J.-Ph. RAMEAU

JEAN PHILIPPE RAMEAU

PLATÉE PIGMALION DARDANUS | BALLET SUITES

• EUROPEAN UNION BAROQUE ORCHESTRA (EUBO) - ROY GOODMAN | SILVIA MÁRQUEZ CHULILLA, organ

• NAXOS 2005 | 8.557490

Although Rameau's operas have not yet returned to the standard operatic repertoire, his ballet music – richly colourful not only for its varied instrumentation but also for its rhythmic, melodic and harmonic peculiarities – has deservedly become popular. The music for Platée is so vivid and so full of abrupt changes of mood that it suggests its own choreography. Of Dardanus it was said at the time that it was "so laden with music that for three whole hours the musicians of the orchestra did not even have time to sneeze".

Pigmalion, one of Rameau's most popular works, includes a delightful sequence of ten short dances entitled Les différents caractères de la danse, which covers all the basics of French dance in a single, easy lesson.

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764)

Platée Suite

01. Ouverture

02. Air pantomime

03. Air de ballet

04. Orage

05. Air pour des fous gais et des fous tristes

06. Menuets I & II 07. Rigaudons I & II

Pygmalion Suite

08. Ouverture

09. Les differents caractères de la danse [Gracieusement, Air très lent, Gavotte lent, Menuet, Gavotte gaie, Chaconne vive, Loure très grave, Passepied vif, Rigaudon vif]

10. Sarabande pour la Statue / Tambourin: forte et vite

11. Marche

12. Pantomime niaise et un peu lent - Deuxième Pantomime très vite

13. Air gracieux et gai et contredanse

Dardanus Suite

14. Ouverture

15. Marche pour les différentes nations

16. Menuet

17. Tambourins I & II

18. Rigaudons I & II

19. Entrée d'Iphise

20. Air gai en rondeau

21. Menuets I & II

22. Tambourins III & IV

23. Sommeil de Dardanus

24. Chaconne

"This youthful ensemble firmly plants its own stamp on the collection of suites. Their versatile style lends itself wonderfully to the series of short dances that feature in the Pigmalion suite, capturing the sober mood of the Gracieusement and the uplifting spirit of the Tambourin."

Helenka Bednar | BBC MUSIC

"Das vor 20 Jahren gegründete Orchester European Union Baroque Orchestra (EUBO) bringt bei diesem Zusammenstellungen aus drei Rameau-Opern erstaunlich viel Farbe und rhythmische Finesse ins Spiel. Herausragende Positivpunkte beim EUBO: Streicher, Continuogruppe und Oboen."

Norbert Rüdell | KLASSIK HEUTE

"Delightful music, often hauntingly memorable, and always stylishly placed - warmly recommended."

BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE

Download the booklet as a PDF from Chandos.net (Notes by Simon Heighes, in English only)