A character survey
Donald Macleod’s survey of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s operas comes to Castor et Pollux, one of the most original of his stage creations.
Donald Macleod’s survey of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s operas comes to Castor et Pollux, one of the most original of his stage creations.
At his death in 1764, Rameau, by then an octogenarian, had more than 30 stage works to his credit. It’s a remarkable achievement when you consider he produced his first opera at the age of 50. Up to that point, although details about his life are surprisingly patchy, he appears to have held a succession of posts in the provinces, as an organist, teacher and theoretician, seemingly without even a whiff of greasepaint. Then, at an age when one might assume his chosen path was settled, Rameau upped sticks, came back to Paris and conquered the stage with breathtaking speed.
Across the week Donald Macleod focusses on those heady, initial years in the French capital, building a picture of what made Rameau into a highly successful, if controversial, theatrical composer.
Rameau had a singular ability to connect music with human emotion. Today Donald considers the composer’s rather contrary character and how he brought his operatic characters to life on stage.
Castor et Pollux (Act 1)
Que tout gémisse
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie, director
Castor et Pollux (Act 1)
Tristes apprêts, pales flambeaux
Agnès Mellon, soprano, Télaïre
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie, director
Castor et Pollux (Act 3, Scenes 4 & 5)
Sortez d’esclavage ….Brisons tous nos fers
Howard Crook, tenor, Pollux
Agnès Mellon, soprano, Télaïre
Véronique Gens, soprano, Phébé
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie, director
Quatrieme concert (excerpt)
La pantomime
La Rameau
Christopher Rousset, harpsichord
Ryo Terakado, violin
Kaori Uemura, viola da gamba
Hippolyte et Aricie (Act 1 excerpt)
Mark Padmore, tenor, Hippolyte
Anna Maria Panzarella, soprano, Aricie
Patricia Petibon, soprano, Une Prêtresse
Mireille Delunsch, soprano Une Grande Prêtresse
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie, director
Castor et Pollux (Act 5)
Castor revoit le jour
Véronique Gens, soprano Phébé
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie, director
Castor et Pollux (Act 5)
Chaconne
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie, director
Last on
Broadcast
- Wed 16 Jan 2019 12:00´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3
Vaughan Williams Today
Beethoven Unleashed – the box set
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Composers A to Z
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.