Charpentier: Médée / Christie, Les Arts Florissants

Amazon.com
As William Christie and Les Arts Florissants demonstrated with this release, Médée is arguably the finest opera of the entire French Baroque. This was its first recording and was considered a fine account until Christie rerecorded for Erato with a stellar cast headed by "La Divina" Lorraine Hunt. Still, Christie has said he remains proud of this release, and French Baroque collectors should have it, especially for the gorgeous singing of Agnès Mellon as Jason's "other woman," the unfortunate princess Créuse. --Matthew Westphal

Charpentier: Médée / Christie, Les Arts Florissants,Marc-Antoine Charpentier,Jill Feldman,Jacques Bona,Les Arts Florissants,William Christie,Agnès Mellon,Gilles Ragon,Philippe Cantor,Sophie Boulin,François Fuaché,Harmonia Mundi,Classical,Classical Music,French Baroque Opera,Opera

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Average customer rating: Baroque Opera with very Modern Sounds One of the best recordings on an opera on CD Charpentier's 1693 and Cherubini's 1797 The power of music and classical drama! Magnificent!

Charpentier - Medee / Hunt, Padmore, Deletre, Zanetti, Salzmann, Les Arts Florissants, Christie Marc-Antoine Charpentier , William Christie , Lorraine Hunt , Mark Padmore , Les Arts Florissants , Bernard Deletré , Monique Zanetti , Jean-Marc Salzmann , Isabelle Desrochers , François Bazola , Noémi Rime , and Sophie Daneman Manufacturer: Erato ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Charpentier | Charpentier, Marc-Antoine | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Christie, William | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Handel - Theodora / Peter Sellars · William Christie · Upshaw, Hunt, Daniels, Croft · Glyndebourne Opera Music of Peter Lieberson: Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs Purcell: Dido and Aeneas; Music for "The Gordian Knot Unty'd" Bach - Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook (highlights) / Hunt-Liberson, McGegan ASIN: B000005ED8 Release Date: 1995-03-28

Tracks:

1. Medee: Prologue - Ouverture
2. Medee: Prologue - 'Louis est triomphant'
3. Medee: Prologue - 'Paroissez, charmante Victoire'
4. Medee: Prologue - 'Le Ciel dans nos voeux s'interesse'
5. Medee: Prologue - Loure
6. Medee: Prologue - 'Dans le bel age, si l'on n'est volage
7. Medee: Prologue - Passepied
8. Medee: Prologue - Ouverture (reprise)
9. Medee: Act I - Scene 1 - 'Pour flatter mes ennemis'
10. Medee: Act I - Scene 1 - 'Qu'il le cherche, mais qu'il me craigne'
11. Medee: Act I - Scene 2 - 'D'ou vous vient cet air sombre?'
12. Medee: Act I - Scene 3 - 'Que serois heureux'
13. Medee: Act I - Scene 3 - 'Que me peut demander la Gloire'
14. Medee: Act I - Scene 4 - 'L'Allegresse en ces lieux'
15. Medee: Act I - Scene 5 - 'Seigneur, la Thessalie attaquant vos Estats'
16. Medee: Act I - Scene 6 - 'Courez aux champs de Mars'
17. Medee: Act I - Scene 6 - 'Que d'epais bataillons, sur nos reces descendent'
18. Medee: Act I - Scene 6 - Rondeau des Corinthiens
19. Medee: Act I - Scene 6 - 'Quel bonheur suit la tendresse'
20. Medee: Act I - Scene 6 - 'Que d'epais'
21. Medee: Act I - Scene 6 - Entr'acte

Tracks:

1. Medee: Act II - Scene 1 - Auftritt 'Il est emps de parler'
2. Medee: Act II - Scene 1 - 'Vos reproches, Seigneur, ne sont pas legitimes'
3. Medee: Act II - Scene 2 - Auftritt 'Princesse, c'est sur vous que mno espoir se fonde'
4. Medee: Act II - Scene 3 - Auftritt 'Enfin a ton amour tout espoir est permis
5. Medee: Act II - Scene 4 - Auftritt 'Prince, venez apprendre une heureuse nouvelle'
6. Medee: Act II - Scene 5 - Auftritt 'Qu'ay-je a resoudre encor ?'
7. Medee: Act II - Scene 5 - 'Quand son amour seroit extreme'
8. Medee: Act II - Scene 6 - Auftritt 'Puisqu'un fier ennemy'
9. Medee: Act II - Scene 7 - Auftritt 'Quelle est charmante'
10. Medee: Act II - Scene 7 - Chaconne
11. Medee: Act II - Scene 7 - Passacaille
12. Medee: Act II - Scene 7 - 'Vuos voyez a quoi j'aspire'
13. Medee: Act III - Scene 1 - Auftritt 'L'orage est violent'
14. Medee: Act III - Scene 1 - 'Suffrirez vous qu'on vous enleve'
15. Medee: Act III - Scene 2 - Auftritt 'Vous savez l'exil qu'on m'ordonne'
16. Medee: Act III - Scene 3 - Auftritt 'Quel prix de mon amour'
17. Medee: Act III - Scene 4 - Auftritt 'Croiras-tu mon maheur?'
18. Medee: Act III - Scene 5 - Auftritt 'Noires filles du Stix'
19. Medee: Act III - Scene 6 - Auftritt 'L'Enfer obeit a ta voix'
20. Medee: Act III - Scene 7 - Auftritt 'Je vois le don fatal'
21. Medee: Act III - Scene 7 - Premier Air pour les Demons
22. Medee: Act III - Scene 7 - 'Dieu du Cocyte & des Royaumes sombres'
23. Medee: Act III - Scene 7 - Seconde entree des Demons

Tracks:

1. Medee: Act IV - Scene 1 - Auftritt 'Jamais on ne la vit si belle'
2. Medee: Act IV - Scene 2 - Auftritt 'Ah! Que d'attraits'
3. Medee: Act IV - Scene 3 - Auftritt 'Si-tost que je parois'
4. Medee: Act IV - Scene 4 - Auftritt 'Vous soupcons estoient vrais'
5. Medee: Act IV - Scene 5 - Auftritt 'D'ou me vient cette horreur'
6. Medee: Act IV - Scene 6 - Auftritt 'Vos adieux sont-ils faits'
7. Medee: Act IV - Scene 7 - Auftritt 'Objets agreables'
8. Medee: Act IV - Scene 7 - Premier Air des Phantomes
9. Medee: Act IV - Scene 7 - Phantomes et Gardes
10. Medee: Act IV - Scene 7 - 'Tout resent le pouvoir'
11. Medee: Act IV - Scene 8 - Auftritt 'Mon pouvoir s'est connu'
12. Medee: Act IV - Scene 9 Auftritt 'Noires Divinites'
13. Medee: Act V - Scene 1 - Auftritt 'On ne peut sans effroy'
14. Medee: Act V - Scene 1 - 'Ne les epargnons pas'
15. Medee: Act V - Scene 2 - Auftritt 'Si la pitie vous peut trouver sensible'
16. Medee: Act V - Scene 3 - Auftritt 'Venez, parlez'
17. Medee: Act V - Scene 3 - Air funeste (reprise)
18. Medee: Act V - Scene 4 - Auftritt 'Eh bien, barbare'
19. Medee: Act V - Scene 5 - Auftritt 'Quel feu dans mes veines s'allume'
20. Medee: Act V - Scene 6 - Auftritt 'Ah, Roy trop malheureux'
21. Medee: Act V - Scene 7 - Auftritt 'Elle est morte, et je vis!'
22. Medee: Act V - Scene 8 - Auftritt 'C'est peu, pour contenter la douleur'

Amazon.com essential recording

Charpentier's Médée gets this writer's vote for the greatest opera of the entire French Baroque era. In their retelling of the Medea legend, Charpentier and his librettist Corneille combine all the grace, charm, and artifice typical of the French Baroque era with truly gripping drama. William Christie and Les Arts Florissants give a thrilling performance with a fabulous cast featuring stellar high tenor Mark Padmore and "La Divina" Lorraine Hunt (yes, she is the Maria Callas of 18th-century opera) in the role that made her a Baroque superstar. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Baroque Opera with very Modern Sounds.......2007-03-25

Marc-Antoine Charpentier's 'Medee' comes from what often sounds to me like the least interesting era of 'serious music', between the robustly primitive sounds of the Renaissance, with their especially devout liturgical music and the glories of the Baroque, capped by the great achievements of Bach, Hayden, and Handel. This opera is a great counterexample to this prejudice. Much of the instrumental work sounds very much at home in the late 17th century, but very often, the vocals, both solos and choral pieces seem to bust the bounds of the era's conventions and sound like something from an early 20th century composer. And, this performance, like everything else I've heard from William Christie and company, is excellent.

One of the best recordings on an opera on CD.......2007-03-05

I've listened to this thing over and over and over again since I bought it and I cannot say much more than this is how opera should be recorded on CD. For starters, we have here one of the greatest operas, based on a powerful story with an excellent libretto, of the entire Baroque period by one of the greatest composers of the period. Next we have William Christie - 'nuff said! - with his superb Les Arts Florissants ensemble.

Lorraine Hunt sang the title role. I will not compare her voice to the unlovely and overwrought metallic sound of the American singer, Maria Callas, but suffice it to say, she was a great singer of Baroque music. The entire cast is ideal and I've never detected any weak links. The pace of the opera is natural and strong - the recording was based on a stage production and this was the second time William Christie recorded the work (the first recording included some cuts, necessitated by the fact that the older recording on Harmonia Mundi was released on Lp records).

It is clear that William Christie wanted to make this recording of Médée as complete as possible and I think I can say with some confidence that it will be the definitive recording of this great work for many years to come. I admit that I haven't managed to acquire the Hervé Niquet recording of this work on DVD yet, nor have I seen it.

So, if you're a lover of Baroque music, you should own this. If you love French opera and French Art & Music in general, you should seriously consider this recording. If you are curious or just have an interest in opera, please have a listen.

Along with William Christie's recordings of Lully's "Atys", Purcell's "King Arthur" and Rameau's "Castor et Pollux" and "Les Indes Galantes", this is one of Les Arts Florissants' very finest recordings. It also happens to be one of the finest recordings of an opera on CD.

Charpentier's 1693 and Cherubini's 1797.......2006-10-14

Medee is the seventh French Baroque opera in my collection together with three by Lully and three by Rameau. Charpentier intervened between the two. The opera dates 1693, six years after Lully's death. The plot includes events from the Jason-Medea mythology not found in Cherubini's "first grand opera" Medee, dating a century later in revolutionary Paris in 1797. The sprightly and largely unruffled dignity of Charpentier's music poses a sharp contrast to the thunder of Cherubini's Medee. The contrast between the two operas serves as an index of the vast change from French monarchy at high tide under Louis XIV to the angry republic of revolutionary France in the aftermath of the Regicide of Louis XVI and subsequent Reign of Terror. Cherubini's Medea is a one-woman terror. Not so Charpentier's Medea although she warns of her magical powers with a short musical outburst early in the opera and eventually uses these powers to murder Jason's intended bride Creusa. Charpentier brings in a character, Oronte, lacking in Cherubini. Oronte allies himself with the Corinthian King Creon and then with Medea in a common cause with her as a rejected lover of Creusa just as Medea is rejected by Jason. The whole tenor of the opera is different because Medea sings the opening lines rather than being held back, as Cherubini does, to bring the angry woman on to disturb the peace of Jason's impending wedding. In other words Charpentier's work features a more conventional build-up of motives unlike the diabolical frenzy which Cherubini transferred from the Terror to the ancient sorceress. There are powerful moments in the 1693 work but the dominant qualities are delicacy and regal dignity and optimism. The reason for that optimism is stated in the Prologue by allegorical Victory who has made her home in France for a long time. Louis VIV was a winner in battle. The courtship scene between Jason and Creusa in Act II is one of the most super-refined instances of such an exchange I have ever heard.

The power of music and classical drama!.......1999-10-14

I was fortunate to listen to this production, performed in Lisbon in 1994, and I will never forget Lorraine Hunt on her black long dress, calling the spirits of the underwold in the third act... it was a magical moment, something I have no words to express. The recording shows not only that Charpentier and Corneille conceived the best lyrical drama of all time, but also that William Christie and his orchestra are among the best performers of baroque music. If I would have to choose only one record for a desert island, this would be the one! If you don't have it on your collection, you just can't imagine what you are missing...

Magnificent!.......1999-08-12

I agree with the in-house reviewer that Charpentier's Medee is arguably the finest French baroque opera ever written. And the superb quality of this recording fully matches the beauty and subtlety of Charpentier's music. This may well be the finest recording ever produced by Les Arts Florissants.

Average customer rating:

Charpentier: Medee (Médée, Medea) [Highlights] Manufacturer: Erato ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Charpentier | Charpentier, Marc-Antoine | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Lorraine Hunt - Handel Arias Music of Peter Lieberson: Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto Lorraine Hunt Lieberson: Handel Arias Bach - Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook (highlights) / Hunt-Liberson, McGegan Handel - Theodora / Peter Sellars · William Christie · Upshaw, Hunt, Daniels, Croft · Glyndebourne Opera ASIN: B00000E8XD Release Date: 1996-03-12

Tracks:

1. Prologue: Ov - Les Arts Florissants/William Christie
2. Prologue: Louis Est Triomphant - Marie-Noelle De Callatay/Sophie Jolis/Katalin Karolyi/Violaine Lucas/Anne Mopin/Catherine Napoli...
3. Act I, Scene 1: Pour Flatter Mes Ennemis - Lorraine Hunt/Noemi Rime
4. Act I, Scene 1: Qu'il le Cherche, Mais Qu'il Me Craigne - Lorriane Hunt
5. Act I, Scene 5 - Les Arts Florissants/William Christie
6. Act I, Scene 6: Courez Aux Champs De Mars - Francois Piolino/Jean-Claude Sarragosse/Richard Duguay/Jean-Yves Ravoux/Eric Vignau/Francois Bazola
7. Act I, Scene 6: Que D'epais Bataillons, Sur Nos Reves Descencent - Francois Piolino/Jean-Claude Sarragosse/Richard Duguay/Jean-Yves Ravoux/Eric Vignau/Francois Bazola
8. Act II, Scene 5: Qu'ah-je A Resoudre Encor? - Mark Padmore/Monique Zanetti
9. Act II, Scene 5: Quand Son Amour Seroit Extreme - Mark Padmore/Monique Zanetti
10. Act II, Scene 7: Chaconne - Marie-Noelle De Callatay/Brigitte Ravoux/Jean-Yves Ravoux/Sophie Jolis/Katalin Karolyi...
11. Act II, Scene 7: Passacaille - Marie-Noelle De Callatay/Brigitte Ravoux/Jean-Yves Ravoux/Sophie Jolis/Katalin Karolyi...
12. Act III, Scene 3: Quel Prix De Mon Amour - Lorraine Hunt
13. Act III, Scene 4: Croiras-tu Mon Malheur? - Lorraine Hunt/Noemi Rime
14. Act III, Scene 5: Noires Filles Du Styx - Lorraine Hunt
15. Act III, Scene 6: L'Enfer Obeit A Ta Voix - Marie-Noelle De Callatay/Sophie Jolis/Katalin Karolyi/Violaine Lucas/Anne Mopin/Catherine Napoli...
16. Act III, Scene 7: Je Vois Le Don Fatal - Lorraine Hunt/Marie-Noelle De Callatay/Sophie Jolis/Katalin Karolyi/Violaine Lucas/Anne Mopin...
17. Act III, Scene 7: Dieu Du Cocyte & Des Royaumes Sombres - Lorraine Hunt
18. Act IV, Scene 7: Phantomes Et Gardes - Bernard Deletre
19. Act IV, Scene 7: Tout Ressent Le Pouvior - Sophie Daneman/Katalin Karolyi/Marie-Noelle De Callatay/Sophie Jolis/Katalin Karolyi...
20. Act IV, Scene 8: Mon pouvoir T'est Connu - Lorraine Hunt/Bernard Deletre
21. Act IV, Scene 9: Noires Divinites - Bernard Deletre
22. Act V, Scene 1: On Ne Peut Sans Effroy - Lorraine Hunt/Noemi Rime
23. Act V, Scene 1: Ne Les Epargnons Pas - Lorraine Hunt
24. Act V, Scene 4: Eh Bien, Barbare - Lorraine Hunt/Monique Zanetti
25. Act V, Scene 5: Quel Feu Dans Nes Veines S'allume - Monique Zanetti
26. Act V, Scene 6: Ah, Roy Trop Malheureux - Mark Padmore/Monique Zanetti
27. Act V, Scene 7: Elle Est Morte, Et Je Vis! - Mark Padmore
28. Act V, Scene 8: C'est Peu, Pour Contender La Douleur - Lorraine Hunt/Mark Padmore

Average customer rating:

Charpentier: Medee Marc-Antoine Charpentier , William Christie , and Les Arts Florissants Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000027NU4 Release Date: 1992-12-09

Average customer rating: Still very good

Charpentier: Médée / Christie, Les Arts Florissants Marc-Antoine Charpentier , Jill Feldman , Jacques Bona , Les Arts Florissants , William Christie , Agnès Mellon , Gilles Ragon , Philippe Cantor , Sophie Boulin , and François Fuaché Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Charpentier | Charpentier, Marc-Antoine | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Christie, William | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000000764 Release Date: 1993-09-01

Amazon.com

As William Christie and Les Arts Florissants demonstrated with this release, Médée is arguably the finest opera of the entire French Baroque. This was its first recording and was considered a fine account until Christie rerecorded for Erato with a stellar cast headed by "La Divina" Lorraine Hunt. Still, Christie has said he remains proud of this release, and French Baroque collectors should have it, especially for the gorgeous singing of Agnès Mellon as Jason's "other woman," the unfortunate princess Créuse. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Still very good.......1999-04-14

I got curious and bought this recording, just to compare it with Christie's 1995 version of Medee. Well, the first version turned out to be really good too. It won a Gramophone Best Early Opera award when it was first released in 1982, and I can see how it deserved such a major award. The female leads are admirable in both recordings, with the scale tipping slightly in Lorraine Hunt's favor. It's Jason that made all the difference between the two recordings. Gilles Ragon was not a bad Jason, but he can't stand any comparison with the truly extraordinary haute-contre Mark Padmore in the 1995 recording. It's the difference between good and exceptional.

Average customer rating: A precious collector's item

Charpertier - Médée / Feldman, Bona, Mellon, Ragon, Cantor, Boulin, Les Arts Florissants, Christie Marc-Antoine Charpentier , William Christie , Les Arts Florissants , Jill Feldman , Jacques Bona , Sophie Boulin , Philippe Cantor , Agnès Mellon , Gilles Ragon , Dominique Visse , and Monique Zanetti Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Charpentier | Charpentier, Marc-Antoine | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Christie, William | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Bargain Box Sets | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Bargain Box Sets | Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music ASIN: B000026D5N Release Date: 1999-11-16

Customer Reviews:

A precious collector's item.......1999-11-21

This is one of the earliest recordings by William Christie and his famous Les Arts Florissants, and one of their first great successes. This recording won the Gramophone award for the Best Early Opera in 1984, one of the first historically informed performances to win such universal acclaim. Everyone interested in period performance practice should have this recording, together with Christie's 1995 rerecording of this fabulous opera. The comparison between the two versions of the opera reveals a lot about Christie's genius. It is amazing how much the two versions are alike, and yet it is even more amazing, given how great the first version was, how much improvement Christie was able to achieve with his second recording of Medee. Christie's vision of Medee remained fundamentally unchanged between the two recordings, but within that uniform framework he was able to identify and highlight the greatest strenghts of Medee as a remarkably dramatic work, combining the intensely beautiful music with the poignantly dramatic libretto. The second recording followed a series of stage performances that gave Christie and his performers a deeper insight into the work. As a result, the 1995 recording of Medee is truly a thing unto itself; but the 1984 recording nevertheless is more than a mere predecessor - it is also a masterpiece. The recording features a marvelous cast of soloists, with Agnes Mellon especially memorable as Creuse. The singing here is more reserved than on the second Medee; and this is perhaps the main reason Christie chose to rerecord. The 1984 recording also suffers from minor cuts, because of the constraints of the original LP format. The most noticeable cut is the gorgeous solo aria of the Corinthian in the final scene of the first act. Obviously, if you can't spare $$ to buy both recordings, buy the second one. But if you can afford to buy both, you will learn a lot from a comparison between the two. If you're already a Christie fan, you will come away with an even greater respect for him. And if you're relatively new to this kind of music, you will come away with a better understanding of why it deserves your attention.

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