"Atys" Revives the Court of Louis XIV at BAM

Details

Parent Category: Film and the Arts

Category: Reviews

Published on Tuesday, 20 September 2011 10:13

Written by Jack Angstreich

Atys
Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully
Conducted by William Christie
Directed by Jean-Marie Villéger
Performed by Les Arts Florissantsand members of Opéra Comique

Celebrated conductor William Christie led his extraordinary ensemble specializing in the French Baroque, Les Arts Florissants, along with the artists of the Opéra Comique, in a rewarding revival of the Jean-Baptiste Lully masterpiece, Atys, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in the matinee gala opening performance on Sunday, September 18, 2011.

This production, directed by Jean-Marie Villéger, is of little interest as a work of theatre -- it rather meaninglessly updates the classical setting -- excepting the delightful 17th-century-style ballet interludes that punctuate the dramatic action --  to that of the aristocracy of the Louis XIV era. However, the costumes and scenography are attractively opulent.

From a musical viewpoint, the production is uneven. The instrumental players, under Christie's baton, were superb and all the choral passages sounded glorious. But the featured singers varied in quality.

Among the men, Ed Lyon, in the title role, was one of the best, if not quite a great tenor. He was surpassed by Francisco Fernández-Rueda and Reinoud Van Mechelenas the two Zephyrs.

On the whole, the women fared better than the men. The most impressive female voices included those of Anna Reinhold in the lead role of Cybèle, Élodie Fonnard as Flore, and Rachel Redmond as Iris. But the most exciting discovery in this production was the lovely Emmanuelle de Negri as Sangaride, a first-rate singer with abundant personal charm.

• < Prev
• Next >