Salamine

Description

World premiere release of Salamine, the lyric tragedy in 3 acts on a libretto by Théodore Reinach after Aeschylus’ The Persians. INA document, Orchestre Radio-symphonique de la RTF, Tony AUBIN. 85 years after its creation at the Opéra de Paris, it is a major lyrical work of the interwar period that is finally revived thanks to the Solstice label: Salamine, a lyric tragedy in three acts, after Aeschylus’ The Persians, in which Maurice Emmanuel, by his own admission, wanted to express in a modern form “the ever-young thought of old Aeschylus.” Even if some critics regret that the libretto was so little suited to contemporary expectations, Emmanuel received from his students (Messiaen, Migot) and his peers testimonies of esteem and admiration, in particular from Paul Dukas. To serve Emmanuel’s work, Tony Aubin surrounded himself with singers who knew perfectly the style of what is usually called the “French school.” This recording from March 22, 1958 in Paris features a host of French singers of the time, including tenor Jean Giraudeau in the role of Xerxes, soprano Flore Wend as Queen Atossa, and baritone Bernard Demigny in the role of the Messenger. The Orchestre Radio-symphonique and the RTF Choirs are conducted by Tony Aubin.