The Marais Project, Sydney-based collective of musicians and musicologists, has had an aim for the past sixteen years to perform in concert the entire oeuvre of Marin Marais.
Currently over eighty percent successful in the achievement of this goal, the group presented operatic music by Marais for the first time in its concert MARAIS AND THE OPERATIC MUSE.
Just as many composers’ creative talents and tools of their trade are expanded through opera, so too the dramatic focus and immense charm of Marais’ music was heightened on exposure to his opera Sémélé (1709). The nature of Marais’ musical language achieved greater clarity.
The Marais Project had the eighteenth-century manuscripts prepared to performance level in order to present scenes from Act Two of Marais’ work.
Viola da gambist Jennifer Eriksson was joined for this concert by Catherine Upex on second viola da gamba. Fiona Ziegler on baroque violin, and Mikaela Oberg on baroque flute and recorder also joined the ensemble.
Harpsichordist Raymond Harvey played in the entire programme and also was the arranger of the Sémélé excerpts for the Marais project ensemble.
The concert began with an instrumental bracket. The two viola da gambists and harpsichord played a pair of movements in the character of a muzette from the quatrième livre of Marais’ Pièces de Violes. The overlapping parts were in fine hands here, ensuring the subtleties of the music sang and interlocked beautifully.
Next soprano Belinda Montgomery sang Michel Pignolet de Montéclair’s cantata Pan et Syrinx. In this, the concert’s first vocal setting of mythological themes, recitatives and arias were delivered with poise, exciting contrast and exquisite tone. Storytelling throughout this performance was clear and strong and the repetition of material during arias was joyous.
The true gift to the audience in this concert however was the excerpt from Act Two of the opera Sémélé by Marais. Baritone Alexander Knight joined Belinda Montgomery as they portrayed characters Arbate/Jupiter and Dorine/Sémélé.
Both vocalists’ lines were finely shaped. The French text was crisp, clear and well-patterned. Their characterisations were suitably elevated and the combined vocal colours were a rich ornament for Marais’ elegant tragédie lyrique.
The instrumental ensemble as arranged for this event captured the spirit of the scenes quickly through opening ritornellos, and accompaniments beneath the unfolding of the protaganists’ predicaments set the mood well.
Sections featuring violin, flute or recorder were eloquent and well-articulated. They added a broad range of colour to the charming palette already assembled to tell these operatic tales.
The vocal music, quality musicianship and gorgeous soundscapes supplied during this event by The Marais Project were extremely well received by the capacity crowd at the Sydney Conservatorium .
One would hope more vocal music by the Project’s focus composer is planned for future concerts or recordings, especially featuring the talents assembled for this single concert success.