Скачать или смотреть 'Forêts Paisibles' from Les Indes Galantes by Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683 - 1764)

DIVERTISSEMENTS CHINOIS:
Philippa Hyde: soprano
William Summers: baroque flute
Diane Moore: baroque violin
Ibrahim Aziz: viola da gamba
Agnes Chin: guzheng
Yeo Yat-Soon: harpsichord

This video is part of the exploration of links between European and Chinese musicians in the 17th and 18th centuries by the ensemble 'Divertissement Chinois'. We know of extensive cultural links during this period, beginning with Italian Jesuit missionaries in the early 1600s.

The French Jesuit, Jean Joseph Marie Amiot (1718 - 1793) lived in Beijing for over forty years until his death. He served the Qianlong Emeror as his translator of European languages. He was a widely respected scholar. Amongst his many achievements was a biography of Confucius and the first translation into a European language of Sun Tzu's 'Art of War'.

Amiot transcribed a wide range of Chinese music into western notation. He also wrote of performing French baroque music to Chinese audiences at the Imperial Court. He specifically mentions a performance of Rameau's 'Les Sauvages'. This harpsichord piece, originally published in 1727, was later used as the basis for the vocal movement 'Forêts Paisibles' in his opéra-ballet, 'Les Indes Galantes' in 1735-6.

The arrangement used for this performance is a re-imagination of the spirit of Amiot's performance in China. It includes a part for the Chinese guzheng. Video by Benji Page