highlight the fabulous singing of Anne-Catherine Gillet, bringing unquestionable style and a smile to our faces whilst listening to this operetta full of pure joy and emotion. El Mundo

The casting is luxurious, all singing in exemplary French. Before focusing on the soloists, it is essential to underline the role of the choir, in all its forms… Frequently interacting with the soloists, these Opera Rara singers show exceptional commitment, precision, balance and colour… The London Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Paul Daniel, finds the tempi, flexibility, and rhythms essential to the life of the work. It does justice to the most authentic colours, as well as to the expression, from the languid tenderness of the solo violin to the ringing sounds of the hunt. The difficult and complex lottery scene is magnificently constructed. As for the spirit, it is omnipresent, from the winks to the crazy onomatopoeia. From the lightness to the final, wild twist, indifference is impossible. Forum Opéra

In this recording, Offenbach’s buffo opera proves highly enjoyable. Conductor Paul Daniel has a fine feel for the music and, without any exaggeration and with tempos that are always appropriate, provides a constant, very smooth musical flow so that the piece never slackens despite two hours of music. The main cast, all excellent, and the chorus are fully integrated into the orchestral sound. There is plenty for the chorus to do, and the Opera Rara Chorus is on fire. Text intelligibility is high, and anyone who can speak French will be able to follow the action effortlessly. Pizzicato

The performance sparkles. French-speaking singers dominate the cast, led by the gleaming mezzo of Virginie Verrez, who has fun with Prince Raphael’s bogus toothache, and Anne-Catherine Gillet’s attractively voiced Zanetta. The conductor, Paul Daniel, keeps the London Philharmonic Orchestra on its toes and the spoken dialogue, always a risky area, is very brief, animated and in French. Financial Times

With a sweetly absurd libretto and playful score, the work was created with a lot of care… the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Paul Daniel takes audible pleasure in the music and the cast, almost-exclusively French speaking, are top notch, led by Virginie Verrez and Anne-Catherine Gillet. La Libre Belgique