Michel Corboz The Complete Erato Recordings – Classical & Romantic Eras. 36 CDs Erato 5054197186783 (2023)
More Than Meets The Eye
29 August 2024
Just bought this on eBay. Fair price, 40 euros for 36 CDs, so, with postage, that’s a little over one euro per CD. I had bid 40.78, and next bidder entered 39… It is currently sold 79.99 on Amazon Prime France, so I consider that I made a good deal.
The Swiss conductor Michel Corboz (1934-2021) was one of the lynchpins of the then French label Erato (it’s been since sold to an international conglomerate – Warner Music -, and lost its unique identity / soul) from the mid-1960s to 1990, alongside (to limit myself to conductors) Claudio Scimone, Jean-François Paillard, Theodor Guschlbauer, Alain Lombard and Armin Jordan. He was above all a choral conductor: I am aware of only one recording of his of a work for orchestra alone, and not involving a chorus: Haydn’s three Harpsichord Concertos with Christiane Jaccottet, on CD 7.
It is only after winning the bid that I checked in depth the contents of the set and origins of the recordings. Turns out Erato / Warner doesn’t telll you everything here – but don’t worry, it’s good news.
First – not that it’s important – the header, “Classical & Romantic Eras” is too limitative. Where to classify Fauré’s Requiem, or even Vierne and Langlais’ Solemn Masses for choir et two organs, may be open to interpretation (the tail-end of Romanticism?), but Duruflé, Honegger and Frank Martin are, in my book, unarguably “modern” composers, so “from Classical to 20th Century”, or “from the Classical to the Modern Eras” would have been more appropriate to the set’s contents.
But, more important to the buyer, in fact this set includes more that what Warner annonces – the “Complete Erato Recordings” of Michel Corboz. In the early 1990s, surfing on the success of the CD medium, the big French retailer FNAC launched its own label, Fnac Music, and Corboz contributed a number of recordings (copyright and sometimes label indication shared with an “Aria Music” – presumably Corboz’ own production company?). Fnac Music was short-lived – last trace I have of them in my discography is from 1997 – and their catalog was subsequently acquired by Virgin Classics (which produced a number of reissues), and that label in turn was gobbled up by EMI and, in 2013, EMI by Warner. Food chain, big fish swallows small fish.
So what you get is “Michel Corboz The Complete Erato & Fnac/Aria/Virgin Recordings”. Maybe they didn’t want to offer free promotion to the (still existing) FNAC retailer?
I’ve found no website or online review that tells you this. The most useful was MusicBrainz (link will open new tab), because at least they have a thorough listing of the contents and recording dates. But they don’t tell you the origins and sources, for the seasoned record-collector to determine if it is worth buying this set.
So, for whoever’s interest and use, here is the complete content, with sources (that’s for those who’d want to skip the compilation and go for some of the individual CDs). For the Erato recordings, it would be too long and tedious to provide ALL the reissues (and I’d probably miss some) so I mention systematically the first CD edition (or LP when the recordings are new to CD, which is the case for a few), and some of the more accessible reissues. I characterize as “first CD reissue” those that had been previously released on LP, and as “first CD release” for those, starting in 1985 (and Duruflé’s Requiem, on CD 16, followed by Brahms’ German Requiem on CD 17), that got their original release on the CD medium. The year-date I provide is, when I’ve been able to check, the copyright year indicated by the CD (but, in case of reissues, the copyright year may be misleading, as it is the one of the original issue and not the reissue), but I’ve seen reviews that pre-dated that copyright year, indicating that the CD was put on the market, or at least sent to the reviewers, some months before the copyright year. As an example, cases in point are on CD 24, Schumann’s Requiem for Mignon and Mass and CD 22, Saint-Saëns and Gounod’s Masses, both copyrighted 1990 in their original CD release on Erato ECD 75542 and ECD 75540, but reviewed in the French Diapason magazine of respectively May and June 1989.
Warner is possibly faulty as to which recordings find in this set their first CD release. The backcover photo (I haven’t yet received the set) indicates by an asterisk those for which this is the case.
I see only one such asterisk, associated to Frank Martin’s Et la vie l’emporta (CD 2) – which is false. That recording was previously reissued to CD by the Swiss label Cascavelle (see below). On the other hand, to the best of my knowledge, the recordings gathered on CDs 5 (Brahms choral works), 7 (Haydn Harpsichord Concertos) and 8 (Haydn Theresienmesse) had not been previously released on CD – at least in the West: the Erato discography I maintain for my own use is sketchy on the Japanese editions.
As always in my discographies I provide the barcodes – the surest way to find the CDs online, whatever the vagaries and errors of listings, credits, cover photos from the online retailers. Warner’s ordering is by chronology of recordings, which I appreciate. One of the things that the chronology reveals is that Corboz, who began his recording career with Erato in 1964 with a series of acclaimed recordings of Monteverdi, and initially seemed to specialize in Renaissance and baroque music (Giovanni Gabrieli, De Lalande, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Alessandro Scarlatti, Bach…), waited 1972 to make his first foray into more Romantic and early modern repertoire (Fauré’s Requiem, Puccini’s rare Messa di Gloria in 1974), then sharing equally his interests between Renaissance-Baroque and Romantic and demonstrating that he had no stylistic fixation.
CD 1 & 2. Frank Martin: Golgotha.Wally Staempfli, Marie-Lise de Montmollin, Eric Tappy, Pierre Mollet, Philippe Huttenlocher, Choeur Faller, Choeur de l’Université de Lausanne, Orchestre Symphonique, cond. by Robert Faller, rec. Nov. 1969.
Note: as in Stravinsky’s Les Noces (see below CD 3), Corboz is only chorus master here.
First CD reissue Erato 2292-45779-2 (1992) barcode 022924577925 (with Messe pour Double Chœur, Chœur de Chambre du Midi, Denis Martin, rec. Feb. 1990). Reissue Erato Ultima 3984-24237-2 (2000) barcode 639842423724 and 3984-24237-5 (2000) 639842423755, Apex 2564 64398-2 (2007) 825646439829
CD 2. Frank Martin: Et la vie l’emporta. Solistes de l’Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne, Ensemble Instrumental de Lausanne, March 1974. From LP Erato ERA 9137 (1975, with Children’s Corner and Four Preludes by Alfred Cortot) see entry on discogs.com (link will open a new tab).
Note: Previously reissued on Cascavelle VEL 1014 (1991) 7619930101416, paired with Martin’s“In Terra Pax” (rec. June 1990), link to entry on Discogs.com. Warner’s little asterisk on the back cover, purporting to indicate that this is a first on CD, is false.
CD 3. Fauré: Requiem. Alain Clément, Philippe Huttenlocher, Orchestre Symphonique de Berne, May 1972.
First CD reissue Erato ECD 88126 (1985) barcode 3269658812626, paired with Elégie (Frédéric Lodéon, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Armin Jordan), Messe Basse (Arlette Steyer, Marie-Claire Alain, Ensemble Vocal Audite Nova, Jean Sourisse). Reissue 2292-45116-2 barcode 022924511622.
Note : the Messe basse, not conducted by Corboz, is not the one included on CD 29 of the present set. On CD 16 (Duruflé’s Requiem) Warner does retain a Duruflé piece that was included on the original CD, but not conducted by Corboz
Reissues with different pairings : Erato “In Excelsis” 0630 17897-2 (706301789728) and Erato “Musique Sacrée” 0630 17937-2 (706301793725) with Messe basse by Jean Sourisse and Cantique de Jean Racine by Louis Frémaux, 0630-16061-2 (1996) 706301606124 with Elégie op. 24 by Paul Tortelier and Jean Hubeau
Stravinsky: Les Noces (French version). Basia Retchitzka, Arlette Chedel, Eric Tappy, Philippe Huttenlocher, Martha Argerich, Nelson Freire, Edward Auer, Suzanne Husson, Groupe de Percussions, Choeur de l’Université de Lausanne (chorus master: Michel Corboz), Charles Dutoit, rec. May 1972. From LP Erato STU 70737 (1973), paired with Stravinsky’s Renard.
Note: Great news. When, in the early days of the CD, Erato reissued Dutoit’s classic Stravinsky The Soldier’s Tale (Erato ECD 88198, barcode 3269658819823, 1986, reissue 2292-45403-2, early 1990s, barcode 022924540325), they chose to pair it with Renard, the companion piece of Les Noces on the original 1973 LP. No complaint, the CD generously offered 73:20 minutes of music. But Stravinsky fans were for years left bereft of the great Noces – and no kidding, among its four pianists it includes Martha Argerich and Nelson Freire, what a luxury! I thought this was a first CD-release (the absence of Warner’s asterisk not serving as proof, given the label’s inaccuracies), but indeed I see that it was previously reissued in 2021 on the 23 CD Warner compilation “Igor Stravinsky Edition”, 0190295140939, with recordings from Teldec, EMI, Erato, Virgin Classics, which you may want to have in your collection, or not. It’s also available in streaming, together with Renard and Ragtime, which completed the original LP (search online 190296719394). In any edition, welcome back to Les Noces.
CD 4. Puccini: Messa di Gloria. William Johns, Philippe Huttenlocher, Choeur symphonique et Orchestre de la Fondation Gulbenkian de Lisbone. rec. July 1974. First CD reissue Erato “Bonsaï” ECD 55026 (1987) barcode 3269655502629, paired with Preludio Sinfonico, Capriccio Sinfonico by Orchestre National de l’Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Claudio Scimone. Reissues Erato “Bonsaï” 2292-45071-2 (022924507120) & 2292-45942-2 (022924594229), Erato “Collection” (Romantique – Sacré vol. 20) 4509-99657-2 (745099965723)
CD 5. Brahms: Motet op 74/1, Marienlieder op. 22, Lieder op. 62/1, 3, 4, 7, Lieder und Romanzen op. 93a/1, 3, 6, Deutsche Volkslieder WoO 34/8 & 9, Abschiedslieder op. 104/5. Choeur symphonique de la Fondation Gulbenkian de Lisbonne. Rec April 1974. From LP Erato STU 70953 (link to Discogs.com).
Note: I haven’t found trace of a previous CD release in the West, but a Japanese edition, apparently from 1987, R32E-1049 barcode 4988017005057 (finding it required a search on ブラームス ミシェル・コルボ e.g. Brahms Michel Corboz)
CD 6. Mozart: Requiem. Elly Ameling, Barbara Scherler, Louis Devos, Roger Soyer, Orchestre et Choeur symphonique de la Fondation Gulbenkian de Lisbonne, April 1975. First CD reissue Erato ECD 88157 (1986) 3269658815726, reissue 2292-45722-2 (1991) 022924572227, Erato “Collection” (Classique – Sacré vol. 2) 4509-99652-2 (1995) 745099965228 with Exsultate Jubilate (Rotraud Hansmann, Wiener Barockensemble, Theodor Guschlbauer), compiled in 2 CDs Erato “Prestige” (Classique) 0630-16081-2 (1996) 706301608128 with Exsultate jubilate (Guschlbauer) / Mass in C K427 (Corboz see CD 10), Messe Brève K194 (Rotraud Hansmann, Ingrid Mayr, André Mallabrera, Roger Soyer, Chorale Philippe Caillard, Wiener Barockensemble, Guschlbauer)
Note: cover photo on Amazon of first CD reissue ECD 88157 (3269658815726) is false: it is that of the later Fnac recording.
CD 7. Haydn: 3 Harpsichord Concertos Hob. 18:3, 9, 11. Christiane Jaccottet, Ensemble Instruental de Lausanne November 1975. From LP Erato STU 70989 (link to Discogs).
I have found no trace of a previous CD reissue, even in Japan searching onハイドン クリステアーヌ・ジャコッテ ミシェル・コルボ (Haydn Christiane Jaccottet Michel Corboz)
CD 8. Haydn: Theresienmesse. Uta Spreckelsen, Hanna Schaer, John Elwes, Michel Brodard, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne, October 1976. From LP Erato STU 71058.
First CD reissue as far as I could establish, even searching ハイドン テレジア・ミサ コルボ (Haydn Theresienmesse Corboz)
CD 9. Mendelssohn: Psalms 42 op. 42 (Chistiane Baumann soprano), 95 op. 46 (Christiane Baumann, Joana Silva sopranos, Pierre-André Blaser tenor). Choeur Symphonique et Orchestre de la Fondation Gulbenkian de Lisbonne, February 1977. First CD reissue Erato ECD 88120 (1985) 3269658812022 paired with Psalm 115 (see below). Reissues 2292-45390-2 (022924539022), Erato “In Excelsis” (Romantic) 0630 17904-2 (1997) 706301790427, Erato “Musique Sacrée” (Romantique vol. 6) 0630 17944-2 (706301794425)
CD 10. Mozart: Mass in C minor K427. Valerie Masterson, Christiane Baumann, Martin Klietmann, Michel Brodar, Choeur et Orchestre de la Fondation Gulbenkian de Lisbonne March 1977. First CD reissue 2292-45724-2 (1991) 022924572425 paired with Missa Brevis K194 (Rotraud Hansmann, Ingrid Mayr, André Mallabrera, Roger Soyer, Chorale Philippe Caillard, Wiener Barockensemble, Guschlbauer 1967). Further Reissues Erato “Collection” (Classique – Sacré vol. 13) 0630-14465-2 (706301446522), 2 CDs Erato “Prestige” (Classique) 0630-16081-2 (1996) 706301608128 paired with Requiem (Corboz, see above CD 6), Exsultate jubilate (Guschlbauer), Messe Brève K194 (Guschlbauer)
CD 11. Mendelssohn: Psalms 115 op. 31 (Evelyn Brunner soprano, Alejandro Ramirez tenor, Philippe Huttenlocher baritone), 98 op. 91 (Nathalie Stutzmann contralto), Lauda Sion op. 73 (Evelyne Brunner soprano, Naoko Ihara alto, Alejandro Ramirez tenor, Philippe Huttenlocher bass). Choeur symphonique et Orchestre de la Fondation Gulbenkian de Lisbonne, July 1978
Psalm 115 previous CD reissues see above CD 9.
Psalm 98, Lauda Sion first CD reissue ECD 75490 (1988) 3269657549028 (paired with Psalm 114 op. 51, “Lass o Herr mich Hülfe finden” op. 96, see below CD 20), further reissue 4509-94359-2 (1994) 745099435929
CD 12. Schubert: Stabat Mater D 383, Offertorium, D963, Magnificat D486. Sheila Armstrong, Hanna Schaer, Alejandro Ramirez, Philippe Huttenlocher, Ensemble Vocal et Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, November 1978
First CD reissue Erato 4509-96961-2 (1994) 745099696122, further reissue Erato “Collecction” (Romantique vol. 46) (1998) 639842233828
CD 13. Haydn: Stabat Mater. Sheila Armstrong, Ann Murray, Martin Hill, Philippe Huttenlocher, Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne September 1981
First CD reissue Erato ECD 88033 (1984) barcode 3269658803327, reissued 2292-45181-2 (022924518126)
CD 14 & 15. Mendelssohn: Elias/Elijah. Edith Wiens, Carolyn Watkinson, Keith Lewis, Benjamin Luxon, Graziela Le, Lia Altavilla, Choeurs et Orchestre de la Fondation Gulbenkian de Lisbonne, April-May 1983.
First CD reissue 3 CDs Erato ECD 75147 (1987) 3269657514729 (see listing on Melomania.com) or 089088514722, reissue 0630-11227-2 (1995) 706301122723
CD 16. Duruflé: Requiem op. 9. Teresa Berganza, José Van Dam, Ensemble Vocal “Audite Nova” de Paris (Jean Sourisse chorus master), Choeur et Orchestre Colonne November 1984 (with 4 Motets sur des themes grégoriens. Ensembke Vocal “Audite Nova”, Jean Sourisse January 1985).
First CD release Erato ECD 88132 (1985) 3269658813227, reissue 2292-45230-2 (022924523021)
Note: Corboz does not conduct the Four Motets. Original CD’s total time is 46 minutes, deletion of the Motets would have shaved it of circa 7 minutes, I guess Warner figured it would be short measure. In Erato’s reissues of Duruflé’s Requiem on various budget labels, the label constantly favored the earlier version conducted by the composer.
CD 17. Brahms Deutsches Requiem. Britt Marie Aruhn, Robert Holl, Danmarks Radiokoret & Radiosymfoniorkestret, January 1986
First CD release ECD 88227 (1987) 3269658822724 (Note: don’t believe the cover photo on Amazon), reissue Erato “Collection” (Romantique Sacré vol. 35) 0630-14468-2 (1996) 706301446829, Erato In Excelsis 0630 17891-2 (1997) 706301789124, Erato “Musique Sacrée” (Romantique vol. 2) 0630 17931-2 (1997) 706301793121
CD 18 & 19. Mendelssohn: Paulus. Rachel Yakar, Brigitte Balleys, Markus Schäfer, Thomas Hampson, Choeur Symphonique et Orchestre de la Fondation Gulbenkian de Lisbonne, July 1986
First CD release 2 CDs Erato ECD 75350 (1988) 3269657535021, also 08908853502, reissue 2 CDs Erato “Libretto” 2292-45279-2 (022924527920)
CD 19. Mendelssohn “Lass o Herr mich Hülfe finden” op. 96. Nathalie Stutzmann, Choeur Symphonique et Orchestre de la Fondation Gulbenkian de Lisbonne, June 1987.
First CD release ECD 75490 (1988) 3269657549028 (with Mendelssohn Psalm 98 op. 91, Lauda Sion op. 73 on CD 11, Psalm 114 op. 51 on CD 20), further reissue 4509-94359-2 (1994) 745099435929
CD 20. Mendelssohn Christus op. 97, Psalm 55 WoO 15 “Hör mein Bitten Herr”, Kirchenmusik op. 23/2 “Ave Maria” & 3 “Mitten wir im Leben sind”, “Verleih uns Frieden” WoO 5, Te Deum WoO 29 (Audrey Michael, Filomena Amaro, Nathalie Stutzmann, Suzanna Teixeira, Marcus Schaeffer, Viriato de Carvalho, José Fardilha, Antonio Wagner Diniz), Psalm 114 op. 51. Choeur Symphonique et Orchestre de la Fondation Gulbenkian de Lisbonne, June 1987
(All except Psalm 114) first CD release ECD 75489 (1988) 3269657548922, also barcode 089088548925
Psalm 114 first CD release ECD 75490 (1988) 3269657549028 (+ Psalm 98 op. 91, Lauda Sion op. 73 on CD 11, “Lass o Herr mich Hülfe finden” op. 96 on CD 19), further reissue 4509-94359-2 (1994) 745099435929
CD 21. Rossini: Petite Messe Solennelle. Cecilia Gasdia, Bernarda Fink, Vincenzo La Scola, Francesco Ellero D’Artgegna, Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne (Luciano Sgrizzi & Jean-François Antonioli pianos, Philippe Corboz harmonium) May 1987
First CD release ECD 75466 (1989) 3269657546621, 089088546624, reissue 2292-45321 2 (022924532122), Erato “In Excelsis” (Romantic) 0630 17916-2 (1997) 706301791622, Erato “Musique Sacrée” vol. 7, 0630 17956-2 (1997) 706301795620. Compiled in 2 CDs Erato Ultima 3984-28173-2 (39842817325) with Rossini’s Stabat Mater conducted by Claudio Scimone
CD 22. Saint-Saëns: Messe op. 4, Gounod: Messe Chorale. Marie-Claire Alain, Soli, Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne, April 1988
First CD release ECD 75540 (1990) 3269657554022, reissue 2292-45355-2 (022924535529)
CD 23. Beethoven: Messe op. 86, Meerestille und Glückliche Fahrt. Audrey Michael, Lilia Bizineche-Esinger, Markus Schaeffer, Michel Brodard, Choeur & Orchestre Gulbenkian, July 1988
First CD release 2292-45461-2 (1990) 022924546129
Note: I do not list the reissues on Erato’s various budget labels, as they all discard “Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt” in favor of Schubert’s Mass D167 conducted by Theodor Guschlbauer.
CD 24. Schumann: Requiem für Mignon op. 98b, Messe op. 147. Audrey Michael, , Lilia Bizimeche-Eisinger, Elisabeth Silveira, Susanna Teiseira, Markus Schaeffer, Michel Brodard, Choeur et Orchestre de la Fondation Gulbenkian de Lisbonne, July 1988
First CD release ECD 75542 (1990) 3269657554220, reissued “Emeraude” 2292-45357-2 (022924535727), Apex 0927 49977 2 (2003) 809274997722. Compiled in Erato “Duo Bonsaï” 4509-95307-2 with Schubert Mass D950 by Armin Jordan.
CD 25. Mendelssohn: Die erste Walpurgisnacht, “O Haupt voll Blut und Wunder” Choralkantate, Kyrie. Brigitte Balleys, Frieder Lang, Gilles Cachemaille, Choeur & Orchestre Gulbenkian January 1989, Ensemble Instrumental et vocal de Lausanne, Orchestre Gulbenkian, 1989 (in Kyrie)
First CD release Erato 2292-45462-2 (1990) 022924546228, reissue Cascavelle VEL 1057 (1995) 7619930105711, Apex 0927 48690 2 (2002) 809274869029
CD 26. Honegger: Une Cantate de Noël (Gilles Cachemaille), La Danse des morts (Naoko Okada, Brigitte Balleys, Gilles Cachemaille, Oers Kisfaludy, narrator), Choeur et Orchestre Gulbenkian, July 1989
First CD release Erato “Musifrance” 2292-45520-2 (1990) 022924552021 (link to my review), Reissue Cascavelle VEL 3023 (c. 2000?) 7619930302318
Note: copyright at back of the Cascavelle CD says 1990 as the Erato release, but Cascavelle’s catalog number suggests a release circa 1999/2000. Cascavelle being co-producer of the recording published by Erato, 1990 is likely the copyright of the first Erato edition rather than of the Cascavelle reissue.
CD 27. Brahms Un Requiem allemand. Christa Goetze, Werner Lechte, Ensemble vocal et instrumental de Lausanne, live September 1989
Original CD release Fnac Music 961002 (1996) 3485649610020 (see entry on Muziekweb.nl). Reissue 2 CDs Virgin Classics 5 62331 2 (2004?) 724356233126 with Mendelssohn from Fnac Music 592298 (see below CD 32), compiled in 5 CDs Virgin Classics 4 82007 2 (2004) 724348200723 (2004) with Bach Mass in B minor from Fnac / Aria 970901, Fauré from Fnac / Aria 592097 (see CD 29), Mozart Requiem from Fnac / Aria 971201 (CD 35)
CD 28. Messes pour choeurs et deux orgues. Louis Vierne: Messe solennelle, Albert Alain: Messe en l’honneur de St Louis, Jean Langlais: Messe solennelle. Marie-Claire Alain, André Luy, Ensemble vocal de Lausanne, October 1989
First CD release Erato 2292-45511-2 (1990) 022924551123
CD 29. Fauré: Requiem, Five Motets, Cantique de Jean Racine, Messe basse. Magali Dami, Peter Harvey, Ensemble Vocal et Instrumental de Lausanne, February 1992
Original CD release Fnac Music 592097 ([p] 1993 Aria Music / [c] 1996 Aria Music) 3383005920977, also 3229262920728. Reissue 2 CDs Virgin Classics 5 62325 2 (2004) 724356232525 (2004) with Mozart Requiem from Aria Music 971201 (CD 35), compiled in 5 CDs Virgin Classics 4 82007 2 (2004) 724348200723 (2004) with Bach Mass in B mino from Fnac / Aria 970901, Brahms Requiem from Fnac / Aria 961002 (CD 27), Mozart Requiem from Fnac / Aria 971201 (CD 35)
CD 30. Puccini: Messa di Gloria, Poulenc: Gloria. Reinaldo Macias, Marcos Fink, Brigitte Fournier, Orchestre et Choeur de la Fondation Gulbenkian, July 1993 (see discogs).
Original CD release Fnac Music 592273 (1993) 3383005922735. Reissue 2 CDs Virgin Classics 562322 (2004) 72435623222 (2004) with Verdi Requiem from Fnac / Aria 592301 (see CD 33)
CD 31. Haydn Missa Sanctae Caeciliae. Brigitte Fournier, Bernarda Fink, Charles Daniels, Marcos Fink, Orchestre et Choeur de la Fondation Gulbenkian, July 1993.
Original CD release Aria Music / Fnac Music 592309 (1994) 3383005923091 (link to listing on Muziekweb.nl), compiled in 3 CDs Virgin Classics 266356 2 (2000) 5099926635620 “Santa Cecilia” (with Purcell “Hail Bright Cecilia!” Ode for St Cecilia’s Day 1692 cond. Andrew Parrott, Handel Alexander’s Feast or The Power Of Music in honour of St Cecilia cond. Philip Ledger), reissue 2 CDs Virgin Classics 5 62328 2 (2004) 724356232822 (2004) with Bomtempo Requiem from Fnac / Aria 592302 (CD 34)
CD 32. Mendelssohn Œuvres religieuses (Kirchenmusik op. 23/1-3, Psaumes Nos. 2, 43, 22 op. 78/1-3, Octet “Denn er hat seinen Engeln” Hymn “Hör mein Bitten”, Geistlisches Lied, “Lass or Herr mich Hilfe finden”, “Herr wir traun auf deine Güte”). Ensemble vocal de Lausanne, January 1994
Original CD release Fnac Music / Aria Music 592298 (1994) 3383005922988. Reissue 2 CDs Virgin Classics 5 62331 2 (2004) 724356233126 with Brahms Requiem from Fnac / Aria 961002 (CD 27)
CD 33. Verdi: Requiem. Angela-Maria Blasi, Ursula Kunz, Reinaldo Macias, David Pittman-Jennings, Orchestre et choeur de la Fondation Gulbenkian, June 1994.
Original CD release Aria Music / Fnac Music 592301 (1994) 3383005923015 (link to Discogs), reissue 2 CDs Virgin Classics 5 62322 2 (2004) 72435623222 (2004) with Puccini Poulenc from Fnac / Aria 592273 (CD 30)
CD 34. Joao Domingo Bomtempo: Requiem. Angela-Maria Blasi, Liliana Bizineche-Eisinger, Reinaldo Macias, Michel Brodard, Orchestre et Choeur de la Fondation Gulbenkian, June 1994
Original CD Release Aria Music / Fnac Music 592302 (1996) 3383005923022 (see Discogs). Reissue Virgin Classics 5 62328 2 (2004) 724356232822 (2004) with Haydn Missa Sanctae Caeciliae from Fnac / Aria 592398 (CD 31). Reissue Virgin Classics or Erato 6 02864 2 (2012) 5099960286420 with Suppé Requiem from Virgin 5 45570 2 (CD 36). Reissue 2 CDs Erato 6 02864 2 (2012) 5099960286420 with Suppé.
CD 35. Mozart: Requiem. Elisabeth Graf, Efrat Ben-Nun, Jeffrey Francis, Marcos Fink, Ensemble vocal de Lausanne, Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, September 1995. Corboz’ third recording, after those for Erato from April 1975 (see above CD 6) and Cascavelle VEL 1012, rec. March 1990.
Original CD release Aria Music / Fnac Music 971201 (1998) 3485649712014. Reissue 2 CDs Virgin Classics (2004) 724356232525 with Fauré Requiem from Fnac / Aria 592097 (CD 29), compiled in 5 CDs Virgin Classics 4 82007 2 (2004) 724348200723 with Bach Mass in B minor from Fnac / Aria 970901, Fauré Requiem from Fnac / Aria 592097, Brahms Requiem from Fnac / Aria 961002 (CD 27)
CD 36. Suppé: Requiem. Elizabete Matos, Mirjam Kalin, Aquiles Machado, Luis Rodrigues, Chorus and Orchestra of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Lisbon, March 1997.
Original CD release Virgin Classics 5 45570 2 (2003) 724354557026, 5 45614 2 (2003) 724354561429 “copy controlled”. Reissue 2 CDs Virgin Classics or Erato 6 02864 2 (2012) 5099960286420 with Bomtempo Requiem from Fnac / Aria 592302 (CD 34). Reissue 2 CDs Erato 6 02864 2 (2012) 5099960286420 with Bomtempo.
Ultimately, I’m not sure I’ve made such a good deal, since I had most of these CDs individually. Probably buyng the few I was missing, even with invididual postage, would have cost me less. Still it’s worth it for the few Erato reissues that were not or not easily available before the set came out (Haydn Keyboard Concertos and Theresienmass, Stravinsky’s Les Noces, Brahms’ Motets and other choral works). 
There’s a companion set, from 2022, 0190296217463 Michel Corboz The Complete Erato Recordings Baroque & Renaissance Eras, which I do not intend to review
, first because I don’t have it, and second because it’s 74 CDs, more than twice the present set (which shows the balance of Corboz’ interests in musical styles, more Monteverdi and Bach – he recorded the B-minor Mass four times, twice for Erato, then Fnac and Mirare – than Mendelssohn and Brahms), and I’ve spent enough time on these 36 CDs already.
Still, as a bonus, I provide here a discography of Corboz’ late recordings with Cascavalle and Mirare (with Corboz’ fourth recording of Fauré’s Requiem – but now the earlier, chamber version – and fourth of Bach’s B-minor)