The best of Le Prophète is imaginative and powerful…Two roles dominate the piece, that of the delusional prophet Jean of Leyden, who comes to believe he is a new Messiah, and that of his intensely loving mother Fidès; both are delivered with conviction by John Osborne and Marianne Cornetti respectively…The Conductor Giuliano Carella draws spirited music-making from his Essen force.

Cornetti gives an involving account of [Fidès]…Osborn has the full measure of [Jean]…Only when we take the trouble of performing Meyerbeer’s music ‘as he heard it in his head’ will its qualities stand a chance of being fully appreciated. In the meantime, this illuminating recording gives us a precious glimpse of what we are missing.

Conductor Giuliano Carella leads a highly assured account, highlighting Meyberbeer’s fascinating orchestration, including the use of a saxophone in Act III and for the soprano’s death scene (an idea immediately cut before the work’s premiere, so heard here for the first time). Marianne Cornetti tackles the barnstorming mezzo role of Fidès with great success, relishing the dramatic and vocal demands until her final cabaletta finds her almost out of gas. John Osborn is polished in the title role and offers the tenor’s ‘Prière’ for the first time, which he dispatches stylishly. Lynette Tapia is a delightful soprano Berthe, with the sweetness and agility the role requires, and she makes much of the aforementioned death scene.