Ravishing Rameau!

[MickyD]

I'm still floating on a cloud after a delightful concert last night given in a church in the pretty village of Lourmarin in the Lubéron. Pierre Hantai and Skip Sempé (two harpsichords) played keyboard transcriptions of orchestral music from Rameau's operas. Heaven!

[amateur51]

I'm still floating on a cloud after a delightful concert last night given in a church in the pretty village of Lourmarin in the Lubéron. Pierre Hantai and Skip Sempé (two harpsichords) played keyboard transcriptions of orchestral music from Rameau's operas. Heaven!

Sounds wonderful, MickyD! - a warm evening?

[HighlandDougie]

And I was down the road (at La Roque d'Anthéron itself), being dazzled by Benjamin Grosvenor (Bach, Chopin, Liszt and Ravel), then mesmerised by Leif-Ove Andsnes (Beethoven, Chopin and my favourite of Granados's Spanish Dances as one of his encores). It made up for the hour of solo Bach on the piano the previous evening. 35℃ during the day so it was a warm evening (and all too easy to quench one's thirst on the rosé at €1 a glass). I would love to have been at the Rameau so I can enjoy it vicariously through Mickey's enthusiastic comments.

[amateur51]

And I was down the road (at La Roque d'Anthéron itself), being dazzled by Benjamin Grosvenor (Bach, Chopin, Liszt and Ravel), then mesmerised by Leif-Ove Andsnes (Beethoven, Chopin and my favourite of Granados's Spanish Dances as one of his encores). It made up for the hour of solo Bach on the piano the previous evening. 35℃ during the day so it was a warm evening (and all too easy to quench one's thirst on the rosé at €1 a glass). I would love to have been at the Rameau so I can enjoy it vicariously through Mickey's enthusiastic comments.

Sounds sublime, HighlandDougie - young Ben is certainly travelling around after his Proms concert on Tuesday. Make me really envious by telling me that Krystian Zimerman will be playing Debussy next week, Dougie!?

[HighlandDougie]

Make me really envious by telling me that Krystian Zimerman will be playing Debussy next week, Dougie!?

Pigs and flying come to mind. KZ appears to be suffering from the dreaded cancellitis - he was supposed to be appearing at the Salzburg Festival next week (now Leif-Ove Andsnes) and touring with the Cleveland Orchestra (now Lars Vogt). Ah well. Not sure if he's ever been at Roque d'A., now in its 32nd year, but most well-known pianists seem to have been there at some time or another. BG, though, went down a storm with the audience (as was only right - his Ravel was a real tour de force, both in terms of virtuoso playing and the poetry of his interpretation).

[MickyD]

And I was down the road (at La Roque d'Anthéron itself), being dazzled by Benjamin Grosvenor (Bach, Chopin, Liszt and Ravel), then mesmerised by Leif-Ove Andsnes (Beethoven, Chopin and my favourite of Granados's Spanish Dances as one of his encores). It made up for the hour of solo Bach on the piano the previous evening. 35℃ during the day so it was a warm evening (and all too easy to quench one's thirst on the rosé at €1 a glass). I would love to have been at the Rameau so I can enjoy it vicariously through Mickey's enthusiastic comments.

Yes, it was - and continues to be - very warm indeed here! The Rameau was given in what is called "Le Temple de Lourmarin", a very sober, unfussy church just down the road from the castle....most "temples" in this part of the world were for Protestants, hence the somewhat unadorned interiors. Although it was pretty hot inside, the building was the ideal intimate setting for this concert. Hantai and Sempé were on top form and gave us no less than four encores! I would like to have known who did the transcriptions, eighteenth century originals or a more modern hand, I wonder? I revelled in hearing all those wonderful dances and it is a testament to Rameau's colourful writing that they still came across well in keyboard-only performances. The bass on those French instruments is really gutsy! Sorry you weren't there, Dougie, but sounds like you were enjoying yourself well enough down at La Roque! It is a fabulous festival and goes from strength to strength each year.

[Nina]

Pierre Hantaï made all the transcriptions last year, although they tend to continue to evolve as Hantaï and Sempé play the program more and more.

[french frank]

Hello, Nina - and welcome! Do you also have the good luck to be able to hear their live performances?

[Nina]

I actually have the good luck to be a disciple and friend of Hantaï. I helped out a little bit on the project from the beginning and it has been a fascinating learning process. I have heard their live performances many times and it is always fantasic.

[french frank]

I helped out a little bit on the project from the beginning .

MickyD has you to thank in part, then! I'm sure he'll be most appreciative . It sounds as if you've landed an idyllic job.

[HighlandDougie]

Not, of course, as good as being there (and Lourmarin is well 'vaut le détour' - very fine Château, too) but, especially in 24/96, this looks pretty irresistible:

http://www.qobuz.com/album/pierre-hantai-and-skip-sempe-symphonies-for-two-harpsichords-a-deux-clavecins/3760127221647?utm_medium=e-mail&utm_source=newsletter_classique_123