Raphaël Pichon brings Rameau's colourful party to the Concertgebouw

Descending the Concertgebouw stairs for the second time this week to conduct the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Raphaël Pichon had a smile on his face. His ‘new’ opera Le Domaine des Dieux (The Domain of the Gods) featuring the music of Rameau, Gluck and Rebel is rather good.

The Frenchman is no stranger to Amsterdam, following performances of a dramatized Bach’s St John’s Passion (2011) and Monteverdi operas with Dutch National Opera over the years.

His highly anticipated RCO debut though comes hot on the heels of last month’s Concertgebouw performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion with Pygmalion, his critically-acclaimed period ensemble which he founded in 2006 whilst a student at Paris Conservatoire. Baritone Stéphane Degout and soprano Julie Roset, artists who share his passion for music from this era, plus period instrument specialist Alexander Janicek, known to Dutch audiences as leader of the Orchestra of the 18^th Century joined the stage.

The programme

Rameau’s place in history

In his short intro, Pichon spoke of the musical world’s debt to Rameau, the quirky French opera sensation whose distinctive style not only whipped up an C18th storm, but flew in the face of many of his Italian contemporaries. In his Treatise of Harmony (1722), Rameau invented musical terms such as tonic, dominant, supertonic and even the concept of a perfect cadence.

Melodies, he argued, should ‘emerge from harmonies’ in contrast to the linear writing of Renaissance masters. Chords, he believed, should ‘linger long enough to be felt’. And orchestral colour should be reflected not only in instrumentation (more on that later) but in colourful chords. His belief that each chord (aside from the tonic) should have a dissonant note – a 7th, 9^th, 11^th or even be diminished – was revolutionary and sparked controversy.

It is Rameau’s attention to musical language and its role in enhancing the story-telling which made this afternoon’s concert so captivating. Pichon’s three act opera – a collection of Rameau numbers specially curated for the occasion, with the addition of Rebel’s Chaos and Gluck’s Sinfonie Infernale and Danse des Furies, depicting a mythological journey from hell to heaven before resting and partying in Mount Olympus – flew by in a flash.

What a privilege to witness a performance from musicians with such an intrinsic understanding of dissonance’s place in this music from period. Its power to shape the narrative, to enhance dramatic tension and to create emotions such as Emily Beynon’s flute solo full of understated, yet compelling desolation. In this, Degout was the master. His daring dissonances, lingering over Rameau’s French text, deemed translation almost redundant.

Concertgebouw Orchestra | Pichon — Raphaël Pichon making his debut with the Concertgebouw Orchestra
© Milagro Elstak

Two questions remained:

Firstly, would this obviously talented French wonder, create a distinctive RCO period sound akin to that created by Dinas Sousa in his 2024 German Requiem with the Monteverdi Choir?

And secondly, would this partnership stand the test of time prompting repeat visits like those between similarly historically informed giants, namely Nikolas Harnoncourt and John Eliot Gardiner whose 24 and 45 concerts respectively over the years, have gone some way to carving the distinctive RCO sound we all know and love?

Orchestral colour

From the very first note, the RCO’s sound was special. Interestingly, where some ensembles may have dug out period bows or ditched the modern horns, Pichon, renowned for blending old with new, created a distinctive sound using largely modern instruments. Narrow-bore classical trombones, piccolo trumpets and period timpani aside, the set-up was largely modern. Detailed attention to strings’ vibrato especially at the ends of phrases and sophisticated use of the bow, immediately changed the tone.

Rameau’s vivid orchestral score, which pits the orchestra as protagonist, elevated the singers’ emotions to new heights. A piercing piccolo fluttering the heights echoed and pre-empted Roset’s bright and nimble coloratura while daring bassoons, resplendent brass fanfares, Lou-Anne Dutreix’s devilishly difficult 2^nd horn chunterings, and beguiling French bagpipes meant that there was never a dull moment. With historically accurate percussion parts proving to be illusive, parts were instead devised in consultation with Pygmalion percussionists. Syncopated crotales’ melodies, a wild and torrid wind machine storm, and thundering bass drum added to the drama, garnering nods of appreciation not just from the podium.

To conclude

Conducting without a baton, Pichon comes across as an enthusiastic team-player, gently coaxing the musicians instead of imposing his will. Musicality at all times remains king. Natural tempos and fluidity between numbers coupled with terrifying dramatic timing are a testament to his years of study and innate understanding of music from the era. Only time will tell if this relationship blossoms into something new, but with the RCO A-team out in force and smiles all around, it may be a case of watch this space!