"Quelle douce harmonie a frappé mon oreille ?"
"Ne cherchons plus d'où vient cette tendresse"
Charpentier: Orphée aux enfers
This is a marriage made in heaven—not between Orphée and Eurydice, but in the combined talents of the two premiere French ensembles Vox Luminis and A Nocte Temporis. Singing the title role of Charpentier’s 1686 mini opera (about the doomed love between Orphée and Eurydice), Reinoud Van Mechelen uses his effortlessly high tenor range and silvery tone to colour his lament for Eurydice and underscore his appeals for her release from Hades. The minor roles are characterfully sung by members of Vox Luminis who come together in finely nuanced choruses—major highlights of the work. The flutes and viols of A Nocte Temporis support them with style and sensitivity. Although the opera is missing its final act here, the performers still manage to whip up an emotional storm.
"Inventons mille jeux divers"
Victoria Cassano, Vox Luminis, Clara Coutouly, Reinoud Van Mechelen, A Nocte Temporis, Zsuzsi Tóth, Lionel Meunier
"Compagnes fidèles"
Clara Coutouly, Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier, Reinoud Van Mechelen, Deborah Cachet, A Nocte Temporis
"Qu'ai-je entendu ? Que vois-je ?"
"Affreux tourments, gênes cruelles"
"Quelle touchante voix"
"Que cherche en mon palais ce mortel téméraire ?"
Reinoud Van Mechelen, Geoffroy Buffière, A Nocte Temporis
"Pauvre amant, quel cœur de rocher"
"Le destin est contraire à ce que tu souhaites"
Geoffroy Buffière, Stefanie True, Reinoud Van Mechelen, Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier, A Nocte Temporis
"Quel charme impérieux m'incite à la tendresse ?"
Stefanie True, Lionel Meunier, Reinoud Van Mechelen, Vox Luminis, Geoffroy Buffière, A Nocte Temporis
"Je cède, je me rends, aimable Prosperine"
Geoffroy Buffière, A Nocte Temporis, Reinoud Van Mechelen
"Vous partez donc, Orphée ?"