Confidence

Description

French tenor Julien Behr is one of the rising stars of singing. Named "Lyric Artist Revelation" by ADAMI in 2009 (the year he made his debut at the Aix-en-Provence Festival), Julien Behr became famous for his Mozartian roles (including Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, which he recorded live at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in 2016 under the direction of Jérémie Rhorer (Alpha 379)). "Beautiful vivacity and a lovely timbre," wrote the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung recently, "Cocorico, Julien Behr's Fenton is superb: previously appreciated mainly as a Mozartian, the French tenor confirms his suitability for the repertoire of the ottocento," continues Forumopera... It is the French romantic repertoire composed between 1800 and 1900 that the tenor chooses here for his first recital. A very diverse selection (ranging from grand opera to opéra comique), featuring famous arias and absolute rarities, makes up this program designed by the Palazzetto Bru Zane and Alexandre Dratwicki, who writes in the booklet accompanying the disc: "Nothing is more difficult for a tenor than to 'find his voice' in this imbroglio of genres and institutions. Long appreciated for his vocal and human charisma, tenor Julien Behr is this time the hero of a recital that revisits this repertoire in all its variety, between tenderness and heroism, joy and melancholy." We find Ambroise Thomas (Mignon, based on Goethe), Bizet and his famous Jolie Fille de Perth, Cinq-Mars (1877) by Gounod, Benjamin Godard (Jocelyn), André Messager and his splendid Fortunio (1907), Delibes (Jean de Nivelle and Lakmé, including the famous aria of Gérald), Le Chevalier Jean (1885) by Victorin Joncières – one of the first Wagnerians... Two very famous arias by Franz Léhar from The Merry Widow and The Land of Smiles - "I Gave You My Heart," which inspires the title of the album - complete this panorama magnificently served by the Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Lyon, conducted by another rising star, Pierre Bleuse. As a bonus, Julien Behr offers a song by Charles Trénet (Vous qui passez sans me voir), arranged by Arthur Lavandier, which holds a special place in his life. He joins Alpha for several projects that will aim to illustrate all his facets.