Charpentier: Orphée aux enfers A Nocte Temporis, Reinoud Van Mechelen, Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier

• Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704): Orphée descendant aux enfers, H. 471:
• 1 Orphée descendant aux enfers, H. 471: Prélude 03:28
• 2 Orphée descendant aux enfers, H. 471: "Récit d'Orphée, violon lentement" 01:19
• 3 Orphée descendant aux enfers, H. 471: "Effroyable enfers, où je conduis mes pas" 07:34
• 4 Orphée descendant aux enfers, H. 471: "Quelle douce harmonie a frappé mon oreille ?" 01:16
• 5 Orphée descendant aux enfers, H. 471: "Vos plus grands criminels rongés par des vautours" 03:58
• 6 Orphée descendant aux enfers, H. 471: "Ne cherchons plus d'où vient cette tendresse" 02:58
• La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488:
• 7 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: Ouverture 02:38
• 8 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Inventons mille jeux divers" 04:38
• 9 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Compagnes fidèles" 03:05
• 10 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Soutiens-moi, chère Énone" 00:38
• 11 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Qu'ai-je entendu ? Que vois-je ?" 00:42
• 12 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Ah ! Bergers c'en est fait" 03:34
• 13 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: Entrée de Nymphes et de Bergers désespérés 01:34
• 14 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Lâche amant, pourrais-tu survivre" 00:43
• 15 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Ne tourne point, mon fils" 02:22
• 16 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Que d'un frivole espoir" 05:09
• 17 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Affreux tourments, gênes cruelles" 01:39
• 18 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Cessez, cessez fameux coupables" 01:56
• 19 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Quelle touchante voix" 01:50
• 20 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Je ne refuse point ce secours" 01:13
• 21 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Il n'est rien aux Enfers" 01:34
• 22 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: Entrée des Fantômes 01:16
• 23 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Que cherche en mon palais ce mortel téméraire ?" 01:12
• 24 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Je ne vis point ici, Monarque des Enfers" 02:56
• 25 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Pauvre amant, quel cœur de rocher" 01:32
• 26 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Eurydice n'est plus, et mon feu dure encore" 02:39
• 27 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Le destin est contraire à ce que tu souhaites" 01:54
• 28 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Tu ne la perdras point, hélas, pour me la rendre" 02:12
• 29 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Quel charme impérieux m'incite à la tendresse ?" 01:35
• 30 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Souviens toi du larcin que tu fis à Cérès" 03:45
• 31 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Je cède, je me rends, aimable Prosperine" 02:47
• 32 La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488: "Vous partez donc, Orphée ?" 06:43
• Total Runtime 01:22:19

Info zu Charpentier: Orphée aux enfers

The Orpheus myth was as important for the birth of opera in France as it had been in Italy. In 1684, Charpentier composed a work for three voices, Orphée descendant aux Enfers. With this piece, remarkable for its style and concision, he showed how well he had assimilated Carissimi’s art. It is a dramatic scene, similar to the ‘sacred histories’ of the Roman master. The text, by an unknown author, narrates Orpheus’ quest for his beloved in the Underworld. The hero’s haute-contre gives him an elegiac timbre – this was the vocal register in which Charpentier, himself a singer, excelled. In 1687 he created his second illustration of the myth, La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers. In its two acts can be discerned the outline of a possible complete opera – the manuscript has reached us shorn of the third act in which Orpheus would presumably have lost Eurydice before being devoured by the Maenads. While La Descente d’Orphée has already been recorded several times, the Orphée of 1684 is a rarity and a magnificent discovery. In these two roles that might have been written for him, Reinoud van Mechelen is at the peak of his artistry, while his ensemble A Nocte Temporis and Lionel Meunier’s group Vox Luminis blend in perfect symbiosis.

A Nocte Temporis
Reinoud Van Mechelen, tenor
Vox Luminis
Lionel Meunier, direction

A nocte temporis
Latin translation of the French expression “depuis la nuit des temps”, which means “from time immemorial”. A nod towards the past, towards what is changing, and especially also towards what remains unchanged.

After several years of activity as a soloist with conductors such as William Christie, Philippe Herreweghe, Hervé Niquet, Christophe Rousset, and many others, Reinoud Van Mechelen founds his own ensemble in 2016. His goal is to present historically informed music as well as to emotionally touch an as large audience as possible. For this purpose he surrounds himself with musicians who share this passion with him and who are ready to take up this challenge.

In 2016 he records with a nocte temporis a program dedicated to Bach arias for tenor and flute for the label Alpha Classics (Outhere). In the 16/17 season, they will present this program during concerts in many cities, including Warsaw, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Pavia.

Reinoud Van Mechelen
Since he completed his master studies in 2012 at the Conservatoire Royal in Brussels (class of Dina Grossberger), Reinoud Van Mechelen has established himself on the international stage.

In 2007 he caught attention at the Académie Baroque Européenne in Ambronay under the baton of Hervé Niquet. In 2011 he was a member of the "Jardin des Voix" of William Christie and Paul Agnew and became soon a regular soloist of Les Arts florissants. With Les Arts florissants he has performed at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, the Edinburgh Festival, the Château de Versailles, the Bolchoï Theatre in Moscow, the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican Centre in London, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, the Philharmonie in Paris, the Opéra Comique and the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.

At the same time he is a guest with international ensembles such as Collegium Vocale, Le Concert Spirituel, La Petite Bande, Les Talens Lyriques, Pygmalion, Le Poème Harmonique, Il Gardellino, Insula Orchestra, L’Arpeggiata, Ludus Modalis, B’Rock, Ricercar Consort, Capriccio Stravagante, Scherzi Musicali, European Union Baroque Orchestra.

In 2014 Reinoud Van Mechelen performed his first Evangelist in J.S. Bach's Johannespassionwith the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. The season after he made his debut in a title role in an opera by Rameau, Dardanus, at the Opéra national de Bordeaux.

In 2016/17 he will be debuting at the Zürich Opera in Charpentier's Médée(Jason) under the baton of William Christie. He will go a significant way ahead in extending his repertoire performing in concert Belmonte (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris and Gérald (Lakmé) with the Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio.

Reinoud Van Mechelen has tooken part in several CD and DVD produktions. In 2016 he is recording his first solo CD for Alpha Classics (J. S. Bach Program, release scheduled in fall 2016).

Booklet für Charpentier: Orphée aux enfers