Musique symphonique et ballets d’Orphée aux enfers

Description

Here we dive into the instrumental music of the famous opera Orphée aux Enfers by Offenbach in the revised version of 1874. The program is structured in such a way that one listens to this album like a pleasant concert program. It captures all the elegance, vibrant flamboyance, and delightful playfulness found in this suite of works where lively dances reign supreme (galops, marches, polkas, waltzes) alongside delicious and refined orchestral pieces. Following the overture with its famous cancan theme, we have the world premiere of the ballet Le Royaume de Neptune, originally located at the end of Act III and recently rediscovered. It opens with a storm clearing over a series of light and cheerful dances. A Ballet Pastoral serves as a gently bucolic interlude, giving way to a Divertissement des Songes et des Heures composed of short pieces. Each is marked by the chime of the hours and alternates between light and cheerful characters, summarizing all the dramatic and musical art of the composer. We conclude brilliantly with the version of the Overture (1860) by Carl Binder, featuring refined writing and majestic orchestration with enjoyable solo parts and an explosive final cancan theme. A delightful musical moment to savor! (Laurent Mineau)