Ombre de mon amant - French Baroque Arias
Marc-Antoine CHARPENTIER (1634 – 1704)
Médée
1. Ouverture [1:55]
Act II, scène 2
2. Air: Princesse, c’est sur vous [2:38]
Michel LAMBERT (1610 – 1696)
3. Air: Ma bergère est tender et fidèle [2:34]
4. Air: Ombre de mon amant [4:32]
Marc-Antoine CHARPENTIER
5. Concert à quatre parties de violes: 1 Prélude [3:27]
Médée
Act III, scènes 3-7
6. Air: Quel prix de mon amour [5:00]
7. Croiras-tu mon malheur – Dieux témoins de la foi [0:56]
8. Prélude et air: C’en est fait, on m’y force [1:16]
9. Avant que d’eclater – Malgré sa noire trahison [1:52]
10. Prélude et air: Noires filles du Styx [1:47]
11. Air, duo et choeur: Venez méler à mes poison [0:58]
12. Prélude – Je vois le don fatal – L’Enfer obéit à ta voix [0:52]
13. Premier Air pour les demons [1:23]
14. Air: Dieu du Cocyte et des royaumes sombres – Air et trio L’Enfer m’a répondu [3:12]
15. Seconde Entrée des démons – Vous avez servi mon courroux – Intermède [1:26]
16. Prélude et chansonnette: Auprès du feu l’on fait l’amour [1:59]
17. Concert à quatre parties de violes: 4. Gigue angloise [1:07]
18. Chanson à denser Celle qui fait mon tourment [1:55]
19. Concert à quatre parties de violes: 5 Gigue francoise [1:11]
Jean-Philippe RAMEAU (1683 – 1764)
Hippolyte et Aricie
Act III, scène 1
20. Prelude et air: Cruelle mere des amours – Les Fêtes d’Hébé ou les Talens lyriques [5:37]
Prologue, scène 5
21. Air gracieux pour Zéphire et les Grâces [1:40]
Prologue, scène 4
22. Ariette Vole Zéphire [2:11]
Première Entrée (La Poèsie), scène 8
23. Tambourins I & II [1:46]
Seconde Entrée (La Musique), scène 5
24. Air tender [0:51]
25. Pour le Genie de Mars [1:08]
26. La Victoire [1:13]
27. Chaconne [3:48]
Hippolyte et Aricie
Acte IV, scène 4
28. Air: Quelle plainte en ces lieux m’appelle? [4:13]
Michel LAMBERT
29. Air: Vos mepris chaque jour [2:30]
Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo)
Les Arts Florissants/William Christie
rec. Église Notre-Dame du Liban, Paris, September 2008
Sung texts with English and German translations enclosed
ARCHIV PRODUKTION 477 8610 [65:04]
Lully in the 17th century and Rameau in the 18th century have generally been regarded as the foremost French baroque composers. During the last few decades the growing interest in baroque music has tempted musicians to explore some of the byways and come up with fascinating finds. The most important of those may be Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Most European TV viewers have been familiar with at least one of his works, all the way since 1954 when the EBU picked the opening fanfare from his Te Deum as their signature tune. It was not, however, until the some thirty years ago that his works became more common fare. Today his reputation is almost on a par with that of Lully.
Michel Lambert may be a new name to many readers. In his day he was known as a singing master, but also as a composer of ‘tunes’ as Wikipedia puts it. Incidentally his daughter Madeleine married Lully in 1662 so there were links between the two musicians. As opposed to Lully, Charpentier and Rameau he wrote no operas but listening to his airs with modern ears his style of writing isn’t too far removed from Charpentier or Lully. The tunes are easy on the ear and not too memorable but, honestly, how many walk around humming songs by the other French baroque masters? That he was a technically skilled singer is obvious from the richly decorated vocal line and no one can deny that he catches the melancholy atmosphere of the title song Ombre de mon amant to perfection.
Charpentier’s music is often dramatically effective. The prelude that opens Noires filles du Styx (tr. 10) and the chorus of Jealousy, Vengeance and Demons (tr. 11) is truly hefty. Hippolyte et Aricie has claims to be Rameau’s best opera, even though some prefer Castor et Pollux. Though the music is sometimes chopped up and performed in random order – or so it seems to me – the power and beauty of it makes it a total pleasure, especially when performed with such professionalism and dedication.
Anne Sofie von Otter’s voice is still in excellent shape, her technical accomplishment as usual stunning and her sense of style infallible. She started her solo career as a baroque singer and this disc, together with her previous Bach recital, mark her return to her roots. Working with William Christie and his Les Arts Florissants she can’t have a better guide in this repertoire, Christie one of the pioneers in bringing Charpentier’s music before the public. The playing of the orchestra – at very low pitch a¹=400Hz – is characteristically homogenous and with springy rhythms. The choir sounds uncommonly large by the way, considering how few they really are: 4-3-3-4. In the Médée excerpts there are some stylish solo contributions from members of the chorus. That Ms Von Otter has approached this project with a serious mind is obvious from the credits in the booklet, where she ‘wishes to thank Emmanuelle Haim, Marc Minkowski and Leonardo Garcia Alarcón for their guidance in her exploration of the French Baroque repertoire’. With a recording that leaves nothing else to be desired this in every way a high quality product that no lover of Baroque vocal music should miss.
Göran Forsling
In every way a high quality product that no lover of Baroque vocal music should miss ... see Full Review