The recording of "Alceste" with La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roi (say
that three times fast) is very good instrumentally and reasonably engaging
vocally. The work itself is a very loose succession of numbers that are
not in a hurry to advance the plot. I find all the music entertaining
except for the third act which is an interminible funeral procession.
For a Lully sampler in a more recent (i.e., 19th century) mold you can
see if you can find a recording of the Ballet Suite arranged from works
of Lully by Felix Mottl. EMI had a splendid recording with the Scarlatti
Orchestra and Franco Carcciolo conducting--if it's available on CD is
anybody's guess.
Aaron J. Rabushka
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