Donizetti: Les Martyrs Joyce El-Khoury, Michael Spyres, David Kempster, Brindley Sherratt, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment & Mark Elder

• Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848): Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1:
• 1 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: Overture 09:19
• 2 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Amis ... silence ... Du silence !" (Chorus) 04:01
• 3 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Arretons-nous, Polyeucte" (Nearque, Polyeucte) 05:05
• 4 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Que l'onde salutaire, S'epanche sur mon front!" (Polyeucte) 02:03
• 5 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Viens, suis-moi ..." (Nearque) 00:17
• 6 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Que viens-tu nous apprendre?" (Nearque, The Christian, Polyeucte) 01:50
• 7 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Eloignez de ces lieux, Ce garde, que Felix nous donna pour escorte!" (Pauline) 03:52
• 8 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Jeune souveraine, O puissante reine" (Chorus) 03:24
• 9 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Allez ! laissez-moi maintenant" (Pauline) 01:04
• 10 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Toi qui lis dans mon coeur, o ma mere!" (Pauline) 01:57
• 11 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Qu'ici ta main glacee, Benisse ton enfant!" (Pauline) 02:57
• 12 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "O Dieu tutelaire! O toi, notre pere!" (Chorus, Pauline) 02:15
• 13 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Pauline! ... avec effroi et ne pouvant en croire ses yeux Mon epoux!" (Polyeucte, Pauline, Chorus, Nearque, The Christian) 04:40
• 14 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Quel danger nous menace, et d'ou vient ta terreur?" (Nearque, The Christian, Polyeucte) 01:40
• 15 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 1: "Objet de ma constance, Amour de ton epoux" (Polyeucte, Pauline, Nearque, Chorus) 03:30
• Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2:
• 16 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Achevez ! Pollion, transcrivez ces edits" (Felix) 01:36
• 17 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Dieux des Romains, dieux de nos peres, Je servirai votre courroux!" (Felix) 03:42
• 18 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Viens, ma fille; je sais que ta pieuse haine" (Felix, Pauline) 02:26
• 19 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Mort a ces infames, Livrez aux flammes" (Felix, Chorus) 01:31
• 20 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Tout mon sang se glace, La mort le menace!" (Pauline, Felix, Chorus) 02:07
• 21 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "D'ou te vient, mon enfant, cette sombre tristess" (Felix, Pauline) 01:35
• 22 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Deja l'on voit au loin, dans nos immenses plaines" (Callisthenes, Felix) 01:41
• 23 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Severe existe! ... Un dieu sauveur, Des sombres bords un dieu l'envoie!" (Pauline) 03:10
• 24 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Gloire a vous, Mars et Bellonne!" (Chorus) 05:26
• 25 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Valeureux habitants de l'antique Armenie, Je viens dans vos cites, au nom de l'empereur" (Severe) 01:30
• 26 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Amour de mon jeune age, Toi dont la douce image" (Severe) 02:43
• 27 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "C'est son pere!" (Severe) 00:27
• 28 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Les dieux ont conserve des jours si precieux!" (Felix) 01:14
• 29 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: Danses 03:40
• 30 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: Danses (Pas de deux) 05:02
• 31 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Danses" (Danse Militaire) 08:44
• 32 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "De Decius, notre souverain maitre" (Felix, Severe) 02:19
• 33 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Soutenez-moi! Divinite supreme!" (Pauline, Severe) 01:54
• 34 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Voila le proconsul, ce guerrier magnanime" (Polyeucte, Severe, Pauline) 01:15
• 35 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "O blasphemes nouveaux!" (Callisthenes, Polyeucte, Severe, Pauline) 01:24
• 36 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 2: "Dieu puissant qui voit mon zele, Que ta foi regne en son coeur" (Polyeucte, Pauline, Severe, Callisthenes, Felix, Chorus) 04:37
• Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3:
• 37 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "Dieux immortels, temoins de mes justes alarmes" (Pauline, Severe) 04:36
• 38 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "En touchant a ce rivage, Tout m'offrait la douce image" (Severe, Pauline) 05:22
• 39 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "Ne vois-tu pas, qu'helas ! mon coeur Succombe et cede a sa douleur!" (Pauline, Severe) 03:59
• 40 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "C'est Polyeucte! ... mon epoux!" (Pauline, Polyeucte) 02:11
• 41 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "Mon seul tresor, mon bien supreme" (Polyeucte) 04:17
• 42 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "O mon fils! ... ce guerrier, cet ami si fidele" (Felix, Polyeucte, Pauline) 02:17
• 43 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "Oui, j'irai dans leurs temples! Bientot tu m'y verras" (Polyeucte) 02:54
• 44 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "Dieu du tonnerre, Ton front severe Emeut la terre" (Callisthenes, Chorus) 05:11
• 45 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "A tes pieds, proconsul, on traine la victime!" (Callisthenes, Severe, Nearque, Pauline) 01:37
• 46 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "Quoi! des dieux la voix sainte" (Severe, Callisthenes, The Priest, Pauline, Polyeucte, All) 02:08
• 47 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "Jusqu'au sein du sanctuaire, Le parjure qu'il profere" (Severe, Callisthenes, Felix, Chorus, Pauline, Polyeucte, Nearque) 04:34
• 48 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "Lui-meme a voulu son supplice" (Felix, Pauline, Callisthenes, Chorus, Polyeucte, Severe, Nearque) 02:08
• 49 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 3: "Je crois en Dieu, roi du ciel et de la terre" (Polyeucte, Pauline, Severe, Felix, Callisthenes, Chorus) 03:38
• Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4:
• 50 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "L'arret est prononce, tous chretiens" (Severe, Felix, Pauline) 02:04
• 51 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "Oui, par la foi juree, Par ton ancien amour" (Pauline, Felix, Severe) 01:57
• 52 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "O devouement sublime!" (Pauline, Severe, Felix) 02:18
• 53 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "Oui, venez arracher Polyeucte au trepas!" (Severe, Felix, Pauline) 01:28
• 54 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "Leur voix immortelle Rechauffe mon zele" (Felix, Pauline, Severe, Chorus) 03:06
• 55 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "Sur un nuage d'or s'elevant vers le ciel!" (Pauline, Polyeucte) 04:52
• 56 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "Seigneur, de vos bontes il faut que je l'obtienne!" (Polyeucte, Pauline) 01:23
• 57 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "Pour toi, ma priere, Ardente et sincere" (Pauline, Polyeucte) 03:28
• 58 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "Miracle soudain ... Lumiere immortelle" (Pauline, Polyeucte) 02:48
• 59 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "O sainte melodie!" (Pauline, Polyeucte) 02:32
• 60 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "Il nous faut et des jeux et des fetes" (Chorus) 01:11
• 61 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "Au peuple impatient nous devons ce spectacle" (Callisthenes, Severe, Felix, Chorus) 01:40
• 62 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "Grands dieux!" (Severe, Felix, Pauline, All) 04:50
• 63 Donizetti: Les Martyrs, Act 4: "Ah ! voici le signal du supplice!" (Chorus, Polyeucte, Pauline, Severe, Felix, Callisthenes, Nearque, The Christian) 03:00
• Total Runtime 03:07:26

Info for Donizetti: Les Martyrs

In November 2014, Sir Mark Elder was joined by a stellar cast led by Joyce El-Khoury, Michael Spyres and David Kempster, for a performance of Donizetti's Les Martyrs. It was the first performance of this masterpiece in its original form in over 150 years and was greeted with unanimous acclaim by the press. Opera Rara's new recording of Les Martyrs was made in the studio in the weeks leading up to the performance.

A tragic tale of Christian martyrdom, Les Martyrs began its life as Poliuto, Donizetti's Italian opera which due to its religious content was banned before its Naples premiere. Greatly angered by the Italian censors' de cision, Donizetti moved to Paris in the hope of conquering the Opéra de Paris and securing his status as a composer of international repute.

Les Martyrs brings together Opera Rara and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment for their fourth collaboration. Sir Mark Elder conducts an outstanding cast featuring Michael Spyres and Joyce El-Khoury in the central roles. They are joined by David Kempster, Wynne Evans, Brindley Sherratt and Clive Bayley.

"Elder’s conducting is limpid and flexible, the rubato natural and seductive...Spyres offers plenty of bel canto style and beautifully schooled phrasing...[El-Khoury's] performance as Pauline is hardly less remarkable, and tireless in bringing the character to life. Doubts remain about the work itself, but there’s little doubting Opera Rara’s achievement in letting us hear it sound so thrillingly fresh." (Gramophone)

"The drama and tension [Elder] builds in the concluding act in this performance is awesome. He inspires soloists and chorus to marvellous effect that convinces me that it is among the finest music Donizetti wrote." (MusicWeb International)

"informed above all by Mark Elder's combination of baton mastery and missionary zeal...[Spyres is] noble and radiant of tenor timbre, unfailingly both strong and sensitive in his delivery of the text...what counts is the impact of the whole - and that is tremendous." (Opera)

Michael Spyres (Polyeucte)
Joyce El-Khoury (Pauline)
David Kempster (Sévère)
Brindley Sherratt (Félix)
Clive Bayley (Callisthènes)
Wynne Evans (Néarque)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Sir Mark Elder, conductor

No biography found.

Booklet for Donizetti: Les Martyrs