Rameau, maître à danser

For Les Arts Florissants, the "Rameau Year" is an opportunity to shed light on little-known works by the master. While his great lyric tragedies are regularly performed, the pastorals and ballets are less fortunate. 

Such is the case of La Naissance d'Osiris and Daphnis et Églé, two works specially written for the Court. Presented at Fontainebleau in 1754, La Naissance d'Osiris is a ballet composed to a libretto by Louis de Cahusac. It celebrates the birth of the Duc de Berry, future Louis XVI, moving the the announcement of the happy event to Thebes, in Egypt, in front of the temple of Jupiter. Cupid and the Graces show their joy in pantomimes. Rameau uses an especially rich selection of dances: sarabande, gavotte, gigue, minuet, tambourin. 

Daphnis et Églé was intended for the return of the royal hunt. This acerbic entertainment, which was not to the queen's tastes tells the story of two lovers (implicitly the king and Madame Pompadour) who are unaware of the feelings they share for each other until Cupid himself opens their eyes to them. 

Familiar with Rameau's large-scale forms, Les Arts Florissants breathe new life into this more intimate repertoire. Dance is at the heart of both these works, combined into one by the staging of Sophie Daneman, and conveyed by the choreography of Françoise Denieau.

Coproduction of the Théâtre de Caen and the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles
Associated coproducer : Les Arts Florissants (with the support of The Selz Foundation)
Delegated production: théâtre de Caen
The representation at the Bolshoï Theater receives the support of Groupe EDF.

Nathalie Adam, Romain Arreghini, Bruno Benne, Anne-Sophie Berring, Pierre-François Dollé, Robert Le Nuz, Andrea Miltnerova, Artur Zakirov, danseurs

Nathalie Adam, Robert Le Nuz, assistants à la chorégraphie
Gilles Poirier, répétiteur danse