Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764)
Suites from „Zoroastre“ (1749 version) &
„Les Indes galantes“ (1736 version)
L’Orfeo Barockorchester
Michi Gaigg, conductor
(cpo 2026)
An exquisite recording, a present which the ensemble made itself.
nmz – neue musikzeitschrift, Michael Kube, May 1, 2026[…] This is of such urgency that the tension really sizzles. The ensemble under Michi Gaigg is also fully convincing in the gallant Gavottes, Minuets and Tambourines.
Fono Forum, Martin Demmler, May 2026[…] wonderful French Baroque, full of timbres and affects. Listening to the ensemble is a pleasure, it plays with relish and playfulness and captivates at the same time.
FALTER, Miriam Damev, April 7, 2026[…] The beauty and richness of Rameau’s colourful orchestral music is almost more evident in these suites than in the expansive operas. […] And Michi Gaigg and her “Orpheic” comrades-in-arms go to work in both suites again with a dance-like élan, a rhythmic precision and a clarity. Their joy of playing and their rough charm are contagious, one cannot get enough of these sophisticated, short orchestral miniatures. They bring us closer to the splendour and attitude to life of a long-gone courtly art form.
RONDO, Attila Csampai, February 21, 2026[…] The Austrian conductor’s long-standing familiarity with the French Baroque is evident in the ease with which she treats this music. Her conducting combines energy and elegance with a pronounced theatrical flair. The Orfeo Baroque Orchestra fully rises to the occasion: the articulations are concise, the rhythms breathe, and the period instruments unfold a rich palette of sounds. […] Rameau knew how to render an unmistakable identity to just a few dance bars. Gaigg and the L’Orfeo Baroque Orchestra revive its rhythmic verve, instrumental imagination and that extraordinary ability to give the impression that the orchestra is always in motion.
Sonograma Magazine, Núria Serra, September 29, 2026
