Zoroastre

The penultimate tragédie lyrique of Jean-Phillippe Rameau (1683-1764) is also one of his greatest works, not to mention one of the keystones of French baroque. Panned initially on its 1749 debut, Zoroastre was revised by Rameau and bowed a second time to great success in 1756 and it is this latter version which is presented here in a 2006 performance filmed at Sweden's Drottningholm Theatre. Zoroastre depicts a struggle between good and evil, represented respectively by the titular enlightened Persian philosopher and the evil sorcerer Abramane. Of course, a love triangle also forms part of the conflict: Zoroastre is in love with Princess Amélite, but her sister Erinice desires the handsome sage, and after being rejected by him, Erinice defects to the dark side. But the glory lies in the music, which is marked by bold harmonies, spiky rhythms, and colorful orchestration, played with extraordinary urgency and precision by the original instrument group Les Talens Lyriques (reinforced by members of the theatre orchestra) under the direction of Christophe Rousset. The extreme vocal demands are handled quite well by the cast, and special mention must be made of the Drottningholm dance troupe, performing the numerous ballet interludes at a spitfire pace. The authentic 18th-century trappings of the Drottningholm Theatre suit the opera beautifully. Presented with DTS and LCPM stereo options, DVD extras include a behind-the-scenes documentary and a synopsis and cast gallery. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)