Certainly not because of the partition that holds many nuggets (like a sublime Italian complaint and very bright pages).
Psyche was nevertheless the first opera of Lully mounted in the wake of the phenomenal success of Atys in January 1987 with the magical trio Christie, Villegier, Lancelot and that's probably the point.
So Psyche had that year honors in 1987 in Aix en Provence Festival. Not with the Flo Arts but with the Grande Ecurie and the Chambre du Roy under the leadership of Jean-Claude Malgoire and staged by Jean-Claude Penchenat unsuited, which would have the effect of serving the work. The success was not at the rendezvous, the comparison with Atys still in our memories was fatal.
Sulking French public therefore has a great deal to what is considered as a misfires in Aix despite the orchestra of Jean-Claude Malgoire was far from unworthy.
Psyche was hardly taken on stage in France in 1999 by Flo Arts in a concert version, based on a hybrid version borrows from both the lyric tragedy and tragedy already Ballet Lully who had preceded.
While recording (June and July 2007) of this production by the orchestra and chorus of the Boston Early Music Festival co-led by Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs is in itself a blessing. They themselves had already produced a "Theseus" the previous year.
The interpretation applies especially for the excellence of Carolyn Sampson (Psyche) and especially that of Karina Gauvin (Venus), holders of the 2 main roles.
And the other voices, like choirs haul out almost at their level, with, it must be said, a very satisfactory diction.
However I think it useful to attach these satisfecit few regrets.
I aim an overall tone that may seem overly intimate, which probably is not the best for this music. In fact the great brilliant moments, such as the final, not all the splendor one would expect.
Just listen to the two extracts of the final (Prelude to the trumpets and "Sing the charming pleasures") by the Arts Flo Album Lully - The Entertainments of Versailles / Les Arts Florissants, Christie to be convinced that we can actually do better.
While this lack of orchestral density I feel is perhaps a sign of a musical staff too little or too muffled expanded?
Despite these reservations the overall interpretation is at a very good level rarely achieved in Lully by non-national entities.
The album includes a particularly rich booklet with the full text in trilingual version.
Several pieces of presentation we give all the details of the genesis of this tragic opera whose libretto is officially credited to Thomas Corneille when he has greatly benefited from the earlier tragedy ballet Psyche, of course composed by Lully but which had booklet both collaborated Molière, Corneille and Quinault.
And it is the CPO editor should be congratulated. It remains one of the few to produce albums including full booklet of the work.
So I think it's time to give back to Psyche all the interest it deserves and this album unjustly little known in France, is expected to contribute (at a moderate price if possible).
