Louis-Ferdinand Hérold was born in 1791 and died in 1833. His father, a composer, pupil of C.P.E. Bach and piano teacher, did everything he could to prevent him launching into a musical career, but after the death of his father, the young Louis-Ferdinand enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire.

His first opera ‘La gioventu di Enrico Quinto’ was first performed in Naples and on his return to Paris, he completed Boieldieu's opera Charles de France. There followed a number of successful works culminating in the triumph of Zampa which placed Hérold in the first rank of French composers. The last work published in his lifetime was Le Pré aux Clercs.

This double disc presents a complete performance from Paris 13/06/59, coupled with extracts taken from a performance from 1962.

Artists

Denise Boursin (Isabelle), Berthe Monmart (Marguerite De Navarre), Claudine Collart (Nicette), Joseph Peyron (Mergy), Camille Maurane (Comminge), Lucien Lovano (Girod), Gaston Rey (Cantarelli), Pierre Germain (Le Brigadier), Pierre Roi (1er Archer), Adrien Robert (2e Archer), Renée Doria (Isabelle), Michèle Le Bris (Marguerite De Navarre), Françoise Louvay (Nicette), Michel Senechal (Mergy), Adrien Legros (Girod), Pierre Giannotti (Cantarelli)

Robert Benedetti, Jésus Etcheverry