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“The fascination of this for general viewers is in a resonant linking of the preoccupations and of 17th- and 18th-century music and culture with the radical scientific discoveries of the time, while for lovers of Baroque music there is a simpler joy in hearing familiar music in new contexts...Further pleasure comes from the playing of Tafelmusik, an uplifting mixture as ever of ensemble excellence and open generosity of spirit.” Gramophone Magazine, June 2012

“Lully's music shines and dances in the hands of the now-veteran William Christie and his superbly understanding singers and players, but what will astonish those who doubt the drama of baroque opera is the sheer emotional power of the plot. The filming is formal rather than fluid. A triumph of postmodern authenticity.” The Observer, 19th February 2012

“this visually sumptuous production will satisfy the most diehard traditionalist. It's true that the sets and costumes are far removed from ancient Phrygia; but they do evoke the time of Louis XIV, Lully's patron. Bernhard Richter finds plenty of passion as Atys...Chorus, orchestra and conductor are first-class.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2012

“The production is a spectacularly successful realisation of the principles of early French opera. Apart from the ravishingly painted sliding sets and flying deities, the use of Baroque gesture, which can often seem artificial and stilted, is fully integrated into the acting and entirely convincing. Vincent Dumestre directs a magnificent ensemble performance... the leads are magnificent, in particular the central pair of lovers. The camera work... magically captures every nuance of the acting while losing nothing of the production's essential grandeur.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2009 *****

“Lully's Cadmus et Hermione (1673) inaugurated the era of tragédie lyrique that held sway until the Revolution. The performances by both singers and dancers are first-rate, thanks in no small part to Vincent Dumestre's clear and zestful conducting and the responsiveness of the orchestra.
André Morsch as Cadmus, Claire Lefilliâtre as Hermione and Arnaud Marzorati as the cowardly confidant Arbas deserve particular praise. All are at ease with the theatrical gestures of the time, and the choreography by Gudrun Skamletz and Anne Tournié is stylish and entertaining.
The costumes are exquisitely crafted and so, too, the masks and the maquillage, bringing to life the images Berain left us. The giant Draco's dinosaur coat is a triumph, although some of the women's costumes seem a trifle short for the time. Other pleasures include the carefully researched scene sets with marvellous machinery (transporting gods and operating monsters) and the striking quality and quantity of light, originally generated by candles and oil lamps.
Among the musical high-points are the chaconne that ends Act 1; Cadmus's and Hermione's farewell in Act 2; the divertissement that ends Act 3; the moment when Cadmus and Hermione are reunited in Act 4, tellingly in a minor key; and the divertissement that concludes Act 5. Important, too, are the comic scenes with servants in Acts 2 and 3 – a holdover from the comédies-ballet of the previous decade, which Lully avoided in later operas.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“The performances by both singers and dancers are first-rate, thanks in no small part to Vincent Dumestre's clear and zestful conducting… André Morsche… Cadmus, Claire Lefilliâtre as Hermione and Arnaud Marzorati as the cowardly confidant Arbas deserve particular praise. All are at ease with the theatrical gestures of the time, and the choreography by Gudrun Skamletz and Anne Tournié is stylish and entertaining. The costumes are exquisitely crafted and so, too, the masks and the maquillage, bringing to life the images Berain left us.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2009

“The actors are splendid...This engaging issue deserves wide circulation” Gramophone Magazine

“While visually handsome, the amount of stage magic in this very commendable production of Lully's Persée (composed 1682) is fairly minimal: Mercure and Venus appear, appropriately enough, on elaborate flying clouds, but dramatic tension evaporates when Andromède is menaced by a sea monster that would not have been out of place in an episode of The Clangers. Musically there is much to admire: singing and playing are enjoyably idiomatic.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2005 ***

“A warm welcome to the first opera by Lully to appear on DVD. Staged performances of his tragédies lyriques being rare, at least in the UK, it's good to be able at last to assess one of them as a drama. Persée, to a libretto by Philippe Quinault, Lully's usual collaborator, was first performed in 1682, a year before Phaëton. As with all such works the purpose was to flatter, none too subtly, the person and the reign of Louis XIV; indeed, the subject was chosen by the Sun King himself, and the sycophantic composer made an explicit comparison between Louis and Perseus in the dedication.
The story, taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses, is a conflation of two legends: Perseus' slaying of Medusa and his rescue of Andromeda. Cassiopeia has incurred the wrath of Juno, who sends Medusa to terrorise the country. With Medusa dead, Juno causes Cassiopeia's daughter, the princess Andromeda, to be chained to a rock at the mercy of a monster. Perseus swoops from the sky to kill the monster, Venus descends as a dea ex machina to take the hero, his beloved and her parents up to heaven, and everybody lives happily ever after. Everybody, that is, except for Merope, fruitlessly in love with Perseus, who dies accidentally; and Phineus, Andromeda's betrothed, whom Perseus turns to stone with Medusa's head.
As a drama, then, there's not much going for Persée, especially as Perseus benefits from divine assistance: a sword from Vulcan, a shield from Athena, a helmet from Pluto, not to mention the presence of Mercury, who sends Medusa to sleep. But there's much pleasure to be had from the choral and balletic contributions to the divertissements and from individual scenes.
This production from Toronto is dressed and choreographed in traditional style and the direction is both lively and respectful, the characters encouraged to gesture expressively. Monica Whicher and Alain Coulombe are good as the disappointed lovers; Olivier Laquerre, stentorian as Andromeda's father, has a fine old time camping up the transvestite role of Medusa. Cyril Auvity's Perseus, rather pinched in tone, is outsung by Colin Ainsworth's Mercury, who is nonsensically given a solo belonging to one of the mortals.
Hervé Niquet is a sympathetic conductor, moving seamlessly through recitative, air and ensemble; the orchestra suffers from a recorded balance that favours the theorbo.
A short scene for Medusa's fellow Gorgons is pointlessly cut. The entire allegorical Prologue is omitted, too; no great loss, perhaps, but it should have been mentioned in the booklet. But let's not end on a carping note: this enterprising issue is cause for celebration.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“The Frenchman Gérard Souzay (1918-2004) was undoubtedly one of the greatest baritones of the post-war period… Souzay's voice was… rich and smoothly produced, with an integral legato, always favouring the flow of the vocal lines… a style perfect for the predominantly French songs in these recitals. For TV recordings of this vintage the quality is excellent, making this recommendable to anyone who loves fine singing.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2007 *****