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Music / opera

Armide 1778

Jean-Baptiste Lully

Reviews (13)

Kulturradio RBB

d. 10. May 2017

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Kai Luehrs-Kaiser

d. 10. May 2017

"Dieses Gesamtprojekt [von Opern Jean-Baptiste Lullys] darf ohne Weiteres als epochal gewertet werden, zumal sich noch kein Dirigent so systematisch mit dem Hofkomponisten Ludwigs XIV. überhaupt befasst hat ... Das Werk erweckt einen viel mürberen, fragileren, psychologisch sensibleren Eindruck als zuvor ... Allerspätestens dann wird diese Aufnahme als Meilenstein gelten".

MusicWeb international

2020 November

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Stuart Sillitoe

2020 November

"Recommended: Hervé Niquet made a wonderful recording of Persée (1770) ... This is another remarkable performance. Chief amongst the plaudits must go to Véronique Gens. She shows that she is destined to play Armide. Her performance is flawless and characterful ... Other soloists are equally well cast ... The chorus is a big part of the production. I am glad to say that the colourful performance of the choir of the ensemble Le Concert Spirituel proves that they are more than up to the task. The orchestra of Le Concert Spirituel gives great support. They once again show that they are one of the preeminent ensembles in the French baroque repertoire ... Hervé Niquet ... directs this opera with great panache, and gives the work a sense of real presence. This is definitely a performance to enjoy and savour ... A clear winner".

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MusicWeb international

2017 June

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Simon Thompson (musikanmelder)

2017 June

"Recording of the month: Rousset is, of course, a whizz with this sort of repertoire, and he has the finest feeling for this whole lost musical world ... There is tremendous class and élan throughout ... Rousset brilliantly recaptures the feel of the French court as though it were all in a day's work ... The cast of singers he has assembled is formidable, and worthy of the challenge. In particular, Marie-Adeline Henry in the title role has a magnificent sit-up-and-take-notice quality to her voice".

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MusicWeb international

2008 December

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Robert Hugill

2008 December

"My recommendation is to go hunting for Herreweghe’s disc, where for my money, the style is better and far more apposite. Brown and his forces give you a creditable and approachable version of the opera; Herreweghe gives you a powerfully moving one".

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BBC music magazine

2020 November

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Berta Joncus

2020 November

"Recording of the month: This project's performers are, from first note to last, as outstanding as the score. Véronique Gens delivers a career-defining performance as Armide, a sorceress and seductress of volcanic power ... Armide's character fits Gens like a glove: her sexy, dark-hued instrument, blistering line and dramatic intensity project a woman both commanding and vulnerable ... Niquet is also enchanting ... thanks to the mix of muscle and talent at Niquet's disposal - his orchestra has 33 players; his chorus, 26 singers ... All vocal soloists shine in turn ... Reinoud Van Mechelen as Renaud stands out ... This Armide is among the most brilliant opera projects of recent years".

Fono Forum

2021 Januar

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Bernd Feuchtner

2021 Januar

"Armide 1778? Lully starb doch schon 1687! Paris war das erste Opernhaus, das ein Repertoir pflegte, und in dieses geheiligte Erbe war 1777 Gluck mit seiner "Armide" vorgestossen. Da betraute die Opéra Louis-Joseph Franceour mit einer Überarbeitung von Lullys Partitur ... Veronique Gens profitiert von Francoeurs überarbeitung der Titelpartie in Richtung auf den heroischen Stil Glucks ... und Tassis Christoyannis ist da für Gens ein brillant-finsterer Sparringspartner ... Dieses Hybrid zwischen Lully und Gluck behauptet seinen eigenen Rang".

Diapason

2020 septembre

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Loïc Chahine

2020 septembre

BBC music magazine

2017 August

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Anna Picard

2017 August

"It is no accident that the most-recorded sections of Armide are the anti-heroine's monologues. In Christophe Rousset's exquisitely produced live recording, these are delivered with appropriate ferocity and charisma by Marie-Adeline Henry. The orchestral accompaniment is vivacious, with attentive and imaginative continuo playing, plenty of bite from the strings, and even more bite when La Haine (an abrasive Marc Mauillon) appears".

Fono Forum

2017 August

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Gerhard Persché

2017 August

"Christophe Rousset ... interpretiert die Partitur ohne dynamische und agogische Übertreibungen, jedoch sensibel, mit psykologischem Feingefühl und viel Aufmerksamkeit fürs Detail. Marie-Adeline Henry singt die Titelpartie mit ihrer charakteristischen Stimme überzeugend ... und auch die anderen sind vorzüglich".

Diapason

2017 mai

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Jean-Philippe Grosperrin

2017 mai

Diapason

2009 janvier

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Piotr Kaminski

2009 janvier

The gramophone

2020 October

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Richard Lawrence

2020 October

"The story is a splendid vehicle for Véronique Gens ... She is in glorious voice ... Van Mechelen is ideal as his namesake, mellifluous and attentive to the text. The other singers, familiar specialists in this repertoire, are excellent, Tassis Christoyannis especially robust in the extended scene for Hate. Le Concert Spirituel and Hervé Niquet are in fine form".

The gramophone

2017 July

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David Vickers

2017 July

"Editor's choice: Les Talens Lyriques play with consummate mastery of elegantly swaying inégales, fizzy brilliance or suave dancelike gestures as each moment in Lully's score demands ... Marie-Adelaide Henry captures the full measure of Armide's conflicting emotions, and the undercurrent of theatrical tensions produced by Rousset and his band indicates why Rameau judged this sensational music to be worthy of analytical praise".