A wonderful production, and well worth the discovery

Halevy's Noé is another one of those operas that is rather obscure, but doesn't deserve to be., even if it is unlikely to become one of my favourites.

One may criticise it for the story stretching slightly longer than it needed to be, and occasionally one can tell that it was left incomplete, and the music not having any memorable arias (similar problems with Clari), but the story itself is quite good, after all it is based on the biblical story of Noah and the music is beautiful, it is unmistakably Halevy but Bizet's (who was responsible for completing the opera) style does come through in the orchestration.

This is a wonderful Pierre Jourdan-directed performance, it the only performance available of Noé but those discovering obscure French operas (that you can see in good to great revival productions from Théâtre Impérial De Compiègne directed by Jourdan). Of all the recent French opera revival productions, this is by far one of the better DVDs. Picture quality is clear and not fuzzy with suitably unobtrusive camera work and the sound has clarity and allows one to enjoy the music properly with a healthy balance between orchestra and singers. Plus it has subtitles, something that some of Théâtre Impérial De Compiègne's DVDs do not have.

Visually, it is a very naturalistic and visually beautiful production, having the right sense of intimacy and grandeur which is a good match for the building itself and a real sense of period. The stage direction is thoughtful and always involving, as is always the case with Jourdan. (as an opera director he has rarely put a foot wrong in my opinion), never distasteful, overwrought or static. The production's superb musically too, the orchestra play vibrantly and with depth, and it is very sympathetically and authoritatively conducted.

Of the top notch cast, particularly good are Jean-Phillippe Courtis, who acts with nobility and authority and sings with an appealing sonorous tone in the title role, and Anne-Sophie Schmidt as a touchingly acted and radiantly sung Sarai. In conclusion, a wonderful performance of an undeservedly obscure work. 10/10 Bethany Cox

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