David Harbin wrote:

>In this time of crisis the US orchestras need to pull finger and raise
>their profile, as the LSO has successfully done with LSO Live.  Again,
>why can the LSO pull off a daring Troyens with top-notch cast whilst US
>orchestras' stunning performances of operas (I think of the Cleveland
>Siegfried) and concert music are lost to a world wide audience?

While I totally concur with your main point, I would not want to dub the
LSO "live" Les Troyens either a "daring venture" or a superb performance.
It was in no way daring as it anticipated the world-wide interest in
Berlioz's Bicentennial year. It is not really recorded that well. The
Davis studio is recorded far better.

The orchestral playing is rather inferior to the studio and neither
performance has any French style or French singing. In the case of the
two Canadian tenors, Vickers is totally unable to express the suffering,
vulnerability, or any of the humanity of Enee. He is able to handle to
helden-demands of the role.

Heppner barely makes the notes. The long Davis tradition of The Trojans/
Les Troyens (going back of course to The Trojans 1957 of Kubelik) is a
very English Berlioz and it is truly a shame that there will never be a
true recording of Les Troyens as the time of non-international style is
over and there are no real French singers left. Georges Thill left us
one recording of what Enee should sound like. In German Traxel so did
likewise.  There are several recordings of Damnation that fulfill
everything one could dream of and an unreleased one with Suzanne Juyol
which I have heard privately. Cellini likewise will never have a real
recording or performance.

Yoel
[log in to unmask]