Rameau: Platée (Paris, 2002)

Cast: Paul Agnew (Platée), Mireille Delunsch (La Folie/Thalie), Yann Beuron (Thespis/Mercur), Vincent le Texier (Jupiter), Doris Lamprecht (Junon), Laurent Naouri (Cithéron/Satyr), Valérie Gabail (L'Amour/Clarine), Franck Leuerinel (Momus); Les Musiciens de Louvre-Grenoble, Marc Minkowski (conductor), Laurent Pelly (director), Chantal Thomas (sets), Laurent Pelly (costumes), Don Kent (video director)

Recorded at the Opéra National de Paris, Palais Garnier in February 2002

Issued on DVD by TDK Mediactive in 2003 [DV-OPPLT, PAL/Region 2, Menus in English, Subtitles in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian]

Technical details
Aspect ratio 16:9
Sound LPCM Stereo, AC3 Digital 5.0, DTS 5.0

Running Time 150 minutes

Sung in French
How can one describe this recording? Fascinating, fantastic and frustrating come immediately to mind. It is full of activity, but the work itself is short on action and therefore intrigues without satisfying.

Minkowski works magic with the score - and participates in the staging with taste and evident pleasure. The orchestra not only plays well, it also plays a bit with the goings-on. Dancing varies wildly in style, but always maintains attention and remains the focus of the work.

Agnew acts and sings superbly; if only he had a trill (patently needed in many places), he would be ideal. Delunsch is a delight to watch and hear, barring some blurring of the passagework. Beuron has too little to sing (hardly his fault); le Texier, too much for his coarse approach. Lamprecht could be a reincarnation of Rosalind Russell, though she has a bit more voice. Naouri is a fine baritone in a bass rôle which calls for a register he can barely fake.

Platée proves to be a confection - in the sense of a head-high pile of spun sugar. Brilliant, sweet, but too much with too little substance. Still, I'll be back to watch the three Graces, to experience La Folie's aria, to relish Madame with her hound, and to celebrate Agnew's Platée. Each is a delight, but taken together they are a trial.
 
Related website:
TDK Mediactive www.tdk-music.com
 
Michael Richter, 2 September 2004
mrichter@cpl.net
 
See also Michael Richter's Introduction to the DVD, for a list of other reviews see the DVD Project page.