Rameau - Castor & Pollux [Import]

Jean-Philippe Rameau (Composer), William Christie (Conductor), Les Arts Florissants (Orchestra), Claire Brua (Performer), Mark Padmore (Performer), Sandrine Piau (Performer), Rene Schirrer (Performer), Veronique Gens (Performer), Agnes Mellon (Performer), Jerome Correas (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Claire Brua, Mark Padmore, Sandrine Piau, Rene Schirrer, Veronique Gens, et al.
• Orchestra: Les Arts Florissants
• Conductor: William Christie
• Composer: Jean-Philippe Rameau
• Audio CD (April 22, 1993)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Import
• Label: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
• ASIN: B000027P8K
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #193,506 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Prologue: Ov - Les Arts Florissants/William Christie

2. Prologue, Scene I: 'Venus, O Venus' - Les Arts Florissants/William Christie

3. Prologue, Scene I: Sym - Les Arts Florissants/William Christie

4. Prologue, Scene I: 'Je Vous Revois, Belle Deesse' - Rene Schirrer

5. Prologue, Scene II. Gavottes: 'Renais, Plus Brillante' - Mark Padmore

6. Prologue, Scene II. Primier Menuet: 'Naissez, Dons De Flore' - Mark Padmore

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Act Two, Scene I: 'Nature, Amour, Qui Partagez Mon Coeur' - Jerome Correas

2. Act Two, Scene II/Scene III: 'Le Souverain Des Dieux' - Jerome Correas/Agnes Mellon/Mark Padmore

3. Act Two, Scene IV: 'Ma Voix, Puissant Maitre Du Monde' - Rene Schirrer/Jerome Correas

4. Act Two, Scene V: 'Connaissez Notre Puissance' - Les Arts Florissants/William Christie

5. Act Two, Scene V: 'Qu'Hebe De Fleurs' - Les Arts Florissants/William Christie

6. Act Two, Scene V: Deuxieme Air Pour Hebe Et Ses Suivantes/'Voici Des Dieux' - Sophie Daneman

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Act Four, Scene I: 'Sejour De L'eternelle Paix' - Howard Crook

2. Act Four, Scene II: 'Qu'il Soit Heureux Comme Nous' - Les Arts Florissants/William Christie

3. Act Four, Scene II: 'Ici Se Leve L'aurore' - Sandrine Piau

4. Act Four, Scene II: 'Sur Les Ombres Fugitives' - Sandrine Piau

5. Act Four, Scene II: Autant D'amours que De Fleurs' - Sandrine Piau

6. Act Four, Scene II: 'Fuyez, Fuyez, Ombres Legeres'/Scene III: 'Rassurez-vous, Habitants Fortunes... - Les Arts Florissants/William Christie

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Castor et Pollux ranks high in Rameau's output, the product of consolidated artistic successes he had with Hippolyte et Aricie and other lighter, more-dance oriented works. It was one of the first Rameau operas recorded complete in a set by Nikolaus Harnoncourt that was sometimes so rough, it left aural splinters. This recording by Les Arts Florissants perhaps goes too far in the other direction: its suaveness sometimes threatens to negate the drama in this story of a man who rescues his slain brother in the underworld amid the usual romantic conflicts. The cast catches a number of early-music notables at the beginning of their careers, including Howard Crook, Véronique Gens, Sandrine Piau, and Mark Padmore. Indeed, when this set was first issued in 1993, one never imagined that it would come to be regarded as something close to a dream cast. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of genre, March 12, 1999

By A Customer

Castor & Pollux is a moving story about love and sacrifice set to beautiful music, showing Rameau at the height of his talent (although some historic evidence suggests that despite his innovations Rameau never quite dared to go as far as his talent would have allowed in the absence of the period inertia). Telaire's aria "Tristes apprets" is singularly famous, the most stunning glimpse into what Rameau was capable of composing to transcend the immediate aesthetics of his time. But the rest of the opera, although more conventional, is no less beautiful. Even the prologue (which is quite long) is uncommonly beautiful. Other highlights include the aria of Le Grand Pretre in the 2d act, and Castor's "Sejour de l'eternelle paix" at the beginning of the 4th act. The cast includes many of the familiar names in Les Arts Florissants universe. Agnes Mellon excels as Telaire. The role of Castor is taken by the American lyric tenor Howard Crook who used ot be quite popular with Christie before being squeezed out by Mark Padmore, who in turn was later squeezed out by Paul Agnew. Padmore, singing his trademark haute-contre, makes an appearance in Castor & Pollux as the Cupid in the prologue. I personally much prefer Padmore to Crook (or to anybody else for that matter), so to me the writing was clerly on the wall that Crook's days were numbered. Yet I don't want to sound disparaging, Crook is a very talented singer, he is utterly moving in "Sejour..." This is a brilliant recording which you should not miss. Other Christie must-buy CD's include Charpentier's Medee (one thousand thumbs up); Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie; and Charpentier's La Descente d'Orphee aux Enfers.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Serene and beautiful Rameau, February 1, 2006

By 

Steven Guy (Croydon, South Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rameau - Castor & Pollux (Audio CD)

Castor et Pollux may not be Jean-Philippe Rameau's greatest operas, although it is a very fine opera, but it is certainly Rameau's most beautiful. The orchestral music is rich and full of life and colour, as always. The tunes are very good - we have the usual range of music here, from toe-tappers to sublimely beautiful arias.
The aria "Tristes apprêts, pâles flambeaux?", sung by Télaïre (Agnés Mellon), Acte I, Scène III, is one of the most beautiful and, indeed, sublime Baroque opera arias I've ever heard. Here this and you'll want to buy this opera.

The cast is strong - Howard Crook, Agnés Mellon, Véronique Gens, Sandrine Piau, Mark Padmore, Claire Brua and Sophie Daneman (before the wobbly vibrato heard in later recordings set in) - and Les Arts Florissants directed by William Christie are in top form.

A must for lovers of Rameau and those curious about Baroque opera.

Hopefully, William Christie and Les Arts Florissants will revisit this work on DVD soon.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rameau - Castor & Pollux, April 29, 2011

By 

Bjorn Viberg (European Union) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rameau - Castor & Pollux (Audio CD)

Rameau - Castor & Pollux is a recording under the direction of William Christie who leads the Les Arts Florissants on this harmonia mundi France recording from 1993. The booklet is over 100 pages. Sylvie Bouissou has written the well-written and informative music notes. These have been translated into English by Derek Yeld. One also gets a short and concise synopsis. The lyrics are available in French, English and German. The sound quality is astounding. Highly recommended. 5/5.