Details of  the recording and its reception

The CD includes a synopsis, 40 page libretto (with stage directions and abridged dialogue), essays on the composer and the production as well as an introduction by Richard Bonynge AO, CBE.  

The recording received excellent reviews from prestigious publications such as The Gramophone, Sunday Telegraph, and Opera Now. The recording was played on BBC Radio 3's CD Review Listening Booth on November 19, 2005 and was voted by listeners as the clear winner.  

The Irish Times review, September 1, 2006, said that "Those who buy this enterprising release will be rewarded with charming, lyrical music and a glimpse into a fascinating world of ballad opera now gone". 

"In quality of composition, performance and recording alike, this is the most convincing exposition of Balfe’s abilities I have ever heard."  Andrew Lamb, The Gramophone

"The presentation of the recording, its packaging, its sound quality, all are first-rate. As an example of resource, of clarity, of sheer resilience, Victorian Opera from its Northern fastness shows the inert Metropolis what can be done.."  Alexander Weatherson,  The Donizetti Society Newsletter.

Sound Excerpts

Here are four excerpts from the recording in MP3 format.  Please note that they are each well over 1 meg in size so may take a little while to load particularly if you are using a dial up connection.

Stephen Anthony Brown (Jules) and Kay Jordan (Isoline) sing the duet  "I have strength to bear"

Act II Chorus "These joyous sounds"

The Act II finale

Kay Jordan (Isoline) sings part of the air   "Oh, beautiful night"

How to purchase the recording and its libretto

A full libretto (with dialogue) and appendix of material lost from the original production is available at 4.50 GBP (UK) or 5 GBP (Worldwide). A limited number of vocal scores are available at 30 GBP (UK & Worldwide) + postage.  The 2CD set is available from Victorian Opera Northwest at 25 GBP (UK) & 28 GBP (Worldwide).  Please please contact us for details and to order. 

 Ray Walker on the preparation and recording of the opera.

An original 1836 vocal score (305 pages, complete with overture and ballet) was found in Manchester’s Henry Watson library. It had to be scanned, cleaned up and printed to provide bound working scores for both soloists and chorus. When the band parts from the Balfe Archive arrived I realized they were a mixture of two different sets where some numbers fitted the vocal score while others didn’t. A second set of parts held by the Carl Rosa Trust was also studied. They seemed to follow a similar mixture as those of the Balfe Archive and one realized that both sets were originally from the same source: charcoal grey sugar paper covers with Alfred Mapleson labels in green or white.

I had seen a vocal score in Liverpool library very similar to the Henry Watson one yet marked 'New Edition'. In it, some numbers had been dropped; some were provided in a different key, while others were freshly written, one aria being to the same lyrics. A change in plate numbers quickly identified the new material. It was suggested that there might have been a revival and that a new libretto might have appeared at that time. Reviews were looked for and one found in the Illustrated London News that gave the clue to unraveling the puzzle. A revival had appeared in 1846 with Anna Bishop taking the leading heroine (originally played by Maria Malibran). The critic mentions that Balfe had rewritten some of the music and introduced a superior aria for Isoline (the heroine). The Liverpool library's vocal score must therefore date from 1846. The band parts seem to fit the revival format like a glove, but only one violin part had shown there was originally a ballet (not referred to in the libretto). Fortunately, Balfe’s autographs of all his operas are held at the British Library and so a complete score could be restored, which included the ballet.

Fresh band parts had to be produced from a newly typeset full score compiled in Sibelius (computer program), by a dedicated team led by Valerie Langfield. In one place, only 21 bars of music in the band parts had matched 25 bars of vocal score and so one had to check with the autograph what Balfe had done. The autograph score is basically the 1836 score with additions or crossings out. Balfe had used an orange crayon in places that matched similar edits in some of the band parts. It is thus likely that Balfe had altered the band parts himself, though the hand is that of a copyist, probably his wife Lina who did a lot to assist him.

Photograph of the rehearsal

A pilot orchestral session prior to the main sessions revealed a few errors where minor adjustments to chords had to be made before the recording of The Maid of Artois went ahead in Cheshire on the weekend of 12-13^th February 2005. The appropriate and spacious Victorian hall of Cheadle Hulme Independent School was used for the 8 track, 11 microphone recording set-up.  Four sessions were needed to complete the score. Over 80 musicians and singers gathered for the first session. Session 1 covered most of the chorus work to allow any technical problems to be worked out for repeats the following day. A quieter evening session followed and involved only soloists for trio, quartet and minor ensemble work, leaving Sunday for a short appearance of the chorus and most of the soloist arias. The overture and incidental music was included in session 2 while necessary repeats were dealt with in a short Session 4.

Are you interested in taking part in future recordings?

Victorian Opera Northwest has been very successful in attracting high calibre musicians and singers. As an open group, we welcome chorus singers with good sight-reading skills. A music and rehearsal CD will be first provided for home use. Six rehearsals will be then arranged at weekly intervals (Saturday mornings) leading up to the recording. The recording of Lurline will take place in 2009 conducted by Richard Bonynge. A membership fee of £15 includes provision of a copy of the published CD set. If you are interested in taking part please contact us.