Patricia Petibon ~ French baroque arias (Rameau, Lully, Charpentier, Grandval) / Les Folies Françoises, Cohen-Akenin

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This program of scenes and arias by Rameau, Charpentier, Lully, and Grandval is well designed to display Patricia Petibon's consummate vocal technique and historically informed artistry. Her florid coloratura, going up to high D- and E-flat (in the low period-instrument tuning) is clearly articulated and perfectly in tune. She can change color, nuance, and expression on a single note, and her mastery of the style is complete. She captures the seriousness as well as the humor in Rameau's two cantatas, the sorrow of Jonathan's lamentation in Charpentier's "David and Jonathan," the vacillation between reluctant attraction and furious vengeance in Lully's dramatic scene "Armide," and the rollicking fun in the final tour-de-force, Grandval's "Rien du tout"--a wicked parody of all singers and singing styles.

The voice itself takes some getting used to. In keeping with period practice, it is mostly lacking vibrato and so cool and bright as to seem shrill and strident. In the Lully, however, it becomes warmer, darker, and truly expressive. A large group of strings, winds, and percussion supports her splendidly, sometimes with only one or two instruments, sometimes with full orchestral effects that set the stage and underline mood and atmosphere. The musicians come into their own in the numerous instrumental sections, which are played with great verve, rhythmic incisiveness, character, and a wonderful sound. --Edith Eisler

Patricia Petibon ~ French baroque arias (Rameau, Lully, Charpentier, Grandval) / Les Folies Françoises, Cohen-Akenin, Music, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Nicolas Racot de Grandval, Patrick Cohen-Akenine, Patricia Petibon, Les Folies Françoises, Ballet, Baroque Ballet, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Classical Vocals, French Baroque Opera, Opera, Vocal, Vocal Music

Average customer rating: Man, That woman really can sing ! Delicious singing, gorgeous music... this is a must-have. I would give this CD seven stars if I could! Perfect! Affect and early music performance

Patricia Petibon ~ French baroque arias (Rameau, Lully, Charpentier, Grandval) / Les Folies Françoises, Cohen-Akenin Jean-Philippe Rameau , Marc-Antoine Charpentier , Jean-Baptiste Lully , Nicolas Racot de Grandval , Patrick Cohen-Akenine , Patricia Petibon , and Les Folies Françoises Manufacturer: Virgin Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Charpentier | Charpentier, Marc-Antoine | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Lully | Lully, Jean-Baptiste | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rameau | Rameau, Jean Philippe | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Handel - Arcadian Duets / Dessay, Gens, Petibon, Claycomb, Lascarro, Panzarella, Mijanovic, Mingardo, Asawa, Agnew, Le Concert d'Astrée, Haïm Sandrine Piau - Handel Opera Seria Vivaldi Edition: Arie d'Opera Tragédiennes Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski ASIN: B00005IA1U Release Date: 2002-02-12

Tracks:

1. Platee: Air De Clarine: Soleil, Fuis De Ces Lieux
2. Les Fetes De L'Hymen Et De L'Amour: Ariette De L'Amour: Volez, Plaisirs, Celebrez Ce Beau Jour
3. Les Fetes De L'Hymen Et De L'Amour: Entree Des Egyptiens
4. Les Fetes De L'Hymen Et De L'Amour: Ariette De L'Egyptienne: L'Amant Que J'Adore
5. Les Fetes De L'Hymen Et De L'Amour: Ariette De L'Egyptienne: Amour, Lance Tes Traits
6. Platee: Air De Folie: Formones Les Plus Brillants Conc...Aux Langueurs D'Apollon
7. David Et Jonathas: A-t-on Jamais Souffert Une Plus Rude Peine?
8. Armide: Prld/Armide: Enfin, Il Est En Ma Puissance
9. Armide: Le Perfide Renaud Me Fuit
10. Les Indes Galantes: Air De Phani: Viens, Hymen
11. Les Indes Galantes: Air De Zima: Regnez, Plaisirs Et Jeux
12. Les Indes Galantes: Chaconne
13. Rien Du Tout

Amazon.com

The voice itself takes some getting used to. In keeping with period practice, it is mostly lacking vibrato and so cool and bright as to seem shrill and strident. In the Lully, however, it becomes warmer, darker, and truly expressive. A large group of strings, winds, and percussion supports her splendidly, sometimes with only one or two instruments, sometimes with full orchestral effects that set the stage and underline mood and atmosphere. The musicians come into their own in the numerous instrumental sections, which are played with great verve, rhythmic incisiveness, character, and a wonderful sound. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Man, That woman really can sing !.......2006-11-09

Delicious singing, gorgeous music... this is a must-have........2004-04-30

As a fellow soprano specialising both in early music and other later classical vocal styles, I am extremely fastidious in my likes and dislikes when it comes to singers. When, therefore, I find a singer whose voice, intelligence and musicality produce ravishing quality like this, I am in alt...

In contrast to some of the comments here, I do not find Ms Petibon's voice shrill or white (except when she uses it so deliberately in order to create a particular emotional or stylistic effect). On the contrary, it is of a crystalline purity which she is able to tinge with warmer colours when necessary. I was hugely impressed by this recording, a worthy follow-up to the unbelievably beautiful recording of the Couperin Leçons de tènèbres which was sung by Petibon and Sophie Daneman.

What a sense of fun Patricia Petibon has! It's marvellous to hear baroque music performed with such stylish humour and grace, instead of the tediously uninterpreted choir-boy style which is considered by some to be the "correct" way of singing this type of aria. I listened with particular closeness to the arias from "Armide", which I had just performed myself - and was enchanted by Petibon's singing of them. Even though her voice is light in colour, she is perfectly adept at conveying vengeful hatred, despairing love, and a right royal snarling bad humour!

The accompanying instruments are taut, graceful, and beautifully recorded. The result is a treat to hear.

This CD is most highly recommended by me - and believe me, sopranos are tough critics of each other...!

I would give this CD seven stars if I could!.......2004-04-24

What is so wonderful about this disc is that it is a genuine first - it is, as far as I know, the only disc in existence devoted the arias of Rameau, Lully, Charpentier and Grandval from a single singer. Bored with predictable collections of Opera Seria arias? Fed up with all the collections of the same Handel arias made by various sopranos, mezzos, countertenors, et cetera? Wondering what, exactly, the French were doing while the rest of Europe was worshipping castrati?

Well, look no further! You have it all here on this one marvelous CD! Here new 'French Touch' CD (on DECCA) shouldn't be missed either!

Long live Patricia Petibon!

Perfect!.......2003-11-19

To begin with, Petibon's voice is beautiful. As the other reviewer(s) put it, it is a cool, vibrato-less voice that might SEEM shrill, but her voice is never unpleasant. In fast or slow pieces, she is always a pleasure to listen to. Besides the sheer beauty of timbre of her voice, her musicanship is incredible: her interpretations are always appropriate, coloring the piece with humor, excitment, sex appeal (especially the Armida piece), anger, you-name-it. Technically she is very impressive, and handles the disc's runs, cascades, top-notes, etc. very well. (This disc is by no means a firweworks display though).

The orchestra plays with the same degree of musicianship, technicality and beauty. In some of the Rameaus pieces (especially the march), the instrumental textures really show off the great harmonies and voicings that Rameau is famous for; this disc is a great introduction to the composer's music, I wish she recorded Rameau more often.

Finally, the music itself is unique, interesting and entertaining all at the same time. The 2 two excerpts from Lully are not conventional arias, but they display how well the composer was able to blend drama into music. His music is both at the same time, and it soudns cliched but you have to hear it to treally understand it. The piece from Charpentier from "David and Jonathan" is stirring, and shows off what a talented singer and skilled orchestra can do with good music: it is musical, stirring, anguished and not something you will (probably) ever hear at the Met.
A wordy review, but this is one of my favorite records, one that I think everyone who has an intrest in the Baroque period should listen to. If you''re looking for an introduction to this very unique corner of classical music, try this CD.

Affect and early music performance.......2003-04-24

Track Listings:

1. Pipes of Hollywood
2. Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmélites / Dubosc, Gorr, Yakar, Dupuy, Fournier, van Dam, Viala, Opéra de Lyon, Nagano
3. Príhoda, Vása
4. Pure Tenors: Eighteen Romantic Classics
5. Reynaldo Hahn Piano Works
6. Riley: Olson III
7. Rossini: Famous Overtures / Beruhmte Ouverturen [Hybrid SACD] [SACD]
8. Sacred Music By Alonso Lobo
9. Sasha Plays Romantic Russian Rarities
10. Schubert: Piano Sonatas D 960 & 664, Moments Musicaux D 780, Impromptus D 899 & [Import]

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

The Tube City!: The Best of The Trashmen

Beethoven Piano Sonatas

Cantatas 106 & 198

The Gathering

Can't Keep My Hands off You [CD-single]

Behind the Pine Curtain

Best Album [Import]

Bach Meets the Beatles: Revisited

A Storm Over Springtime

Beethoven: Complete Sonatas Vol. 3 - Sonatas 23-32

Blackburst Psycho-Acoustic

16 Kilates Musicales

Altos Secretos (Top Secrets) [Import]

1947-1951

Prince of Darkness