Search - Cras, Arapian, Marin-Degor :: Polyphème

Magnificent opera, a real find

Paul E. Hartman | Los Angeles | 07/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I ran across Jean Cras accidentally, in considering a marvelous 2 CD collection of his orchestral music, also released by the Timpani label.

So impressed by that, and by his piano music, I ventured to buy this set. Having been impressed by Timpani's other offerings (especially the music of Ropartz, in addition to great discs of music by Pierne and Roussel)I was prepared to settle back and enjoy a late romantic French opera, but with it lasting almost 3 hours, I was prepared to perhaps find longeurs and passages of inferior music--- I had had that experience recently with the complete recording of Mariotte's "Salome" on the Accord label, which had been a big disappointment.



Not so here. I was blown away after the initial orchestral and choral sections, stunningly beautiful, luscious, definitely late romantic with impressionism. The subsequent vocal writing is also inspired, vocally undemanding in the manner of Faure's "Penelope" or Ropartz' "Le Pays", but most of the time lyrical, only occasionally declamatory. Climaxes are spaced out, most of the time coming in surges, like the evocation of the sea. Cras was a Navy man most of his life, leaving him little room for musical composition, so it is not at all surprising that his love for the sea comes across strongly in this music. The tale of Polypheme is here presented differently to other musical settings (e.g. Handel's "Acis"), as there is no stoning, Acis turns into a river, and the cyclops goes blind. The opening hour or so takes place on the sea, with an extended paean to Poseidon and Polyphemus. There are elements of Debussy's "Pelleas", with the Lycas character performing the task that Yniold undertakes in the Debussy opera. The orchestral writing is luscious, fully romantic throughout, reminiscent also of Ravel's "Daphnis", with a ballet to Pan in Act 3, perhaps the most dramatic writing in the piece.



This is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, especially to lovers of Ravel, Debussy, and especially to those already familiar with Faure's "Penelope", and Ropartz' "Le Pays", as it makes a magnificent addition to the discography of rare unrecorded French opera. Timpani has brought out another gem in its collection."