Jean-Philippe Rameau

Started by offbeat, November 26, 2009, 08:47:26 AM

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offbeat

My knowledge of Baroque music is very limited but whatever ive heard of Rameau i like - cant define what it is but it satisfies my sound buds - rather similar to Handel maybe.
Would like to start this thread as would like to know more about his music and i know there are a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum - tks  :)

DarkAngel

The ideal starting point for Rameau would be to buy/rent the DVD of opera/ballet
Les Indes Galantes

This is truely one of the very best baroque DVDs ever made, great music, singing and tremendous cheeky fun!
Set design and costumes are wonderful and very good picture quality, conductor William Christie



Opus106

Thanks, offbeat. I was planning to start a thread on Rameau myself. Surprising that he did not have one until now. :)
Regards,
Navneeth

Harry

O, yes Rameau, what a versatile composer, and what fun he can be! :)

Elgarian

#4
Quote from: DarkAngel on November 26, 2009, 09:16:50 AM
The ideal starting point for Rameau would be to buy/rent the DVD of opera/ballet
Les Indes Galantes

This is truely one of the very best baroque DVDs ever made, great music, singing and tremendous cheeky fun!
Set design and costumes are wonderful and very good picture quality, conductor William Christie



DA says it like it is, truly - and here's another chance for me to post some of my favourite youtube clips of Les Indes Galantes. (Some people, I'm told, can manage to get through life without owning a copy of this DVD. Can't see how, myself.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zegtH-acXE&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIi_TvIvUdk&NR=1




Elgarian

#5
And for a CD that's simply delicious from beginning to end (in the course of which you will fall in love with Carolyn Sampson), try this:



http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDA67447&f=sampson%20rameau

(Details and audio samples at the above link.)

offbeat

tks to dark angel and elgarian
dont think i will be able to resist yr recommendations  :)

Elgarian

Quote from: offbeat on November 26, 2009, 01:17:03 PM
dont think i will be able to resist yr recommendations  :)

Don't even try to, is my advice.

vandermolen

#8
Am not much of a Baroque listener but coincidentally just bought my first Rameau CD, containing 'Le Temple de la Gloire'. I have been after this music for years since I heard it used as background for a TV drama/doc 'Artists and Models' about the Neoclassical painter Jacques Louis David. I never knew what it was, but fortunately heard it on the radio a couple of weeks ago and so discovered the composer. The relevant section is the Overture - surprisingly modern in a way - recommended with enthusiasm.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Novi

I'm not too familiar with Rameau's oeuvre, but found Rousset's Overtures with Les Talens Lyriques a great place to start. I picked the disc up quite randomly whilst browsing in a bricks-and-mortar a few years ago knowing little of baroque music and ended up loving it:



I think I'm ready for his operas now, so will keep an eye on this thread. :) I only have Christie's Zoroastre, which I must revisit soon - I remember liking bits of it, but not being too engaged in those early days. :-\ I do like the clips of Les Indes Galantes though.
Durch alle Töne tönet
Im bunten Erdentraum
Ein leiser Ton gezogen
Für den der heimlich lauschet.

Josquin des Prez

His keyboard music is among the greatest ever written during that era (my favored recordings are these by Scott Ross), its a pity he abandoned the medium in his later years. Underrated among his works is a set of pieces for harpsichord and chamber instruments.  Rousset issued a recording of it which is very good.

sTisTi

#11
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on November 26, 2009, 05:13:39 PM
His keyboard music is among the greatest ever written during that era (my favored recordings are these by Scott Ross), its a pity he abandoned the medium in his later years. Underrated among his works is a set of pieces for harpsichord and chamber instruments.  Rousset issued a recording of it which is very good.
Do you mean this one?

I enjoy this disc very much!

SonicMan46

Well, much can be suggested, but just to provide a few more 'keyboard' recommendations; the 2 discs w/ Sophie Yates on the harpsichord are superb - excellent recommendations in Fanfare:)

   

Antoine Marchand

#13
Quote from: sTisTi on November 29, 2009, 07:38:32 AM
Do you mean this one?

I enjoy this disc very much!

That CD is a totally wonderful recording of those Pièces de Clavecin en Concerts!... and rather cheap for more pleasure. I like those evocative names: La Livri, La Timide, L'Indiscrète...


Opus106

Regards,
Navneeth

madaboutmahler

Have been listening to Rameau this evening and my gosh, what fabulous music!!

Love this disc:
[asin]B00083FYQE[/asin]

Absolutely loved everything here!!!! And what a gem the funeral march from Castor et Pollux is.. absolutely divine. I look forward to listening to this disc many more times. :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: madaboutmahler on November 05, 2013, 01:46:19 PM
Have been listening to Rameau this evening and my gosh, what fabulous music!!

Love this disc:
[asin]B00083FYQE[/asin]

Absolutely loved everything here!!!! And what a gem the funeral march from Castor et Pollux is.. absolutely divine. I look forward to listening to this disc many more times. :)

Good to hear you love this disc, Daniel. You should give the entire Castor et Pollux opera a spin, you wont be disappointed.

madaboutmahler

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on November 05, 2013, 01:51:17 PM
Good to hear you love this disc, Daniel. You should give the entire Castor et Pollux opera a spin, you wont be disappointed.

Thanks, Greg. Will certainly be keen to at some point! The funeral music is something special definitely.  0:) Which performance do you recommend for Les Indes Galantes? :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: madaboutmahler on November 05, 2013, 02:15:00 PM
Thanks, Greg. Will certainly be keen to at some point! The funeral music is something special definitely.  0:) Which performance do you recommend for Les Indes Galantes? :)

For orchestral suite, Bruggen...

[asin]B000FG5PJA[/asin]


For complete opera, go for the DVD performance with Christie and Petibon...

[asin]B0009S4EQO[/asin]


Those are my recs, but GMG has a good amount of Rameau fans that I'm sure can offer other solid recs. I will also add that Rameau composed my absolute favorite keyboard music. Don't wait too long to explore it.

madaboutmahler

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on November 05, 2013, 02:39:49 PM
For orchestral suite, Bruggen...

[asin]B000FG5PJA[/asin]

Those are my recs, but GMG has a good amount of Rameau fans that I'm sure can offer other solid recs. I will also add that Rameau composed my absolute favorite keyboard music. Don't wait too long to explore it.

Thanks, Greg - shall not wait long at all! :D
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven