In all my years of learning the piano and going to the opera as a young student, I never came across Jean-Philippe Rameau‘s music. This seems surprising, since Rameau made important contributions to keyboard music, and his collection of solo harpsichord works, Pièces de Clavecin, is among his most famous.
In his day, Rameau was primarily known as a music theorist, and his 1722 Treatise on Harmony established the principles of fundamental bass. This, of course, formed the foundation for instruction in Western music as it is still taught today.
Rameau’s Traité de l’harmonie
After 1733, Rameau dedicated himself primarily to opera, but these marvellous works were only beginning to be staged again in the late 20th century. Jean-Philippe Rameau died on 12 September 1764, just shy of his 81st birthday. To commemorate his death, we thought it might be fun to feature 10 of his most beautiful opera overtures.
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Castor et Pollux, “Overture”
A Tragic Love Triangle
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Castor et Pollux, 1737 edition
Let’s get started with the most famous overture, the introductory music to the opera Castor et Pollux. The opera is generally considered Rameau’s crowning achievement, and the story features the famous heroes Castor and Pollux.
Although they are twin brothers, Pollux is immortal, and Castor is mortal. They are both in love with the princess Télaïre, but she loves only Castor. As you might have guessed, Castor is killed in battle, and when Pollux confesses his love to Télaïre, she ignores him. In the end, Pollux renounces his immortality so that his mortal twin might be restored to life.
The “Overture” gets it all started with very tense, battling strings. Sharply dotted rhythms and dissonances create addictive, kinetic music. This kind of illustrative music is both homophonic and contrapuntal, and it was revolutionary for its time.
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Naïs, “Overture”
Rameau at Sea
The opera Naïs was composed for a special occasion, the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. This treaty ended the War of the Austrian Succession, fought between 1740 and 1748, and involved Europe’s great powers.
The story of the opera tells of Neptune’s love for the nymph Naïs, and he disguises himself as a mortal to try to win her over. Télénus and Astérion are rivals for the affection of Naïs, and her father is a blind soothsayer who warns them to be wary of the sea god.
When they attack the disguised Neptune, he drowns them by summoning huge waves. Neptune reveals his identity to Naïs and takes her to his underwater palace, where he turns her into a goddess. The overture is full of fantastic orchestral effects, as Rameau draws from a mix of strings and winds, with the bassoon colours being the most striking.
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Platée, “Overture”
Frogs and Farce
Jean-Philippe Rameau wrote only a single comic opera. Platée was first performed at Versailles on 31 March 1745. The performance marked the Dauphin’s wedding to the Spanish Infanta Maria Teresa.
The story follows a highly unattractive, frog-like nymph who lives in a swamp. She strongly believes that she is irresistible to men, and that the god Jupiter is in love with her. The entire purpose of the opera is for Jupiter to set up a trap to cure his wife Juno of her jealousy.
Jupiter mockingly woos Platée in various animal forms, but when the couple prepares for the wedding, Juno arrives and puts an end to the farce. Platée is humiliated and swims off into the marshes to a chorus of frogs.
You can hear Rameau’s musical inventiveness and brilliance throughout, and the famous Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote that it was “the most excellent piece of music that has been heard as yet upon our stage.”
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Zaïs, “Overture”
Chaos to Creation
For his opera Zaïs, Rameau transports us into the enchanted world of myth from the Middle East, with plenty of spirits and fantastic creatures. It premiered on 29 February 1748 at the Paris Opera and was highly praised for its musical variety and the charm of its ballet.
Zaïs is actually a genie, but disguised as a shepherd to win the love of the shepherdess Zélide. After a series of ordeals in which Zaïs shows he is willing to give up his magic powers for his love, Oromases, the king of the genies, grants Zélide immortality so the couple can marry.
The overture is simply remarkable, as the elements of earth, air, fire, and water emerge from chaos as Oromases creates the world. We hear muted drumbeats followed by detached fanfare fragments.
The harmony is directionless, but gradually the four elements emerge triumphantly. This is the type of dramatic music that we will later experience in Haydn, and also in Beethoven and Berlioz.
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Zoroastre: Overture (Les Talens Lyriques; Christophe Rousset, cond.)
From Darkness to Joy
Jean-Philippe Rameau by Jean-Jacques Caffieri
Zoroastre of 1749 finds us once again in the Middle East, specifically in ancient Persia. Louis de Cahusac wrote the libretto, focusing on exoticism in the Persian Empire and making Zoroastre the opera’s central character.
The opera is set in ancient Bactria, and after the king’s death, his daughters Amélite and Erinice both love Zoroastre, but he loves Amélite. The evil sorcerer Abramane exploits the political turmoil, exiles Zoroastre, and joins forces with the jealous Erinice to seize the throne.
So, Zoroastre gains magical powers with the help of Oromases, the ruler of the good spirits, and after much confusion, Zoroastre ultimately triumphs with divine help. Most importantly, however, Zoroastre and Amélite are eventually crowned king and queen of Bactria.
The “Overture” is a drama in miniature, as the opening darkness and oppression are suddenly transformed into a quieter passage of hope. The livelier and more joyful second section portrays Zoroastre’s benevolent power and the happiness of the liberated people.
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Les fêtes d’Hébé: Overture (Les Talens Lyriques; Christophe Rousset, cond.)
Grace and Rhythm
The opera-ballet Les fêtes d’Hébé was one of Rameau’s most popular pieces ever. It was performed over 300 times between its premiere and its final appearance in 1777. It also features the orchestrated music of several harpsichord pieces Rameau published fifteen years earlier.
The work consists of a prologue and three self-contained acts loosely based around the lyric arts of poetry, music, and dance. The prologue takes us to Mount Olympus, where Hebe is sexually harassed by Momus. Cupid suggests she should escape with him to the banks of the River Seine to witness various festivities celebrating the arts.
We get three sets of romantic complications, all rather complicated love triangles. The opera opens with a delightful French overture with its characteristic dotted-rhythm pattern. This is followed by a much more animated section, full of driving rhythmic energy. Rameau was famous for writing dance music full of grace and charm, and this overture gives you a perfect example.
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Les Paladins: Overture – Menuet – Air gai (Les Talens Lyriques; Christophe Rousset, cond.)
Magic and Mischief
Les Paladins dates from 1756, and the opera contains numbers in the Italian style alongside colourful dances and airs written for the French taste. We once again find an exciting story set in an old castle near a forest.
Argie loves the paladin Atis. But her guardian Anselme wants to marry her himself and is holding her and her friend Nérine captive. Nérine tries to charm their jailer Orcan, while Atis and his fellow paladins arrive disguised as pilgrims. When he defeats Orcan, Anselme returns.
After much confusion, the fairy Manto magically transforms the castle into a Chinese palace and seduces Anselme. Argie can now point to Anselme’s infidelity, and he admits defeat. Argie and Atis are reunited, and the opera ends with a celebration of their love.
To get it all started, Rameau composed a substantial overture, cast in three sections in the Italian style. Here, Rameau assembles music from the opera itself, beginning with the “Galop” to end Act I and music associated with Anselme’s arrival. And listen to those beautiful horns.
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Dardanus, “Overture”
Ceremony and Conflict
Jean-Philippe Rameau by Carmontelle
The opera Dardanus premiered at the Paris Opera on 19 November 1739, and it received a mixed reception. Critics judged the libretto weak, and Rameau completely rewrote the work. By 1760, it was thus considered one of Rameau’s greatest works.
The original story is loosely based on that of Dardanus, the son of Zeus and Electra, and ancestor of the Trojans. However, in the opera, Dardanus is at war with King Teucer, who has promised to marry his daughter Iphise to King Anténor. Dardanus and Iphise meet through the magician Isménor and fall in love.
Dardanus attacks a monster ravaging Teucer’s kingdom, saving the life of Anténor, who is attempting, unsuccessfully, to kill it. Teucer and Dardanus make peace, the latter marrying Iphise. It all gets started with a wonderful French Overture, combining ceremonial grandeur with underlying tension. Because the opera exists in revised versions, it depends on which version you are listening to.
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie: Overture (Les Talens Lyriques; Christophe Rousset, cond.)
Forbidden Desire
Rameau’s first opera, Hippolyte et Aricie, from 1733, is based on the plot of Racine’s Phèdre, and it’s a rather complicated affair. As she believes her husband Theseus to be dead, Phaedra confesses her love for her stepson Hippolytus, who is in love with the young princess Aricia.
When Theseus returns, he thinks his son is in love with Phaedra, and asks his father Neptune to send a monster to kill him. Phaedra commits suicide but admits her passion for Hippolytus to Theseus. Hippolytus, who had been believed dead, is saved by Diana and can marry Aricia, while Theseus is condemned never to see his son again.
It all opens with a delightful French Overture, with a stately but rather ominous section. This is followed by a highly animated and supercharged contrapuntal section. The music is unusually dense and harmonically adventurous, so it is no surprise that it caused a stir at its premiere.
From Stone to Music
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Pigmalion, “Overture”
An anecdote suggests that Rameau composed Pigmalion, regarded as the best of his one-act pieces, in eight days. It was first performed on 27 August 1748 at the Paris Opera, and is based on the myth of Pygmalion as told in Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
In Rameau’s version, the sculptor Pigmalion creates a beautiful statue to which he declares his love. His girlfriend, Céphise, begs for attention, but Pigmalion spurns her and entreats the goddess Venus to bring the statue to life.
Magically, the statue comes alive and sings and dances. Cupid arrives and praises Pigmalion for his artistry and faith in his powers. Much celebratory dancing and singing follows, attesting to love’s power. In the end, Cupid helpfully finds another lover for Céphise.
The overture starts with the rhythmic blows of Pygmalion’s chisel, and as the hammering becomes more animated, it transforms stone into music. Even contemporary witnesses were enthusiastic, reporting that the overture provoked an especially vivid response from the audience.
Jean-Philippe Rameau’s overtures range from cosmic creation and mythological battles to frogs. Interestingly, they open the door to a theatrical world by already telling the story in music. He came to opera relatively late, but Rameau is a true master of French Baroque opera and orchestral expression.
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