Bourheois Gentilhomme [DVD-Video, PAL, Import]

Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme was the eleventh comedie-ballet of Moliere (regarded as France's Shakespeare) and Lully (the first major French opera composer, although he was of Italian origin) and was first performed in 1670. It is regarded as the culmination of their co-operation. This production is claimed to be the first for some centuries to present the work as it would have been seen by King Louis XIV and his court. English speaking audiences familiar with Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme know it as a play. Those of us who are French opera buffs may also be acquainted with the Leonhardt CD of the musical component of the play.

This extraordinarily beautiful and energetic production by Le Poeme Harmonique combines the two. Because the entire production is candlelit - a row of partly concealed candles serving as footlights - the faces, which are lit from below, have an almost surrealistic quality. In productions of the play I have previously seen, the hero of the play, Monsieur Jourdain, tends to be played as a brittle, demanding, petty and grotesque old tyrant. However Olivier Salvan portrays Jourdain as a large, plump, still quite young, naive and generous enthusiast. When he falls asleep at the end of the sublime, extended dialogue en musique between three singers, which comes not long after the opening of the comedie-ballet, his large, soft, oval face is propped to one side, as a friend suggested, like a Chinese mask.

Visually this production is stunning - the cinematography is on a par with a Terrence Malick film such as Days of Heaven. Moliere, the former tapestry maker, (a fact which is explained in a film about the making of the production, which follows the main comedie-ballet) would have been delighted by the sumptuous and subtle costumes. The candlight does strange things to the faces of the dancers and singers. They are mask-like and enormously expressive. You see a young female dancer vanish behind a panel with a gleam of malicious joy in her eyes.

I have recently watched the Canadian DVD of Lully's Persee, which deservedly gets 5 stars from almost all of the reviewers. I'd also award Persee 5 stars if I were reviewing it. However, excellent as it is, the Persee appears garish and obvious compared with this production of Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. There is a great deal of dialogue, which may disappoint some opera lovers, but when the music arrives, it is utterly ravishing. This production of a bizarre combination of art forms is a revelation and is likely to be reference point for future baroque opera DVD productions for years to come. Few will be able to match it. King Louis would have been gob-smacked.

What an experience for someone who does not speak French to be entertained for so many hours by this outstanding combination of dance, mime, singing, music and comedy. Congratulations on the sub titling.

How frustrating it was to follow French friends trying to explain to me how to make the vowel sound "U". If only I had Monsieur Jordan's teacher. That scene had my partner and I in stitches.

An entertainment fit for a King - as indeed it was so first commissioned.

I bought this DVD late last year and it is one I treasure. Like the other reviewer, I too have the Tafelmusik/Niquet DVD of Lully's Persée, which compares very well with Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, even though it's production values are not quite as rigorously "authentic"!

The music for this production is superb and demonstrates quite clearly, I believe, that Lully was a genius. Whilst CD recordings of his music are often very entertaining and colourful, it seems to be that Lully's music works at its very best when seen on stage or on DVD.

All of the music of Le Bourgeois gentilhomme is sublime and very entertaining. The play is an excellent piece of theatre, too.

I imagine that this DVD could be enjoyed by a very wide range of people, even people not familiar with or normally amenable to Baroque music and/or Baroque opera. Please give it a try, if you're even slightly curious!

I very much look forward to Le Poème Harmonique's DVD recording of Lully's "Cadmus et Hermione" (a real opera, rather than "Semi-Opera", in fact, a play with songs and dances), available in October this year. I can't wait!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 6 reviews  4.8 out of 5 stars