MUSIC REVIEW

Napoleon

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By Richard Moore

There are not too many CDs I have found that include military music from the Napoleonic Era.

However, arriving in the mail the other week was the disc Napoleon published by Olivi.

It is filled with French marches and songs of the First Empire and is a very fine recording indeed.

Napoleon has been on my car stereo for most of the past fortnight and zipping along the freeway whistling Marche D'Austerlitz no doubt has had passers-by a tad perplexed.

Anyway, most of the tunes on the CD are recognisable martial pieces and there are some slow ballads sung by such great opera voices as Bernard Muracciole, Jose Faggianelli and Antoine Griffoni.

The military instrumentals are short, but superb, and are performed by La Musique de l'Air and, in particular, by their Les Tambours et Trompettes.

Napoleon is a fine collection of French military music that brings a real atmosphere of the period to listeners' ears.

Track list

Refrain de l'Empire, A L'Etendard, Marche Consulaire, La Marche, Marche d'Austerlitz, La Victoire Est a Nous, Pour L'Empereur (ballad), Le Rocher de St Helene (ballad), Pas de Charge des Grenadiers, Le Reveil au Bivouac, Le Drapeau d'Austerlitz, Le Champ de Honneur, Les Retraites Francaises, L'Ajaccienne (ballad), Le Reve Passe (ballad), Le Rigodon d'Honneur, La Marche des Trainards, Le Rigodon des Manchots, Le Pas Redouble de la Guarde Imperiale, Marche des Bonnets a Poils, La Marche Heroique due Bicentenaire (ballad), Le Souvenir, L'Ajacciene (instrumental), Le Reve Passe (instrumental), Le Souvenir (instrumental), La Marche Heroique due Bicentenaire (instrumental), Le Rocher de St Helene (instrumental), Pour L'Empereur (instrumental).

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