This recording of airs from Rameau’s heroic ballets and lyric tragedies features the renowned haute-contre Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, one of the main exponents of the French Baroque repertoire for the last decade and who, most recently, has been closely associated with Rameau’s opera Platée. In these excerpts, Rameau’s colourful palette of musical characterization traverses a wide range of emotion, from the profoundly moving Lieux funestes (Dardanus) to the witty and imaginative air Charmant Bacchus (Platée) when, for example, Rameau cleverly employs ‘drunken’ part writing under Thespis’ words “Dussé-je être mal écouté” (“Even at the risk of being misunderstood”).

Jean-Philippe Rameau

Platee (excerpts)

Fouchecourt, Jean-Paul, haute-contre
Opera Lafayette Orchestra
Brown, Ryan, Conductor


Act I: Ariette badine: Que ce sejour est agreable (Platee) 00:03:52
Act I: Ariette vive: Quittez nymphes, quittez (Platee) 00:02:26
Act II: A l'aspect de ce nuage (Platee) 00:07:56
Act III: Marche pour la danse - Dans cette fete: Mouvement de menuet - Marche pour la danse (Platee) 00:03:45
La Guirlande de fleurs, Scene I: Peut-on etre a la fois si tendre (Myrtil)

Fouchecourt, Jean-Paul, haute-contre
Opera Lafayette Orchestra
Brown, Ryan, Conductor


La Guirlande de fleurs, Scene I: Peut - on etre a la fois si tendre (Myrtil) 00:07:57
Castor et Pollux, Act IV: Sejour de l'eternelle paix (Castor)

Fouchecourt, Jean-Paul, haute-contre
Opera Lafayette Orchestra
Brown, Ryan, Conductor


Castor et Pollux, Act IV: Sejour de l'eternelle paix (Castor) 00:04:48
Nais, Act III: Prelude: La jeune nymphe que j'adore (Neptune)

Fouchecourt, Jean-Paul, haute-contre
Opera Lafayette Orchestra
Brown, Ryan, Conductor


Nais, Act III: Prelude: La jeune nymphe que j'adore (Neptune) 00:07:34
Les Festes de l'Hymen et de l'Amour, Act I: Gigue - Air graieux: Que vous connaissez mal (Osiris)

Fouchecourt, Jean-Paul, haute-contre
Opera Lafayette Orchestra
Brown, Ryan, Conductor


Les Festes de l'Hymen et de l'Amour, Act I: Gigue - Air graieux: Que vous connaissez mal (Osiris) 00:06:43
Dardanus, Act IV: Lieux funestes (Dardanus)

Fouchecourt, Jean-Paul, haute-contre
Opera Lafayette Orchestra
Brown, Ryan, Conductor


Dardanus, Act IV: Lieux funestes (Dardanus) 00:04:59
Zoroastre, Act II: A mes tristes regards (Zoroastre)

Fouchecourt, Jean-Paul, haute-contre
Opera Lafayette Orchestra
Brown, Ryan, Conductor


Zoroastre, Act II: A mes tristes regards (Zoroastre) 00:03:45
Zais, Act II: Prelude: Charmes de coeurs ambitieux… (Zais)

Fouchecourt, Jean-Paul, haute-contre
Opera Lafayette Orchestra
Brown, Ryan, Conductor


Zais, Act II: Prelude: Charmes de coeurs ambitieux… (Zais) 00:04:46
Nais, Act III: Cessez de ravager la terre (Neptune)

Fouchecourt, Jean-Paul, haute-contre
Opera Lafayette Orchestra
Brown, Ryan, Conductor


Nais, Act III: Cessez de ravager la terre (Neptune) 00:02:54
Platee, Prologue: Ariette un peu legere: Charmant Bacchus (Thespis)

Fouchecourt, Jean-Paul, haute-contre
Opera Lafayette Orchestra
Brown, Ryan, Conductor


Platee, Prologue: Ariette un peu legere: Charmant Bacchus (Thespis) 00:02:39



Total Playing Time: 01:04:04