Herve Niquet - Jean-Baptiste Lully: Proserpine (2008)

The revival of Prosperpine, Lully's 1680 collaboration with his longtime librettist Philippe Quinault, by Hervé Niquet and his ensemble Le Concert Spirituel, reveals that while the opera may not have the most compelling dramatic impact, it has an abundance of expressive, elegant, richly varied music, written with inspiration that never flags over its two and a half hours. Lully's vocal writing is graceful and flattering to the voice, his orchestration is unfailingly colorful, and his musical juxtapositions are often delightfully quirky. He makes the most of the absurdities of the libretto and creates considerable dramatic tension through the diversity of approaches he brings to the text, deftly linking solos, duets, larger ensembles, choruses, dances, and instrumental interludes. His apt handling of the recitative, a device that has been known to bog down many a Baroque opera, keeps things moving along nicely. The fully committed performers go a long way in winning the sympathies of listeners; they bring an urgency to their characterizations that commands attention. The quality of the vocal soloists is very high; these are not roles that require coloratura pyrotechnics, but the lines are delivered with purity of tone, stylistic finesse, and virtuosic expressive insight. The orchestra plays with comparable sensitivity and nuance, contributing immeasurably to the emotional impact of the opera. Prosperpine should be of strong interest to any fan of Baroque opera, or any fan of opera who is moved by vivid characterizations and pure voices. Glossa's sound is full and clean, with an excellent sense of depth and presence. -- Stephen Eddins