Veronique Gens - Complete Songs & Duets - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Between 1803 and 1968, the Grand Prix de Rome marked the zenith of composition studies at the Paris Conservatoire. In Maurice Ravel's time the competition included an elimination round (a fugue and a choral piece) followed by a cantata in the form of an operatic scena. The entries were judged by a jury which generally favoured expertise and conformity more than originality and Ravel's growing reputation as a member of the avant-garde was therefore hardly to his advantage, and may explain why he never won the coveted Premier Grand Prix, and the three-year stay at Rome's Villa Medici that went with it. The present set brings together all the vocal works that Ravel composed for the Prix de Rome - five shorter settings for choir and orchestra and three cantatas, each with three characters taking part in a plot which followed a more or less fixed sequence of introduction, recitative and aria, a duet, a trio and a brief conclusion. First published more than half a century after Ravel's death, these test pieces for the Prix de Rome have never acquired the popularity of his other early works, such as Pavane pour une infante défunte, Jeux d'eau or the String Quartet. They are worth more than their reputation as academic exercises might suggest, however, and deserve to be better known, especially when performed by Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire and Pascal Rophé and a team of vocal soloists including Véronique Gens and Michael Spyres.

Nearly a century before Gluck, another opera called Iphigenie en Tauride - same plot, same protagonists - had immense success on the opera stage. This 'first' Iphigenie has rather a curious history. The opera was sketched out by composer Henri Desmarest around the year 1695, but he was then banished from France by Louis XIV for having married a young girl without her father's consent. The uncompleted score of Iphigenie was then entrusted to Andre Campra. The opera, since lost and forgotten, was rediscovered by Benoit Dratwicki, Director of the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, who marvels at it's stylistic unity 'Campra easily adopted Desmarest's style. He just added some virtuoso arias to the divertissements, as well as the tuneful choruses that were his speciality.' Iphigenie en Tauride had it's premiere on 6 May 1704, and was revived throughout Europe from 1711. Thanks to Herve Niquet, a top-flight team of singers, an orchestra well versed in French repertoire, and all their collaborative research into the practices and specific playing techniques of the early 18th century, Iphigenie sees the light of day once more. Album Tracks 1. Prologue Ouverture 2. Prologue Scene 1 Recitative C'est Dans Ce Fortuné Séjour (L'ordonnateur) 3. Prologue Scene 1 Air Et Chœur Chantons, Qu'à Nos Voix Tout Réponde (L'ordonnateur, Chorus) 4. Prologue Scene 1 Entrée 5. Prologue Scene 1 Récit Accompagné Dieu, Qui Sur Les Humains (L'ordonnateur) 6. Prologue Scene 1 Sarabande 7. Prologue Scene 1 Air Dans Les Concerts Que Vous Faites Entendre (Un Habitant de Délos) 8. Prologue Scene 1 Air Aimons-Nous, Laissons-Nous Charmer (Première Habitante) 9. Prologue Scene 1 Menuets 10. Prologue Scene 1 Duo Loin de Vouloir Disputer la Victoire (Première Habitante, Seconde Habitante) 11. Prologue Scene 1 Prélude, Duo Et Chœur Que Diane Ait Part À Nos Je

Ean-Marie Leclair's Scylla et Glaucus provides an excellent opportunity for György Vashegyi, a luxury cast and music scholars at the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles to revisit the French Baroque operatic canon and emerge with a fresh new take on this established work, the violin virtuoso and composer's single offering for the Paris Opéra. For this recording György Vashegyi has made use of the original performing manuscript of the batteur de mesure, one consequence being that the dramatic structure of the work is tightened here, water-god Glaucus (Cyrille Dubois) convinces the reluctant nymph, Scylla (Judith van Wanroij) of his intentions towards her, but only once he has been to visit the wicked sorceress Circé (Véronique Gens) in search of magical assistance. A bad move, which culminates in a broken Glaucus looking out over the strait of Sicily towards a newly-formed rock formation... Called Scylla. Vashegyi's Purcell Choir and Orfeo Orchestra, and supporting singers, are on hand to do justice to the resulting French Baroque emotional panoply of rustic and demonic dances, welcomed and spurned love arias, and choral and divine interventions. Album Tracks 1. Ouverture [03 56] 2. Prologue Reine de la Nature (Le Chef Des Peuples, Chorus) [01 44] 3. Prologue Sarabande [01 09] 4. Prologue Air Gracieux [01 21] 5. Prologue Quel Bruit Soudain (Le Chef Des Peuples, Propetide 1, Propetide 2) [01 00] 6. Prologue Recitative Redoutable Vénus (Le Chef Des Peuples) [00 30] 7. Prologue Recitative Quel Tonnerre! (Le Chef Des Peuples) [00 39] 8. Prologue Symphonie Pour la Descente de Vénus - Recitative Cessez de Braver Ma Puissance (Vénus) [02 39] 9. Prologue Pour Vous Dont Je Recois Et L'encens Et Les Voeux (Vénus, Chorus) [02 05] 10. Prologue Des Nations Il Triomphe Sans Peine (Le Chef Des Peuples) [00 54] 11. Prologue Dans Un Auguste F