Rameau Platée
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Jean-Philippe Rameau
Genre:
Opera
Label: MusiFrance
Magazine Review Date: 9/1990
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 135
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: 2292-45028-2
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Platée (Junon jalouse) |
Jean-Philippe Rameau, Composer
(Françoise) Herr Vocal Ensemble (Les) Musiciens du Louvre Bernard Delétré, Cithéron; Momus, Bass Gilles Ragon, Platée, Tenor Guillemette Laurens, Junon, Soprano Guy de Mey, Thespis; Mercure, Tenor Jean-Philippe Rameau, Composer Jennifer Smith, La folie; Thalie, Soprano Marc Minkowski, Conductor Michel Verschaeve, Momus Véronique Gens, L'amour; Clarine, Soprano Vincent le Texier, Jupiter; A satyr, Baritone |
Author: Nicholas Anderson
Rameau's comedie-lyrique, Platee, one of two such works from his pen, was first staged at Versailles in 1745 as part of the celebrations surrounding the marriage of the Dauphin to the Infanta Maria-Theresa of Spain. Although he wrote little in a sustained comic vein Rameau was by no means inexperienced, having earlier in his life provided incidental music for various Theatres de la Foire in Paris. Parodies of serious plays were popular at these Fair Theatres; indeed Voltaire is known to have been offended by some of their jibes, and it may have been here that the seeds of Platee were sown, so to speak.
The story of Platee—a marsh nymph of unprepossessing appearance who is the butt of a cruel joke played on her by Jupiter—is perhaps a curious choice for an opera but its mischievous, if heartless theme with its charades, disguises and comic figures fits comfortably into Carnival tradition. That Rameau may have had just such an idea in mind is borne out by his choice of libretto—a play by Jacques Autreau who described Platee in his preface as ''a comedy in the manner of a divertissement suitable for the Carnival season''. Having bought the play outright from Autreau, Rameau engaged the services of another librettist, Le Valois d'Orville to whom he gave detailed instructions concerning alterations, stressing that he wanted emphasis placed on the comic elements in the play.
What eventually emerged from this collaboration was a masterpiece and one that was recognized as such in Rameau's lifetime: ''Connoisseurs,'' ran a report in the monthly periodical Mercure de France (March 1754), ''regard Platee as Rameau's 'chef d'oeuvre'... The prologue of this work holds its earlier reputation of being the most agreeable and most light-hearted that we have. The music... is full of pieces of song and of inspiration sufficient to render their author immortal if that is not already so by reason of his other works.''
This new two-disc set is the third commercial recording of Platee and the one that does fullest justice to Rameau's score. The oldest of them, recorded in 1956 and recently released by EMI Pathe Marconi on CD, though not alas, in the UK, had the tenor Michel Senechal in the title-role. His performance is almost legendary, few if any singers capturing as well as he the multi-faceted character of Platee, herself: vain, petulant, gullible but pathetic and deserving of our pity. Then in 1989, after a period of 33 years came a new CBS recording from Jean-Claude Malgoire with the American tenor, Bruce Brewer as Platee. This had some attractive features but also several bad ones, crucial among which was Brewer's apparent lack of sympathy for, or indeed understanding of, the character of Platee. In this and indeed, perhaps every other respect, the new recording from Erato is superior. The role of Platee, a travesti one, is sung by Gilles Ragon. His singing is lyrical, his interpretation affectionate and stylish and his awareness of Platee's foibles and her pitiable predicament acute. It may be that Senechal best of all projects the pathos in the story, if only because he responds to Rameau's music with an extraordinary sensibility; but Ragon is a worthy successor, breathing life into a role that is both technically demanding and elusive in character.
Platee is generously endowed not only with Rameau's characteristically alluring dances—only the ''Marche pour la danse'' (Act 3), perhaps falls short of his finest endeavours—but also with beguiling vocal airs and vigorous, indeed sometimes extraordinary choruses; among the latter is a splendid onomatopoeic colloquium of frogs (Act 1). For Platee herself, Rameau time and again provides us with music of beguiling beauty. Her first air in Act 1, ''Que ce sejour est agreable!'' is a halting menuet—a graceful one would have been entirely inappropriate, but the composer seldom lets us forget that Platee deserves our compassion, lavishing on her music a warmth of sentiment which she herself so anxiously seeks in her own relationships. Ragon nicely captures her wonderment and curiosity in Act 2 where Jupiter descends in a cloud, ''A l'aspect de ce nuage'', disguised first as a donkey—at least that is the implication from Rameau's ingenious scoring—then as an owl. And he is splendidly cantankerous in the Act 3 denouement when the practical joke becomes apparent to her.
The remainder of the cast is strong with an outstanding contribution from Jennifer Smith as the mischievous, high-spirited La Folie. Her 6/8 ariette in Act 2 is a wonderfully tricksy affair delivered with exemplary skill. At first I thought it a little overdone but no, this is Folly in her true colours. Among other fine performances are those of Guy de Mey as Thespis (Prologue) and Mercure, Guillemette Laurens as Junon, and Veronique Gens as a fresh-sounding L'Amour, and as Clarine, one of Platee's followers.
The orchestra, too, is by and large excellent, and what occasionally is lacking in finesse is counterbalanced by robust, idiomatic playing in the dances and other instrumental movements, and by sympathetic accompaniment of the voices. The ornithological protest at Jupiter's giant owl disguise is vividly executed (Act 2), while the sour oboe C sharps in the Passepied I (Act 1) are colourfully evocative of the denizens of Platee's swampy domain. Effective transparency of texture frequently highlights Rameau's imaginative scoring, as for instance in the captivating Musette (Act 3) for piccolos, and bassoons with strings. Sometimes though, as in the Entree gai (Act 3), I felt that the conductor, Marc Minkowski drove the music too hard.
Like Malgoire, Minkowski concludes the opera with the three repeated chords at the end of Platee's final defiant outburst. This extraordinary ending is in a sense entirely in keeping with the mischievous spirit of Rameau's score and it would seem that the Versailles performance in 1745 finished in this way. But the full score of that version has not survived and subsequent editions suggest that the composer intended to conclude with a return to the chorus, ''Chantons Platee, egayons nous'', which Platee, herself interrupts.
In short, this is a considerable achievement. The opera is given without any cuts and with only a handful of repeats omitted. Minkowski uses the Durand score based on the 1749 Paris version in a performing edition prepared by Graham Sadler for the English Bach Festival production in 1983. The recorded sound is lively and effective. A satisfying issue.'
The story of Platee—a marsh nymph of unprepossessing appearance who is the butt of a cruel joke played on her by Jupiter—is perhaps a curious choice for an opera but its mischievous, if heartless theme with its charades, disguises and comic figures fits comfortably into Carnival tradition. That Rameau may have had just such an idea in mind is borne out by his choice of libretto—a play by Jacques Autreau who described Platee in his preface as ''a comedy in the manner of a divertissement suitable for the Carnival season''. Having bought the play outright from Autreau, Rameau engaged the services of another librettist, Le Valois d'Orville to whom he gave detailed instructions concerning alterations, stressing that he wanted emphasis placed on the comic elements in the play.
What eventually emerged from this collaboration was a masterpiece and one that was recognized as such in Rameau's lifetime: ''Connoisseurs,'' ran a report in the monthly periodical Mercure de France (March 1754), ''regard Platee as Rameau's 'chef d'oeuvre'... The prologue of this work holds its earlier reputation of being the most agreeable and most light-hearted that we have. The music... is full of pieces of song and of inspiration sufficient to render their author immortal if that is not already so by reason of his other works.''
This new two-disc set is the third commercial recording of Platee and the one that does fullest justice to Rameau's score. The oldest of them, recorded in 1956 and recently released by EMI Pathe Marconi on CD, though not alas, in the UK, had the tenor Michel Senechal in the title-role. His performance is almost legendary, few if any singers capturing as well as he the multi-faceted character of Platee, herself: vain, petulant, gullible but pathetic and deserving of our pity. Then in 1989, after a period of 33 years came a new CBS recording from Jean-Claude Malgoire with the American tenor, Bruce Brewer as Platee. This had some attractive features but also several bad ones, crucial among which was Brewer's apparent lack of sympathy for, or indeed understanding of, the character of Platee. In this and indeed, perhaps every other respect, the new recording from Erato is superior. The role of Platee, a travesti one, is sung by Gilles Ragon. His singing is lyrical, his interpretation affectionate and stylish and his awareness of Platee's foibles and her pitiable predicament acute. It may be that Senechal best of all projects the pathos in the story, if only because he responds to Rameau's music with an extraordinary sensibility; but Ragon is a worthy successor, breathing life into a role that is both technically demanding and elusive in character.
Platee is generously endowed not only with Rameau's characteristically alluring dances—only the ''Marche pour la danse'' (Act 3), perhaps falls short of his finest endeavours—but also with beguiling vocal airs and vigorous, indeed sometimes extraordinary choruses; among the latter is a splendid onomatopoeic colloquium of frogs (Act 1). For Platee herself, Rameau time and again provides us with music of beguiling beauty. Her first air in Act 1, ''Que ce sejour est agreable!'' is a halting menuet—a graceful one would have been entirely inappropriate, but the composer seldom lets us forget that Platee deserves our compassion, lavishing on her music a warmth of sentiment which she herself so anxiously seeks in her own relationships. Ragon nicely captures her wonderment and curiosity in Act 2 where Jupiter descends in a cloud, ''A l'aspect de ce nuage'', disguised first as a donkey—at least that is the implication from Rameau's ingenious scoring—then as an owl. And he is splendidly cantankerous in the Act 3 denouement when the practical joke becomes apparent to her.
The remainder of the cast is strong with an outstanding contribution from Jennifer Smith as the mischievous, high-spirited La Folie. Her 6/8 ariette in Act 2 is a wonderfully tricksy affair delivered with exemplary skill. At first I thought it a little overdone but no, this is Folly in her true colours. Among other fine performances are those of Guy de Mey as Thespis (Prologue) and Mercure, Guillemette Laurens as Junon, and Veronique Gens as a fresh-sounding L'Amour, and as Clarine, one of Platee's followers.
The orchestra, too, is by and large excellent, and what occasionally is lacking in finesse is counterbalanced by robust, idiomatic playing in the dances and other instrumental movements, and by sympathetic accompaniment of the voices. The ornithological protest at Jupiter's giant owl disguise is vividly executed (Act 2), while the sour oboe C sharps in the Passepied I (Act 1) are colourfully evocative of the denizens of Platee's swampy domain. Effective transparency of texture frequently highlights Rameau's imaginative scoring, as for instance in the captivating Musette (Act 3) for piccolos, and bassoons with strings. Sometimes though, as in the Entree gai (Act 3), I felt that the conductor, Marc Minkowski drove the music too hard.
Like Malgoire, Minkowski concludes the opera with the three repeated chords at the end of Platee's final defiant outburst. This extraordinary ending is in a sense entirely in keeping with the mischievous spirit of Rameau's score and it would seem that the Versailles performance in 1745 finished in this way. But the full score of that version has not survived and subsequent editions suggest that the composer intended to conclude with a return to the chorus, ''Chantons Platee, egayons nous'', which Platee, herself interrupts.
In short, this is a considerable achievement. The opera is given without any cuts and with only a handful of repeats omitted. Minkowski uses the Durand score based on the 1749 Paris version in a performing edition prepared by Graham Sadler for the English Bach Festival production in 1983. The recorded sound is lively and effective. A satisfying issue.'
Rameau Platée
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