Rebel -〈Les Elemens〉1737 / 1. Le Cahos (Reinhard Goebel / Musica Antiqua Köln)

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Jean-Féry Rebel (1666~1747)

《Les Élémens》simphonie nouvelle pour ballet, 1737

- 1. Le Cahos -


Musica Antiqua Köln
Reinhard Goebel (conductor)



- Les Élémens (The Elements) -

JEAN-FÉRY REBEL
B. April 18, 1666, Paris
D. January 2, 1747, Paris

Premiered September 27, 1737 at the Académie Royale de Musique in Paris.

Scored for two flutes, two oboes, one bassoon, two horns,
two trumpets, timpani, harpsichord and strings


Jean-Féry Rebel was the second and most famous of three generations to serve in the French court from 1661 to 1775. His father, Jean Rebel, entered the royal chapel in 1661 singing under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Lully. When Lully noticed the music talents of eight-yearold Jean-Féry, he tutored him in violin and composition.

From 1699 to 1733, Rebel held several positions in the court of Louis XIV and at the Opéra. He joined the Opéra in 1699 as violinist, and then assumed additional jobs as harpsichordist (1702-15), batteur de mesure (lit. "time-beater", the emerging role of conductor) (1715-c.1727) and maître de musique, or Music Master (c. 1727-33). Along with his Opéra duties, he also held positions at court. He was both member and then leader of the King's 24 Violins (1705-17), and Chamber Music Composer (1718-27). His chamber works, trio sonatas for violin and continuo, were among the first sonatas composed in France.

Though his only opera, Ulysse, was not the success he had hoped for, his dance music was extremely successful. Rebel was the first to choreograph dance outside of dramatic works, composing works in a new genre, the "choreographic symphony." Caprice (1711), the first of such works was choreographed for the famous Mademoiselle Prévost. Others, notably Les Caracteres de la Danse (1715) and Les Élémens (1737), were choreographed for the most famous women dancers of the period.

Les Élémens, Rebel's last composition, was his most ambitious and striking work. Dedicated to the Prince of Carignan, one of his powerful patrons, this work is a ten-movement choreographed tone poem depicting the formation of earth's elements (earth, water, fire and air) from cosmic chaos. Though they were originally composed and performed separately, the movement Le Cahos ("Chaos") later became the introduction to the dance suite Les Élémens and are now published and performed together.

Because of its originality and harmonic daring, Chaos is considered a musical masterpiece of the time, and compared to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (1913). Yet, while the first Paris run of Stravinsky's work incited riots, one Paris arts journal claimed Les Élémens was received "in the judgment of the greatest Connoisseurs, (as) one of the most beautiful symphonic works in this genre..."

Chaos begins with an unheard of dissonance, sustaining all seven notes of the D minor scale in one harsh chord. After a short silence, one hears the formation of elements pulsating into existence. Each is introduced as melodic themes that are developed together in later movements. "Air" appears in a high register wind tone suspended above the chaos. Slow, flowing scales depict the appearance of "Water". "Fire and Earth" enter together at opposite ends of the register: "Fire," the shimmering violins dancing with "Air," float above the rumblings of "Earth's" bass section. As the four elements develop, interweaving throughout their seven appearances, the rhythmic "Chaos" diminishes.

Most of the succeeding movements are based on dance forms. Loure is for "Earth and Water"; Chaconne for "Fire"; and Ramage for "Air." As "life" appears in this work, Rebel inserts birdsongs into Ramage (Birdsongs) and Rossignol (Nightingale). The Tambourins, also labled "Water", contain shifting phrase lengths. The final three movements, Sicilienne, a languid canon, Rondeau (Air pour l'Amour, or "Song for Cupid"), and Caprice, are assigned no element associations.
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My god, that scared me as soon as it started.

Plenty of contemporary works do this, but I've never had that happen to me with a baroque work before.

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Honestly though, they could slip the opening chords into the intro to a James Wan horror movie...and no-one would ever suspect the film score was written in the 18th century.

baglmonstr
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Jean-Féry Rebel fut la deuxième et la plus célèbre des trois générations à servir à la cour de France de 1661 à 1775. Son père, Jean Rebel, entra dans la chapelle royale en 1661 en chantant sous la direction de Jean-Baptiste Lully. Lorsque Lully a remarqué les talents musicaux de Jean-Féry, huit ans, il lui enseigna le violon et la composition.
De 1699 à 1733, Rebel occupa plusieurs postes à la cour de Louis XIV et à l'Opéra. Il entre à l'Opéra en 1699 en tant que violoniste, puis assume des emplois supplémentaires de claveciniste (1702-15), batteur de mesure et maître de musique (1727-1733). Parallèlement à ses fonctions à l'Opéra, il a également occupé des postes à la cour. Il fut à la fois membre puis chef des 24 violons du roi (1705-17) et compositeur de musique de chambre (1718-1727). Ses oeuvres de chambre, sonates en trio pour violon et continuo, comptent parmi les premières sonates composées en France.

ametrus
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I'm in awe of this piece, my guy is absolutely shredding it.

artemisstag
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JEAN-FERY REBEL ( PARIS 1666-1747 PARIS ). LES { ÉLÉMENTS } 1737/ 1 LE CAHOS { REINHARD GOEBEL / MUSICA ANTIQUA } .Une merveille magnifique bravo d'un dès grand compositeur de la musique baroque merci pour cette vidéo sublime.

polomokipo
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Absolutely amazing, stunning piece of music!

williamstephens
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Amazingly incredible. I absolutely love it.

PeterHillFoxgloveAudio
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Stravinsky, Carlo Farina, Vivaldi, Liszt all in 1 piece!!!

EPManny
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Impressive and 'modern' in a good way.

joostkleppe
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This is stunning music! So inspired, the ballet must have been beautiful.

Debussine
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wow, he truly was a musical "rebel"! thanks for uploading and the description is a good read, too. by the way since this is a coreographic symphony, i'd really love to know how the coreography looks like!

tanjaniiranen
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Anachronistically amazing. I haven't been this dumbstruck about anything musical since I first heard "Mixed Up Confusion" and realised that Dylan went electric in 1962, not '65 - except that this piece is ten times more amazing.

MacJaxonManOfAction
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The beginning is absolutely terrifying!
Then you can handle with fear and find a pallet of softer feelings and emotions.

maca
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This simphonie is both terrifying and lusciously dainty, but that’s French music for you.

lorentzlossius
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If it weren't for the harpsichord, I'd have put this as a Romantic piece, not Baroque. I wonder how well audiences in 1737 accepted this.

skip
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WOW! Not what I was expecting from a Baroque piece.

TheophilosPorter
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This piece and this version are the cause I´m a baroque lover...

pablodelpozo
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This is AMAZING!! Startling because it comes on so aggressively :)

Viahandel
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What can I say? I am stunned! I thought there was nothing to discover...

ΧάρηςΠολιτόπουλος
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There is no way this was composed in 1737, it sounds like it was composed in the 50s/60s!!!!

johnappleseed