Airs Francais.

Ben Heppner [] "AIRS FRANCAIS" Arias by Berlioz, Meyerbeer, Halevy and Massenet. London Voices, London Symphony Orchestra, Chung. Texts and translations. DG 471372

The arrival of Ben Heppner's album of French arias in close conjunction with his live recording of Berlioz's Les Troyens (LSO 0010) helps clarify a vague dissatisfaction with the aria-recital format. The studio version of the great scene of Enee, "Inutiles regrets," lacks the last bit of response to the text and dramatic situation that the live performance has in abundance. Live, he is gripping all the way through the long scene, shaping it (with the help of conductor Colin Davis) into two enormous paragraphs. With the studio version, our attention often wanders to Myung-Whun Chung's stylish way with the orchestra. The overall impression with this recital is more of efficiency than of a gallery of engaging portraits.

Of the ten roles represented here, Heppner has sung only Aeneas complete. On the basis of this survey, he might be most effective as Benvenuto Cellini (some real identification with the character is evident, though the climax is not pleasant) and as Jean of Leyden in Meyerbeer's Le Prophete. He sings the latter's insidiously catchy "Roi du ciel" with the requisite visionary, feverish quality. However, he's still looking for a way to negotiate the prophecy passage where the falsetto of James McCracken (Jean in the Met's 1977 production and on Columbia's 1976 recording) aroused such outrage. (The programming of this CD points up the fact that Massenet's "O noble lame etincelante" from Le Cid is ...