Rameau's Les Fêtes d'Hébé
Les Arts Florissants celebrates William Christie's 80th birthday at Paris's Opéra-Comique — With Emmanuelle de Negri, Lea Desandre, Ana Vieira Leite …
Cast
Robert Carsen — Stage director, lighting
Gideon Davey — Stage sets, costumes
Peter van Praet — Lighting
Nicolas Paul — Choreographer
Program notes
The great William Christie celebrates his 80th birthday in grand style with his world-renowned ensemble Les Arts Florissants, a top-tier cast of vocalists and dancers, and some of the most gloriously inspired music ever composed by Rameau: the opera-ballet Les Fêtes d'Hébé (The Festivities of Hebe), named for the goddess of youth and vitality. Across a prologue and three self-contained acts dedicated to the arts of poetry, music, and dance, longtime collaborators of "Les Arts Flo," including sopranos Lea Desandre, Emmanuelle de Negri, and Ana Vieira Leite, bring their standard-bearing Baroque technique to multiple roles, supported by a troupe of exquisite dancers, in a cheeky, daring staging by Robert Carsen, one of Christie's long-time collaborators. On this evening of celebration, each of Rameau's acts ends with rejoicing — and maybe a birthday surprise or two…
Since their founding in 1979, Les Arts Florissants has been one of the world's preeminent musical ensembles, known especially for bringing impeccable performances of Baroque repertoire to a wider audience. If you've already heard Les Fêtes d'Hébé, it is likely thanks to their Gramophone Award-winning 1998 recording, described as "a ravishing entertainment, from start to finish" — as this very special edition promises to be.
Photo © Vincent Pontet
