Messe des morts : le service funèbre de Rameau Paris, 27 IX 1764

Description

The Funeral Service of Jean-Philippe Rameau: World Premiere of the Messe des Morts by Jean Gilles in the 1764 version. The Franco-American conductor, Skip Sempé, chose to leave his mark on the commemorations of the 250th anniversary of Rameau's death by reviving the Messe des Morts by Jean Gilles, the most famous French requiem of the 18th century, which was performed during Rameau's funeral service at the Oratoire du Louvre on September 27, 1764. Gilles' requiem was performed continuously throughout the 18th century in France; the original version, completed around 1705, was played at Gilles' own funeral (1705), as well as those of Campra (1744), Royer (1756), Rameau (1764), and Louis XV (1774). Based on the version of the requiem that Rebel and Francoeur prepared for Rameau's funeral, Skip Sempé recreates the most daring version of the requiem, that of 1764, which inserts excerpts from Castor et Pollux, Dardanus, and Zoroastre into the Messe des Morts. For this project, Skip Sempé brought together ensembles that uphold a long tradition of excellence: the legendary Collegium Vocale Gent of Philippe Herreweghe, as well as Capriccio Stravagante Les 24 Violons, very likely one of the most agile and innovative orchestras dedicated to the French Baroque repertoire.