Search - Rameau: Les Boreades on DVD

A great masonic opera 30 years before Mozart's Magic Flute

Antonio Mustaros | Naucalpan, Estado de México Mexico | 08/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rameau is a genius theat deserve much more recognition and atention in musical history. His music is avantgarde not only in the baroque era but in modern times too, in certain moments it sound like Mozart or Haydn and in other times it prefigures late romanticism with his incredible use of orchestration in large orchestras with full winds and metals, percussion and an idiomatic use of the strings.

Les Boreades is the last work he composed and as on the other opera-ballets he created the story is full of masonic simbolisms. The music is outstanding and surprising, brilliantly performed by Les Arts Florissants and William Christie, one of the best french baroque experts in the world. The leading roles with Barbara Bonney and Paul Agnew are sublime. They are two singers with sensitive and pristine voices ideal for this refined and trascendental music. The actoral part is very well done too (not a constant in baroque opera world).

Another highlight is the art direction of Robert Carson who obtain a visual spectacle of high impact with a great aesthetic sense, freshness and vitality.

Les Boreades represents the perfect union of all arts, a truly masterpiece."