Customer Reviews

Lully: Ballets & récits italiens

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Here is a recital of Lully airs and ballet movements with a difference. Far removed from the larger-scale orchestral performances of Lully's music which have been common on disc in the past, this programme is designed more in the manner of a 17th-century musical soirée, with selected airs and instrumental movements from various operas and ballets performed by a small chamber ensemble.

For the occasion La Risonanza, one of a number of extremely talented early music ensembles who have been turning up regularly on the enterprising Glossa label, are ideally suited to this repertory. Here they offer a nicely balanced and contrasted programme which also brings us some delicious duet and trio singing from the three sopranos Emanuela Galli, Yetzabel Arias Fernández and Stefanie True; Galli has the lion's share of the solo airs, but all three singers do a splendid job. The instrumental group deliver delightfully pointed and sprightly playing throughout, with generous ornamentation in exemplary baroque style, and they sound as if they are thoroughly enjoying themselves. In fact their playing is so addictive that in several numbers they'll have you wanting to leave your chair and dance around the room - try, for example, some of the movements of the Ballet des Nations from "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme".

One magazine review I saw mentioned that there are an awful lot of chaconnes (four, in fact) in this recital; but if, like me, you suffer from incurable chaconne dependency, then you certainly won't be complaining - least of all about the so-called Petite chaconne (11 minutes) from "Alcidiane", performed with brilliant style and poignancy by the ensemble and with truly gorgeous duetting from Galli and Fernández. For baroque fans seeking a taste of Lully's music for the stage, but not necessarily wanting to sit through a whole opera, this disc offers a succession of beautiful melodies played and sung with infectious enthusiasm under Fabio Bonizzoni's inspired direction; altogether, it's a complete success and a delight to the ear.