Bryan Hymel – Heroique – French Opera Arias (2015) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

In the public’s mind, the heroic tenor is most strongly associated with the music dramas of Richard Wagner, and as a result, the German Fach system term Heldentenor is commonly used to describe this formidable vocal quality. Yet there were many heroic roles in French grand opera in the 19th century, and the arias that Bryan Hymel has selected for this 2015 Warner release demonstrate the prevalence of such singing (in French terminology, tenor fort français) in the works of Rossini, Berlioz, Massenet, Gounod, Meyerbeer, and others. This program is well-suited to Hymel’s robust delivery and powerful voice, and he maintains remarkable control of the high tessitura, which is a regular feature of these arias. For all the martial or combative characteristics on display in Rossini’s Amis, amis, secondez ma vengeance from Guillaume Tell, Verdi’s Ô jour de peine et de souffrance from Les Vêpres siciliennes, and Inutiles regrets from Berlioz’s Les Troyens, there are examples of intense lyricism, as found in Nature immense from Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust, Je veux encore entendre ta voix from Verdi’s Jérusalem, and Ô paradis sorti de l’onde…Conduisez-moi vers ce navire from Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine. Emmanuel Villaume and the Prague Philharmonia give Hymel appropriate accompaniment, so the performances have the heightened emotion and drama of Romantic opera, and the recorded sound has the ambience of a theater setting, so listeners are treated to what feels like front-row seating.

Tracklist:
01. Guillaume Tell, Act 4: “Ne m’abandonne point… Asile héréditaire… Amis, amis secondez ma vengeance” (Arnold)
02. La damnation de Faust, Op. 24, Pt. 4: “Nature immense” (Fausto)
03. Jérusalem, Act 2: “L’Emir auprès de lui ma’ppelle… Je veux encore entendre ta Voix” (Gaston)
04. Les vêpres siciliennes, Act 4: “O jour de peine et de souffrance” (Henry)
05. Les Troyens, Act 5: “Inutiles regrets” (Énée)
06. La reine de Saba, Act 2: “Faiblesse de la race humaine, Inspirez-moi, race” (Adoniram)
07. L’Africaine, Act 4: “Pays merveilleux… O Paradis… Conduisez-moi vers ce navire” (Vasco de Gama)
08. Hérodiade, Act 4: “Ne pouvant réprimer les élans de la foi” (Jean)
09. Sigurd, Act 2: “Le bruit des chants s’ étend” (Sigurd)
10. L’attaque du Moulin, Act 2: “Le jour tombe, Adieu, forêt profonde” (Dominique)
11. Rolande et le mauvais garcon, Act 4: “Chante vieux jardin ta chanson de cigale” (Gaspard)

Personnel:
Bryan Hymel, tenor
PKF – Prague Philharmonia
Emmanuel Villaume, conductor

Download:

mqs.link_BryanHymelHrqueFrenchperaArias20152496Qbuz.part1.rar
mqs.link_BryanHymelHrqueFrenchperaArias20152496Qbuz.part2.rar