Opéra Magazine's 'Pick of the Month' for July and August 2023
© Agathe Poupeney Opéra Magazine 's coup de coeur for this summer's two-month issue, i.e. its favourite recording, with the magazine's 'Diamond' award, is Charpentier's David et Jonathas , recorded in the chapel at the Palace of Versailles in a staging by Marshall Pynoski. Reinoud Van Mechelen sings David, Caroline Arnaud Jonathas, and the Ensemble Marguerite louise is conducted by Gaétan Jarry. 'Rarely recorded,' writes the reviewer, ' David et Jonathas is one of the masterpieces of French 17th century opera. Here it is in a modern reference version, recorded in Versailles and with the CDs and DVD packaged together.' He goes on to say that it 'offers a more or less ideal audio version of this master work, equal to the one by the lamented Michel Corboz (1981), still splendid in spite of its age. As far as the DVD, directed by the excellent Olivier Simonnet, is concerned, it outclasses the one made at the Aix Festival in 2012, under Willia...