Les Talens Lyriques: Lully at Barbican Hall

Phaéton became known as Lully’s ‘opera of the people’. At fifty years old, the composer was at the height of his fame and the peak of his abilities. He set about creating a theatre work that seemed to have it all: touching emotion against supernatural eruptions; tension and tumult against tender romance. But in this allegorical tale of the upstart hero Phaéton, Lully arguably saved his best for the increasingly active orchestra and multi-hued chorus; the latter’s inspired tunes were said to be spontaneously accompanied by humming audiences. Lully’s gallant and heroic tragédie lyrique is brought vividly back to life in this concert performance from specialist ensemble Les Talens Lyriques.