In these days of cash-strapped opera houses and risk-averse labels, recordings of the grander grand operas are rarities. Flawless ones are even rarer, making this breathtaking and ground-breaking new Palazzetto Bru Zane recording of Meyerbeer’s Robert le Diable a cause for celebration.

In Marc Minkowski’s experienced hands, Meyerbeer’s gothic saga fairly flies off the page, every bar fizzing with energy and with set pieces that burst over our heads like fireworks. Add an outstandingly talented cast, headed by John Osborn as Robert and Erin Morley as Isabelle, and you have a set with award-winner written all over it.

Robert le Diable was Meyerbeer’s first French opera after a decade or so writing bel canto blockbusters in Italy. Having relocated to Paris, he took time to study the history and language of his new artform while making the acquaintance of the great librettist Eugène Scribe, a fruitful collaboration that would thrive for over 30 years. 

Adapting the tale of Robert, the Devil, a dark and demonic French legend surrounding the dastardly goings on...