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La ville morte

Melissa Harvey, Laurie Rubin, Joshua Dennis

Label
Pentatone
EAN / barcode
8720929574926
Release date
9 January 2026
Number of CDs
2
Format
Digital
Nadia Boulanger's creative voice as a composer, long overshadowed by her impressive legacy as one of the most influential music teachers of the 20th century, is being rediscovered in "La ville morte" (The Dead City) - a haunting opera about passion, loss and psychological intensity. The work, composed in collaboration with Raoul Pugno, is based on a libretto by Gabriele D'Annunzio and was originally scheduled to premiere in Paris in 1914, but the outbreak of World War I prevented this. Now, more than a century later, this long-forgotten score has resurfaced from oblivion - a revitalized opera in which forgotten longings are brought back to life against a backdrop of ancient ruins. The opera takes place in the crumbling city of Mycene and unfolds through themes of obsession, betrayal and blurred boundaries. The rich emotional landscape is complemented by impressionistic orchestral structures and intimate, arioso compositions that reflect the style of both Claude Debussy and Richard Wagner. In this atmospheric setting, Boulanger reveals a daring, expressive side that contradicts her reputation as a strict guardian of musical tradition. This groundbreaking world premiere recording features soprano Melissa Harvey, mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin, tenor Joshua Dennis, baritone Jorell Williams, the Talea Ensemble and conductor Neal Goren. The orchestration of the opera by Joseph Stillwell and Stephan Cwik under the direction of David Conte breathes new life into a score that had long been silenced. As a co-production of Catapult Opera and the Greek National Opera, "La ville morte" not only revives Boulanger's compositional genius, but also takes an exciting place within the modern opera repertoire.
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Tracklist

  1. 01 La ville morte, Act I: Introduction 00:57
  2. 02 La ville morte, Act I: Eros invaincu au combat 01:53
  3. 03 La ville morte, Act I: Comme tu aimes le soleil… 03:55
  4. 04 La ville morte, Act I: D'où viens-tu, Alexandre? 04:34
  5. 05 La ville morte, Act I: L'or, l'or... Une immensite d'or… 03:58
  6. 06 La ville morte, Act I: Non, non, Leonard! Je t'en prie! 05:13
  7. 07 La ville morte, Act II: Introduction 01:21
  8. 08 La ville morte, Act II: Ah, vous êtes seule… 01:52
  9. 09 La ville morte, Act II: Ah! Les spirales… 13:13
  10. 10 La ville morte, Act II: Alexandre!... Me voici, Anne! 04:53
  11. 11 La ville morte, Act II: Tu regardes les joyaux de Cassandre? 06:10
  12. 12 La ville morte, Act II: Oui, je parlerai 01:33
  13. 13 La ville morte, Act II: Tu la connais… 05:12
  14. 01 La ville morte, Act III: Les étoiles commencent à paraître? 08:37
  15. 02 La ville morte, Act III: Vous appelez Leonard? 06:24
  16. 03 La ville morte, Act III: Non, non ! Je ne veux pas! 03:56
  17. 04 La ville morte, Act III: Vous me voyez, mes soeurs, voyez ! 03:51
  18. 05 La ville morte, Act IV: Prelude 05:42
  19. 06 La ville morte, Act IV: Ne la touche pas! 02:27
  20. 07 La ville morte, Act IV: Si elle se levait maintenant… 09:47
  21. 08 La ville morte, Act IV: Un pas! 02:57
  22. 09 La ville morte, Act IV: Hébé! Hébé ! 01:32

Source: MusicBrainz

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