Chérubin (Pinchas Steinberg recording)

Chérubin is a 115-minute studio album of Jules Massenet's comic opera, performed by a cast headed by June Anderson, Samuel Ramey, Frederica von Stade and Dawn Upshaw with the Chorus of the Bavarian State Opera and the Munich Radio Orchestra under the direction of Pinchas Steinberg. It was released in 1992.
Background
Von Stade, who sings the opera's title role, participated in this recording having already sung the part in concert in Carnegie Hall in 1984 and on stage with Santa Fe Opera in 1989.
Recording
The album was digitally recorded on 8-16 April 1991 in Studio 1, Bavarian Radio, Munich, Germany.. The album was co-produced by Bavarian Radio and BMG Classics.
J. B. Steane reviewed the album in Gramophone in January 1993. The great delight of this quarter, he wrote, has been Massenet's Chérubin. He really thought it is his masterpiece. Frederica von Stade sang the title role with grace in the introductory minuet-like song, with fine adolescent gallantry when honour was at stake, with ardour in the love music and with a touchingly restrained pathos when it seemed for a while that this seventeenth birthday of Cherubino's might be his last. Upshaw sang enchantingly and preserved Nina'a simple generosity of character with warmth and delicacy. Anderson was beginning to show some deterioration in the upper range, though she still gave an accomplished performance and had some heavenly music to sing. Samuel Ramey, ideally firm and clean in his singing, presented a somewhat formal personality where we really wanted the touch of a French Don Alfonso (from Così fan tutte) This recording had left Steane with the distinct impression that in a general revaluation of Massenet Chérubin should go right to the top as being the most finely-wrought, joyfully creative work in his output.
Eric Salzman reviewed the album in Stereo Review in February 1993. What a cast, he wrote. Frederica von Stade as Cherubino, June Anderson as the sexy dancer, Dawn Upshaw as the faithful Nina, and Samuel Ramey as the panglossian philosophy professor. Even the minor characters were extremely well cast. And they genuinely had something to sing; the vocal writing was as exquisite as anything in Massenet or French opera. It was not only the leads that were strong. The entire cast, including the chorus of the Bavarian State Opera and the Munich Radio Orchestra under the elegant and inspired leadership of Pinchas Steinberg, contributed to the success of this remarkable and forgotten work. The recording was stunning.
Richard Fairman mentioned the album in a survey of Massenet's operas in Gramophones 2000 Awards issue. Among the lesser known Massenet operas this one had seemed sunk without trace, he wrote, despite having several glittering solo numbers that had once been popular favourites. It was highly unlikely that another set would come along soon and none was needed. With the three leading women's roles being taken by Frederica von Stade, June Anderson and Dawn Upshaw, the album offered high-quality singing and lively personality to spare. Nor did there need to be any complaints about Pinchas Steinberg's conducting or the recording quality. The whole package was an entertaining confection.
Accolade
In the Gramophone Awards for 1993, the album was a runner-up for the prize for the year's best opera recording.
Track listing: CD1<ref namecd/>==
Jules Massenet (1892-1912)
Chérubin (1905), Comédie chantée (sung comedy) in three acts, with a libretto by Francis de Croisset (1877-1937) and Henri Cain (1857-1937) after de Croisset's play of the same name
* 1 (6:07) Overture
Act One
* 2 (5:09) "Servantes, bonnes et lingères" (Jacoppo, Servants, Count, Baron, Duke)
* 3 (3:05) "C'est moi, Philosophe!" (Nina, Jacoppo)
* 4 (4:08) "Mon tuteur! Monsieur, devant lui" (Nina, Duke, Baron, Jacoppo, Chérubin)
* 5 (4:27) "Nous danserons, c'est bien mieux" (Chérubin, Duke, Baron, Jacoppo, Countess, Baroness, Nina, Guests)
* 6 (10:$7) Fête pastorale (dance of villagers and farmhands)
** "Bravo! - C'est ravissant!" (Nina, Guests, Chérubin, Duke, Baron, Jacoppo)
* 7 (8:08) "Où Chérubin se cache-t-il" (Count, Jacoppo, Countess, Nina, Chérubin)
Track listing: CD2<ref namecd/>==
Act Two
* 1 (2:02) Entr'acte
* 2 (5:15) "Une chamber!... Rien!" (Travellers, Servants, Valets, Innkeeper, Countess, Baroness, Count, Baron, Duke)
* 3 (4:00) "Le vin rend gai, l'amour rend fou" (Ricardo, Manolas, Officers, Innkeeper, Countess, Baroness, Chérubin)
* 4 (5:42) "L'arme au fourreau. Le duel est défendu!" (Manolas, Chérubin, L'Ensoleillad, Ricardo, Officer, Jacoppo)
* 5 (2:48) "Vous parlez de péril, de crime" (L'Ensoleillad, Chorus)
* 6 (0:54) La Manola (dance of L'Ensoleillad)
* 7 (6:32) "Madame, en votre appartement" (Innkeeper, Chérubin, Ricardo, Manolas, L'Ensoleillad, Officers, Jacoppo)
* 8 (14:43) "Qui parle dans la nuit confuse?" (L'Ensoleillad, Chérubin, Count, Duke, Baron, Countess, Baroness)
* 9 (2:03) "Il est pris!" (Baron, Duke, Count, Chérubin, Innkeeper, Jacoppo, Servants, L'Ensoleillad, Countess, Baroness)
Act Three
*10 (11:05) Entr'acte
** "Chérubin! - Un moment" (Jacoppo, Chérubin, Innkeeper, Baroness, Countess, Baron, Count)
*11 (3:50) Aubade: "Vive amour qui rêve, embrasse et fuit" (L'Ensoleillad, Chorus)
*12 (5:50) "Par pitié! Ne pars pas!" (Chérubin, L'Ensoleillad, Duke, Chorus, Jacoppo)
*13 (8:26) "Nina! - Chérubin!" (Chérubin, Nina, Duke, Ricardo, Jacoppo)
Personnel<ref namecd/>==
Musical
* Frederica von Stade (mezzo-soprano), Chérubin
* Samuel Ramey (bass), Jacoppo, a philosopher, tutor to Chérubin
* June Anderson (soprano), L'Ensoleillad, a Spanish dancer
* Dawn Upshaw (soprano), Nina, maid to the Countess
* Jean-Marc Ivaldi (baritone), Count
* Hélène Garetti (soprano), Countess
* Michel Trempont (baritone), Baron
* Brigitte Balleys (mazzo-soprano), Baroness
* Michel Sénéchal (tenor), Duke
* Claes Hakon Ahnsjö (tenor), Captain Ricardo
* Armand Arapian (baritone), Innkeeper
* Rainer Scholze (bass), Officer
* Chorus of the Bavarian State Opera (chorus master: Udo Mehrpohl)
* Munich Radio Orchestra
* Pinchas Steinberg, conductor
Other
* Jocelyne Dienst, French language coach
* Torsten Schreier, producer
* Hans Schmid, balance engineer
* Susanne Wocker, recording engineer
* Walter Spring, recording engineer
Release history
In 1992, RCA Victor Red Seal released the album as a double CD (catalogue number 09026 60593 2) in a slipcase with a booklet.<ref namecd/> The latter provided photographs of Massenet, Anderson, Ramey, von Stade, Upshaw and Steinberg and libretti, synopses, notes by Norbert Christian and biographies of Anderson, Ramey, von Stade, Upshaw and Steinberg in English, French, German and Italian.<ref namecd/>

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