Search - Jean-Philippe Rameau, Christophe Rousset :: Rameau: Les Indes Galantes

Rameau's Harpsichord Transcription of his Opera-Ballet

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 07/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When Rameau's opera-ballet 'Les Indes galantes' was premièred in 1735 it was met with disdain by audiences. Rameau, never one to let good music go unheard, decided to recycle the music by transcribing it for solo harpsichord. He wrote, 'As the public have appeared less satisfied with the recitatives of "Les Indes galantes" than with the rest of the work, I have not thought it my duty to question their judgement, and it is for this reason that I here offer them the instrumental music only, mixed with some vocal pieces and choruses.' This is surely one of the oddest of Rameau's works; this transcription, particularly since the recently burgeoning popularity of the opera-ballet itself, has languished in obscurity. It was recorded by Kenneth Gilbert almost twenty years ago but this new version by the brilliant French claveciniste Christophe Rousset outshines Gilbert's pioneering effort. Rousset in his booklet notes describes each of the thirty-two pieces (collected in four 'concerts' [suites] plus an additional group of three other pieces from the score) in some considerable detail. He especially comments about how each piece compares to Rameau's other pieces written expressly for harpsichord. Rousset as both harpsichordist and conductor has previously recorded a good deal of Rameau - e.g. Rameau - Overtures / Christophe Rousset, Les talens lyriques, Pieces De Clavecin En Concerts - and he has the style in his bones.



In his notes Rousset writes, "When Rameau published Les Indes galantes, he wrote in his preface that you could play all the instrumental pieces on harpsichord. He didn't prepare proper transcriptions for harpsichord, but he used the same ornaments as in his other books for harpsichord. By providing a bit more structure, you can create a fourth book of Pièces de clavecin, a collection of really fantastic harpsichord pieces. Strangely enough, not all of the instrumental pieces are playable on harpsichord, but I've tried to record everything in the book by adapting anything that was not playable on the keyboard. It all sounds very good and I'm very excited about this project. The final piece is a big Chaconne. Rameau never wrote a Chaconne for solo harpsichord - though Couperin did - and it's nice to be able to add one by Rameau to the repertoire."



Rousset plays a harpsichord made in 1761 by the Parisian craftsman, Jean-Henry Hemsch. This is a two-manual instrument that remains in virtually its original state. It has a compass of 61 notes, a coupler and three registers allowing for a varied tonal palette.



So often harpsichord recordings have a jangly quality. This one, however, recorded in the new Cité de la Musique museum in Paris, is lifelike and entirely enjoyable.



Enthusiastically ecommended.



Scott Morrison"