Amoureuse
THE RICHARD BONYNGE EDITION
Sacred and Profane Arias by Jules Massenet
Rosamund Illing, Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra
Included in The Gramophone Classical Music Guide. A treat for lovers of Massenet’s sumptuous music, soprano Rosamund Illing performs arias that showcase the wide emotional range of Massenet’s perceptively drawn heroines. Richard Bonynge brings a depth of detail and nuance to Massenet's divinely crafted scores drawn from a lifetime’s passion for the French master.
Massenet’s richly melodic and exquisitely crafted scenes make this a wonderful point of contact with a woefully under-rated composer who, at the peak of his popularity, was the most performed opera composer of his age.
Re-released in luxuriously presented SuperAudio CD surround sound with a newly remastered CD layer. Features new Ken Cato cover and label artwork and fully illustrated booklet.
Click here to listen to audio previews
"a luscious drop indeed, like a fine aural sauterne... Illing's voice has a rich whipped-cream smoothness" The Bulletin (Australia)
“Any lover of Romantic opera should have this disc.” Fanfare (US)
“An indispensable CD of Massenet rarities…” Gramophone (UK)
“Illing is an inspired choice for this intoxicating set” The Financial Review (Australia)
“A dazzling triumph… a finer memorial to Dame Nellie Melba is impossible to imagine”
Sunday Herald Sun (Australia)
“The combination of orchestral opulence… with the delicate melodies of the Australian soprano are particularly enchanting”
ABC (Spain)
“Each time I have started listening, I have been unable to stop!”
SA-CD.net (UK)
“Illing sings with warmth, purity, depth of feeling… Bonynge is an ideally responsive accompanist”
AllMusic Guide (US)
“Melodrama at its most lyrical… Massenet was the musical historian of the feminine soul”
The Sunday Age (Australia)
“Exemplary in every respect… an embarrassment of riches!” Music and Vision (UK)
CD of the Week: “The quintessence of elegant French romanticism” The Age (Australia)
“This recording is a must!” Classique News (France)
“First rate” International Record Review (UK)
“Another well-produced first-class recording from Melba” MusicWeb International (UK)
“The sound is superb and so is the text booklet” American Record Guide (US)
“What a pleasure this disc is… exquisitely beautiful” Fanfare (US)
