Search - Jean-Fery Rebel, Marin Marais, Patrice Michaels Bedi :: The World of Lully: Music of Jean-Baptiste Lully and his Followers

A seductive, beautiful performance by a world-class ensemble

F. Behrens | 05/04/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Chicago Baroque Ensemble has assembled one of the most captivating performances of the music of this era that I have ever heard. The two works titled "Tombeau de Lully"--by Rebel and Marais (the Marais is not listed by Amazon.com, but it is certainly there)--are stand out gems on the recording. The Marais "Tombeau" is a doleful lament that captures the tragedy of Lully's untimely, albeit astonishing (and grotesquely humorous), demise. (Lully used a long staff which he banged on the floor to keep time during performances. During the last performance he conducted, he mistruck in the midst of a particularly emotional passage, and slammed it down on his foot. He died a few days later from gangrene.) The Rebel "Tombeau" is a wonderful combination of a musical tribute to, and remembrance of a spiritual connection with, a great composer. It has moments of great excitement (in the style of Lully, of course)--as well as profound expressions of grief. The Lully works are excellently chosen and indicative of his genius. Patrice Michaels-Bedi, although listed as the conductor, is instead the soprano soloist, who unleashes her glowing voice with thrilling effect. The hair on the back of your neck tingles at the confluence of her golden-toned virtuosity and the tightly knit sound of the Chicago Baroque Ensemble. I half wish I could criticize something to lend this review some credibility. So here is one. If you like baroque music for what many call "elevator music" qualities, you will find it hard to use this disc as "background" music. You and/or your guests will stop reading or talking just to listen to the beauty flowing from your speakers. Buy this for yourself--then tell your friends about it. Performances of this quality are rarely found. Whether you like the luminous qualities of the French Baroque, is a matter of taste; it is, however, a refreshing, nay--invigorating change from the German Baroque omnipresence. This is one of the most significant recordings of some of the most significant music of the Baroque."

A Baroque bonbon

F. Behrens | Keene, NH USA | 07/30/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lully lived only to age 55, when the baton with which he was beating time for an orchestra went through his foot, fatally as it turned out. The notes that accompany the new Cedille Records release of (CDR 90000 043) tell you in some detail about the contradictions of his life and works, so that need not occupy us here. What matters is the excellence of this program, which treats us to about 78 minutes of his music and that of two of his admirers, Marais and Rebel. Of Lully's output we have "Premiere Divertissement," "Seconde Divertissement," selections from "Armide," and some other short pieces. Although we will never know exactly how this music sounded back then, the Chicago Baroque Ensemble with soprano Patrice Michaels Bedi make a convincing argument for the authenticity of this performance. The playing just sparkles along and the French and English texts to the songs is thoughtfully supplied. Very much recommended to lovers of the Baroque and a very good introduction to those unfamiliar with French music of this period."