Listening and discussion begin at 2:00 PM.

Fouchécourt here brings a delicious amalgam of winsome innocence and spirited truculence to the opera’s over-eager anti-heroine. He’s rather different from the more ethereal Platée of his great predecessor, the recently deceased Michel Sénéchal, who did get to record his classic portrayal. The EMI-Sénéchal version conducted by Hans Rosbaud stemed the famed 1956 Aix-en-Provence production which with the lavish Les Indes Galantes done around the same time in Paris did much to restore Rameau’s reputation in the mid-20th century. — Christopher Corwin

Rameau: Platée ou Junon Jalouse
Grand Théâtre, Geneva
12 July 2001
Broadcast

La Folie/Thalie — Mireille Delunsch
L’Amour/Clarine — Cassandre Berthon
Junon — Martine Mahé
Platée — Jean-Paul Fouchécourt
Thespis/Mercure — Yann Beuron
Jupiter — Vincent Le Texier
Cithéron — Jean-Philippe Courtis
Momus — Franck Leguerinal

Les Musiciens du Louvre

Conductor — Marc Minkowski

La Cieca

James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.

Comments