Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial de Catamunya – Marin Marais: Alcione (2021) [FLAC 24bit/88,2kHz]

Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial de Catamunya – Marin Marais: Alcione (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24bit/88,2kHz | Time – 02:54:59 minutes | 3,14 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Alia Vox

The last great trag’edie en musique or “musical tragedy” of the reign of Louis XIV, Alcyone (Alcione, as the title appears in the 1706 edition) is an all-round spectacle poised between the 17th and 18th centuries. From the 17th century it takes its mythological source, its prologue in praise of the king, its high literary quality and its vocation for spectacle, combining choreography and changes of scenery. In the depth of the emotions experienced by its protagonists, more sensitive than heroic, as well as in the expressiveness of the orchestra which envelopes them in a true sound d’ecor, it ushers in the 18th century.

Structured, like all musical tragedies, in the form of a prologue and five acts, Alcyone was conceived by a successful young librettist, Antoine Houdar de La Motte, and Marin Marais, the most famous violist of his day. The magnificent portrait of Marais by Andr’e Bouys was widely distributed at the time in the form of an engraving. At about the age of fifty, Marais had just been appointed to the prestigious position of batteur de mesure (in modern terms, conductor of the orchestra) of the Royal Academy of Music at the Paris Op’era. Alcyone’s premiere on 18th February, 1706, was a major event, both for the composer and for the institution itself, which since 1673 had been installed in the Th’e`atre du Palais-Royal, at that time the residence of the Duke of Orl’eans, in what is now the Conseil d”Etat or Constitutional Council, and which was roughly the same size as the present-day Salle Favart, home to the Th’e^atre National de l’Op’era Comique.

In 1706, 19 years had passed since the death of the former director of the Op’era, Jean-Baptiste Lully, and the institution found itself in a fragile state. At Versailles, pleasure had long since been ousted by piety. Under the influence of Madame de Maintenon and Bossuet, the monarch was reconciled to Rome before dragging France into the long War of the Spanish Succession. New operas were very rarely staged at court, and they were not necessarily performed in the presence of the king. The fragile financial health of the realm’s foremost public theatre led the Op’era’s privilege-holders to put management in the hands of contract employees: a director and a number of sponsors. The repertory was opened up to Lully’s successors and embraced new lyrical formulas. The op’era-ballet, an entertaining genre represented by the works of Colasse and Campra, had for ten years enjoyed a roaring success.

Louis XIV did not attend the first performance of Alcyone, of which the prologue, as was de rigueur in this official genre, nevertheless extolled his might. Following the custom of the previous fifty years, the king is represented in the guise of Apollo, who triumphs over Pan by singing a hymn to peace: “Amiable Peace, […] / Happy, happy the victor who takes up arms / Only to restore you to the world.” Apollo then orders “a fine pageant” to mark his victory and instructs the muses to repeat the story of the Halcyons, the divinities who watch over the calm of the oceans, which was so vital to the prosperity of the French navy!

The following five acts tell in five tableaux the story of the Halcyons, or rather that of their parents, as taken from Book XI of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the source of numerous operatic subjects of the period. It revolves around Ceyx, King of Trachis in Thessaly and the son of Phosphorus, the god of light, and Alcyone, the daughter of Aeolus, the god of the winds. Like Alceste, Armide, Dido and many others, the heroine gives her name to the opera, guiding the spectators through a labyrinth of passions which are less political and more intimate in nature than masculine passions. The daughter of a god who rules the elements, she anchors the work in the marine environment, a judicious choice for a show which, in the Baroque period, owed its spectacular qualities (scenic carpentry, stage machinery, set-change mechanisms) to naval engineers and technicians.

The heterogeneous audiences at the Op’era were less reticent than royalty when it came to being won over, from the very first evening, by Jean B’erain’s sets and the remarkable performance conducted by the composer himself. The finest singers and dancers of the company graced the stage, and in the orchestra pit, brightly lit like the rest of the theatre, sat the finest orchestra in Europe. It brought together some forty musicians, most of whom were reputed soloists and even composers in their own right. Inventive, colourful and varied, Marais’s score was all the enthusiastically received in that it included an already popular character from opera, Peleus, the friend and unhappy rival of Ceyx, and at least one folk tune transformed into the sailors’ chorus in Act III. When Alcyone was performed, box- office takings were almost 60% higher than on other evenings.

The revivals of Alcyone at the Op’era bear witness to its enduring popularity, despite the fact that the nature of musical spectacles at that time was undergoing a shift toward dance, variety and entertainment. The 1719, 1730, 1741, 1756, 1757 and 1771 revivals of the work suffered changes and cuts, the brunt of which were borne by the prologue, but the sea storm and, above all, the tempest, remained a must. The storm was included in a revival of Lully’s Alceste in 1707, quoted by Campra in Les F^etes v’enitiennes in 1710… Proof of its huge popularity were the parodies accompanying a number of revivals: Fuzelier wrote L’Ami `a la mode ou parodie d’Alcyone in 1719 for the actors and marionnettes of the Foire Saint-Germain, and in 1741 Romagnesi composed a parodic Alcyone for the Th’e^atre-Italien.

If the storm scene enjoyed particular success, it was because of its ability to depict unbridled nature by “concealing art with art”, something for which Jean-Philippe Rameau also strove – in other words, by using all the resources of serious music to translate the chaos of the elements. With his descriptive symphony, Marais promoted a new vision of his art: henceforth, not only would music be able to portray everything, but it would pull no punches to achieve that goal, incorporating new instruments as well as new ways of playing them. The doors opened to musicians by Marais would never again be closed.

It is this creative freedom and this art of enchantment that is brought to life by Jordi Savall as director of the Concert des Nations, playing on period instruments, and Louise Moaty, assisted by Rapha”elle Boitel, in the first Paris stage production of Alcyone since 1771.

Tracklist:
Disc 1 (59:53)
1. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Prologue: Ouverture (03:36)
2. Jordi Savall, Antonio Abete, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Prologue: “Apollon et le Dieu des bois” (02:01)
3. Jordi Savall, Antonio Abete, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Prologue: Air des Faunes et des Driades (02:25)
4. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Prologue: “Fuyez, fuyez, mortels, fuyez” (02:08)
5. Jordi Savall, Sebastian Monti, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Prologue: Ritournelle: “Aimable paix, c’est toi que c’el`ebrent mes chants!” (01:37)
6. Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Prologue: “R`egne, r`egne, fille du ciel, mets la discorde aux fers” (03:06)
7. Jordi Savall, Antonio Abete, Lisandro Abadie, Sebastian Monti, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Prologue: Pr’elude – “A l”eclat de vos chants” (02:00)
8. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Prologue: Marche (pour les Bergers et les Berg`eres) (01:31)
9. Jordi Savall, Hanna Bayodi-Hirt, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Prologue: 1er Menuet (pour les m^emes) – “Le doux Printemps ne para^it point sans Flore” (02:57)
10. Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Prologue: Bourr’ee (pour les m^emes) (00:46)
11. Jordi Savall, Sebastian Monti, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Prologue: Premier et deuxi`eme Passepieds (pour les m^emes) (02:03)
12. Jordi Savall, Sebastian Monti & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Prologue: “Qu’un spectacle charmant signale ma victoire” (02:59)
13. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Prologue: Entr’acte (Reprise de l’Ouverture) (03:28)
14. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 1 : “Vous voyez le palais o`u l’hymen d’Alcione” (02:30)
15. Jordi Savall, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 1 : “Trop malheureux Pel’ee, h’elas ! Quelle est ta peine?” (00:54)
16. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 1 : “J’oserai plus pour vous, seigneur, que vous n’osez” (01:12)
17. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Cyril Auvity, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 2: “Aimez-vous sans alarmes” (02:23)
18. Jordi Savall, Cyril Auvity, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 2: “Partage, cher amie, les transports de mon ^ame” (00:50)
19. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Cyril Auvity, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 2: “Du plus ardent amour mon coeur est enflamm’e” (01:13)
20. Jordi Savall, Cyril Auvity, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 2: “Ah ! Que ton coeur n’est-il plus tendre” (01:09)
21. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Cyril Auvity, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 2: “Que rien ne trouble plus une flamme si belle” (01:02)
22. Jordi Savall, Cyril Auvity, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 2 : “Chantez, chantez, faites entendre” (01:16)
23. Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 2: “Que rien ne trouble plus une flamme si belle” (II) (01:56)
24. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 2: Air gravement et piqu’e (01:45)
25. Jordi Savall, Beno^it-Joseph Meier, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 2: Sarabande et deuxi`eme air “Que vos d’esirs puissent toujours rena^itre!” (03:03)
26. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 2: Gigue (01:00)
27. Jordi Savall, Lise Viricel, Maud Gnidzaz, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 2: Menuet – “Dans ces lieux, amour, tu nous ram`enes” (02:05)
28. Jordi Savall, Cyril Auvity, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 3: “On approche : cessez, et qu’un profond silence” (00:50)
29. Jordi Savall, Antonio Abete, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 3: “Le flambeau de l’amour n’a fait na^itre en votre ^ame” (00:53)
30. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Cyril Auvity, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 3: “‘Ecoutez nos serments, arbitres des humains” (00:57)
31. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Cyril Auvity, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 3: Temp^ete – “Quel bruit ! Quels terribles ‘eclats!” (01:18)
32. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Cyril Auvity, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 3: “Ce n’est point mon palais qu’il faut r’eduire en poudre” (00:56)
33. Jordi Savall, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte I Sc`ene 3: “Quel embrasement ! Quel ravage!” (02:04)

Disc 2 (54:06)
1. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Hasnaa Bennani, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte II Sc`ene 1: Pr’elude – “Le Roi dans ces lieux va se rendre” (02:14)
2. Jordi Savall, Cyril Auvity, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte II Sc`ene 2: Pr’elude lentement – “Dieux cruels, punissez ma rage et mes murmures” (02:38)
3. Jordi Savall, Cyril Auvity, Lisandro Abadie, Hasnaa Bennani, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte II Sc`ene 2: “L’injuste Ciel `a mes maux m’abandonne” (03:13)
4. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Hasnaa Bennani, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte II Sc`ene 2: “Vous, dont les myst`eres affreux” (01:40)
5. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte II Sc`ene 3: “‘Eprouvez notre ardeur fid`ele” (02:19)
6. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Acte II Sc`ene 3: Premier Air des Magiciens (01:05)
7. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Hasnaa Bennani, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte II Sc`ene 3: “S’ev`ere fille de C’er`es” (02:10)
8. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Hasnaa Bennani, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte II Sc`ene 3: Symphonie – “Fleuves affreux qui, par vos noirs torrents” (02:38)
9. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte II Sc`ene 3: Premier Air des Magiciens – “Nos voeux sont ‘ecout’es dans les royaumes sombres” (02:54)
10. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Acte II Sc`ene 3: Deuxi`eme Air des Magiciens (01:09)
11. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte II Sc`ene 3: Symphonie – “Une fureur soudaine a saisi mes esprits” (01:16)
12. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Cyril Auvity, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte II Sc`ene 3: “Qu’entends-je ! Quel funeste oracle!” – Deuxi`eme Air des Magiciens (02:25)
13. Jordi Savall, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 1: Pr’elude – “^O Mer, dont le calme infid`ele” (04:10)
14. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 2: Pr’elude gay – “L’amour vient de vous faire une faveur nouvelle” (01:16)
15. Jordi Savall, Lisandro Abadie, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 3: Marche – “Contraignez-vous, on vient” (00:29)
16. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 3: Marche pour les Matelots et Matelotes (00:52)
17. Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 3: “R’egnez, Z’ephirs, r’egnez sur la liquide plaine” (03:22)
18. Jordi Savall, Hasnaa Bennani, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 3: Marche pour les Matelots et Matelotes – “Amants malheureux” (01:42)
19. Jordi Savall, Hanna Bayodi-Hirt, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 3: Deuxi`eme Air des Matelots et Matelotes – “Pourquoi craignons-nous” (02:00)
20. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 3: Troisi`eme Air des Matelots et Matelotes (01:07)
21. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Cyril Auvity, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 4: Ritournelle violons – “Quoi, les soupirs et les pleurs d’Alcione” (02:35)
22. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Cyril Auvity, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 4: “C’est toi que j’en atteste” (04:59)
23. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 5: “Il fuit… Il craint mes pleurs” (01:46)
24. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 5: “Que vois-je ? De ses sens elle a perdu l’usage” (02:32)
25. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Acte III Sc`ene 5: Marche pour les Matelots et Matelotes (01:35)

Disc 3 (01:01:00)
1. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 1: Ritournelle violons – “Amour, cruel Amour, sois touch’e de mes peines” (03:42)
2. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Maria Chiara Gallo, Maud Gnidzaz, Lise Viricel, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 2: Violons – “On pr’epare le sacrifice” (04:50)
3. Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 3: Pr’elude – “^O Toi, qui de l’Hymen d’efends les sacr’es noeuds” (02:02)
4. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 3: Sarabande (00:57)
5. Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 3: “Dieu des amants, heureux qui sent tes flammes” (01:00)
6. Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 3: “Reine des Dieux, exauce nos souhaits” (01:58)
7. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 3: Fl^utes (on entend une Symphonie fort douce) (00:58)
8. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 3: Symphonie violons et fl^utes allemandes – “Quels sons charmants!” (02:30)
9. Jordi Savall, Sebastian Monti, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 3: Symphonie – “Eloignez-vous et laissez Alcione” (02:21)
10. Jordi Savall, Sebastian Monti, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 4: “Volez, Songes, volez, faites-lui voir l’orage” (01:26)
11. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 5: Temp^ete (01:27)
12. Jordi Savall, Cyril Auvity, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 5: “Ciel ! ^O Ciel, quel affreux Orage!” (01:53)
13. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 6: “O`u suis-je et qu’ai-je vu ! Je perds ce que j’adore” (03:34)
14. Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte IV Sc`ene 6: Menuet Entr’acte (01:13)
15. Jordi Savall, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 1: Pr’elude – “^O nuit ! Redouble des t’en`ebres” (02:55)
16. Jordi Savall, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 1: “Qu’ai-je fait, malheureux!” (00:41)
17. Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 2: Ritournelle (fl^utes) (01:32)
18. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Marc Mauillon, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 2: “Barbares, laissez-moi ; votre piti’e m’offense” (01:28)
19. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Marc Mauillon, Lise Viricel, Maud Gnidzaz, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 2: “Ombre de mon ‘epoux, c’est par toi que je jure” (03:27)
20. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Marc Mauillon, Gabriel Jublin, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 3: Ritournelle (fl^utes) – “Quel Dieu descend ici ? Quel Astre nous ‘eclaire?” (01:41)
21. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 4: “Qu’ai-je entendu ? Grands Dieux : croirai-je cet oracle?” (01:25)
22. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 5: “R’egnez, Aurore, `a votre tour” (02:07)
23. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Lise Viricel, Maud Gnidzaz, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 5: “Mais, quel funeste objet a frapp’e mes regards!” (03:16)
24. Jordi Savall, Antonio Abete, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 6: Pr’elude – “Je viens vous affranchir de la Parque cruelle” (03:02)
25. Jordi Savall, Lea Desandre, Cyril Auvity, Antonio Abete, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 6: “Quoi ! Je revois Ceix” (00:53)
26. Jordi Savall, Antonio Abete, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 6: “Chantez, divinit’es de l’onde” (01:56)
27. Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial De Catalunya – Alcione, Acte V Sc`ene 6: Chaconne (06:46)