大象传媒

Donald Macleod begins three weeks focused on French composers, in honour of this month鈥檚 鈥楾our de France鈥� cycle race. This week, Donald introduces us to Jean-Philippe Rameau who astounded Parisian audiences with his debut opera, "Hippolyte et Aricie".

"I have followed the theatre since the age of twelve", so said Rameau to a young composer who wrote to him for advice. It's an intriguing insight into a man who didn't produce his first opera until the age of fifty. Quite why it took him that long isn't clear. Up to that point he had been a church musician, following in his father's footsteps, holding a succession of posts mainly in the South of France. He also taught and established himself as a theoretician of some note. A brief, early sojourn in Paris, a mecca for any theatrical hopeful, ended abruptly when he was still in his twenties. It wasn't until he returned to Paris in 1723 that Rameau was able to start writing music for theatrical entertainments, at first for the popular Fairs, and then finally in 1733 for the Paris Opera. In the midst of constant cultural rows over the merits of French and Italian operatic style, Rameau flourished as a theatre composer. At one point he was so successful the management of the Paris Opera decreed no more than two of his works should be mounted per season, to allow other composers to get a look in! He completed his final opera, a masterpiece, Les Bor茅ades in 1763, the year before he died at the age of eighty. Across the week Donald Macleod focuses on this remarkable period in Rameau's life, from the first of his theatrical works to his last.

It was lucky break for the newcomer when Rameau persuaded an established poet, Abb茅 Simon-Joseph Pellegrin to write the text for his first opera. Pellegrin was a highly respected figure in the opera world and being able to add his name to the frontispiece of the score shored up Rameau's credentials.

Overture to 狈补茂蝉
Attaquons les cieux
Orfeo Orchestra
Purcell Choir
Gy枚rgy Vashegyi, conductor

狈补茂蝉
Prologue: Lancez, lancez la foudre
Orfeo Orchestra
Purcell Choir
Gy枚rgy Vashegyi, conductor

Achante et C茅phise, Act 1
Premier et deuxi猫me air en movement de chaconne vive
La Grande 脡curie et Les Ambassadeurs
Alexis Kossenko, conductor

Les Bor茅ades
"Un horizon serein"
Caroline Weynants, soprano, S茅phire
Collegium 1704
V谩clav Luks

La poule (Suite in G minor)
Nouvelles suites de pieces de clavecin
Justin Taylor, harpsichord

Hippolyte et Aricie, Act 3
Quels biens!
Laurent Naouri, bass, Th茅s茅e
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie, director

Hippolyte et Aricie, Act IV, Sc 1 to 3
Ah! Faut-il en un jour, perdre tout ce que j'aime!
C'en est donc fait, cruel, rien n'arr锚te vos pas
Nous allons nous jurer une immortelle foi
Faisons partout voler nos traits
Anna-Maria Panzarella, soprano, Aricie
Mark Padmore, tenor, Hippolyte
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie, director

Producer: Johannah Smith