Tragic Lovers

Composition#

Tragic Lovers, released by the record label Delos in 2008, contains three works inspired by tragic love stories in literature: Richard Wagner’s Prelude and “Liebestod” from Tristan and Isolde, Hector Berlioz’s “Love Scene” from Roméo et Juliette, Op. 17, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet. The album contains three tracks, each one comprising a single composition and running more than fifteen minutes in length. Amelia Haygood and Carol Rosenberger served as executive producers; the recording producers were Michael Fine for the Wagner and Berlioz works and Adam Stern for the Tchaikovsky composition. The album was engineered by John Eargle, with Andrés Villalta serving as associate engineer for the Wagner and Berlioz recordings. Editing was completed by Fine (Wagner, Berlioz) and Stern (Tchaikovsky).

Broadcasts#

All three compositions were featured on the Public Radio Exchange program “Compact Discoveries”; the Berlioz and Tchaikovsky recordings aired on an episode titled “Famous Lovers: Romeo & Juliet”, and the Wagner recording was part of the following episode, titled “More Famous Lovers”. In June 2009, Joe Brant featured the album on his WDAV program “New Classics”, which highlights newly released classical music recordings. and the Berlioz track aired in November 2010 and again on February 11, 2013, following DePreist’s death on February 8. The Berlioz recording also aired on the Northwest Public Radio program “Classical Music with Robin Rilette” on February 1, 2013.

Reception#

Jean-Yves Duperron of the Classical Music Sentinel appreciated the continuity of the subject matter and compared the album to a three-movement symphony. Referring to the opener as the first movement of this hypothetical symphony, Duperron wrote that Wagner’s composition “works perfectly” by setting the tone for the album. He appreciated the Berlioz composition as a “central movement” for its more “pleasant” mood and lighter musical textures, and Tchaikovsky’s work as the finale for its dramatic and “tumultuous” qualities. Duperron complimented DePreist and the orchestra for conveying the emotions depicted in each of the compositions “loud and clear”, and specifically highlighted the “massive walls of sound” produced by the strings. He also commended Delos for effectively capturing the performances “with clean and powerful dynamics throughout” and concluded the review by quipping: “This perfectly coordinated collection should be part of every collection!”

Track listing#

#“Prelude and ‘Liebestod’ from Tristan and Isolde” (Richard Wagner) – 17:14 #"‘Love Scene’ from Roméo et Juliette, Op. 17" (Hector Berlioz) – 15:59 #“Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture” (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) – 21:10 Track listing adapted from the album’s liner notes.

Personnel#

• James DePreist – conductor
• John Eargle – engineer
• Mark Evans – graphic design
• Michael Fine – editor (tracks 1–2), recording producer (tracks 1–2)
• Tamra Saylor Fine – production assistant (tracks 1–2)
• Amelia S. Haygood – executive producer
• Wendy Leher – photography
• Oregon Symphony – primary artist
• Harry Pack – creative director, liner notes
• Carol Rosenberger – executive producer
• Adam Stern – editor (track 3), recording producer (track 3)
• Jim Svejda – liner notes
• Andrés Villalta – associate engineer (tracks 1–2) Credits adapted from AllMusic and the album’s liner notes.

See also#

*Tristan und Isolde discography

External links#

• • Amelia Haygood, 1919–2007 by Jason Victor Serinus, Stereophile (2007)