The GRAMMY-winning BEMF Chamber Opera Series returns to the music of Marc-Antoine Charpentier with an all-new disc featuring two chamber operas by the French Baroque master. Les Plaisirs de Versailles—first presented by BEMF in November 2016—depicts a rousing and satirical argument among personifications of the many delight’s found in Louis XIV’s great palace. Les Arts Florissants also exalts the Sun King, showing the forces of Art and Peace triumphant over the agents of war and discord, thanks to peaceful leadership of Louis XIV.
This CD was released in conjunction with the June 2019 encore performances of VERSAILLES: Portrait of a Royal Domain at the 2019 Festival Festival.
Teresa Wakim, La Musique
Virginia Warnken, La Conversation
Jesse Blumberg, Comus
Jason McStoots, Le Jeu
Aaron Sheehan, Un Plasir
Teresa Wakim, La Musique
Jesse Blumberg, La Discorde
Margot Rood, La Paix
Molly Netter, La Poésie
Aaron Sheehan, La Peinture
Virginia Warnken, L'Architecture
John Taylor Ward, Un Guerrier
Molly Netter, Margot Rood, & Teresa Wakim, soprano; Sophie Michaux, Anthea Pichanik, & Virginia Warnken, mezzo-soprano; Brian Giebler, Jason McStoots, & Aaron Sheehan, tenor; Jesse Blumberg, Olivier Laquerre, & John Taylor Ward, bass
Robert Mealy, concertmaster & violin; Cynthia Roberts, violin; Sarah Darling, viola; Laura Jeppesen, viola da gamba; Phoebe Carrai, violoncello; Gonzalo X. Ruiz & Kathryn Montoya, oboe & recorder; Dominic Teresi, bassoon & bass recorder; Paul O'Dette, theorbo; Stephen Stubbs, Baroque guitar & theorbo; Michael Sponseller, harpsichord & organ
