DVD · Lully – Cadmus & Hermione « Le Poème Harmonique

DVD · Lully – Cadmus & Hermione

Cadmus et Hermione of 1673 was the first tragédie lyrique. Amongst Lully’s achievements in the work was the creation of musical recitative suited to the French language. He and the author of the libretto, Quinault, succeeded in forging unity out of considerable diversity, with poetry and music, recitative, song and dance, verisimilitude and the spectacular, human emotions and the supernatural, the serious and the comic, the noble and the burlesque. Cadmus is the reference work, the work that laid the foundations for French opera. After Lully’s last comédie-ballet, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, Le Poème Harmonique continued its research, investigating the sources – musical, dramaturgical, scenographic and choreographic – in depth, with the aim of giving a free interpretation of the work and achieving the parallel between the arts that, during the Grand Siècle (that of Louis XIV), constituted the ideal.

In the press

‘Vincent Dumestre directs a magnificent ensemble performance […], the leads are magnificent, in particular the central pair of lovers. The camera work magically captures every nuance of the acting while losing nothing of the production’s essential grandeur.’ (BBC Music Magazine, GB)

‘The performances by both singers and dancers are first-rate, thanks in no small part to Vincent Dumestre’s clear and zestful conducting.’ (Gramophone, GB)

‘This is one of the most delightful operatic DVDs I’ve seen and heard in a long time. It combines a feast for the senses with a glance at vanished performance traditions that, in their proper application, remain valid today. Early-music fans won’t want to miss this. Nobody else should, either.’ (B. Brenesal, Fanfare, USA)

A film by Martin Fraudreau, recorded in January 2008

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Buy this DVD: ALPHA 701

Cast:
Artistic and musical director Vincent Dumestre
Stage director Benjamin Lazar
Choreography Gudrun Skamletz
Associate director Louise Moaty
Choral conductor Daniel Bargier
Scenography Adeline Caron
Costumes Alain Blanchot
Ligthing Christophe Naillet
Make-up Mathilde Benmoussa
André Morsch Cadmus
Claire Lefilliâtre Hermione
Arnaud Marzorati Arbas, Pan
Jean-François Lombard la nourrice, Dieu champêtre
Isabelle Druet Charite, Melisse
Arnaud Richard Draco, Mars
Camille Poul L’Amour, Pales
Geoffroy Buffière Le Grand Sacrificateur, Jupiter
David Ghilardi Le Soleil, Premier Prince Tirien
Romain Champion Premier Africain, L’Envie
Vincent Vantyghem Second Prince Tirien
Luanda Siqueira Junon, Aglante
Eugénie Warnier Pallas
Anthony Lopapa Second Africain
Jeroen Bredewold Echion
Elodie Fonnard L’Hymen
Catherine Padaut Vénus
Dancers, chorus and orchestra of Le Poème Harmonique