Christophe Rousset
and his
Les Talens Lyriques
continue their exploration of the operas of
Jean-Baptiste Lully
for the
Aparte
label with 1675's
Thesee
("
Theseus
"), the composer's third "tragedie en musique" with librettist by
Philippe Quinault
. Commissioned by King Louis XIV, the libretto recounts some early-life exploits of the titular character from
Ovid
's Metamorphoses. It was immensely popular for more than a century before finding itself in less demand than later, more compact versions of
Quinault
's text, which were set by composers such as
Handel
(
Teseo
, 1712). What is there for a king and his court not to like when the Prologue declares the king a god and sings the praises of king and kingdom?
Rousset
has his
in fine form, and the ensemble plays crisply and concisely throughout.
, conducting from the harpsichord, keeps the action moving in this colossal and dramatic work. The soloists, especially mezzo-soprano
Karine Deshayes
as Medee ("Medea") and tenor
Mathias Vidal
as the titular Thesee, display clear expertise in the realm of early French opera. This work is a major vehicle for mezzos in the role of the jealous sorceress Medee, and
Deshayes
is splendid. The Prologue has some awkward, almost hesitant singing from the chorus, but as the work progresses, the
Choeur de chambre de Namur
becomes stronger and, in the end, proves to be an asset to the whole (consider their turn as the inhabitants of the underworld with
on "Sortez, ombres, sortez de la nuit eternelle" from Act Two). This is a worthy addition of a lesser-known opera to the growing
Lully
collection from
. ~ Keith Finke