Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764)
Rameau at the Château of Fontainebleau (1753-1754)
Orchestral Suites Vol. 2 Anacréon
Daphnis et Eglé
The two suites of orchestral music heard on this recording are taken
from operas composed by the celebrated French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau,
for presentation before the court of Louis XV at the château of Fontainebleau
in 1753 and 1754. Each autumn the French court travelled to this palace to stay
for about six weeks. Here they hunted by day and were entertained by leading
musicians and actors at night. Indeed, when the country's finances permitted,
such trips resulted in a showcase for the performing arts symbolic of the
wealth, power and magnificence of both the court and the country at large.
Thus, the opportunity to present new works at Fontainebleau was a signal honour
for any composer. These occasions were particularly important for Rameau, whose
career in Paris had recently undergone several reversals. Performances of his
operas had been sharply curtailed at the Paris Opéra; his name had been bandied
about in the controversy surrounding the presentation of Italian opera in
Paris, and the relationship with his patron of long standing was coming to an
end. [For further details on these events, see the notes accompanying Naxos
8.553388, "Rameau: Orchestral Suites, Vol. 1," where plot
descriptions of the two operas discussed below can also be found.]
The Fontainebleau entertainments of 1753 were ordered by the duc de
Richelieu, and they constituted a lavish programme of older and new works
lasting from 16th October until 22nd November. The theme of love disguised as
friendship figured prominently in many of the new works ordered for 1753. This
theme appears to have been an allegorical allusion to Louis XV and Mme de
Pompadour, who claimed that they had not been lovers since 1751. Rameau was
asked to present three new works, Daphnis et
Eglé, Lisis et Délie and Les
Sibarites. Only Les Sibarites contained
no obvious references to the allegory. If Rameau hoped that these works would
help secure his position at court (and win the favour of the powerful Mme de
Pompadour, in particular), it was not to be. Objections to the choice of
entertainments began following the second evening in the court's theatre, a
performance of Boursault's Le Mercure galant
(1683). Queen Marie, who had attended this performance with her
daughters, was scandalized by the play, and she complained at length to de
Richelieu. As a result, he scrutinized the chosen entertainments carefully and
cancelled several new works, including Lisis
et Délie. Furthermore, it remains unclear if Daphnis et Eglé was performed again after
the dress rehearsal. In the process, all references to love disguised as
friendship disappeared from the list of entertainments. The score to Lisis et Délie is now lost; that of Daphnis et Eglé was never published, and
it remains one of Rameau's least known works.
The music of Daphnis et Eglé has
far greater significance than does its weak, pastoral libretto written by
Charles Collé. Of particular interest is the emphasis upon musical traits
associated with the German centre of Mannheim. The overture begins in the
manner of a symphony by Johann Stamitz, and dynamic contrasts figure
prominently in many of the subsequent movements. Traditional French values can
be found as well in the pair of graceful menuets
which serve as the third movement of the overture. Indeed, the
emphasis upon dance is particularly strong in this opera, and Rameau's dance
music embraces a wide range of moods, from the delicate Musette to the spirited Tambourin movements and the final Contredanse.
Anacréon was one
of two new works by Rameau presented at Fontainebleau in 1754. The court's time
there was a festive occasion which celebrated the birth of the duc de Berry,
the future Louis XVI. To mark this event, Rameau composed La Naissance d'Osiris. An orchestral suite
taken from this work can be found on Naxos 8.553388. Rameau's other offering
for the court was a pastoral work based on the legend of Anacreon. This opera
was given two performances, on the 23rd and 26th October. The court's reaction
to Anacréon was mixed, perhaps
owing to the serious nature of the story. Surprisingly, several lines in the
libretto appear to have upset Queen Marie. Rameau's faith in the opera remained
strong however, and he prepared a slightly revised version of it for
performances in Paris. These performances did not take place lintil1766, some
two years after the composer's death. The music of the opera is strong, and the
entire work is worthy of modem stage revival. In place of an overture, Rameau
composed a Ritournelle, a single
movement which flows into the opening scene without a break. The present
recording utilizes a return to the opening in order to provide a satisfying
conclusion to the movement. Although dance does not play as prominent a role in
this opera as it does in some other works, Rameau's music is striking and
contains much brilliant orchestration. The use of dramatic dance is represented
here in the through-composed movements, such as the complex and imitative Bacchanales, and the sectionalized Pantomime très gaye which was likely
composed to match a specific choreography. The music for the Tambourin movements can also be found in
the source materials for La Naissance d'Osiris.
That Rameau also used these dances in Anacréon should not surprise, for they are amongst the
striking and memorable to come from Rameau's pen.
@ 1997 Paul F. Rice
Capella Savaria
The Capella Savaria chamber ensemble was founded in the Western Hungarian
town of Szombathely in 1981, taking its name from the area's Roman name,
Savarîa. The ensemble plays on period instruments under the artistic
directorship of Pâl Nemeth. Performances of music of the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries, based on historical documents of the time, have given
Capella Savaria a firm place in the musical life of Hungary. Appearances in
festivals throughout Europe, and concerts in Brazil and Israel have garnered
critical acclaim for the group. The ensemble has no state subsidy, but works
with the help of the Savaria Museum Friends of Early Music.
Mary Térey-Smith
The Hungarian-born conductor and musicologist, Mary Térey-Smith, was
trained at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, and was appointed as resident
conductor of the Tatabânya Symphony Orchestra in 1952. She remained in that
position until1956, when she left Hungary after participating in the Revolution
of that year. Canada became her home next and, after a period spent in
Montréal, she subsequently accepted a position with the Toronto Opera School as
coach and conductor, going on to take her doctorate at the Eastman School of
Music. Nowa senior member of the music faculty of Western Washington
University, Térey-Smith has given performances in Italy, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
and Romania with the university's Collegium Musicum, an ensemble which she
founded in 1970. Mary Térey-Smith's research interests have centred largely on
French Baroque opera and, in particular, the works of Rameau.