Laurence Equilbey – Louise Farrenc: Symphonies Nos. 1-3, Overtures Nos. 1 & 2 (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:53:30 minutes | 2,04 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Warner Classics
Laurence Equilbey conducts the Insula Orchestra in the first complete recording on period instruments of Louise Farrenc’s symphonies and overtures. This 2CD set expands upon the 2021 Erato release of Farrenc’s Symphonies Nos 1 and 3, adding the Symphony No 2, Overture No 1 in E minor, and Overture No 2 in E-flat Major. Farrenc (1804-75) was a prominent figure in 19th century Paris, a pioneer both as a female composer and as a symphonist in a city obsessed with opera. As Fanfare wrote in response to the recording of her Symphonies Nos 1 and 3: “It would be hard to imagine better performances, a better-sounding recording, or better advocacy for Farrenc than we receive here from Laurence Equilbey and her period-instrument chamber orchestra.”
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Laurence Equilbey, Insula Orchestra – Mozart: Requiem in D Minor, K.626 (2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 48:44 minutes | 459 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © naïve classique
Laurence Equilbey’s 2014 Naïve release of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s unfinished Requiem in D minor belongs to the category of historically informed performances, both in the actual execution and in the intentions of the performance. Obviously, presenting the Requiem with her hand-picked choir Accentus, and Insula, a small orchestra that uses original 18th century instruments, defines it as a period interpretation, and all the stylistic norms are observed. From the glossy senza vibrato of the strings to the crisp drum strokes of the timpani, and from the pure, fluid counterpoint of the small choir to the tasteful embellishments of the vocal soloists, everything sounds correct and polished to perfection. Yet Equilbey goes beyond the latest ideas of period practice to something more germane to the historical context, because she uses the oldest performing version that exists, the much-disparaged completion by Franz Xaver Süssmayr. Hearing this version played in authentic Classical style (with only the slightest modifications for better voice-leading and orchestration), it is actually more convincing than several modern revisions, not merely because of the established provenance — we know that Mozart gave instructions to Süssmayr, and presumably, they were followed closely — but because no hypothetical sections or cleverly refashioned movements have been added. Ultimately, Süssmayr’s completion works brilliantly when played well in period style, and the idea that Mozart communicated the essential music to his student seems to be validated in this extraordinary reading. Equilbey has complete control over the performance, and her gradations of dynamics and sectional balance prove that the Süssmayr version can be wonderful when the right artists perform it. Naïve’s sound is a little variable at times, but over all, the balance between the singers and the orchestra is carefully maintained.
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Laurence Equilbey & Insula Orchestra – Magic Mozart (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:11:17 minutes | 1,27 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Warner Classics
Is Mozart’s music truly magical? Insula orchestra is a firm believer and, to prove the point, offers an original cabaret-style entertainment based on The Magic Flute. Laurence Equilbey and her musicians invite the very best singers of Mozart and, for the second time, Cie 14:20, pioneers of “new magic”. On the Grande Seine stage at La Seine Musicale, magic will take pride of place, be it white, black or red like love.
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Laurence Equilbey – Louise Farrenc: Symphonies Nos 1 & 3 (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:04:51 minutes | 1,17 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Warner Classics
The time has come at last to rescue the history of music from the male condescension that has relegated female composers to the status of a handful of oddities. Heir to Beethoven, revered in Paris through the teaching of her foreign teachers Hummel and Reicha, Louise Farrenc left behind her a collection of strong and dramatic symphonic works. Unlike Clara Schumann or Alma Mahler, Louise Farrenc was not hindered by a husband who set her to cooking, cleaning or bearing many children. Coming from an artistic background and strongly encouraged by her husband, she had every opportunity to develop as a composer, but also as a pianist, teacher, editor and musicologist.
This album is the first volume of Louise Farrenc’s complete set of three Symphonies conducted by Laurence Equilbey at the head of the Insula Orchestra, which she assembled in order to explore little-known repertoire, in particular to bring to the forth works by the great forgotten composers such as Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn or Clara Schumann.
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Laurence Equilbey – Beethoven: Triple Concerto & Choral Fantasy (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 53:17 minutes | 944 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Warner Classics
The second record of the 2018/2019 season is also dedicated to Ludwig van Beethoven.
Conductor Laurence Equilbey is fascinated and inspired by the unconventional, hybrid character of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Triple Concerto. She sees it as “the root of their originality, which gives them a special place in Beethoven’s output and in the history of music as a whole.” Their fusion of genres is reflected in performances that unite the period instruments of Equilbey’s Insula orchestra and soloists – pianists Bertrand Chamayou and David Kadouch, violinist Alexandra Conunova and cellist Natalie Clein – who are best known for playing modern instruments.
Franco Fagioli, Malin Hartelius, Emmanuelle De Negri, Accentus Chamber Choir, Insula Orchestra, Laurence Equilbey – Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (Complete recording of the original version (Vienna 1762)) (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:25:15 minutes | 1,49 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Deutsche Grammophon/ARCHIV Produktion
This is a full recording of the original Italian version (the “Vienna version” from 1762) of Gluck’s beloved take on the Orpheus myth, Orfeo et Euridice PLUS extra music written by Gluck for later performances of his opera. It includes virtuoso arias for Fagioli and as such represents a brilliant showcase for him and a collectible item for connoisseurs.
This is Franco Fagioli’s first ever recording of a complete opera in which he sings the title role and since, the role has become one of Franco’s calling cards in recent seasons. It is known for its absolutely gorgeous music, including one of opera’s most audience-pleasing tunes, the uber-famous aria “Che farò senza Euridice”.
This version of the opera (by far the most popular one) appears for the first time ever on period instruments on DG / Archiv, hence filling a major gap in our catalogue and is a substantial project featuring one of our exciting new signings in one of his finest roles.
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Franco Fagioli, Malin Hartelius, Emmanuelle De Negri, Accentus Chamber Choir, Insula Orchestra, Laurence Equilbey – Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice / Orpheo – Highlights Of The Versions For Vienna (1762) And Paris (1774) (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:06:37 minutes | 1,18 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Deutsche Grammophon/ARCHIV Produktion
This is a full recording of the original Italian version (the “Vienna version” from 1762) of Gluck’s beloved take on the Orpheus myth, Orfeo et Euridice PLUS extra music written by Gluck for later performances of his opera. It includes virtuoso arias for Fagioli and as such represents a brilliant showcase for him and a collectible item for connoisseurs.
This is Franco Fagioli’s first ever recording of a complete opera in which he sings the title role and since, the role has become one of Franco’s calling cards in recent seasons. It is known for its absolutely gorgeous music, including one of opera’s most audience-pleasing tunes, the uber-famous aria “Che farò senza Euridice”.
This version of the opera (by far the most popular one) appears for the first time ever on period instruments on DG / Archiv, hence filling a major gap in our catalogue and is a substantial project featuring one of our exciting new signings in one of his finest roles.
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Accentus, Orchestre de chambre de Paris, Laurence Equilbey – David: Le Désert (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:34:09 minutes | 938 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © naïve classique
Il est grand temps que le chef-d’œuvre de Félicien David intègre enfin le répertoire des orchestres français ; certes, l’ouvrage est assez inclassable puisque ni symphonie, ni oratorio, ni mélodame, il emprunte un peu à tous les genres. David considérait Le Désert comme une « ode-symphonie », néologisme qui lui permettait de faire un peu ce qu’il voulait. L’album propose deux versions : l’une avec le narrateur, ce qui en fait un mélodrame, l’autre sans narrateur, ce qui en fait une sorte de symphonie lyrique. Composé en 1844, Le Désert ne manque pas de montrer certains points communs musicaux avec Harold en Italie (1834) mais aussi avec L’Enfance du Christ écrit bien plus tard, en 1854 : pollinisation croisée ? David, qui a passé de longues années en Algérie et en Afrique vers 1832-33, est revenu avec le cerveau rempli à raz bord de tournures orientalisantes, et Le Désert lancera cette nouvelle mode musicale exotique, et nombre de ses œuvres auront pour sujet toutes sortes de contrées lointaines -–dont la musique endémique n’était pas assez connue pour que le public pût réellement en goûter l’authenticité ou pas. Mais chaque morceau caractéristique – le chant du muezzin, la fantaisie arabe, la marche de la caravane, l’hymne à la nuit… – est un petit bijou de caractère. Dès sa création, Le Désert plaça David au firmament des compositeurs de son temps ; et s’il n’est pas un génie du niveau d’un Berlioz (la postérité s’est d’ailleurs chargée de placer chacun sur l’échelle), il mérite mille fois d’être enfin remis à la place d’honneur qui lui est due.
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Accentus, Laurence Equilbey – Gounod: Saint François d’Assise – Liszt: Légende de Sainte Cécile (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 39:17 minutes | 374 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © naïve classique
It might be hard to believe that there could still exist a “discographic world first” when it came to the works of Gounod, and harder still to imagine that it could be such a substantial piece as this. And yet… Saint François d’Assise, a little oratorio in two parts first performed in 1891, has remained obscure up until now, to the point that its very existence has proved something of a surprise. And then all of a sudden, in 1996, the manuscript came back to light quite by accident: and here is its first recording, although several recordings had been made since its rediscovery. Gounod’s last oratorio, of rather more modest proportions than Rédemption or Mors et Vita, with its great unity and flavoursome, carefully-tailored archaisms, conjures up both Franciscan austerity and that fullness of sound for which Gounod had such a knack. According to the composer himself: “I wanted the first of the two tableaux to be a musical translation of that beautiful tableau by Murillo showing Christ on the cross leaning over to St. Francis and putting his arm around his neck. The second tableau would be a translation of that fine work by Giotto, The Death of St Francis, surrounded by his brothers. ” Let the listener be guided by his own lights. The album is rounded off with Hymne à Sainte Cécile, also by Gounod, and then Légende de Sainte Cécile by Liszt, written in 1874; and it should come of no surprise that the work is sung in French: it is, after all, the work’s original language.
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Accentus, Laurence Equilbey – Mozart: Lucio Silla, K. 135 (2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 02:06:37 minutes | 1,34 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Warner Classics
Warner Classics presents Mozart’s Luvio Silla, as performed by the Insula Orchestra led by Laurence Equilbey, with soloists Franco Fagioli and Olga Pudova. The three-act Italian opera seria was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of 16, and concerns the Roman dictator Lucio Silla (Lucius Sulla) who lusts after Giunia, the daughter of his enemy Gaius Marius. Giunia, on the other hand, loves the exiled senator Cecilio.
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