LES INDES GALANTES

OPERA BALLET BY JEAN PHILIPPE RAMEAU Les Indes Galantes - The Gallant Indians was Rameau's second theatrical work. Termed an opéra-ballet, it was essentially a dance spectacle with sung elements. The form was descended from the earlier ballet a entrées of the French court. There was more than one kind of opéra-ballet; the more dramatic works were termed ballets heroïques, and Les Indes Galantes was one of these. It was first given on August 23, 1735, to reviews that both praised and condemned it. Much of the music was quite adventuresome and elicited strong reactions from the Parisian public. The libretto was by , a writer of comedies and a well-known author. The Prologue has a theme taken from mythology, and concerns the universality of Love. Each section or entrée is set in an exotic locale and contains a story of an amorous nature.

The exotic locations, while typical of the genre, here point vaguely toward Enlightenment-oriented human universals. Nevertheless, there is plenty of pure spectacle. Le Turc Genereux - The Generous Turk contains a descriptive storm scene, a chorus of sailors, and a ballet by African slaves. The storm music is quite effective, and makes use of J e a n - P h i l i p p e Rameau measures Vivaldi-like tremolos and scalar patterns, as well as dramatic key changes. the European culture of being lucky or The Incas' Festival of the Sun is depicted in the second entrée in a grand u n l u c k y i n l o v e spectacle full of choruses, symphonies, and against the image of mix of the music, airs. There is a long scene in which the sun the noble savage drama & dance, is invoked by the priest Huascar, and the a n d t a k e s t h e chorus "Brillant Soleil" (Brilliant Sun) is its a u d i e n c e o n a with multiple j o u r n e y t o f o u r climax. Although this scene was praised by exotic realms fascinating Voltaire, many found it too new and unusual. The earthquake that follows is long-distance described in the orchestra by tremolos, location changes rushing scales, and dissonant harmony, and was considered too difficult to perform. An unusual trio for Phani, Don Carlos, and Huascar is another highlight of this entrée; Huascar's voice argues in counterpoint with the two lovers, right before he is vanquished by the eruption of a volcano. The music of this entrée is very dissonant, emotionally sustained, and quite modern.

Les Indes Galantes contained only the first two entrées and the Prologue at its premiere. Afterwards, Rameau added Les Fleurs, which offers emotional release after so much drama. The dominant element in this entrée is the dance; there is no drama, only serene music. The final Les Sauvages (The Savages) was added at a much later date. Set in a North American forest, with Native American characters, after an initial amorous story, the main body of the entrée is built around the Ceremony of the Pipe of Peace. Much of the music for the ceremony was taken from harpsichord music Rameau had published in 1730, and the entree ends with a chaconne written for the .

Description by Rita Laurance

Very much in keeping with the spirit of his age, Jean-Philippe Rameau measures the European culture of being lucky or unlucky in love against the image of the noble savage and takes the audience on a journey to four exotic realms. Given that, in the mythical land of Arcadia, people are walking away from Love and choosing to follow the god of war, Amor encourages Love to seek new followers on other continents. Regardless of whether the portrayals of distant lands are accurate representations of reality as conveyed by geographers, or simply a propagation of colonial clichés, Europeans are reflected just as much in the sultan who declines to take advantage of the highly desirable prisoner; in the self- destructively jealous Inka priest; in the love games of Persian princes; and in the prairie Indians who love faithfully and peacefully, as Rameau's furiously portrayed storms and volcanic eruptions stand for their emotional turbulence.

Recollecting the origins of French music theatre within a culture of dance, Rameau plays with a genre which was enjoying a high degree of popularity among his contemporaries, but which today classifies as terra incognita, ripe for rediscovery: the Opéra-ballet. Using a balanced mix of music, drama and dance, and with multiple long-distance location changes, the focus alternates between four couples and their handling of fidelity, trust and jealousy - variations on the increasingly pertinent question: How do we love right? IL GIARDINO D’AMORE „a furious bravura” THE TIMES Il Giardino d’Amore comes from Italian name, which literally means „Garden of Love”. The inspiration for its creation was one of the frescoes „spellbinding by Giotto. beauty” THE TIMES The orchestra was founded in 2012 during the Bach Festival in Kraków. At that time Stefan Plewniak was invited to cooperate with the orchestra of „sublime” Jordi Savall – Le Concert des Nations in Barcelona, where he met an THE TIMES excellent harpsichordist Marco Vitale. This cooperation proved to be very fruitful for the Il Giardino d’Amore and its further development. In the years 2011, 2012 and mid-2013 the orchestra performed at festivals such as the Bach Festival in Vienna, Utrecht Oude Muziek Festival, Tartini Festival in Piran. In autumn 2013 the orchestra held their first tour in the USA and Canada, and performed at Festival of Early Music Celebration in New York.

In 2014 Il Giardino performed in the prestigious concert hall of Mozarteum in Salzburg, as well as was invited to the festival in Oslo, Norway. During their second tour in USA they performed in Carnegie Hall New York and California, where members of Il Giardino led the master class at the Universities of Los Angeles and San Diego. The orchestra since its creation performed the repertoire of Italian and French opera; sacred music and Italian instrumental masterpieces.

Years 2013 – 2018 are dedicated to French music. This fascination started by the recording „Cantates & Petits Macarons”, the CD with french cantatas in 2013, than presentation of the opera ballet by J.Ph.Rameau – Les Indes Galantes in 2015 and 2016, and representations of another opera by Rameau – Naïs on tour in 2018.

The aim of 2016 was focused in large projects with polish sacred, and dance music. 2016 tour in US was dedicated entirely to the promotion, and popularization of this fascinating music field. For this project it was also created Il Giardino d’Amore choir, which since than work together with the orchestra in the secular, and sacred repertoire. The fruit of this dissertation was a CD ”The Heart of Europe – Corona Regni Poloniae 1500 – 1750” with a monumental music of Gorczycki, Zieleński, Mielczewski released in the fall of 2017.

In 2017 the orchestra held their first tour in China with the Handel opera repertoire. The same year Il Giardino d’Amore has recorded new CD with outstanding singers duo - countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński and mezzosoprano Natalia Kawalek. „Handel - Enemies in Love” released in 2018 was chosen as a CD of the week by London The Times, and CD of the Month by Opera Netherlands. STEFAN PLEWNIAK

conductor / violin solo

Stefan Plewniak is a polish violinist and a conductor. He is the founder and a musical leader of the Il Giardino d'Amore orchestra in Vienna / Cracow and Cappella dell’Ospedale della Pietà Venezia. In 2016 he founded The FeelHarmony Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Plewniak is also the founder of the exclusive CD label Ëvoe Records which received attention & recognition of international prestigious magazines and radio stations. As a conductor and violinist he gained reputation of „Paganini of the baroque violin”, „master of emotional chemistry”, „hurricane on stage”.

In 2018 he released new Handel CD - Enemies in Love, which was in TOP 10 best selling Classical Albums in the World. Another two recordings waiting for the release in 2018 are Vivaldi - L’Eleganza Capricciosa - solo album with violin concertos, and Mendelssohn CD with Violin Concerto and Italian Symphony.

In 2017 - 2018 Mr. Plewniak will conduct the Rameau „rarity” - opera ballet production - Naïs including two semi staged performances for 25th Opera Nova Festival and National Philharmonie in Warsaw. Mr. Plewniak was invited also to Oslo to conduct three symphonic and oratorio programs including Mozart Requiem with Sølvguttene, Dvorak / Tchaikovsky program with Eldbjørg Hemsing as a soloist, making his debut in the Oslo Philharmonie. He gave also solo recital during the Actus Humanus Festival in Gdansk.

In the season 2016 - 2017 Mr Plewniak was touring with Il Giardino d’Amore in China, performing in the Forbidden City Hall in Beijing & Wuhan. He released also two CD’s - The Heart of Europe with Polish music, and gave a promotional tour in USA giving concerts and masterclasses in Chicago, NYC, San Diego CA. Another album Vivaldi - Carnevale de Venezia featured such great artists as countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński, Miriam Albano, & Natalia Kawalek.

In 2015 - 2016 Mr. Plewniak made a debut as a conductor and soloist in Carnegie Hall, and Mozarteum. He also conducted Rameau - Les Indes Galantes, and Ballet production on tour, with three ballets of Tchaikovsky. He released also two albums - Amor Sacro Amor Profano, and Cantates et Petits Macarons.

In the previous years he was giving concerts in most of the major Fastivals and Concert Halls in Europe and recording CD’s with such great artists as Jordi Savall & Le Concert de Nations, William Christie & Les Arts Florissants, or Giuliano Carmignola and many others.

Stefan Plewniak received his musical education in the Conservatoires in Cracow, Prague, Maastricht, and Paris.

Il Giar!no d'Amore

Stefan Plewniak

Schönbrunner Straße 30/39 /

1050 Vienna / Austria

Tel : + 436766867893

E- mail : [email protected]

www.ilgiardinodamore.com