M-A. Charpentier Acteon Dominique Visse (alto/ Acteon) Agnes Mellon (sop/ Diane) Guillemette Laurens (mez/ Junon) Jill Feldman (sop/ Arthebuze) Francoise Paut (sop/ Hyale) Les Arts Florissants Vocal and Instrumental Ensemble / William Christie.

Harmonia Mundi £5.50 (LP) HM1095 £5.50 (Cassette) HM40 1095. Text and translation included.

I always feel rather sorry for poor old Actaeon; if you remember, he was caught hiding in the bushes while the Goddess Diana and her followers were bathing. Without being given much of an opportunity to explain himself, Diana turns him into a stag, whereupon he is torn to pieces by his own hounds. That, at least, is the more usual version of the story and the one followed here, though another legend has it that he was transformed into a stag for boasting that he was a better hunter than Diana. Whichever reason one chooses the punishment was grossly out of proportion with Actaeon's misdemeanours.

Charpentier's little vignette opera is an astonishingly rich score containing most, if not all, the ingredients of a tragedie-lyrique. There is a profusion of fine choruses and dances but an overture which departs somewhat from the standard Lullian pattern. The occasion for which it was written is not known though the orchestra of flutes, oboes, bassoon, strings and harpsichord is larger than the forces normally available to Charpentier whilst he was employed as music master to the Princess de Guise. Nevertheless, the secular subject suggests that the work might well have been prepared for such a household rather than for the Jesuits into whose service Charpentier entered in about 1684.

Acteon is made up of six short scenes well contrasted with one another. The first of them is musically the most colourful with appealing evocations of La chasse and a riotous dance as the hunters go in search of their quarry. The second scene is much gentler with a tender air for Diana, pastoral reflections from her followers and a recurring chorus of nymphs which recalls passages in Blow's Venus and Adonis. Jill Feldman as Arthebuze, one of Diana's attendants, is admirably languid in her air disdaining love's ardour. Scene 3 discloses a pensive Acteon who, whilst reflecting on matters of the heart, stumbles upon Diana and her retinue in a state of deshabillee. Acteon's defence is touching and is delicately portrayed by Dominique Visse; but it's all to no avail and, with a splash of water, Diane, sung by Agnes Mellon, turns him into a stag. The fourth tableau begins with Acteon's horrifying discovery as he gazes into his reflection in a lake: "A horrible fur enwraps me", he cries and, at this point Visse cleverly alters the character of his voice: "Ma parole n'est plus qu'une confuse voix." A poignant symphonie follows. In the fifth tableau Acteon is torn to pieces by his own hounds and, in the sixth and final scene, Junon imperious as ever explains to the hunters what they have just done. A chorus of grief mingled with anger sung by Acteon's followers brings this little opera de chasse to an end.

William Christie directs the work from beginning to end with conviction and assurance. The action is well paced and there is an intensity of expression, a fervour, which gives a touching emphasis to the drama. I am in no way surprised to be adding this to the several notable successes which this group has scored with Charpentier's music over the past two years or so. It is also yet another fascinating side to this remarkable composer who is for me the true roi-soleil of the grand siecle. Fine pressing and fine recording but who is the lady on the cover whose inscrutable gaze reminds me of someone in Marcel Carne's Les enfants du paradis?

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