La belle au bois dormant (2cd)

Gramophone Magazine
May 2026
Recording of the Month

Thomas Dolié (Le Roi), Guylaine Girard (Aurore/La Reine), Kate Aldrich (La Fée Urgèle/Dame Gudule), Adrien Fournaison, Julien Dran (Le Prince/Le Chevalier errant), Matthieu Lécroart (Barnabé); Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, Hungarian National Choir, György Vashegyi

Largely forgotten today, composer Charles Silver was one of the most promising students of Jules Massenet, whose elegant style and effective dramatic gestures he fully mastered. His opera La Belle au bois dormant (Sleeping Beauty), based on Perrault’s classic tale, testifies to these skills with its colourful, lively, and surprisingly modern music, which carries an evident influence from Puccini. The libretto enriches the original story with delightful comic touches from the characters of Jacotte and Barnabé, providing a light-hearted counterpoint to the fairytale plot. Although it enjoyed a successful premiere in Marseille in 1902, it never received a Parisian performance. This refined and accessible score is given a well-deserved second chance with this world premiere recording.

"There are some pretty Wagnerian heroics in the orchestra as the prince defeats fire-breathing monsters blocking his path to the princess, the Hungarian National Philharmonic and György Vashegyi in fine fettle... This recording heralds a notable reawakening." — Gramophone Magazine, May 2026