Christophe Rousset's collection of overtures to 17 of Rameau's operas and opéra-ballets, played by his original instrument ensemble
Les Talens Lyriques, won a 1998 Gramophone award for best Baroque non-vocal CD, and it's easy to hear why this outstanding performance was recognized. The ensemble plays with unflagging liveliness and brilliant, clean tone. The rhythmic vitality
Rousset coaxes from his players is toe-tappingly engaging; at the same time, he maintains a fluidity that avoids metronomic rigidity. The tempos he takes sometimes have a breathtaking fleetness that leaves the listener marveling at the players' virtuosity. The overtures are mostly brief, usually four or five minutes long, but they each contain a world of volatility and drama. Many of them are wonderfully eccentric, with startling juxtapositions and exotic orchestral combinations that keep them from ever settling into any kind of easy predictability. Rameau's use of percussion is unconventionally dramatic for the late Baroque; the overture to Acante et Céphise uses the timpani with a prominence that must have been startling to his original audiences, and to modern ears it sounds slightly odd, but charming.
Rousset and the ensemble are attuned to music's eccentricities and bring out its playful character and sly humor without ever resorting to exaggeration or caricature. Decca's sound is spacious and clean, with a strong sense of presence and good balance. The CD should delight fans of the Baroque, early opera, and anyone intrigued by French music of this still somewhat obscure era.