Platée
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Rameau’s comedy is an irresistibly seductive French baroque opera gem
Anders J. Dahlin Platée
Chantal Santon-Jeffery Amour / La Folie
Thomas Dolié Jupiter
Hasnaa Bennani Thalie / Clarine / Junon
Arnaud Richard Un satyre / Cithéron
Nicholas Scott Thepsis / Mercure
Victor Sicard Momus
Alexis Kossenko direction
Les Ambassadeurs Orchestra and Choir
Sung in French with French and English subtitles
Approximate running time
1st part: 1h10 - Intermission: 20mn - 2nd part: 1h20
The Théâtre has established its credentials for French baroque opera in recent seasons with works by Lully and Charpentier, but Rameau has not featured prominently, with the exception of Castor et Pollux. It is now the turn of Platée, a gem categorised as a “Ballet bouffon”, which is one of the most joyous and comical works composed by the musician. Each scene is a blend of iconoclastic arias, choruses and dances laced with high irony. The rules of the tragic opera are cast to the winds and tragi-comedy is exploited with relish. We can only imagine what the response must have been to this organised chaos on the theme of love when the opera was premiered. It was performed at the court of Versailles to celebrate the wedding of the Dauphin to the Infanta of Spain. Some 275 years later, it still sparkles with musical freedom and is irresistibly appealing.
Coproduction Jeanine Roze Production / Céleste Productions
