Lully Christophe Rousset

Christophe Rousset is one of the finest and most exciting harpsichordists, and as a conductor is a leader in the late 20th century revival of French Baroque music. After studying piano as a boy, he became deeply interested in the harpsichord at the age of 13. He studied with Huguette Dreyfus at the Schola Cantorum in Paris and, from 1980 to 1983, with Bob van Asperen at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague. He won a special certificate of distinction at the Schola Cantorum and, in 1983, the first prize at the International Harpsichord Competition in Bruges.

Véronique Gens is one of the most acclaimed French soprano. ü She has recorded in 2005, 2008 and 2011 three recitals of operatic arias for soprano from the French tragic operas of the late 17th, 18th and 19th centuries from Lully to Saint-Saëns. Véronique Gens embodies the tragic heroines of the Antiquity such as Dido, Circe, Medea or Cassandra… ü Véronique Gens is accompanied by renowned French director Christophe Rousset and his ensemble les Talens Lyriques. ü These three recitals are the most successful she has recorded, with Les Nuits d’été by Berlioz. Véronique Gens has recently received again very good critics (such as the Gramophone Editor's choice) for her latest recital, Visions, released on Alpha Classics

It is only recently that the cantata Ariane consolated by Bacchus was attributed to Couperin, on the strength of many technical details too complex to be unrolled, but perfectly convincing. It is therefore a kind of first world discography of a work of this great composer that Christophe Rousset gives us, with the superb voice of Stéphane Degout whose impeccable speech allows to understand absolutely every word. There follow two immense apotheoses of the same, that of Corelli dated 1724 and that of Lully of the following year. These are very ample instrumental suites in the style of, with quotations, allusions, jokes of all kinds, in a quasi-theatrical and very descriptive writing approaching a kind of programmed music.

This 20cd box set dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the music of versailles. The box set is beautifully packaged with complete english translations featuring distinguished baroque artists such as les arts florissant's with william christie, les musiciens du louvre with marc minkowski, les talens lyriques with christophe rousset, paul agnew, bernarda fink, veronique gens, patricia petibon and many more. The majority of these recordings have been recorded live during the festival at versailles palace and have never been commercially available. Approximately 5% has been licensed from warners and glossa. It is manufactured in france and put out by the centre of baroque music in versailles.