David et Jonathas : tragédie en musique / de Marc-Antoine Charpentier ; livret, Père François de Paule Bretonneau ; nouvelle production du Festival d'Aix-en-Provence 2012 en coproduction avec l'Opéra Comique, Paris et Le Théâtre de Caen, ensemble associé Les Arts Florissants, avec le soutien de la Selz Foundation, Bel Air Media, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, Mezzo, Les Arts florissants, en association avec Arte France avec la participation de France Télévision et le soutien du Centre national du Cinéma et de l'image animée
Sung in French; Spanish, German, English or French subtitles
Title from opening screen credits
Family performance rights granted
DVD-9; NTSC; soundtracks in Dolby digital 5.1, PCM stereo.; aspect ratio 16:9; filmed in HD; region code 0
Pascal Charbonneau (David) ; Ana Quintans (Jonathas) ; Neal Davies (Saül) ; Frédéric Caton (Achis) ; Krešimir Špicer (Joabel) ; Dominique Visse (La Pythonisse) ; Pierre Bessière (Ombre de Samuel) ; supporting soloists ; Les Arts Florissants ; William Christie, conductor
Stage direction, Andreas Homoki ; scenography, Paul Zoller ; costume design, Gideon Davey ; lighting design, Franck Evin ; produced by François Duplat ; a film by Stéphane Metge
Intermediary scene between acts 3 and 4 constitutes the prologue to the original opera
Recorded in performance 2012 July Festival d'Aix-en-Provence
Program notes and synopsis in English, German and French (32 unnumbered pages : illustrations) inserted in container
The deepest of male friendships must contend with jealousy, a witch's premonition, and, ultimately war in the biblical tale of the King Saul's banishment of his son's best friend on the eve of battle. Charpentier's stately choruses, dances, and airs unfold with conductor William Christie's trademark rhetorical flair, transforming a neglected biblical parable into a sonically gripping psychological tableau
