Jean-Philippe Rameau Suggest updates
Born Dijon, 25 September 1683.
Died Paris, 12 September 1764.
French composer.
Rameau is the dominant figure in French opera during the mid-18th century. While he did produce some successful comedies, his operatic reputation survives largely through his five-act tragedies. These develop the pattern set in the previous century by Lully, with plots from classical mythology combined with spectacular visual effects and ballet.
He trained with his father before spending some time in Italy. He was already mature when he turned to operatic composition, but he continued for the rest of his life. One of his greatest works, Les Boréades, was in rehearsal at the time of his death, and was immediately cancelled, not seeing the light of day for the next two hundred years.
Works performed in Scotland are shown in bold:
01 L'Endriague (1723) ()
02 L'enrolement d'Arlequin (1726) ()
03 La robe de dissention (1726) ()
04 Hippolyte et Aricie (1733) (de Pellegrin)
05 Samson (1733-4 unfin) (Voltaire) (lost)
06 Les courses de temple (1734) ()
07 Les Indes galantes (Paris 1735) (Fuselier)
08 Castor et Pollux (Paris 1737, rev 1754) (Bernard)
09 Les fêtes d'Hébé, ou Les talents lyriques (Paris 1739) (Gautier de Montdorge)
10 Dardanus (Paris 1739, rev 1744) (Le Clerc de La Bruère)
11 La princesse de Navarre (Versailles 1745, rev Bordeaux 1763) (Voltaire)
12 Platée (Versailles 1745, rev Paris 1749) (d'Orville, rev de Sovot)
13 Les fêtes de Polymnie (Paris 1745) (de Cahusac)
14 Le temple de la Gloire (Versailles 1745, rev Paris 1746) (Voltaire)
15 Les fêtes de Ramire (Versailles 1745) (Voltaire & Rousseau)
16 Les fêtes de l'Hymen et de l’Amour, ou Les dieux d’Egypte (Versailles 1747, rev Paris 1754) (de Cahusac)
17 Zaïs (Paris 1748) (de Cahusac)
18 Pigmalion (Paris 1748) (de Sovot & de la Motte)
19 Les surprises de l’Amour (Versailles 1748, rev Paris 1757) (Bernard)
20 Naïs (Paris 1749) (de Cahusac)
21 Zoroastre (Paris 1749, rev 1756) (de Cahusac)
22 La Guirlande, ou Les fleurs enchantées (1751) ()
23 Acante et Céphise, ou La sympathie (Paris 1751) (Marmontel)
24 Linus (c1751 unperf) (de la Bruère) (lost)
25 Daphnis et Eglé (Fontainebleau 1753) (Colle)
26 Lysis et Delie (1753 unperf) (Marmontel) (lost)
27 Les sibarites (Fontainebleau 1753) (Marmontel)
28 La naissance d’Osiris, ou La fête Pamilie (Fontainebleau 1754) (de Cahusac)
29 Anacréon 1 (Fontainebleau 1754) (de Cahusac)
30 Anacréon II (Paris 1758) (Bernard)
31 Les Paladins (Paris 1760) (? de Monticourt)
32 Les Boréades (1764 unperf; radio 1963, concert London 1975, prod Aix 1982) (de Cahusac)
