Britten Julie Roset, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo & Lawrence Foster

• Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976): The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, Op. 34:
• 1 Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, Op. 34: Theme 02:02
• 2 Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, Op. 34 : Var. A 03:08
• 3 Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, Op. 34 : Var. E 03:50
• 4 Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, Op. 34 : Var. I 00:50
• 5 Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, Op. 34 : Var. J 01:21
• 6 Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, Op. 34 : Var. L 01:05
• 7 Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, Op. 34 : Var. M 01:58
• 8 Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, Op. 34: Fugue 02:59
• Les Illuminations, Op. 18:
• 9 Britten: Les Illuminations, Op. 18: I. Fanfare 02:08
• 10 Britten: Les Illuminations, Op. 18: II. Villes 02:34
• 11 Britten: Les Illuminations, Op. 18: IIIa. Phrase 00:59
• 12 Britten: Les Illuminations, Op. 18: IIIb. Antique 02:11
• 13 Britten: Les Illuminations, Op. 18: IV. Royauté 01:41
• 14 Britten: Les Illuminations, Op. 18: V. Marine 01:02
• 15 Britten: Les Illuminations, Op. 18: VI. Interlude 02:24
• 16 Britten: Les Illuminations, Op. 18: VII. Being Beauteous 04:22
• 17 Britten: Les Illuminations, Op. 18: VIII. Parade 02:59
• 18 Britten: Les Illuminations, Op. 18: IX. Départ 02:32
• Symphonic Suite from "Gloriana", Op. 53a: III. Courtly Dances:
• 19 Britten: Symphonic Suite from "Gloriana", Op. 53a: III. Courtly Dances: I. March 00:49
• 20 Britten: Symphonic Suite from "Gloriana", Op. 53a: III. Courtly Dances: II. Corante 01:32
• 21 Britten: Symphonic Suite from "Gloriana", Op. 53a: III. Courtly Dances: III. Pavane 02:16
• 22 Britten: Symphonic Suite from "Gloriana", Op. 53a: III. Courtly Dances: IV. Morris Dance 01:15
• 23 Britten: Symphonic Suite from "Gloriana", Op. 53a: III. Courtly Dances: V. Galliard 02:00
• 24 Britten: Symphonic Suite from "Gloriana", Op. 53a: III. Courtly Dances: VI. La Volta 01:32
• 25 Britten: Symphonic Suite from "Gloriana", Op. 53a: III. Courtly Dances: VII. Lively Marching Tempo 00:57
• Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20:
• 26 Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20: I. Lacrymosa 07:14
• 27 Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20: II. Dies irae 05:31
• 28 Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20: III. Requiem aeternam 05:25
• Total Runtime 01:08:36

Info for Britten

This album pays tribute to composer Benjamin Britten, who will be commemorated in 2026, the 50th anniversary of his death. It was conceived by conductor Lawrence Foster who, with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, showcases the British composer's impressionism tinged with post-Romanticism. The programme includes his sublime Illuminations, based on Rimbaud's poem, often performed by tenors but originally created by a soprano in 1940. Here, the young and very promising French soprano Julie Roset is the soloist, giving a very engaging performance. Another famous piece by Britten, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, commissioned by the British Ministry of Education in 1945, is a set of variations on a theme by Purcell that showcases each family of instruments in the orchestra. Although the Sinfonia da requiem (1940) was commissioned by the Japanese government to celebrate the 2600th anniversary of the Mikado dynasty, Britten dedicated it to the memory of his parents. Finally, the Courtly Dances from Gloriana are taken from the opera-tribute to the Queen of England, who was crowned six days before the premiere on 8 June 1953.

Julie Roset, soprano (tracks 9-18)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Lawrence Foster, conductor

Julie Roset
As Grand Winner of the 2022 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, French soprano Julie Roset went on to take First Prize at Plácido Domingo’s Operalia in 2023 and was crowned ​‘Révélation Lyrique’ at Les Victoires de la Musique Classique in 2025. Breakthrough performances as Zémire (Zémire et Azor) at Opéra Comique brought unanimous acclaim, with Le Figaro writing ​“the young soprano catches the light with her singing, as natural as it is intelligent”.

Making an impressive debut at Opéra National de Paris as Amour (Médée) in David McVicar’s new production of Charpentier’s opera under William Christie, Julie Roset went on to join Raphaël Pichon and Claus Guth in an acclaimed staging of Rameau’s Samson at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and subsequently at Opéra Comique. Additional highlights include Euridice and La Musica (L’Orfeo) in Sasha Waltz & Guests’ widely appreciated production at Teatro Real Madrid, and Ted Huffman’s inspired staging of L’incoronazione di Poppea at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, both conducted by Leonardo García Alarcón.

Across a glittering 2025/26 season Julie Roset demonstrates her innate versatility in a series of significant debuts, notably at the Metropolitan Opera as Fiakermilli (Arabella) under Nicholas Carter, at Opéra Comique as Sophie (Werther) in a new staging by Ted Huffman and conducted by Raphaël Pichon and as Blonde (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) at Glyndebourne Festival Opera under Louis Langrée. She also joins Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra as Waldvogel (Siegfried) led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and performs Carmina Burana with Toronto Symphony Orchestra under Gustavo Gimeno. Her debut solo recital disc, M’a dit amour (Alpha Classics), with pianist Susan Manoff, will be launched with performances in Paris, Prague, Nantes, and Barcelona.

Julie Roset made her debut with Orchestre de Paris in Romeo Castellucci’s deeply felt staging of Mahler, Symphony No.2 under Esa-Pekka Salonen, making her Salzburg Easter Festival debut in the same work, and further building her concert repertoire with performances of Händel, Messiah, Bach, Weihnachtsoratorium, Haydn, Die Schöpfung and Bach, St Matthew Passion. In concertante performance she has twice appeared at Salzburger Festspiele with Adam Fischer and Mozarteum Orchester, as Tamiri in Il re pastore and as Ismene in Mitridate, re di Ponto and as Belinda (Dido and Aeneas) with Danish National Symphony Orchestra and in Acis and Galatea with l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.

At the same time, her close collaborations with leading baroque ensembles have helped shape her artistic identity, and she maintains enduring ties with Cappella Mediterranea, Le Concert de la Loge, Les Arts Florissants, and Twelfth Night, with whom she made her Carnegie Hall debut in Elemental, a curated programme of baroque arias. With her own ensemble, La Néréide, she features on Luzzaschi: Il concerto segreto (Ricercar, 2023) and the forthcoming Le cœur et la raison (Alpha Classics) due for release this season.

Julie Roset’s musical education began at the Conservatoire du Grand Avignon, followed by a degree with honours from the Haute École de Musique de Genève. She went on to gain an Artist Diploma in Opera Studies at the Juilliard School in 2022, laying the foundation for a career that has already recognised her unique artistry, intelligence, and emotional depth.

Booklet for Britten