Various - Jean-Philippe Rameau: Le Temple de la Gloire ('The Temple of Glory')

In a stunning world premiere recording, music director and conductor Nicholas McGegan, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale, and an international cast of French Baroque opera stars present Jean-Philippe Rameau�s original 1745 version of Le Temple de la Gloire, with libretto by Voltaire. Presented as a fully staged opera in April 2017, the three sold out performances enjoyed universal critical acclaim from some of the world�s leading publications. The original manuscript had not been performed since 1745 and is housed at U.C. Berkeley�s Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library. Originally written to honour King Louis XV and commemorate the Battle of Fontenoy, the version of this ballet h�ro�que that has been heard up until now is the second version which was substantially changed by Rameau to appease the King and Parisian tastes. Voltaire�s original libretto, used in these performances and recording, is a philosophical reform of opera: an allegory set around the idea of the temple of glory with moral and political overtones � making this original version not only more powerful but uniquely relevant �even today. In the words of Nicholas McGegan, 'It�s extravagant, spectacular beyond description. It�s a wonderful mix. Incredibly ornate music ... the whole kitchen sink of the orchestra, deliberately exotic and jangly, with trumpets, even bagpipes'.