Jean-Philippe Rameau
Les Boréades RCT 31
Tragédie in 5 acts
NEW
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Les Boréades RCT 31
Tragédie in 5 acts
- Instrumentation Solos, Mixed choir (SATB) and Orchestra
- Composer Jean-Philippe Rameau
- Editor François Saint-Yves
- Editor Sylvie Bouissou
- Lyricist Louis de Cahusac
- Edition Piano Reduction Download
- Publisher Bärenreiter Verlag
- Order no. BA8865-90-DL
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Description:
Les Boréades was actually intended to be performed at the Théâtre de Choisy in Paris in 1763 at the end of the Seven Years' War to celebrate the conclusion of peace. However, after two rehearsals with the biggest stars of the time in Versailles and Paris, the work was canceled - possibly due to censorship of the libretto, which questions the tradition of succession to royal power and makes a woman's self-determination its theme. Poisonous subjects that must have been unacceptable to the court and the king, who had become sensitized after the assassination attempt on Louis XV in 1757.
In the opera, the god of the north wind Boreas wants to marry one of his sons, Borilée or Calisis, to Alphise, the queen of Bactria. But she spurns both of them and prefers another, Abaris, much to the wind god's annoyance. The subversive nature of the libretto and its libertarian morals are made abundantly clear in the characterization of the characters: Abaris, who is plagued by self-doubt, is an anti-hero, the gods appear autocratic and stupid, while Alphise denounces the tyrannical princes' abuse of power and demands the right to decide freely for himself - and is publicly tortured for it.
Censorship, but also intrigue and a fire: "Les Boréades" had to battle many adversities before the work could finally be performed unhindered with this edition. On the positive side, however, these circumstances have meant that we now have a "pure" work, free of subsequent compromises or forced reworkings.
This piano reduction is based on the new critical edition as published in volume IV.29 of the "Opera omnia Rameau". The main source is the production score, copied at the Académie royale de musique de Paris and provided with corrections and annotations by Rameau, as well as the original parts.
In the opera, the god of the north wind Boreas wants to marry one of his sons, Borilée or Calisis, to Alphise, the queen of Bactria. But she spurns both of them and prefers another, Abaris, much to the wind god's annoyance. The subversive nature of the libretto and its libertarian morals are made abundantly clear in the characterization of the characters: Abaris, who is plagued by self-doubt, is an anti-hero, the gods appear autocratic and stupid, while Alphise denounces the tyrannical princes' abuse of power and demands the right to decide freely for himself - and is publicly tortured for it.
Censorship, but also intrigue and a fire: "Les Boréades" had to battle many adversities before the work could finally be performed unhindered with this edition. On the positive side, however, these circumstances have meant that we now have a "pure" work, free of subsequent compromises or forced reworkings.
This piano reduction is based on the new critical edition as published in volume IV.29 of the "Opera omnia Rameau". The main source is the production score, copied at the Académie royale de musique de Paris and provided with corrections and annotations by Rameau, as well as the original parts.