Rameau : Castor et Pollux

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SKU: OA0999D Category:

[ DVD ]

Dive into the dramatic power of Rameau with Castor et Pollux, a masterful work where sublime music meets the nobility of sacrifice. Starring Anna Maria Panzarella and Véronique Gens as Télaïre and Phébé.

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About

Rameau : Castor et Pollux

Dive into the dramatic power of Rameau with Castor et Pollux, a masterful work where sublime music meets the nobility of sacrifice. Starring Anna Maria Panzarella and Véronique Gens as Télaïre and Phébé.

Premiered in 1737, this tragédie lyrique stands as one of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s greatest achievements—an enduring masterpiece of French Baroque opera. Inspired by Greco-Roman mythology, the libretto delves into the unbreakable bond between Castor, a mortal, and Pollux, his immortal brother. When Castor is slain while defending the lovely Télaïre, Pollux makes a heart-wrenching decision: to relinquish his immortality to rescue his brother from the Underworld. Yet this tale of fraternal devotion does not end there—after poignant confrontations, the brothers are ultimately reunited for eternity, transformed into the constellation Gemini.

This dazzling production, staged by Pierre Audi and conducted by Baroque virtuoso Christophe Rousset, transcends time with its bold visual aesthetic. The luminous sets, evoking the Gemini constellation, heighten the emotional intensity of the story.

On stage, Véronique Gens delivers a riveting performance as the jealousy-torn Phébé, while Anna Maria Panzarella shines as Télaïre, tender and heartrending. Finnur Bjarnason (Castor) and Henk Neven (Pollux) bring the mythological epic to life with rare emotional depth, their powerful voices supported by the refined artistry of Les Talens Lyriques and the captivating chorus of the Dutch National Opera.

Between immortality and humanity, love and sacrifice, this production of Castor et Pollux is a resplendent ode to the power of music and emotion.

Distribution

Rameau : Castor et Pollux [DVD]

Tragédie lyrique in five acts (1737)

Music: Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764)
Libretto: Pierre-Joseph Bernard

Télaïre : Anna Maria Panzarella
Phébé : Véronique Gens
Castor : Finnur Bjarnason
Pollux : Henk Neven
Cléone / Une suivante d’Hébé / Une ombre heureuse : Judith van Wanroij
Jupiter : Nicolas Testé
Le Grand Prêtre / Une autre voix : Thomas Oliemans
Un Spartiate / Un athlète / Mercure / Une voix : Anders J. Dahlin

Les Talens Lyriques
Netherlands Opera Chorus
Conductor: Christophe Rousset

Stage direction: Pierre Audi

Press review

“To turn almost three hours of obscure French baroque opera into a popular hit is the kind of stunt at which the Netherlands Opera excels… All the singers are beautiful and polished… Véronique Gens as Phebe manages to rise beyond form and truly breathe life into her character’s phrases. Gens’s performance is radiant and burnished, full of subtlety and character.” – BLOOMBERG.COM

“Rameau’s brilliantly composed airs, expressive recitatives, infectious dances and sturdy choruses are of untouchable high quality.” – GRAMOPHONE

“Christophe Rousset directs a superb ensemble performance with a cleanly voiced choir and an acute ear for Rameau’s pungent orchestration. Patrick Kinmoth’s set and costumes have an austere, almost sci-fi quality, but they match Pierre Audi’s unfussy production with its genuine sense of dramatic engagement.” – BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE

Technical informations

HD recording : Dutch National Opera | 01/2008
TV direction : Misjel Vermeiren
Release date
: 01 October 2008
Distribution : Naxos Distribution

2 DVD
Reference
: OA0999D
Barcode : 809478009993
Running time : 156 min.
Subtitles : FR / ENG / ITA / GER / SPA / DUT
Image : Color, 16/9, NTSC
Sound : DTS, PCM 2.0
Region code : 0

About Opus Arte

Founded as a production company by Hans Petri in 1999, Opus Arte released its first DVD in 2001. From the outset, the label has been releasing recordings from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, one of the closest and longest-standing relationships they have had. So much so that in 2007 the ROH acquired Opus Arte, which in turn became their in-house DVD label. In 2018 the label joined the Naxos family, although its continues to work very closely with the ROH and maintains its base of operations at the Royal Opera House in London.

Opus Arte now boasts a catalogue of over 800 programmes, including recordings in 4K, 3-D and Dolby ATMOS, and was one of the first labels to release high definition content on Blu-ray. They proudly associate with many of the world’s finest arts organisations, which aside from the Royal Opera House includes Glyndebourne, Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Teatro Real, Bayreuth, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

As of 2024, Naxos, Opus Arte and Bel Air Classiques have agreed to pull their resources together to further highlight their shared values of artistic excellence, innovation and transmission.

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