Marc-Antoine Charpentier - Médée

"Reporting on the premiere performances of 'Médée' at the Academie de la Musique (the Opéra) in Paris in December 1693, the monthly Mercure Galant enthused. Louis XIV had accepted the dedication to him of the work, though neither its composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier nor its librettist Thomas Corneille were in his service, and His Majesty had been heard to say of Charpentier that 'He was convinced that [Charpentier] was an able man, and He knew that there were very fine things in his opera.' Of ten performances, the Grand Dauphin had attended two, and Monsieur (the king's brother) four. Marthe Le Rochois, the most celebrated soprano of the era, had portrayed Medea 'with warmth, subtlety and intelligence.' In the libretto of Corneille (younger brother of the more celebrated Pierre), 'The emotions are so vivid in it that, even if the role [of Medea] were only to be spoken, it would not fail to make a great impression on the audience.' In sum, 'true connoisseurs found many admirable passages in the opera 'Médée.' 

 

"But not everyone agreed with the gossipy monthly's opinion — especially since the Mercure was exceptionally partial to Charpentier, its editor having collaborated several times with the composer (and with Corneille, too). A more impartial report, if much later, would seem to be that of Sebastien de Brossard, composer and erudite music scholar; writing in 1724, Brossard said: "[The opera 'Médée'] is unquestionably the most expert and exquisite of all that have been published, at least since the death of M. de Lully; and although thanks to cabals of the envious and ignorant it was not received by the public as well as it deserved, or even as well as many others, it is this one, more than all other operas without exception, from which may be learned the essentials of good composition.' 

 

"Note the qualification: '...at least since the death of M. de Lully.' Jean-Baptiste Lully, born in Florence in 1632 but at the French royal court from 1646, and at the time of his death in 1687 effectively composer-laureate of the realm, was still being considered — thirty-seven years later, and by an unprejudiced and learned musician — the unparalleled musical dramatist of France. This suggests who were behind the 'cabals of the envious and ignorant' that doomed Charpentier's 'Médée': Lullistes, faithful to the memory of the late Superintendent of the King's Music, who had virtually invented French opera with a series of annual 'tragédies en musique' beginning with 'Cadmus et Hermione' (1673) and culminating with 'Armide' (1686). For such Lullistes, Charpentier — who had been shaped as a composer in Rome under Giacomo Carissimi — was the enemy: not a composer of 'pure' French music but one who had been seduced by the 'excesses' of Italian Baroque music. And 'Médée' was indeed doomed, at least for almost three hundred years. Charpentier's score was printed in 1694 under royal privilege, and the opera made an abortive appearance in Lille in 1700 (a fire destroyed the decors and the opera's run had to be cancelled). But then it was forgotten and never heard integrally again until 1984 — in a Robert Wilson/Michel Corboz production at the Opera de Lyon and in a different version recorded by Les Arts Florissants under William Christie, which was revised and given a triumphant stage production in 1993-94, giving rise to the present recording. And now that we are able to take the full measure of the work, it is generally agreed that Med& is Charpentier's consummate masterpiece. 

 

"Ironically, 'Médée' is very much a Lullian opera —in its external form (prologue and five acts); its subject matter (classical myth); its literary style (poetic throughout, and versified mostly in couplets and quatrains of alexandrines); its precise declamation and text-dominated vocalism (as opposed to the Italians' music-dominated, aria-filled 'concerts in costume'; its exotic and fantastic divertissements rich in song-and-dance delights (one in every act but the last); its substantial choruses; its double orchestra (a full grand chœur — with strings in five parts, winds, trumpets, and percussion — aerated often with a petit chœur of solo instruments in three parts) and of course an accompanimental basse continue of semi-improvising harpsichords, lutes, and bowed and blown bass instruments. Having said that in 'Médée' Charpentier and Corneille accepted the Lullian mould of the tragédie lyrique, one must immediately insist on the ways they broke the mould. First of all, Charpentier filled the opera with some of his most magnificent music, sustaining the inspiration throughout a very long work. The elements of his personal style shine all through it: a unique synthesis of lyrical, warmly Italianate vocalism and precise French declamation; a rich harmonic palette abounding in poignant chromaticism and evocative dissonances; a unique vocal arioso for the solo recits; a flair for unusual orchestral colors; and a magisterial command of instrumental and choral polyphony. 

 

"One is perhaps struck most by the sheer theatricality of 'Médée' and its powerful evocation of diverse characters and the complete range of their emotions. As the French scholar Catherine Massip has emphasized, this is 'an opera whose subtlety and complexity are found as much in its dramatic texture as in Charpentier's response to the libretto.' Like virtually every earlier playwright reworking the legend of Jason and Medea, Thomas Corneille had his own slant on it. Unlike the versions of Euripides, Seneca, and even his older brother, Corneille begins his account with the first days in Corinth of Medea and Jason (Medea having fled her own country with Jason after he acquired the Golden Fleece, and having borne his children) and with Jason's infatuation with the Corinthian princess Creusa, daughter of King Creon. Corneille portrays Jason as a weak-willed anti-hero — irresolute, impressionable, and opportunistic — while his Medea is a complex character —aware of her supernatural powers; jealous but proud; wanting acceptance as a desirable woman rather than rejection as a rank outsider, as a loving mother rather than a sorceress; and resistant to believing the worst about the man she loves, though, when she does, resolving, 'Et que le crime nous separe/Comme le crime nous a joints' ('And may murder separate us/Just as murder has united us.') 

 

"At the moment of that resolution (Act III, scene 4), Corneille and Charpentier climactically invoke sorcery and black magic. Understandably: the 1680s had been full of them, at court and in Paris. The scandals of the 'Affaire of the Poisons,' which led to many trials and tortures, convictions and deaths, and in which even the king's longtime mistress, Madame de Montespan, had been implicated, was on everyone's lips. So, of course: sorcery in 'Médée.' But, as Jean-Marie Villegier, director of the production of Les Arts Florissants, has written, one of the opera's main subtexts is that 'Even if woman is a sorceress, this sorceress is a woman.' 

 

"Charpentier brings to Corneille's libretto an extraordinary sensitivity to dramatic nuance, his music powerfully conveying human passions and affects. The Prologue leaves little room for such characterization: it is antiseptically allegorical, all about the peaceable reign (!) of Louis XIV. (Such a prologue, on such a theme, was obligatory under the Sun King.) Pleasant vocal trios are echoed in choruses punctuated by bright orchestral ritournelles. Toward the end, a chain of cheerful dances - loure, canaries, menuet, passepied - confirms a message of peaceful pleasures: 'Le bruit des tambours, des trompettes / Ne viendra point troubler nos jeux.' ('The noise of drums and trumpets/Shall no more disturb our games.') 

 

"In Act I, Charpentier swiftly plunges us deep into Medea's passionate, proud, fierce character. Her big récit 'S 'il me vole son cœur, si la princesse y règne,/De plus grands efforts feront voir/Ce qu'est Médée et son pouvoir' (If his heart has been stolen, if the Princess holds sway there,/Greater efforts will reveal/Who Medea is, and what are her powers') has a unique accompaniment, pulsing with barely contained power; and the récit, which establishes the main theme of the drama, is framed with angry, rushing passagework for the strings. In the divertissement that concludes the act, Charpentier is careful to distinguish the four-part Chorus of Corinthians (initially offstage, a nice coup de theatre and a great novelty) from the three-part Chorus of Argians. In Act II, we meet Medea as mother, and her softer side is deftly suggested, especially in the accompaniment, for soft strings and two gentle flutes, of her récit 'Princesse, c'est sur vous que mon espoir se fonde' ('Princess, 'tis upon you that my hopes are founded.') This act also closes with a divertissement, a fantasy in which the nubile Creusa is addressed by Cupid and 'Captifs d'amour de plusieurs nations' ('Slaves of Love from several nations') (including Italy, of course, as an excuse for a distinctly Italianate air, to an Italian text); the concluding 'Passecaille en rondeau' finds the chorus alternating with a vocal trio, representing 'Three Slaves of Love,' that is enchantingly reminiscent of sixteenth-century chanson style. The dramatic tension deepens and intensifies in Act III. Medea has several powerful monologues, each differentiated sonorously and rhythmically. The first 'Quel prix de mon amour?' ('Such is the price of love') is rounded off with a return to the opening lines of text, but with subtle reshaping of their music. The second 'C'en est fait, on m'y force' ('But it's all over, I'm forced to it') displays the angry Medea, competing once again with rushing strings. Her resolution to turn to malignant sorcery is forcefully projected in both 'Noires filles du Styx' ('Black daughters of the Styx'), with a string accompaniment kept low and dark, and 'Dieu du Cocyte et des royaumes sombres' ('God of Cocytus and of the dark kingdoms,') even more darkly scored. These two récits are integrated into a divertissement that introduces fantastic creatures — snarling Vengeance and Jealousy, and a crowd of Demons. 

 

"Act IV begins with a delicately chromatic prelude for two flutes, two violins, and continuo: our first view of Creusa clad in the deceptively beautiful poisoned robe given her by Medea 'Jamais on ne la vit si belle' ('Never has she looked so beautiful.') Charpentier composes a stunning love scene for Creusa and Jason beginning with lyrical solos for each, out of the 'air de cour' tradition; the dialogue ends with a brief, wistful duet. Later in the act Creon and Medea have their final confrontation. Creon calls on his guards to seize her. Medea magically causes the guards to reject their king, then calls up a horde of phantoms to immobilize them — which they do in an utterly eerie divertissement. (Charpentier suggests the insubstantial phantoms with a mysterious, bassless chorus.) Creon finishes the act with a desperate récit 'Noires divinites, que voulez-vous de moi?' ('Black Divinities, what do you want of me?'). For Creon's drift into madness, Charpentier takes a cue from the line 'Tout s'abime, la terre s'ouvre!' ('There is an abyss, the earth opens up') and omits the treble instruments, divides the basses into two parts, and creates a dense, dark, literally abysmal accompaniment. An intermède leading to Act V is based appropriately on Medea's ferocious 'anger music,' which has by now become a leitmotif.

 

"Act V is highlighted by the Corinthians' choral lament on the death of Creon (evoking the memory of Lully's celebrated choral lament, 'Alceste est morte!') ('Alceste is dead!'); by the almost unbearably poignant scene of Creusa in torment in the poisoned robe; and by her death, postponed just long enough to permit an extraordinarily moving, bittersweet love-death duet for her and Jason 'Hélas! prets d'être unis par les plus douces chaines' ('Alas! Ready as we are to be united in the sweetest bonds'); and finally by Medea's ferocious adieu to Jason — introduced and followed, as by now we almost expect, by orchestral ritournelles in Medea's 'angry' style. That is the last sound we hear." (H. Wiley Hitchcock. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Les Arts Florissants, William Christie, Lorraine Hunt, Mark Padmore, Bernard Deletré, Monique Zanetti, Jean-Marc Salzmann

1.1. Prologue: Ouverture

1.2. Prologue: 'Louis Est Triomphant'

1.3. Prologue: 'Paroissez, Charmante Victoire'

1.4. Prologue: 'Le Ciel Dans Nos Vœux S'intéresse'

1.5. Prologue: Loure

1.6. Prologue: 'Dans Le Bel Âge, Si L'on N'est Volage'

1.7. Prologue: Passepied

1.8. Prologue: Ouverture (Reprise)

1.9. Acte I, Scène I: 'Pour Flatter Mes Ennemis'

1.10. Acte I, Scène I: 'Qu'il Le Cherche, Mais Qu'il Me Craigne'

1.11. Acte I, Scène II: 'D'où Vous Vient Cet Air Sombre?'

1.12. Acte I, Scène III: 'Que Je Serois Heureux, Si J'étais Moins Aimé'

1.13. Acte I, Scène III: 'Que Me Peut Demander La Gloire'

1.14. Acte I, Scène IV: 'L'Allégresse En Ces Lieux'

1.15. Acte I, Scène V: 'Seigneur, La Thessalie Attaquant Vos Estats'

1.16. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Courez Aux Champs De Mars'

1.17. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Que D'épais Bataillons, Sur Nos Rêves Descendent'

1.18. Acte I, Scène VI: Rondeau Des Corinthiens

1.19. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Quel Bonheur Suit La Tendresse'

1.20. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Que D'épais' (Reprise)

1.21. Acte I, Scène VI: Entr'acte

 

2.1. Acte II, Scène I: 'Il Est Temps De Parler'

2.2. Acte II, Scène I: 'Vos Reproches, Seigneur, Ne Sont Pas Légitimes'

2.3. Acte II, Scène II: 'Princesse, C'est Sur Vous Que Mon Espoir Est Permis'

2.4. Acte II, Scène III: 'Enfin À Ton Amour Tout Espoir Est Permis'

2.5. Acte II, Scène IV: 'Prince, Venez Apprendre Une Heureuse Nouvelle'

2.6. Acte II, Scène V: 'Qu'ay-je À Résoudre Encor?'

2.7. Acte II, Scène V: 'Quand Son Amour Seroit Extrême'

2.8. Acte II, Scène VI: 'Puisqu'un Fier Ennemy'

2.9. Acte II, Scène VII: 'Quelle Est Charmante'

2.10. Acte II, Scène VII: Chaconne

2.11. Acte II, Scène VII: Passacaille

2.12. Acte II, Scène VII: 'Vous Voyez À Quoi J'aspire'

2.13. Acte III, Scène I: 'L'orage Est Violent'

2.14. Acte III, Scène I: 'Souffrirez Vous Qu'on Vous Enlève'

2.15. Acte III, Scène II: 'Vous Savez L'exil Qu'on M'ordonne'

2.16. Acte III, Scène III: 'Quel Prix De Mon Amour'

2.17. Acte III, Scène IV: 'Croiras-tu Mon Malheur?'

2.18. Acte III, Scène V: 'Noires Filles Du Stix'

2.19. Acte III, Scène VI: 'L'Enfer Obéit À Ta Voix'

2.20. Acte III, Scène VII: 'Je Vois Le Don Fatal'

2.21. Acte III, Scène VII: Premier Air Pour Les Démons

2.22. Acte III, Scène VII: 'Dieu Du Cocyte & Des Royaumes Sombres'

2.23. Acte III, Scène VII: Seconde Entrée Des Démons

 

3.1. Acte IV, Scène I: 'Jamais On Ne La Vit Si Belle'

3.2. Acte IV, Scène II: 'Ah! Que D'attraits'

3.3. Acte IV, Scène III: 'Si-tost Que Je Parois'

3.4. Acte IV, Scène IV: 'Vos Soupçons Estoient Vrais'

3.5. Acte IV, Scène V: 'D'où Me Vient Cette Horreur?'

3.6. Acte IV, Scène VI: 'Objets Agréables'

3.7. Acte IV, Scène VI: 'Vos Adieux Sont-ils Faits?'

3.8. Acte IV, Scène VII: Premier Air Des Phantômes

3.9. Acte IV, Scène VII: Phantômes Et Gardes

3.10. Acte IV, Scène VII: 'Tout Resent Le Pouvoir'

3.11. Acte IV, Scène VIII: 'Mon Pouvoir S'est Connu'

3.12. Acte IV, Scène IX: 'Noires Divinités'

3.13. Acte V, Scène I: 'On Ne Peut Sans Effroy'

3.14. Acte V, Scène I: 'Ne Les Épargnons Pas'

3.15. Acte V, Scène II: 'Si La Pitié Vous Peut Trouver Sensible'

3.16. Acte V, Scène III: 'Venez, Parlez'

3.17. Acte V, Scène III: Air Funeste (Reprise)

3.18. Acte V, Scène IV: 'Eh Bien, Barbare'

3.19. Acte V, Scène V: 'Quel Feu Dans Me Veines S'allume'

3.20. Acte V, Scène VI: 'Ah, Roy Trop Malheureux'

3.21. Acte V, Scène VII: 'Elle Est Morte, Et Je Vis!'

3.22. Acte V, Scène VIII: 'C'est Peu, Pour Contenter La Douleur'

 

flac/16-bit

Jean-Baptiste Lully - Isis

"'Isis' - following 'Cadmus et Hermione' (1673), 'Alceste' (1674), 'Thésée' (1675) and 'Atys' (1676) - was the fifth 'tragedie en musique' resulting from the collaboration between Jean-Baptiste Lully and his librettist Philippe Quinault. The opera was premiered on Tuesday 5 January 1677 at the chateau vieux of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which was then the only royal residence with a theatre suitable for opera performances. In December 1669, at the request of Louis XIV, the architect Carlo Vigarani had transformed the original ballroom, built in the sixteenth century under Francois I, into a theatre, complete with stage machinery capable of elevating performers and shifting sets, and accommodating some six hundred and fifty spectators. 

 

"Like 'Thésée' and 'Atys,' also premiered at Saint-Ger-main-en-Laye, 'Isis' was sung by artists from Lully's Academie Royale de Musique (also known as the Opera) and from the Musique du Roi. The two basse-contre parts were taken by Jean Gaye of the Chambre du Roi (Hierax) and Francois Beaumavielhe of the Opera (Jupiter). Lully gave the title role to Marie Aubry, the first soprano in his troupe, who the previous year had created the role of Sangaride in 'Atys.' As for the jealous goddess Juno, who persecutes the poor nymph Io, her part was taken by the great Mademoiselle de Saint-Christophle of the Opera, who specialised in the roles of goddesses and enchantresses, and had created that of Cybele in Atys. A hundred musicians, members of the Grande Ecurie, the Chambre du Roi and the Opera, formed an impressive orchestra composed of the finest instrumentalists in the realm. Some of them played on stage, including several trumpeters from the Grande Ecurie accompanying Fame (La Renommée) and her attendants in the prologue, and four members of the famous Hotteterre family (Louis, Jean, Nicolas and Jeannot) playing the flute in the Act III divertissement telling the story of Pan and Syrinx. 

"Louis XIV had begun to take a very keen interest in opera performances in 1675 when, at the age of thirty-seven, he retired from dancing in public. After Thesée, many other works by Quinault and Lully were first presented at court during the Carnival period, then staged in Paris at the Opera: 'Atys' (1676), 'Isis' (1677), 'Proserpine' (1680), 'Le Triomphe de l'Amour' (1681), 'Phaeton' (1683), 'Roland' (1684). 

"Rehearsals, covering a period of almost two months, board and lodging for all the artists (accommodated by locals), the making of the sets and costumes, designed respectively by Carlo Vigarani and Jean Berain: everything was paid for by the royal treasury, with no expense spared. The aim was to dazzle all present - especially foreign ambassadors, but also the courtiers and the Parisians who were allowed to attend certain performances - and to show off the opulence and splendour of the court of the Sun King, while at the same time asserting the power of France. Rehearsals of 'Isis' began at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 19 November 1676. On 23 December, with preparations in full swing, Quinault read the prologue to the Academie Francaise, and was complimented on the beauty of his writing, which raised hopes for the great success of the work. Quinault was inspired for his libretto by the story of Io as related in the first book of Ovid's Metamorphoses. For understandable reasons, he omitted Io's transformation into a white heifer, but took up the episode in which Jupiter hides the nymph in a cloud in order to escape his wife's jealous eye. The encomiastic prologue, to the glory of Louis XIV, alludes to the French naval victory of 1676 over the Dutch and the Spanish in the Franco-Dutch War 'Mon empire a servi de théâtre a la guerre,' sings Neptune. 

"Eyewitnesses of the first performance found Jean Berain's costumes admirable, and the ballets choreographed by Pierre Beauchamp and François-Hilaire d'Olivet also received much applause. The reception of the opera was nevertheless mitigated. Quinault was criticised for producing a libretto that was considered below his normal standard, without any real dramatic action, and some critics found Lully's music too 'savant.' Apparently Louis was dissatisfied with a work for which he himself had chosen the subject, and Madame de Montespan, the king's mistress for the past ten years, attended only a few performances: she disliked the opera, finding its subject improper. Despite its relative lack of success, however, 'Isis' continued to be performed at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, alternately with 'Thesée,' until the end of February 1677.

"Little did Louis realise, when he approved the libretto, that during the summer of 1677 the court would identify the jealous and irascible goddess Juno with Madame de Montespan, and the character of Io with the young Marie-Elisabeth de Ludres, one of the royal mistress's fines d'honneur, with whom the king had become infatuated. Madame de Sevigne was among those who described the events of June-July 1677 (shortly before the work was taken to Paris) through the characters of 'Isis.' Quinault was accused of deliberately making fun of La Montespan; as a result he had to suffer two years of disgrace, during which time he wrote no more librettos for Lully: Thomas Corneille was to provide the texts for 'Psyché' (1678) and 'Bellerophon' (1679). Jean-Francois Lalouette, Lully's assistant, also got into trouble for having reportedly boasted that he was the author of some of the best parts of 'Isis': Lully dismissed him and appointed the composer Pascal Collasse to take his place. 

"Its lack of success at court meant that 'Isis' was not given in Paris as soon as the Opera reopened after Easter, as was customary; instead Lully revived 'Thesée.' Parisians did not have a chance to see the work until August 1677, when it was performed with the same costumes and sets at the theatre of the Academie Royale de Musique in the Palais-Royal, and with a change in the cast: Francois Baumavielhe, who had sung the role of Jupiter at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, took over the part of Hierax, previously sung by Jean Gaye, thus performing two roles. The work ran continuously until March 1678, when 'Psyché' was taken up again. Meanwhile, printed copies of the work had a wide distribution: 'Isis' was Lully's first printed score: part-books, running to at least six editions in 1677, were sold at performances (The full score was not published until 1719). During the composer's lifetime the work was also given in Amsterdam (25 November-30 December 1677, and 3 February 1678) and Regensburg (1683), and sometime around 1686 excerpts from the opera were presented in Ansbach.

 
"There were only three known revivals of 'Isis' at the Paris Opera in the eighteenth century (1704, 1717-18 and 1732-33). The last revival during the remaining years of the Sun King's reign took place on 14 February 1704. The 1717 revival was a great success: the cast was outstanding and particular care had been taken over the costumes and sets. Isis remained on the bill for five months, from 14 September 1717 to 9 January 1718, and gave rise to a parody by Jacques Charpentier, 'La Vache Io ou Les Amours de Jupiter et d'Io,' presented at the Foire Saint-Laurent that same year, 1718. The last Paris revival, from 14 December 1732, received much applause for its first-rate cast and its fine ballets choreographed by Michel Blondy, but the work as a whole was not very successful and it was taken off on the following 25 January. Despite such a short run, this last revival gave rise to two more parodies, both by Louis Fuzelier: 'La Jalousie avec sujet' (1732, not performed), and 'À Fourbe, fourbe a demi ou Le Trompeur trompé' (Foire Saint-Germain, 1733). On 16 and 21 March 1733 'Isis,' including Jean-Fery Rebel's 'Fantaisie,' was given 'pour la capitation des Acteurs.' After that 'Isis' left the repertoire of the Paris Opera. In the provinces, it was given in Lyon in 1698, Marseille in March 1701, and Dijon in 1729. Excerpts from the first three acts were given in Strasbourg in 1732.

"'Isis' stands apart among Quinault and Lully's operas. Doubtless because the chosen subject, the myth of Io, with its limited plot, provided the authors with few dramatic possibilities, they chose to give a large role to divertissements, episodes providing opportunities for spectacle and dance. As he had done previously in 'La Comédie sans comédie' of 1654, Quinault introduced in Act III a play within a play - or rather a mini-opera within an opera - when the story of Pan and Syrinx is enacted to put Argus to sleep: one of the finest passages in the work. Quinault also had Io transported for her sufferings to different climes, in response to the requirement of varietas, thereby giving the composer, choreographer and stage designer fine opportunities to show their skills, but not permitting a tightening of the plot. The strong presence of very carefully scored orchestral pieces and airs accompagnes, together with the many divertissements, led the work to become known as 'l'opera des musiciens' (Jean-Laurent Le Cerf de La Vieville, 'Comparaison de Ia musique italienne et de Ia musique françoise, Volume I,' 1704).

 
"Lully's sensibility and artistry are displayed to the full in many beautiful musical passages. Let us mention, for example, the descent of Apollo and the muses in the second scene of the prologue, with a prelude in G minor alternating orchestral tutti with a trio of flutes and violins: a piece showing great refinement in its writing and in the use of modulation. Then there is the announcement of the arrival of Jupiter, 'Échos retentissez dans ces lieux pleins d'appas' (Act I, Sc. 5), with its echo effects. And Pan's lament after the death of Syrinx, 'Hélas! quel bruit! qu'entends-je? Ah, quelle voix nouvelle!' (Act III, Sc. 6), with a basso continuo descending the twelve tones of the chromatic scale and an accompaniment of flutes symbolising Syrinx reincarnated as the reeds blowing and lamenting in the wind - a passage regarded at the time as Lully's masterpiece. But it is the fourth act that presents the greatest concentration of remarkable sequences. The first scene includes the famous chorus 'L'hiver qui nous tourmente,' sung by the people of the frozen regions, preceded by an instrumental entrée, each note of which has to be 'tremblée' in imitation of their shivering. This chorus, widely admired, inspired Purcell's 'Chorus of the Cold People' in Act III of 'King Arthur' (1691). In Scene 3, the Chalybes, famed as forgers of steel, make effective use of onomatopoeia ('Tot, tot, tot') as they strike the red-hot metal on their anvils. The chorus 'Exécutons l'arrêt du sort,' sung by the followers of the Fates in Scene 5, is punctuated by interventions from coryphdes representing War, Famine, Fire, Flood and Violent and Languishing Illnesses; the composer treats this passage with much humour. The act ends with the trio 'Le fil de la vie,' sung by the Fates (Les Parques): vertical writing is animated by brief vocalisations on the word 'tourne' (the image of the Fates spinning the thread of life); this piece was greatly admired for its skilful composition, and Lully was particularly proud of it. It probably inspired Rameau for the scene with the Furies at the end of Act II of 'Hippolyte et Aricie' (1733). (Pascal Denécheau. From the liner notes.)

 

Performers: Les Talens Lyriques, Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Christophe Rousset, Ève-Maud Hubeaux, Cyril Auvity, Edwin Crossley-Merger, Philippe Estèphe, Ambroisine Bré, Bénédicte Tauran, Fabien Hyon, Aimery Lefévre

1.1. Ouverture

1.2. Prologue, Scène I: 'Publions En Tous Lieux'

1.3. Prologue, Scène I: 'C'est Lui Dont Les Dieux Ont Fait Choix'

1.4. Prologue, Scène II: Premier Air Des Tritons

1.5. Prologue, Scène II: 'C'est Le Dieu Des Eaux Qui Va Paraître'

1.6. Prologue, Scène II: Deuxième Air Des Tritons

1.7. Prologue, Scène II: 'Mon Empire A Servi De Théâtre À La Guerre'

1.8. Prologue, Scène II: 'Célébrons Son Grand Nom Sur La Terre Et Sur L'onde'

1.9. Prologue, Scène III: Prélude Des Muses

1.10. Prologue, Scène III: 'Cessez Pour Quelque Temps, Bruit Terrible Des Armes'

1.11. Prologue, Scène III: Premier Air Pour Les Muses

1.12. Prologue, Scène III: Deuxième Air Pour Les Muses

1.13. Prologue, Scène III: 'Ne Parlez Pas Toujours De La Guerre Cruelle'

1.14. Prologue, Scène III: 'Ne Parlons Pas Toujours De La Guerre Cruelle'

1.15. Prologue, Scène III: Air Pour Les Trompettes

1.16. Prologue, Scène III: 'Hâtez-vous, Plaisirs, Hâtez-vous'

1.17. Prologue: Ouverture

1.18. Acte I, Scène I: Ritournelle

1.19. Acte I, Scène I: 'Cessons D'aimer Une Infidèle'

1.20. Acte I, Scène II: 'C'est Trop Entretenir Ces Tristes Rêveries'

1.21. Acte I, Scène III: 'M'aimez-vous? Puis-je M'en Flatter?'

1.22. Acte I, Scène IV: 'Ce Prince Trop Longtemps Dans Ses Chagrins S'obstine'

1.23. Acte I, Scène V: 'Le Dieu Puissant Qui Lance Le Tonnerre'

1.24. Acte I, Scène V: 'Échos, Retentissez Dans Ces Lieux Pleins D'appas'

1.25. Acte I, Scène V: 'C'est Ainsi Que Mercure'

1.26. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Que La Terre Partage'

1.27. Acte I, Scène VI: Premier Air Pour L'entrée Des Divinités De La Terre

1.28. Acte I, Scène VI: Deuxième Air

1.29. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Les Armes Que Je Tiens Protègent L'innocence'

1.30. Acte I: Entracte

1.31. Acte II, Scène I: Ritournelle

1.32. Acte II, Scène I: 'Où Suis-je, D'où Vient Ce Nuage?'

1.33. Acte II, Scène II: 'Vous Voyez Jupiter, Que Rien Ne Vous Étonne'

1.34. Acte II, Scène III: 'Iris Est Ici-bas Et Junon Elle-même'

1.35. Acte II, Scène IV: 'Arrêtez, Belle Iris, Différez Un Moment'

1.36. Acte II, Scène V: Prélude

1.37. Acte II, Scène V: 'J'ai Cherché Vainement La Fille D'Inachus'

1.38. Acte II, Scène VI: 'Dans Les Jardins D'Hébé Vous Deviez En Ce Jour'

1.39. Acte II, Scène VII: Entrée Pour La Jeunesse

1.40. Acte II, Scène VII: 'Les Plaisirs Les Plus Doux'

1.41. Acte II, Scène VII: Premier Air

1.42. Acte II, Scène VII: 'Aimez, Profitez Du Temps'

2.1. Acte II, Scène VII: Deuxième Air

2.2. Acte II, Scène VII: 'Que Ces Lieux Ont D'attraits'

2.3. Acte II, Scène VIII: 'Servez, Nymphe, Servez, Avec Un Soin Fidèle'

2.4. Acte II, Scène VIII: 'Que C'est Un Plaisir Charmant'

2.5. Acte III, Scène I: Ritournelle

2.6. Acte III, Scène I: 'Dans Ce Solitaire Séjour'

2.7. Acte III, Scène II: 'La Perfide Craint Ma Présence'

2.8. Acte III, Scène III: 'Liberté, Liberté!'

2.9. Acte III, Scène IV: 'De La Nymphe Syrinx, Pan Chérit La Mémoire'

2.10. Acte III, Scène V: 'Liberté, Liberté'

2.11. Acte III, Scène VI: Air Des Sylvains Et Des Satyres

2.12. Acte III, Scène VI: Marche Des Bergers Et Satyres

2.13. Acte III, Scène VI: Deuxième Air

2.14. Acte III, Scène VI: 'Quel Bien Devez-vous Attendre'

2.15. Acte III, Scène VI: Troisième Air

2.16. Acte III, Scène VI: 'Je Vous Aime, Nymphe Charmante'

2.17. Acte III, Scène VI: 'Aimons Sans Cesse'

2.18. Acte III, Scène VI: 'Faut-il Qu'en Vains Discours Un Si Beau Jour Se Passe?'

2.19. Acte III, Scène VI: 'Je Ne Puis Vous Quitter, Mon Coeur S'attache À Vous'

2.20. Acte III, Scène VI: 'Hélas! Quel Bruit! Qu'entends-je?'

2.21. Acte III, Scène VII: 'Reconnaissez Mercure Et Fuyez Avec Nous'

2.22. Acte III, Scène VIII: 'Revois Le Jour, Argus, Que Ta Figure Change!'

2.23. Acte III: Entracte

2.24. Acte IV, Scène I: Entrée Des Peuples Des Climats Glacés

2.25. Acte IV, Scène I: 'L'hiver Qui Nous Tourmente'

2.26. Acte IV, Scène II: 'Laissez-moi, Cruelle Furie'

2.27. Acte IV, Scène III: 'Tôt, Tôt, Tôt...'

2.28. Acte IV, Scène III: Entrée Des Forgerons

2.29. Acte IV, Scène IV: 'Quel Déluge De Feux Qui Sortent Des Forges'

2.30. Acte IV, Scène V: 'Exécutons L'arrêt Du Sort'

2.31. Acte IV, Scène VI: Premier Air Des Parques

2.32. Acte IV, Scène VI: Deuxième Air Des Parques

2.33. Acte IV, Scène VI: 'C'est Contre Moi Qu'il Faut Tourner'

2.34. Acte IV, Scène VII: 'Le Fil De La Vie'

2.35. Acte IV, Scène VII: 'Tranchez Mon Triste Sort D'un Coup Qui Me Délivre'

2.36. Acte IV: Entracte

2.37. Acte V, Scène I: Ritournelle

2.38. Acte V, Scène I: 'Terminez Mes Tourments, Puissant Maître Du Monde'

2.39. Acte V, Scène II: Prélude

2.40. Acte V, Scène II: 'Il Ne M'est Pas Permis De Finir Votre Peine'

2.41. Acte V, Scène III: 'Venez, Déesse Impitoyable'

2.42. Acte V, Scène III: 'Venez, Divinité Nouvelle!'

2.43. Acte V, Scène III: Premier Air Pour Les Égyptiens

2.44. Acte V, Scène III: Deuxième Air Pour Les Égyptiens

2.45. Acte V, Scène III: 'Isis Est Immortelle'

flac/16-bit