Jean-Philippe Rameau
Zéphire RCT 61
Acte de ballet
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Zéphire RCT 61
Acte de ballet
- Instrumentation Voice and Orchestra
- Composer Jean-Philippe Rameau
- Editor François Saint-Yves
- Editor Nathalie Berton-Blivet
- Lyricist Louis de Cahusac
- Edition Piano reduction Download (Urtext)
- Publisher Bärenreiter Verlag
- Order no. BA8872-90-DL
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Description:
Rameau's ballet opera "Zéphire" is based on the legend of Zephire and Flora, as immortalized by Ovid in the fifth book of his "Fasti". Zéphire, the god of the west wind, loves Chloris, a wood nymph of the goddess Diana. Despite the brevity of the dramatic action, the nymphs and zéphires, the ballet and the chorus, are given great importance in the dances and choruses. In the end, the lovers win the favour of the feared goddess and Zéphire transforms Chloris into Flora, the goddess of spring.
Similar to "Pygmalion", this ballet act also offers the popular ingredients of Rameau's operas in a short form: a light and fragrant orchestral texture to delicately expressive melodies, plus instrumental numbers of various kinds, sometimes floating, then again with rhythmic drive. Interestingly, Zéphire is not cast as a haute-contre in this acte de ballet, but as a soprano.
The many questions surrounding the possible context of the composition of this little gem, which was never performed during Rameau's lifetime, are explored in detail in the introduction to the complete edition volume published by OOR. This new critical edition is based on the autograph, which contains several layers of composition. Five appendices also reproduce the original versions in the piano reduction, insofar as these could be restored.
Similar to "Pygmalion", this ballet act also offers the popular ingredients of Rameau's operas in a short form: a light and fragrant orchestral texture to delicately expressive melodies, plus instrumental numbers of various kinds, sometimes floating, then again with rhythmic drive. Interestingly, Zéphire is not cast as a haute-contre in this acte de ballet, but as a soprano.
The many questions surrounding the possible context of the composition of this little gem, which was never performed during Rameau's lifetime, are explored in detail in the introduction to the complete edition volume published by OOR. This new critical edition is based on the autograph, which contains several layers of composition. Five appendices also reproduce the original versions in the piano reduction, insofar as these could be restored.