Platée (2002)

May 28, 2010 · Posted in Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, French Movies, Music, Opera | Share

Year: 2002
Runtime: 150 minutes
Country: France
Language: French
Subtitles: English (hard-subbed)
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Opera | Music

Director: Don Kent

Opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau. Conducted by Marc Minkowski

Cast:
Paul Agnew … Platée
Mireille Delunsch … La Folie / Thalie
Yann Beuron … Thespis / Mercure
Vincent Le Texier … Jupiter
Doris Lamprecht … Junon
Laurent Naouri … Cithéron / Un Satyre
Valérie Gabail … L’Amour / Clarine
Franck Leguérinel … Momus

Plot/Synopsis:

The opera Platée by Jean Philippe Rameau is not just a comic opera but an opera in which the Gods of Olympus play a part. With his tragedies lyriques Jean Baptiste Lully had banned all comical characters from the opera, and musical comedies had become unfashionable. Thanks to works by André Campra and Jean-Joseph Mouret, however, the genre had not disappeared completely, and Rameau made his own contribution with Platée. On a musical level, Rameau was able to allow his creativeness free reign, because Platée is a so-called ballet bouffon of a distinctly light-entertainment character. Platée was above all to be a great spectacle with lengthy ballet passages, magnificent costumes and, first and foremost, brilliant music.