Salieri : Les Danaïdes

Description du produit « Un soir, j allai à l'Opéra. On y jouait Les Danaïdes, de Salieri. La pompe, l'éclat du spectacle, la masse harmonieuse de l'orchestre et des choeurs, le talent pathétique de Mme Branchu, sa voix extraordinaire, la rudesse grandiose de Dérivis [...] me mirent dans un état de trouble et d'exaltation que je n'essayerai pas de décrire. » C'est en ces termes exaltés que Berlioz raconte son premier contact avec l'un des opéras les plus révolutionnaires de l'Ancien Régime. On doit à Antonio Salieri, éminent élève de Gluck, d'avoir pressenti les frémissements du romantisme naissant et d'avoir insufflé au tragique destin d'Hypermnestre un pathos et une véhémence que son professeur lui-même n'atteignit qu'épisodiquement. L'horrible complot fomenté par Danaüs et ses filles mène l'auditeur de palais scintillants en cavernes obscures et s'achève au sein même des enfers, où Démons, Furies et vautours vengeront l'assassinat collectif des fils d'Égyptus. Critique Written in 1784 by Mozart's friend and rival, this is a magnificent exercise in the elevated French classical style, as reformed by Gluck. Violently melodramatic and gory in its subject-matter of dynastic revenge but often warmly lyrical in musical flavour, it was an influential and durable success in Paris, much admired in the 1820s by the young Berlioz who was excited and disturbed by its grandeur and brilliance. Today its renown is largely confined to academic circles, not least because the large resources it requires make it expensive to stage.Yet this recording taken from live performances in Metz in 2013 proves that it remains theatrically viable, if unwieldy.Christophe Rousset conducts an unfailingly spirited reading, and there is full-blooded and stylish singing from Judith van Wanroij, Philippe Talbot and Tassis Christoyannis in the leading roles. The CDs are contained inside a limited edition book,containing scholarly essays illuminating the opera's background. --The Telegraph Judith van Wanroij (Hypermnestra),Tassis Christoyannis (Danaüs) and Philippe Talbot (Lyncaeus)are superb in their declamation of Salieri's grand accompanied recits.Rousset,steeped in the tragédie lyrique tradition,is the ideal conductor. It's good to meet Salieri the devoted protégé of Gluck, rather than the (much misrepresented) arch rival of Mozart, in this thrilling opera written for the court of Louis XVI in 1784. Gluck, smarting from the flop of Echo et Narcisse, was offered the libretto of Les Danaïdes (The Daughters of Danaüs), which he passed on to Salieri. It's a gruesome yarn of fraternal enmity in which Danaüs feigns friendship by marrying his 50 (!) daughters to his brother's no less numerous sons. On their wedding night, he orders them to murder their spouses.One, Hypermnestra, disobeys and her husband survives to avenge his brothers. A fine version of this opera was released in 1990, but this lavishly produced newcomer in the remarkable Palazzetto Bru Zane series surpasses it on every level, with Judith van Wanroij (Hypermnestra), Tassis Christoyannis (Danaüs) and Philippe Talbot (Lyncaeus) superb in their declamation of Salieri's grand accompanied recits. Rousset, steeped in the tragédie lyrique tradition, is the ideal conductor. HC -The Sunday Times Culture Magazine. --The Sunday Times It all coheres convincingly in this performance...with imposing choral contributions from Les Chantres du Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, and the usual fiercely involved playing from Les Talens Lyriques...Judith van Wanroij ensures that Hypermnestra's agonies of loyalty are the pivots on which the drama turns. Immaculately presented, this is an operatic rarity that's worth investigating. --The Guardian