Orchestra
SKU:
BA.BA08866-90
Ballet in one prologue
and three entrées.
Composed by Jean-Philippe
Rameau. Edited by Pascal
Denécheau. Arranged by
François Saint-Yves.
This edition: urtext
edition. Paperback. Piano
reduction. Baerenreiter
Verlag #BA08866-90.
Published by Baerenreiter
Verlag (BA.BA08866-90).
ISBN 9790006577200. 27
x 19 cm inches. Text:
Gautier de Montdorge,
Antoine-César /
Bersin,
Louise-Angélique.
<
p>The ballet â??Les
Fêtes d'Hbâ? deals
with the talents that are
usually the subject of
the Opra and are placed
at the service of love on
stage: poetry and
declamation (1st entre,
La Posie), song and
harmony (2nd entre, La
Musique) and finally
dance and choreography
(3rd entre, La Danse);
hence the alternative
title of the ballet
â??Les Talents
lyriquesâ?. In this
ballet opera, Rameau
consistently gives
priority to the female
roles. The prologue
glorifies Hb, the goddess
of youth, and her
alliance with love, while
â??La Posieâ? praises
the poetress Sappho, who
sings almost throughout,
and â??La Musiqueâ?
concentrates on the
omnipresent princess
Iphise; finally, â??La
Danseâ? has as its
main character the
shepherdess Ã?gl, who
excels in dance and
song.
Since the
premiere, the text of the
libretto has been
perceived as rather
unbalanced. Rameau
compensates for these
poetic shortcomings with
musical boldness and
innovations of the
highest order. Be it the
overture that throws
Lully's model overboard,
the varied choral
movements such as that of
the Thessalians â??Que
jusqu'au fond de nos
grottes profondesâ?,
the virtuoso arias such
as Sappho's air â??Un
jour pass dans les
tourmentsâ? or the
magnificent monologues
for Iphise and Tirte â??
the originality and
beauty of the music
testify to incredible
ingenuity.
Audio
sample on
Youtube
