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Offenbach Fables of La Fontaine

2004  Jacques Offenbach: 6 Fables de La Fontaine; Chanson de Fortunio.  Musical CD.  Bruno Laplante, baritone.  Marc Durand, pianist.  Made in France.  Calliope 4881.  First recorded by Arpège in 1979.  $10 from FOT Records, Van Nuys, CA, through Ebay, Jan., '10. 

This is the first time, I believe, that I have sat and listened to these renderings.  They are delightful.  The music moves wonderfully in coordination with the text of La Fontaine.  The silent moment, for example, in "Shepherd and Sea" comes at the time when the former flock owner has lost everything at sea and must return now to be a hired shepherd.  The contrast in voices in "Cobbler and Financier" is also engaging.  Likewise, the choice of phrases to be repeated supports well what is going on in the text.  Besides the title pieces, there are five other offerings on this 50-minute disc.  Winner of the award "Grand Prix du Disque."

2012  Offenbach: Un mari à la porte; Les fables de la Fontaine.  Musical CD.  Anaïk Morel.  Gabrielle Philiponet, Stephane Malbec-Garcia, and Marc Canturri.  Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.  Unknown source. 

This offering of six fables of La Fontaine has as its chief feature that it uses different singers for each fable.  The fable accompaniment seems limited to piano.  There seems to be some difficulties with the transcription of the French and its translation into English.  I enjoyed FC, GA, and MM.

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