Backed by the Sun King despite a lukewarm audience reception at first,
Lully
's
Atys
(1676) went on to become one of the composer's most successful operas, with revivals at French court theaters as late as 1753. In modern times, however, it is a considerably rarer item due to the massive forces and time required.
Christophe Rousset
was in the pit as harpsichordist when conductor
William Christie
gave the first modern revival of the work in the late '80s. That experience marks this 2024 release, which made classical best-seller lists at the beginning of that year. That is not common for a hefty five-act Baroque opera, but even a bit of sampling will confirm why it happened:
Rousset
, from the keyboard, brings tremendous energy to the opera. He pushes the tempo in the numerous dances and entrance numbers, and the musicians of
Les Talens Lyriques
and the singers of the
Choeur du Chambre de Namur
, all of whom have worked closely with
in the past, keep right up. The singers in the solo roles are all fine; haut-contre
Reinoud Van Mechelen
in the title role and
Ambroisine Bré
as the goddess Cybèle, who sets the tragic plot in motion, are standouts. The sound from the increasingly engineering-expert
Château de Versailles
label is exceptionally clear in complex textures, and the sensuous cover art (representing, it is true, not the Roman mythological figure of Atys but Hippomène and Atalante) is a bonus. In the end, this is
, and that is a very good thing. ~ James Manheim