Rameau: Le Grand Théâtre de l'amour

One of the giants of French Baroque music, the enigmatic Jean-Philippe Rameau was a near contemporary of Bach and Handel, and his contribution to the French stage was immense. This celebrated 2013 album includes selections from his romantic opera-ballet Les Indes Galantes, tragedy Castor et Pollux, and Naïs, a pastorale héroïque (a form that developed during the Baroque era in France). Chosen with skill, this program is a fine showcase for the talents of the French soprano Sabine Devieilhe, who has gone on to become a huge vocal star. Alexis Kossenko’s Les Ambassadeurs orchestra, modeled on the Dresden Hofkapelle of Bach’s day, provide exemplary support and play with a style that Rameau would no doubt have approved.