Dardanus

 

Jean-Philippe Rameau Dardanus opera to libretto by Charles-Antoine Leclerc de La Bruère. Directed 2015 by Michael Fau at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. Stars Karina Gauvin (Vénus), Gaëlle Arquez (Iphise, the Princess), Reinoud van Meehelen (Dardanus, son of Electra and Jupiter), Florian Sempey (Anténor, a King), Nahuel de Pierro (Teucer, a King/Isménor, a magician), Katherine Watson (Amour/une Bergère (Shepherdess)/Bellone/un Songe (a Dream), Étienne Bazola (Un Berger ( Shepherd), Virgile Ancely (Un Songe (Dream)) and Guillaume Gutierrez (Un Songe (Dream)). Raphaël Pichon conducts the Ensemble Pygmalion. Set design by Emmanuel Charles with assistance from Pejman Mirzaei; costume design by David Belugou; choreography by Christopher Williams; lighting design by Joël Fabing. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts sound. Grade: NA

Spectacular designs and production from the same house that staged the popular Les Indes galantes. This got a "2016 Critics Choice Award" in the December 2016 Gramophone magazine (page 24). It also got a "Critics Choice" award from Judith Malafronte in the February 2017 Opera News (page 50). It appears Judith saw this in DVD, and the magazine doesn't even say that it's available in Blu-ray form.

Here's a short clip showing how colorful this is:

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