![]() |
![]() |
Welcome to Naxos Records |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() “In re-discovering L’épreuve villageoise, I was taken by its deceptive simplicity and wit. Evidently much of the world was too, as it was one of Grétry’s most popular works, performed in Paris for 100 years after its première, and brought to many other cities. This included 19th-century New Orleans, where we set our production. We hope this première recording shines a welcome ray of light on the composer, much like the beautiful sunrise the chorus of villagers extol in his work’s extraordinary finale.” – Ryan Brown, conductor
André-Ernest-Modeste GRÉTRY (1741–1813)
L’épreuve villageoise An opéra bouffon in two acts Libretto by Pierre Desforges Sophie Junker, Talise Trevigne, Sopranos Francisco Fernández-Rueda, Tenor Thomas Dolié, Baritone Opera Lafayette Ryan Brown L’épreuve villageoise (The Village Trial) – which, in its original form as Théodore et Paulin, was first performed before Marie Antoinette at Versailles – was one of André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry’s most popular works. For a century after its 1784 première it enjoyed huge acclaim across Europe and even travelled to the New World, where it captivated audiences in New York. Grétry was a master of eighteenth-century opéra comique and this crisp and lively farce centres on a clever farmer’s daughter and her two competing suitors. Employing divergent stylistic registers – finesse and naiveté, music reminiscent of popular song, and extended ensembles – Grétry fashioned a score of sophisticated wit and huge charm.
Listen to an extract from
the Finale to Act I
Listen to Raymond Bisha's podcast
about this release
About the Artists
Ryan Brown is the founder, conductor and artistic director of Opera Lafayette. Through his work with the company, he has gained an international reputation for his interpretations of French opera and for his role in the revival of significant works from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Recent Opera Lafayette programmes have included a production of Rameau’s Les Fêtes de l’Hymen et de l’Amour, ou Les Dieux d’Égypte notable for its integration of three different dance companies, as well as rediscovered operas from the period of the French Revolution.
Opera Lafayette is an American period instrument ensemble that specialises in French repertoire, rediscovers masterpieces, and creates a recorded legacy of its work. Founded in 1995 in Washington, D.C. by conductor and artistic director Ryan Brown, Opera Lafayette has earned critical acclaim and a loyal following for its performances and recordings with international singers renowned for their interpretations of baroque and classical operas.
Other recordings from Ryan Brown and Opera Lafayette
8.660305
GRÉTRY, A.-E.-M.: Magnifique (Le) [Opera] Gonzalez Toro, Calleo, Krull, Thompson, Sulayman, Williams, Scarlata, Opera Lafayette Orchestra, Brown
8.660196-97
SACCHINI, A.: Oedipe à Colone Loup, Paulin, Getchell, Boutté, Blaise, Opera Lafayette, Brown
8.660209-10
LULLY, J.: Armide (Opera Lafayette, 2007) Houtzeel, Getchell, Loup, Sharp, Monoyios, Dubrow, Boutté, Perry, McCulloch, McCredie, Opera Lafayette, Brown
8.660353
PHILIDOR, F.-A. D.: Femmes Vengées (Les) [Opéra-comique] Debono, Figueroa, Thompson, Opera Lafayette Orchestra, Brown
8.660338-39
DAVID, F.: Lalla Roukh [Opéra-comique] Fiset, Gonzalez Toro, Paulin, Deletré, Newman, Adelsberger, Opera Lafayette, Brown
|
![]() |
![]() |
Naxos Records, a member of the Naxos Music Group
|
![]() |