FRANÇOIS-JOSEPH GOSSEC (1734-1829): Thesée.
Catalogue Number: 12P024
Label: Ricercar
Reference: RIC 337
Format: CD
Price: $37.98
Description: One of only two tragédies lyriques Gossec wrote, this readaptation of the Quinault libretto used by Lully was premiered in 1782 and was only a mild success, perhaps due to all of the things which make it such an important rediscovery to us today: harmonic and rhythmic inventiveness, the use of a large wind element (3 flutes, pairs of oboes, clarinets, bassoons and trumpets, 3 horns and 3 trombones, the last of which give particular strength to the infernal scenes involving Medea) at the service of an eclectic mix of styles including Gluck's reform operas, Italianate forms and the older French declamatory style. 2 CDs in a bound-book of 90 pages - smaller in size, somewhat less expensively produced and exhaustively annotated than the Ediciones Singulares releases but still quite luxurious. French-English libretto. Virginie Pochon (soprano), Jennifer Borghi (mezzo), Frédéric Antoun (tenor), Tassis Christoyannis (baritone), Namur Chamber Choir, Les Agremens; Guy Van Waas.