"As the title suggests, Charpentier's 'Pleasures of Versailles' of 1682 is a deliciously frothy confection, its libretto personifying the courtly pleasures (Musik, Conversation, Gaming and Banqueting) ... The disc's main course, though, is the short chamber opera 'Les Arts Florissants' of 1685 ... The BEMF Vocal Ensemble and a team of well-matched soloists offer seductive and generally stylish singing ... The instrumentalists play with sprightly grace"

"Recommended: Les Plaisirs de Versailles is a silly opera but it is charming and delightful; one can never be annoyed or bored. The music is so fecund in imagination, and so full of memorable ideas and characterisation, and the performers so entrancing that one can easily spend about half hour in simple pleasures and joy - just as did King Louis XIV, the man for whom the opera was written ... Les Arts Florissants (The Flourishing Arts) is the other one-act opera on this disc, in six scenes. Perhaps it has a slightly more serious purpose than Les Plaisirs de Versailles ... What makes these performances such a joy is the ideal portrayal of each character and chorus number, and indeed each detail of the musical presentation. It is all carefully thought through by O'Dette and Stubbs"

"Klassik Heute Empfehlung: Das BEMF-Ensemble realisiert die im Text besungenen 'douceurs de mes accords charmants' mit tänzerischer Eleganz, geradezu inbrünstiger Hingabe, rhythmischer Präzision und Beschwingtheit ... - und souveräner Instrumentenbeherrschung ... Die Solisten singen alle dramatisch bewegt, am lieblichsten ist Virginia Warnken als L'Architecture, alle Musikerinnen und Musiker gehen mit so ungehemmtem Vergnügen und mit einem so mitreissenden Drive ans Werk, dass man diese CD mit ebenso ungehemmtem Vergnügen anhört: So gespielt und gesungen lebt und pulsiert die Barockmusik ganz vollblütig"

Vurdering: 4/5