The Paris Opéra Chorus During the Time of Rameau

Some of the most profoundly touching moments in Rameau’s tragédies en musique are phrases sung by the chorus as they respond to an unexpected event: the grief-laden downward appoggiatura of ‘Hippolyte n’est plus’ and the exquisite chromaticism accompanying the words of the Spartan people (‘Que tout gémisse’) at the tomb of Castor are two eloquent examples. ¹ Indeed, the latter passage was frequently cited for its expressive effect, and Rameau himself described its chromatic line played by oboes, bassoons and strings as depicting ‘des pleurs & des gémissemens causés par de vifs regrets’. ² Yet despite the beauty and extraordinary craft of Rameau’s choral writing, most studies of this aspect of his music have concentrated upon the variety of textures and forms he employed, ³ and little attention has been paid to performance issues. Moreover, until quite recently recordings and performances of his operas have perpetuated some long-standing misconceptions about the size and especially the distribution of parts within the chorus. ⁴