Zaepffel,Jeanne Amour Bannis Ma Crainte CD

As a one-of-a kind company, standing at the crossroads between musical, lyrical and theatrical worlds, Les Monts du Reuil specialises in the forgotten treasures of French opera. Here, it offers a distinctively rare program centred around the fables of La Fontaine, which unearthes two comic operas based on the works of the fabulist: Le Magnifique [The Magnificent] by Andr? Gr?try and L'?clipse totale [The Total Eclipse] by Nicolas Dalayrac, which was reconstructed for the occasion, and recorded here for the first time. In their selection of the tastiest excerpts alternating from a small aria to a duet or a horse-racing brass fanfare, the musicians highlight the refinement, lightness and humor typically found in French lyrical art from this era. Adding to this are six arias "in the spirit of La Fontaine" by Cl?rambault and Desessarts, originally intended for children and directly inspired by well-known fables. We thus find the everlasting characters of the Crow and the Fox, the Frog and the Ox and also the Wolf and the Lamb. The soprano Jeanne Zaeffpel, born actress and lyrical partner to the late Peter Brook, lends her voice to these various and whimsical figures. Her tone varies from candid (The Wolf and the Lamb) to mocking (The Crow and the Fox) or exultant ("Quoi, ce billet vient de L?andre") [What? A note from L?andre] and finally remains full of grace in the arias "Amour, bannis ma crainte" [Love, banish my fear] and "Astre des nuits" [Star of nights].

1. Gr?try: Le Magnifique: Ouverture: Fuga. Allegro Assai 2. Gr?try: Le Magnifique: Ouverture: Andante 3. Gr?try: Le Magnifique: Ouverture: Tempo Giusto 4. Gr?try: Le Magnifique: Ouverture: Marche 5. Gr?try: Le Magnifique: Ariette: "Jour Heureux, Douce Esp?rance ! " (Cl?mentine) 6. Gr?try: Le Magnifique: Ariette: "Ah, C'est Un Superbe Cheval" (Fabio) 7. Gr?try: Le Magnifique: Air: "Pourquoi Donc Ce Magnifique" (Cl?mentine) 8. Gr?try: Le Magnifique: Entracte. La Fanfare Des Courses 9. Gr?try: Le Magnifique: Air: "Ah, Que Je Me Sens Coupable !" (Cl?mentine) 10. Cl?rambault: Fables Dans Le Go?t de la Fontaine: Le Cerf 11. Cl?rambault: Fables Dans Le Go?t de la Fontaine: La Belette 12. Cl?rambault: Fables Dans Le Go?t de la Fontaine: La Grenouille Et Le B£uf 13. Cl?rambault: Fables Dans Le Go?t de la Fontaine: Le Loup Et L'agneau 14. Cl?rambault: Fables Dans Le Go?t de la Fontaine: Le Corbeau Et Le Renard 15. Cl?rambault: Fables Dans Le Go?t de la Fontaine: Le H?ron 16. Cl?rambault: Fables Dans Le Go?t de la Fontaine: La Fourmi Et la Sauterelle 17. Dalayrac: L'?clipse Totale: Ouverture 18. Dalayrac: L'?clipse Totale: Air: "Amour, Bannis Ma Crainte" (Isabelle) 19. Dalayrac: L'?clipse Totale: Air: "La Chanson Qu'il M'appr?t" (Rosette, Crispin) 20. Dalayrac: L'?clipse Totale: Duo: "Quoi, Ce Billet Vient de L?andre ?" (Isabelle, Rosette) 21. Dalayrac: L'?clipse Totale: Duo: "Astre Des Nuits" (Isabelle, Rosette)