Zaïs by Rameau, pe 17 huhti 2015, Alkaen (2015/2015), Musiikinjohto Christophe Rousset, Theater an der Wien, Vienna, Austria

Jean-Philippe Rameau created Zaïs for the Paris Opera in 1748. Not long before the composer had been appointed Compositeur du Cabinet du Roi, and in the years that followed he performed a number of lighter, more entertaining opéra-ballets, including Zaïs. However, that does not mean that Rameau abandoned his own claim to redefine French opera. The title character Zaïs is an air spirit who has a love affair with the mortal shepherdess Zelidie. He wants to test her loyalty and therefore subjects her to a number of trials, which she passes perfectly. In the end, she is also given immortality by the spirit king Oromazès, and Zaïs can marry her. The opera contains some of the finest moments in French music and was already a notable success when it premiered. The overture and prologue were particularly emphasized and discussed, in which the means of music are used to show how the mighty Oromazès separates the elements and creates a harmony of the worlds. The musical chaos seemed too realistic for some contemporaries,