Joan Sutherland sings the bombastic aria from Offenbach's Robinson Crusoé, "Conduisez-moi vers celui que j'adore". For those familiar with her Romantic French Arias studio recital, this is perhaps the most vocally impressive of the selections: a waltz with a beautiful melody and a treacherously high tessitura, including an endless high D-flat followed by a melisma. Here, Sutherland gives a live rendition of the aria (transposed down half a step) to an enthusiastic audience at Cardiff on February 18, 1973. Richard Bonynge at the piano.
As you can no doubt hear for yourself, noise riddles the entire recording. I have done everything possible, without exacerbating this noise problem, to bring out more clarity from the voice and piano.
Enjoy!
