Lully and Rameau

[doversoul1]

Saturday
As part of Radio 3's Baroque Spring season, Lucie Skeaping introduces the first of two Early Music Shows this weekend dedicated to French Baroque music. Today, Lucie explores the relationship between King Louis XIV and his favourite composer - Jean-Baptiste Lully.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r5mnl

Sunday
As part of Radio 3's Baroque Spring season and in the second of this weekend's Early Music Shows dedicated to French Baroque music, Lucie Skeaping explores the relationship between Jean-Philippe Rameau and his main patron Alexandre Le Riche de la Poupelinière.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r5n64

These programmes are what the covers say (French Baroque Music) unlike some we had earlier in the week.

CD Review
11.00am
As part of Radio 3’s Baroque Spring, harpsichordist and Baroque specialist Alan Curtis joins Andrew to discuss 35 years of Handel recordings with Il Complesso Barocco, including:
Handel Operas
Admeto Re di Tessaglia
Giulio Cesare (with the formidable contralto, Marie-Nicole Lemieux as Cesare)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r5mng

[Nick Armstrong]

Big big fan of French baroque, these are truly à ne pas manquer à aucun prix... Thanks for the reminder, ds

[antongould]

I enjoyed the afternoon programme today which included works by Lully and Rameau - I have thus far shamefully ignored Rumpole's promptings and the music was new to me. I thought the Rameau was excellent.

[Anna]

I would really like Frans Bruggen and Rameau's Orchestral Suites and his Indes Galantes. Perhaps I have missed this? No matter, I have cds, but I do hope Bruggen gets an airing
Edit: I see Savall is the one for Indes, suppose that might be OK

[MickyD]

If you aren't familiar with Rameau's works, just listen to the last item from "Les Boréades" on this Sunday's programme - surely one of the most heavenly pieces
this wonderful composer ever wrote.

[Nick Armstrong]

I enjoyed the afternoon programme today which included works by Lully and Rameau - I have thus far shamefully ignored Rumpole's promptings and the music was new to me. I thought the Rameau was excellent.

The piece that triggered my passion years ago was this aria from Rameau's "Castor et Pollux" (the William Christie recording):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joJ37aNBdnE

[doversoul1]

These are two of my (latest) biggest catches in youtube: two operas by Lully.

Atys
Les Arts Florissants 2011
Conductor: William Christie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXFsrCG51Pc

Detailed synopsis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atys_(Lully)

Armide
Also by Christie and Les Arts Florissants

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evm6FJcmIaI

Libretto in English translation

http://www.naxos.com/sharedfiles/PDF/8.660209_sungtext.pdf

A lot of Rameau and other French Baroque composers’ works pefromed by Le Concert des Nations directed by Jordi Savall like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1ItcF7PWRM

[ed.] Not Lully or Rameau but this is a splendid concert and, so far I have not found the CD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCfhn0IZ6L8

Jordi Savall - Le Concert des Nations - Charpentier: Messe Et Motets Pour La Vierge

[AmpH]

Le Concert des Nations / Jordi Savall have also recorded a superb Lully disc :-

Here on youtube, but also on CD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvZ-XWJPOlc

[richardfinegold]

I would really like Frans Bruggen and Rameau's Orchestral Suites and his Indes Galantes. Perhaps I have missed this? No matter, I have cds, but I do hope Bruggen gets an airing
Edit: I see Savall is the one for Indes, suppose that might be OK

I have the Savall, and it is up to his usual excellent standard.

[jayne lee wilson]

I would really like Frans Bruggen and Rameau's Orchestral Suites and his Indes Galantes. Perhaps I have missed this? No matter, I have cds, but I do hope Bruggen gets an airing
Edit: I see Savall is the one for Indes, suppose that might be OK

Savall's 2-disc set is exciting, but a little exaggerated and driven - rather closely recorded too. Bruggen's series of Rameau suites was recorded at various Dutch venues in the 80s/90s, when Philips made wonderfully natural, spacious recordings with a wide dynamic range. These performances have an idiomatic freshness and beauty that have only been matched by Christie and Minkowski in their complete recordings.

But - do seek out the original Philips CDs, they'll sound better, except for the Originals remaster of Indes Galantes.

[MickyD]

These are two of my (latest) biggest catches in youtube: two operas by Lully.

Atys
Les Arts Florissants 2011
Conductor: William Christie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXFsrCG51Pc

Detailed synopsis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atys_(Lully)

Armide
Also by Christie and Les Arts Florissants

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evm6FJcmIaI

Libretto in English translation

http://www.naxos.com/sharedfiles/PDF/8.660209_sungtext.pdf

A lot of Rameau and other French Baroque composers’ works pefromed by Le Concert des Nations directed by Jordi Savall like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1ItcF7PWRM

[ed.] Not Lully or Rameau but this is a splendid concert and, so far I have not found the CD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCfhn0IZ6L8

Jordi Savall - Le Concert des Nations - Charpentier: Messe Et Motets Pour La Vierge

The CD of the latter piece was on the old Astrée label and the few copies which are for sale are fetching silly prices. I hope Savall will bring it out again on his Alia Vox label...if I remember, it features Montserrat Figueras, too.

[MickyD]

Whilst we are talking about Bruggen, these two reissues from Glossa are not to be missed, either....more suites from Rameau operas containing some gorgeous music.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rameau-Orchestral-Suites-Nais-Zoroastre/dp/B003PN5UKY/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1362854150&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rameau-Orchestral-Cephise-Orchestra-Century/dp/B001BC70DQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1362854254&sr=1-3

I particularly like the music from Les Fêtes d'Hébé, it is quite wonderful.

[jayne lee wilson]

Yes, I'd forgotten about those Glossas - even though I've almost played them to death! Utterly gorgeous.

Ideal purchases for anyone new to Rameau, and the sound is even better than the Philips discs, with more warmth and presence. Just wait till you hear the Musettes...

[MickyD]

Oh yes, Jayne...the heady sound of those Musettes, I close my eyes and feel I could almost be in a Watteau painting! But though the suites are good, there is nothing like hearing the music in the context of the work itself.

Just in case anyone might have missed them, here are two more discs of suites from neglected Rameau works....the playing is nothing like as polished as Bruggen's band, but they are worth hearing and won't break the bank...

http://www.amazon.fr/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_8_7?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85Z%C3%95%C3%91&url=search-alias%3Dclassical&field-keywords=rameau+osiris&sprefix=rameau+%2Cclassical%2C272#/ref=nb_sb_noss?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85Z%C3%95%C3%91&url=search-alias%3Dclassical&field-keywords=rameau+capella+savaria&rh=n%3A301174%2Ck%3Arameau+capella+savaria

[MickyD]

These are two of my (latest) biggest catches in youtube: two operas by Lully.

Atys
Les Arts Florissants 2011
Conductor: William Christie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXFsrCG51Pc

Detailed synopsis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atys_(Lully)

Armide
Also by Christie and Les Arts Florissants

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evm6FJcmIaI

Libretto in English translation

http://www.naxos.com/sharedfiles/PDF/8.660209_sungtext.pdf

A lot of Rameau and other French Baroque composers’ works pefromed by Le Concert des Nations directed by Jordi Savall like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1ItcF7PWRM

[ed.] Not Lully or Rameau but this is a splendid concert and, so far I have not found the CD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCfhn0IZ6L8

Jordi Savall - Le Concert des Nations - Charpentier: Messe Et Motets Pour La Vierge

Sorry, doversoul, I mislead you yesterday - in fact, the latter work IS available on CD and at a reasonable price...here it is:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000025UAG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AVXB5JQRCA15O