The title of this review of a 2022 recording of Rameau’s Platée is prompted by the fact that I’ve rarely seen this much high quality dance included in an opera production.  It’s really spectacular.  But back to basics.  Platée is a comic opera of 1745.  The production filmed in 2022 is by Laurent Pelly and was making its fifth run at the Palais Garnier.  There’s an earlier video release of the 2002 run.

I can’t improve much on my plot summary from that review so here it is again:

Platée tells the story of the bizarrely ugly water nymph Plateé.  In an attempt to calm down Juno who, as usual, is angry at Jupiter’s infidelities, Mercury and the satyr Citheron arrange for Jupiter to pretend to fall in love with and marry Plateé.  Juno arrives during the wedding in a fury but when she sees Plateé she realises the joke and is reconciled with Jupiter.  Plateé returns, distraught, to her swamp.  It’s all really rather cruel but does have a few good jokes.. and lots of ballets.

Rewatching Pelly’s production there’s lots to like.  It’s much more a straightforward telling of the tale than Robert Carsen’s Vienna version.  In this version Platée is a froggy nymph in a swamp; albeit it one superimposed on the theatre and the various gods, nymphs etc are just that.  It’s, in a sense, typical Pelly comedy.  It’s spectacular to look at, very high energy, completely coherent and with a few good sight gags.

There are, in true baroque style, some spectacular effects.  Jupiter descends from the fly in a chariot with Momus setting off flares as he goes.  There’s also a fair bit of irreverence.  Conductor Mark Minkowski is pulled into the action, somewhat reluctantly, by La Folie in Act 2 and by a rather disruptive frog at the start of the final act.

Even in the prologue I was impressed by the quality of the singing and dancing and that continues through.  The choreography by Laura Scozzi is excellent and it just gets better as the acts succeed each other.  Lawrence Brownlee is an interesting choice as Platée.  The role usually goes to a haut-contre rather than a rather Italianate tenor but he does a good job of balancing beautiful singing with the froggy “Quoi, quoi, quoi” sounds.  Tamara Bounazou as L’Amour and Clarine does some very stylish singing in the Prologue and Act 1.  Marc Mauillon as Momus and Mathias Vidal as Thespis keep the comedy going nicely and Jean Teitgen is a dominating presence as Jupiter with a really solid, booming bass and excellent acting.  He contrasts nicely with the Mercure of Reinould Van Mechelen who has the proper haut-contre style.

But it’s Julie Fuchs, who appears in the Prologue as Thalie who steals the show when she appears in the middle of Act 2 as La Folie.  She’s dramatic, stylish and technically excellent.  Her “Aux langueurs d’Apollon” has real wow factor and her acting is brilliant.  She’s back to equal effect in Act 3 where she’s no mean performer as a dancer as well.  There’s also a pretty good cameo from Adriana Bignani Lesca as an imposing Junon.

As in all the previous runs the orchestra is Les Musiciens du Louvre with Mark Minkowski conducting.  There’s not much left to say about them.  They are a stylish period band and they understand that Rameau isn’t always supposed to sound pretty.  They can produce quite an abrasive sound where appropriate.  The house chorus sings very well and is fully integrated into the action.

The video is directed by François-René Martin and it’s a much better job than the 2002 recording.  Crucially, the dance elements get a sympathetic treatment.  Admittedly that’s all much easier with HD recording which allows for more effective wide angle shots.  The transfer to Blu-ray is excellent.  Video is top notch as are both stereo and surround sound tracks.  There are no extras but the booklet has a synopsis, a glossary of the characters and a good essay by Minkowski.  Subtitle options are English, French, German and Spanish.

Much as I liked the Carsen production I think this is a better bet for those unfamiliar with Platée.  There’s nothing to choose between this cast and the excellent 2002 cast but this recording is hugely better technically so the choice is clear.

Catalogue information: Bel Air Classiques BAC524