Les indes galantes

"The dancing exuberance of Jean-Philippe Rameau's Les Indes galantes (Glossa) is brought to life by the Hungarian György Vashegyi and his Purcell Choir and Orfeo Orchestra. The colourful variety of Rameau's music never ceases to delight, and if this account is rather more hard-edged and bumptious than its sweeter French competitors, it carries the listener along. The choice of the 1761 revival score makes this recording unique, and also means some favourites from the original 1735 version are missing, but the final grand Chaconne sweeps all before it".

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"Rameau's "reductions" make a fine addition to Rousset's discography ... Rousset's virtuosity, fine touch and tightly executed ornamentation in both hands ensure that the music sounds idiomatic ... An enticing Rameau bonus".

"A "must have" for Rameau fans".

"Vashegyi gets wonderful singing and playing from his Hungarian forces ... The earthquake is vivid in the extreme, and so is the tempest ... The singers, some of whom have appeared with Vashegyi before, are all one could desire ... Apart from some overenthusiastic timpani rolls, the whole thing - performance and recording - is beautifully done".

"Das Einheitsbühnenbild dient als Klassenzimmer, Museum, Kirche und Flüchtlingslager ... Ivor Bolton am Pult pinselt zarteste Lasuren. Märsche, Menuette und Gavotten perlen, Airs und Ensembles des auf Höchstem Niveau hinreissenden Sängerensembles sind eine einzige Vokalfreude ... Leider versinkt das optisch schnell im Graumäusigenʺ.

"Auvity is ardent and glowing right to the top of his extraordinary range, first as Valère and then as Tacmas. If his voice is silver-bright, then John Moore's Adario is all warm gold; what an impressive performance this is from the young American baritone ... This isn't a show that lends itself naturally to a DVD but as a point of reference and a marker for future concept-treatments of French Baroque it's invaluable".

"What can hardly fail to catch the eye is the complete nudity of the dancers, both men and women. Bellone, the goddess of war (amusingly written for a bass), enters on a motorised buggy ... This is where my own irritability set in ... Locked into all this nonsense a very fine musical performance. Under Christophe Rousset, Les Talens Lyrique play the dance movements with just the right combination, or rather variety, of vigour and sensibility, and together with the Bordeaux chorus are wonderfully vivid in tempest and earthquake ... Charmingly sung but spoilt by the distractions on stage".

"Vurdering: Empfehlungen des Monats" - "In der putzigen Oper von Bordeaux sind alle hell begeistert. Zum einen natürlich, weil Christophe Rousset und sein Ensemble Les Talens Lyrique die richtigen Klanganwälte sind ... Aber eben auch, weil die Regisseurin und Choreographin Laura Scozzi hier eine so witzigen wie modernen Weg gefunden hat, diese unverbundenen vier Akten samt Prolog ... schlüssig und zeitgenössisch zu erzählen".

"I can't open my arms wide enough to embrace this, the third major Rameau opera to make it to dvd ... overall, the singing, dancing and orchestral playing is glorious ... prepare to be successively enchanted, moved, cheered and amused".

"From every point of view that matters, this is a special Ramellian achievement".