Atys

... but a long three hour watch. I have the idea that life at Versailles was pretty hum-drum, you had to watch for Louis's smallest sign of disapproval, and God help you if you yawned during this opera, said to be the king's favourite. All that aside, there's a lot to enjoy here: singing (especially Stephanie d'Oustrac and Nicolas Rivenq), a well drilled orchestra, superb costumes--no Regietheater trash--and Gil Isoart's dance as the god of sleep. All very fine.

Lully revolutionised French opera, and Atys with its lengthy but movingly compelling story and beautifully imaginative music is one of his best. And this magnificent production does nothing to change my mind. The costumes and sets are really gorgeous to watch, the sets are like being inside a palace and the costumes are sumptuously ornate. The video directing is unobtrusive and the picture quality crisp and clean. The staging respects the story and the opera's style while not dulling them, and the ballet choreography is impeccably danced and never jarring or gimmicky. The orchestra is more expanded than the usual baroque/early music orchestra, but its playing is authentic and stylish with a ravishing sound. William Christie is one of the best early music conductors, and his superb musicianship, stylistic elegance and brisk tempos are all here with no faults. There is nothing to complain about the performances either, the dominating role is Cybele and performed with passion, humanity and beautiful singing by Stéphanie D'Oustrac. Bernard Richter, also very much looking the part, is a real find as Atys, giving a heartfelt performance with a light and honeyed timbre. Nicolas Rivenq is more refined than in his earlier performance and more mature vocally perhaps, while Paul Agnew performs with his usual pleasing standard and Emmanuelle Di Negri is both sweet and pathetic in characterisation. In conclusion, magnificent. 10/10 Bethany Cox