Jean-Philippe RAMEAU (1683-1764)Orchestral Suites from the Operas Vols 1 & 2
La naissance d'Osiris · Abaris ou les Boréades · Anacréon · Daphnis et Eglé
Capella Savaria
conducted by Mary Terey-Smith
(performed on period instruments)NAXOS 8.553388 (vol. 1) and 8.553746 (vol. 2)
[51'28" and 51'26"] budget-price
by Chia Han-Leon
When it comes to Baroque music, most people are familiar with the names of J.S. Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and their Germanic and Italian colleagues, but not those of the French. Even if their names are not simple to pronounce, to ignore the music of these great masters of the French Baroque can only be a loss to the listener. To begin with, their style is noticeably different: the French, always proud of their own culture, maintained their distinctive flavours in the Baroque. Nevermind that the Sun King never bathed, for even if some may think that the music of the French Baroque are only sweet on the surface, none can deny the influence they had on the great dance forms -- notice the "gigue", the "menuet" or the "rigaudon" of the various "suites".
Indeed, the orchestral genius of Jean-Philippe Rameau (not pronounced "rahmew") makes one think of Berlioz in the 19th century and Ravel in the 20th. These orchestral suites are collections of instrumental and/or dance movements from his operas, elements almost as important as the stories and singing themselves. The opening of Naxos's first volume of suites, the Overture of La naissance d'Osiris, immediately evokes a scene of garden pageantry, mixing brilliance of orchestral colour with the lightness of that French "sentimentalism" and never missing the pulses of dance. It is a delicious example of Rameau's endless melodic gifts and of Naxos's clean and pleasantly-resonant recording. The dances vary between slow airs, such as the cosily-sleepy Air de musette [5]; moderately-paced pastoral scenes like the Rondeau gracieux [4]; and fast exciting tambourin-accompanied dances. The use of the flute and piccolo in various movements add colour and playfulness, sometimes even elements of noble solemnity. The appearance of horns in the Overture to Abaris ou les Boreades adds a Handelian familiarity to the music, especially in the following Menuet and Allegro, but remember of course that both were contemporaries. Folk-dance infectiously invades the Contredanse and rigaudons, which are followed by an atmospheric Gavotte "for the Flowers and the Zephyrs", with the piccolo singing a beautiful aria to the charming accompaniment of horn and bassoon.
Volume 2 of Naxos's survey continues with the suites derived from Anacreon and Daphnis et Egle. The music is essentially of the same vein -- many people grown tired of Baroque music are quick to accuse these composers of being repetitive, but consider that within the relative constraints of instrumental variety and even availability, not to mention the state of progress of composition, among other things, the composers of the Baroque achieved a splendour in their art matched only by the intellectual intricacy and spectacular beauty of their architecture. The delightful airs on track 2 are followed by another sunny pastoral tune of amazing simplicity. The tambourins on track 4 are the same ones used in La naissance d'Osiris -- a common and perfectly legitimate practice in those times. The performances on this second disc have slackened compared to the first, feeling as if it needs an extra push, a touch of excitement. Only with the return of drums in the concluding Contredanse do things pick up a bit -- certainly gets the pulse going. Nevertheless, the Daphnis et Egle suite contains much amiable music, including the Sarabande tres tendre with its beautifully blended strings and flute and an excellent continuo to match. The Musette on track 16 features a pleasing oboe melody, while the penultimate tambourins have bassoon parts which reminded me of the same in Bach's Orchestral Suites.
The performances by the Hungarian Capella Savaria range from adequate to sheer fun, with ample colour, though they occasionally sound lethargic, especially in volume 2. I wouldn't actually recommend that the reader buy both discs, even at budget price, as too much of anything can be unhealthy. For those who'd like to try, and for those who would like to try something other than Handel and Bach, buy volume 1, put it in your CD player and play it in the background not too far away. See if your head doesn't bob or your feet don't tap.
These discs can be purchased or ordered from Tower (Pacific Plaza & Suntec City), Borders (Wheelock Place), HMV (The Heeren) or Sing Discs (Raffles City).
Chia Han-Leon's skill with the French language is quite minimal. He is, however, a big fan of the croissant, baguette and the lovely Sophie Marceau, especially in her native French.
Back to the Classical Index!... or read previous Baroque Music reviews and features at the InkpotOther classical music reviews by this or any other writer can be obtained from the InkVault by doing a key word search with the writer's name.
13.6.97 ©Chia Han-Leon
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