Natalie Dessay is a dazzling opera singer. She is also an actress of intensity and magnetism, whether in tragedy or comedy. Her charisma, captured on the stages of the world’s great opera houses and in the recording studio, illuminates the complete operas and recitals of arias and scenes in this collection. From Mozart’s furious Queen of the Night to Debussy’s enigmatic Mélisande… Offenbach’s robotic Olympia to Strauss’s flirtatious Zerbinetta and Delibes’ devoted Lakmé… Handel’s mercurial Cleopatra to Donizetti’s boisterous Marie and desperate Lucia… Thomas’s fragile Ophélie to Massenet’s capricious Manon and Verdi’s passionate, tragic Violetta… Natalie Dessay proves irresistible in repertoire that spans four centuries and a wealth of musical and dramatic possibilities.
NATALIE DESSAY: THE OPERA SINGER comprises 33 CDs and 19 DVDs, demonstrating Dessay’s achievement as a singing actress both in purely vocal terms and as a bête de scene (‘stage animal’).
That box represents the COMPLETE COLLECTION OF OPERA RECORDINGS she did in audio and video.
CDs
• 12 complete operas, ranging from the Baroque era to the 20th century:
Bellini: La sonnambula; Delibes: Lakmé; Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor and Lucie de Lammermoor (French version of the opera, prepared by the composer for Paris); Handel: Alcina; Monteverdi: Orfeo; Mozart: Die Zauberflöte, Mitridate; Offenbach: Les Contes d’Hoffmann; Orphée aux enfers; Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos; Stravinsky: Le Rossignol;
• Seven recital discs covering Handel, Mozart, Strauss and a variety of French and Italian repertoire.
DVDs
• 12 complete operas, again ranging from the Baroque era to the 20th century, recorded at some of the world’s major opera houses and festivals:
Bellini: La sonnambula; Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande; Donizetti: La Fille du régiment; Handel: Giulio Cesare; Massenet: Manon; Offenbach: Les Contes d’Hoffmann; Orphée aux enfers; Strauss: Arabella; Ariadne auf Naxos; Stravinsky: Le Rossignol; Thomas: Hamlet; Verdi: La traviata
• ‘Greatest Moments on Stage’: a DVD of scenes, all featuring Dessay at her most virtuosic, recorded live at some of the world’s major opera houses and festivals, from works by Bernstein, Donizetti, Mozart, Offenbach, Ravel, Johann Strauss, Richard Strauss and Thomas. The video also includes commentary from Dessay herself.
• DVD BONUS: Lucia di Lammermoor’s Mad Scene filmed live at the Metropolitan Opera in 2007
Among the other major singers appearing on NATALIE DESSAY: THE OPERA SINGER are:
Roberto Alagna, Cecilia Bartoli, Ian Bostridge, Charles Castronovo, Patrizia Ciofi, Stéphane Degout, Plácido Domingo, Renée Fleming, Juan Diego Flórez, Véronique Gens, Susan Graham, Ben Heppner, Sumi Jo, Simon Keenlyside, Angelika Kirchschlager, Sophie Koch, Gregory Kunde, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Felicity Lott, Francesco Meli, Laurent Naouri (who is also Natalie Dessay’s husband), Anne Sofie von Otter, Patricia Petibon, Sandrine Piau, Samuel Ramey, Michael Spyres, Kiri Te Kanawa, Ludovic Tézier, Violeta Urmana, José van Dam, Rolando Villazón, Deborah Voigt
Among the conductors are:
William Christie, James Conlon, Sir Andrew Davis, Stéphane Denève, Christoph von Dohnányi, Emmanuelle Haïm, James Levine, Marc Minkowski, Kent Nagano, Antonio Pappano, Michel Plasson, Christophe Rousset, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Christian Thielemann
Delibes: Où va la jeune Indoue? ‘Bell Song’ (from Lakmé)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Patrick Fournillier
Chabrier: Le Roi Malgré Lui
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Patrick Fournillier
Ravel: Air du Feu: “Arrière…” from L’enfant et les sortilèges
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Patrick Fournillier
Meyerbeer: Ombra leggiera (from Dinorah)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Patrick Fournillier
Bondeville: O ciel, pardonne encore… De tout temps la gent masculine (from Isabelle)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Patrick Fournillier
Thomas, Ambroise: A vos jeux, mes amis (from Hamlet)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Patrick Fournillier
Milhaud: Chers Corinthiens (from Créuse)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Patrick Fournillier
Offenbach: Les oiseaux dans la charmille (from Les Contes d’Hoffmann)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Patrick Fournillier
Poulenc: Non, Monsieur mon mari (from Les mamelles de Tirésias)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Patrick Fournillier
Gounod: Ö légère hirondelle (from Mireille)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Patrick Fournillier
Sauguet: O, amour, mystérieux amour (from Marianne)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Patrick Fournillier
Mozart: Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen (from Die Zauberflöte)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Louis Langrée
Mozart: Ach, ich fühl’s (from Die Zauberflöte, K620)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Louis Langrée
Mozart: Vanne, t’affretta… Ah se il crudel periglio (from Lucio Silla)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Louis Langrée
Mozart: Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben (from Zaïde)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Louis Langrée
Mozart: Tiger! Wetze nur die Klauen! (from Zaïde)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Louis Langrée
Mozart: Dal tuo gentil sembiante (from Ascanio in Alba)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Louis Langrée
Mozart: Welcher Wechsel (from Die Entführung aus dem Serail)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Louis Langrée
Mozart: Traurigkeit (from Die Entführung aus dem Serail)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Louis Langrée
Mozart: Martern aller Arten (from Die Entführung aus dem Serail)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Louis Langrée
Mozart: Solitudini amiche … Zeffiretti lusinghieri (from Idomeneo)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Louis Langrée
Mozart: O zittre nicht (from Die Zauberflöte)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Louis Langrée
Massenet: Suis-je gentille ainsi? … Je marche sur tous les chemins … Obéissons quand leur voix appelle (from Manon)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Massenet: Obéissons quand leur voix appelle (from Manon)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Massenet: Fabliau – Toujours? Vous vous trompez (from Manon)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Thomas, Ambroise: Je suis Titania (from Mignon)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Massenet: Vive amour qui rêve (from Chérubin)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Boieldieu: Profitez de la vie (from Le Fête du Village Voisin)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Offenbach: Conduisez-moi vers celui que j’adore (from Robinson Crusoë)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Rossini: En Proie a la Tristesse (from Le Comte d’Ory)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Donizetti: C’en est donc fait…Par le rang et par l’opulence…Salut à la France (from La fille du régiment)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Gounod: Ah! Je ris de me voir (from Faust)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Thomas, Ambroise: A vos jeux, mes amis (from Hamlet)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Thomas, Ambroise: Le voilà! Je crois entendre (from Hamlet)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Strauss, R: Noch glaub’ich dem einem ganz mich gehörend (from Ariadne auf Naxos)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company), Antonio Pappano (piano)
Strauss, R: Kindskopf! Merkt auf, wir spielen mit in dem Stück (from Ariadne auf Naxos)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company), Antonio Pappano (piano)
Strauss, R: An ihre Plätze, meine Damen und Herrn! (from Ariadne auf Naxos)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company), Antonio Pappano (piano)
Strauss, R: Ich wollt ein Sträusslein binden, Op. 68 No. 2
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company), Antonio Pappano (piano)
Strauss, R: Säusle, Liebe Myrte, Op. 68 No. 3
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company), Antonio Pappano (piano)
Strauss, R: Als mir dein Lied erklang, Op. 68 No. 4
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company), Antonio Pappano (piano)
Strauss, R: Amor, Op. 68 No. 5
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company), Antonio Pappano (piano)
Strauss, R: Ich danke, Fraulein (from Arabella)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company), Antonio Pappano (piano)
Strauss, R: Mir ist die Ehre widerfahren (from Der Rosenkavalier)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company), Antonio Pappano (piano)
Strauss, R: Marie Theres’! … Hab mir’s gelobt (from Der Rosenkavalier)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company), Antonio Pappano (piano)
Strauss, R: Ist ein Traum, kann nicht wirklich sein (from Der Rosenkavalier)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company), Antonio Pappano (piano)
Verdi: È strano! è strano!…Ah! fors è lui (from La traviata)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Concerto Köln (early music ensemble)
Evelino Pidò
Verdi: Follie! Follie! Delirio vano è questo…Sempre libera (from La traviata)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Concerto Köln (early music ensemble)
Evelino Pidò
Bellini: O rendetemi la speme…Qui la voce sua soave…Vien, diletto (from I Puritani)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Concerto Köln (early music ensemble)
Evelino Pidò
Donizetti: Allenta il piè, Regina (from Maria Stuarda)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Concerto Köln (early music ensemble)
Evelino Pidò
Donizetti: O nube! Che lieve per l’aria…Nella pace del mesto riposo (from Maria Stuarda)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Concerto Köln (early music ensemble)
Evelino Pidò
Donizetti: Nella pace del mesto riposo (from Maria Stuarda)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Concerto Köln (early music ensemble)
Evelino Pidò
Verdi: Caro nome (from Rigoletto)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Concerto Köln (early music ensemble)
Evelino Pidò
Bellini: Eccomi in lieta vesta…Oh! quante volte (from I Capuleti e I Montecchi)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Concerto Köln (early music ensemble)
Evelino Pidò
Donizetti: Il dolce suono mi colpì di sua voce! … Spargi d’amaro pianto (from Lucia di Lammermoor)
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Concerto Köln (early music ensemble)
Evelino Pidò
excerpt, Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto
Natalie Dessay (Cleopatra), Le Concert d’Astrée (early music ensemble)
Emmanuelle Haïm
Bernstein: Glitter and be gay (from Candide)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis
Wagner: Nun sing! Ich lausche dem Gesang (from Siegfried)
Natalie Dessay, Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company), Antonio Pappano (piano)
Massenet: Enfin Manon, nous voilà enfin seuls ensemble… En fermant les yeux (from Manon)
Natalie Dessay
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Evelino Pidò
Verdi: Mercè, dilette amiche ‘Bolero’ (from I Vespri Siciliani)
Natalie Dessay, Concerto Köln (early music ensemble)
Evelino Pidò
Rameau: Rondeau – Forêts paisibles (from Les Indes Galantes)
Natalie Dessay, Le Concert d’Astrée (early music ensemble)
Emmanuelle Haïm
Handel: Se pietà di me non senti (from Giulio Cesare)
Natalie Dessay, Le Concert d’Astrée (early music ensemble)
Emmanuelle Haïm
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte, K620
Reinhard Hagen, Natalie Dessay (soprano), Rosa Mannion, Hans Peter Blochwitz (tenor), Anton Scharinger, Linda Kitchen, Steven Cole, Les Arts Florissants (early music ensemble)
William Christie
Offenbach: Les Contes d’Hoffmann
Roberto Alagna (tenor), José van Dam (baritone), Natalie Dessay (soprano), Sumi Jo (soprano), Leontina Vaduva, Opéra National de Lyon (opera company)
Kent Nagano
Delibes: Lakmé
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Gregory Kunde (tenor), José van Dam (baritone), Delphine Haidan, Franck Leguérinel, Patricia Petibon (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson
Offenbach: Orphée aux Enfers
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Laurent Naouri (baritone), Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, Yann Beuron (tenor), Ewa Podles (contralto), Patricia Petibon (soprano), Véronique Gens (soprano), Opéra National de Lyon (opera company)
Marc Minkowski
Stravinsky: The Nightingale
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Marie McLaughlin (soprano), Violeta Urmana (soprano), Vsevolod Grivnov, Laurent Naouri (baritone), Opéra national de Paris (opera company)
James Conlon
Mozart: Mitridate, re di Ponto, K87
Giuseppe Sabbatini, Natalie Dessay (soprano), Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo-soprano), Brian Asawa (counter-tenor), Sandrine Piau (soprano), Juan Diego Flórez (tenor), Les Talens Lyriques (early music ensemble), Christopher Hogwood (early keyboard instruments)
Handel: Alcina
Renée Fleming (soprano), Susan Graham (mezzo-soprano), Natalie Dessay (soprano), Les Arts Florissants (early music ensemble)
William Christie
Strauss, R: Ariadne auf Naxos
Deborah Voigt (soprano), Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Natalie Dessay (soprano), Ben Heppner (tenor)
Staatskapelle Dresden
Giuseppe Sinopoli
Donizetti: Lucie de Lammermoor
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Roberto Alagna (tenor), Ludovic Tézier (baritone), Opéra National de Lyon (opera company)
Evelino Pidò
Monteverdi: L’Orfeo
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Ian Bostridge (tenor), Patrizia Ciofi (soprano), Alice Coote (mezzo-soprano), Sonia Prina (contralto), Le Concert d’Astrée (early music ensemble)
Emmanuelle Haïm
Bellini: La Sonnambula
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Carlo Colombara (bass), Francesco Meli (tenor), Sara Mingardo (contralto), Opéra National de Lyon (opera company)
Evelino Pidò
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Vladislav Sulimsky, Natalie Dessay (soprano), Piotr Beczala (tenor), Dmitry Voropaev
Mariinsky (Kirov) Orchestra
Valéry Gergiev
Strauss, R: Arabella
DVD performance
Donald McIntyre (bass), Helga Dernesch (soprano), Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano), Marie McLaughlin (soprano), Natalie Dessay (soprano), Metropolitan Opera (opera company)
Christian Thielemann
Offenbach: Orphée aux Enfers
DVD performance
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Laurent Naouri (baritone), Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, Yann Beuron (tenor), Opéra National de Lyon (opera company)
Marc Minkowski
Strauss, R: Ariadne auf Naxos
DVD performance
Deborah Voigt (soprano), Natalie Dessay (soprano), Susanne Mentzer (mezzo-soprano), Richard Margison (tenor), Metropolitan Opera (opera company)
James Levine
Thomas, Ambroise: Hamlet
DVD performance
Simon Keenlyside (baritone), Béatrice Uria-Monzon (mezzo-soprano), Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
Bertrand de Billy
Stravinsky: The Nightingale
DVD performance
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Hugo Simcic, Marie McLaughlin (soprano), Violeta Urmana (soprano), Opéra national de Paris (opera company), Christian Chaudet (director)
James Conlon
Massenet: Manon
DVD performance
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Rolando Villazón (tenor), Manuel Lanza, Samuel Ramey (bass), Francisco Vas
Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
Victor Pablo Pérez
Donizetti: La Fille du Régiment
DVD performance
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Juan Diego Flórez (tenor), Felicity Palmer (mezzo-soprano), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (opera company)
Bruno Campanella
Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande
DVD performance
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Stéphane Degout (baritone), Laurent Naouri (baritone), Phillip Ens (bass), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (contralto)
Arnold Schoenberg Chor, ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien
Bertrand de Billy
Bellini: La Sonnambula
DVD performance
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Juan Diego Flórez (tenor), Michele Pertusi (bass-baritone), Jane Bunnell (mezzo-soprano), Metropolitan Opera (opera company)
Evelino Pidò
Verdi: La Traviata
DVD performance
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Ludovic Tézier (baritone), Charles Castronovo (tenor), Adelina Scarabelli, Jean-François Sivadier (director)
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, London Symphony Orchestra
Louis Langrée
Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto
DVD performance
Lawrence Zazzo (counter-tenor), Natalie Dessay (soprano), Isabel Leonard (mezzo-soprano), Le Concert d’Astrée (early music ensemble)
Emmanuelle Haïm
Offenbach: Les Contes d’Hoffmann
DVD performance
Michael Spyres (tenor), Kathleen Kim, Natalie Dessay (soprano), Tatiana Pavlovskaya, Laurent Naouri (baritone)
Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
Stéphane Denève
Strauss, J, II: Frühlingsstimmen Walzer Op. 410
DVD performance
Strauss, R: Grossmächtige Prinzessin (from Ariadne auf Naxos)
DVD performance
Offenbach: Les oiseaux dans la charmille (from Les Contes d’Hoffmann)
DVD performance
Donizetti: Mon nom s’est fait entendre… L’autel rayonne… Ashton s’avance… Je vais quitter la terre (from Lucie de Lammermoor)
DVD performance
Offenbach: Les oiseaux dans la charmille (from Les Contes d’Hoffmann)
DVD performance
Thomas, Ambroise: A vos jeux, mes amis (from Hamlet)
DVD performance
Ravel: Air du Feu: “Arrière…” from L’enfant et les sortilèges
DVD performance
Offenbach: Les oiseaux dans la charmille (from Les Contes d’Hoffmann)
DVD performance
Bernstein: Glitter and be gay (from Candide)
DVD performance
Offenbach: Duo de la mouche from Orphée aux Enfers
DVD performance
Donizetti: Il dolce suono mi colpì di sua voce! … Spargi d’amaro pianto (from Lucia di Lammermoor)
DVD performance