The operas of Jean-Philippe Rameau, vast spectacles, may be lost to history in their original forms. Sure, some of them have been produced in the modern era, but no company could muster the combination of singers, instrumentalists, choreography, and costume and scene design that would have accompanied the originals. The closest might be this release by French soprano Sabine Devieilhe, which is a thrill from start to finish. The album simply has it all. Devieilhe's voice is a knockout, and a deceptive one at that: it comes ...
Read More
The operas of Jean-Philippe Rameau, vast spectacles, may be lost to history in their original forms. Sure, some of them have been produced in the modern era, but no company could muster the combination of singers, instrumentalists, choreography, and costume and scene design that would have accompanied the originals. The closest might be this release by French soprano Sabine Devieilhe, which is a thrill from start to finish. The album simply has it all. Devieilhe's voice is a knockout, and a deceptive one at that: it comes in as a flutelike thing in the mid-range but then scores with an agile top that seems absolutely undaunted by acrobatic vocal writing. The work of the historical-instrument orchestra Les Ambassadeurs under Alexis Kossenko is technically superb and dramatically sharp; they convey the feeling of playing for real theatergoers. The music covers selections from some operas with hugely ambitious themes, and there are three world-premiere recordings. Sample the storm aria from Les Indes...
Read Less
Add this copy of Rameau: Opera Arias to cart. $24.48, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2013 by PLG UK CLASSICS.
Add this copy of Le Grand Theatre De L'Amour to cart. $25.90, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Erato.
"True Music is the Language of the Heart". This quotation from Rameau's "Treatise on Harmony" aptly introduces this beautiful CD of Rameau's music organized under the theme of love. The CD introduces the young French soprano, Sabine Devieilhe. Alexis Kossenko, a conductor of Baroque and a highly-regarded flutist conducts the Baroque ensemble, "Les Ambassadeurs". The CD also features tenor Samuel Boden, baritone Aimery Lefevre, and Le Jeune Choeur de Paris, each on two tracks.
At the age of 50 Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683 -- 1764) began composing opera and achieved extraordinary success during his lifetime. He may well remain today the most neglected of the great composers. Fortunately, it is easy to get to know Rameau through many outstanding and idiomatic recordings, including this CD. The recording includes 23 tracks from 15 Rameau operas. Three of the selections have not been recorded before. The vocal selections feature Devieilhe who displays a beautifully flexible, expressive voice in this music together with impeccable phrasing and diction. A duet with the tenor and a trio with the tenor and baritone also make part of the vocal selections. The CD also includes a great deal of orchestral music, including the overture from "Pygmailion" and several dance interludes from the operas.
The CD is organized in the form of a cohesive miniature opera on the theme of love. Director Kossenko presents the music to tell a simple story of a young innocent woman searching for love, enduring heartbreak, and finally finding happiness. In the process, the CD shows the breadth of Rameau's emotional range. The CD dispels the myth of Rameau as a dry, formalistic composer. The CD begins with a large-scale rhythmic ensemble for soprano, baritone, and chorus, followed by the overture. It then mixes airs and recitives with instrumental interludes, as Rameau himself did in his complete operas.
The organization is, of course, loose, combining Rameau's writings in various forms, but it is effective. Devieilhe combines with Kossenko on the flute in an air, "Come Hymen, come and united with me" from "Les Indes Galantes" (no. 6). The passionate air of a broken heart, "Telaire" (no. 19) also highlights the CD. The orchestral playing is in turns smooth, elegant, rhythmic, and jagged, both in the instrumental and in the vocal selections. The winds, and Kossenko's flute get featured throughout. Vocal and instrumental lines are well-integrated.
Rameau and the music of the French Baroque are sometimes regarded as acquired tastes. The dancelike character of the music and the integration of air and recitive in the vocal lines distinguish French opera from the more familiar Italian, German, and English writing of the time. I invariably find Rameau's music glorious, and on this CD it immediately and viscerally appealing. Kossenko writes in the liner notes that "Rameau's path of love leads us directly unto the stage of the great theatre of life."
The CD includes texts and translations together with Kossenko's introduction. This CD is an excellent choice for listeners who already love Rameau and to those who want to get to know his music.
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.