Rameau – The Sound of Light

“Rameau – The Sound of Light” is a gift to classical listeners for the Rameau Year 2014, the 250th anniversary of the death of the French organist, composer and music theorist. Reason enough for Teodor Currentzis and his orchestra and choir MusicAeterna to take time for a Rameau recording despite their major project with Mozart’s Da Ponte operas

The French baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau is one of the many rediscoveries that have fortunately been heard on concert stages and CDs since the ‘renaissance’ of baroque music. It is no coincidence that a conductor like Currentzis, who specializes in pure sound and transparency, is enthusiastic about Rameau. Currentzis chose the title “The Sound of Light” because, in his opinion, the selected pieces embody the phenomena of light. Rameau had an extraordinary life as a musician and especially as a composer, which can be clearly heard in these late compositions

The pieces that Currentzis selected from Rameau’s operas and opera ballets for “The Sound of Light” are predominantly orchestral pieces, but also vocal passages and arias from operas taken over by two outstanding soloists of his choir. Extremely dynamic, precise and musical, Currentzis brings to light the peculiarity of Rameau’s music. Almost percussive, effervescent and passionate, this is a composer who has been criticized by his contemporaries – especially by Rousseau in the context of the so-called ‘Buffonistenstreit’ – as being too courtly and old-fashioned. This opinion is directly refuted by Currentzis’ interpretation from today’s point of view. Rather, the impression arises that the performers could ‘rock’ a classical concert hall with Rameau today without hesitation

For every secret, obvious and new Rameau fan, this CD is a revelation. Rameau had an extraordinarily long life. He was almost 81 years old, but it was only at the age of 44 that he was given the opportunity to gain experience and experiment in orchestral music as conductor of the private orchestra of his patron Alexandre Le Riche de La Pouplinière. Experimenting was his particular strength. In the following years of his life he developed a modern, dramatic style in both instrumental music and opera, with which he wanted to ‘awaken the soul’. At an advanced age, Rameau was the pioneer of modern music in France, which for decades had remained attached to Lully’s style and idiom