Charpentier: Le Malade Imaginaire (1992)

Due to legal complications engineered by Jean-Baptiste Lully and effected by Louis XIV, Marc-Antoine Charpentier's brilliant incidental music for Molière's final comedy Le Malade imaginaire (1672-1674) was subjected to two drastic revisions; and despite the composer's usual precautions and careful maintenance of his manuscripts, the work's ordering became confused and scores of two important sections -- the Premier intermède and the Petit opéra impromptu -- lost. Thanks to the work of musicologists John S. Powell and H. ... Read More

Due to legal complications engineered by Jean-Baptiste Lully and effected by Louis XIV, Marc-Antoine Charpentier's brilliant incidental music for Molière's final comedy Le Malade imaginaire (1672-1674) was subjected to two drastic revisions; and despite the composer's usual precautions and careful maintenance of his manuscripts, the work's ordering became confused and scores of two important sections -- the Premier intermède and the Petit opéra impromptu -- lost. Thanks to the work of musicologists John S. Powell and H. Wiley Hitchcock, the full work has been reconstructed from surviving parts and restored for performance. The 1990 recording by William Christie and Les Arts Florissants is the most complete and authoritative version available; but if that makes it seem stuffy and dry, then hearing the performance will come as a glorious surprise. Charpentier's score is simply splendid in its color, humor, variety, and panache, and even the most casual listener will be drawn to the music, even without... Read Less

• All

• All Copies (0)
• Choose Release (1)

Currently there are no copies available. However, our inventory changes frequently. Please check back soon or try Book Fetch.

2005, Harmonia Mundi UPC: 794881768325 CD See All