Sabine Devieilhe takes the title role of the Nightingale in Stravinsky’s miniature three-act opera Le Rossignol, while Francois-Xavier Roth – conducting the cast of leading French soloists, the choral singers of Ensemble Aedes, and the period instruments of his orchestra Les Siècles – evokes all the magic of the score.

Based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen and first performed (in Paris) in 1914, Le Rossignol tells of the Nightingale, the Fisherman, the Emperor of China, a mechanical nightingale, and the figure of Death. This recording was made in March 2023 when the opera was presented in a production by Olivier Py at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. “Sabine Devieilhe will remain unforgettable as the disconcertingly sensual Nightingale,” declared Le Figaro, also praising the other members of a sparkling cast and François-Xavier Roth’s sense for the colours of the score. Opera magazine admired the way “Sabine Devieilhe rose to Stravinsky’s demands for crystalline top notes and avian virtuosity,” also noting that “Lucile Richardot was intense and poetic as Death, Cyrille Dubois sang exquisitely as the Fisherman and … Laurent Naouri brought distinction to the Chamberlain,” while “François-Xavier Roth and his period-instrument orchestra … certainly made their mark on the production, marrying clarity and precision with lyricism.”

In the New York Times in 2021, Francois-Xavier Roth described his “rediscovery” of orchestral works from the early 20th century: “Stravinsky and Ravel, it’s already modern music. When we not only restored these instruments … but started to rehearse Stravinsky and Ravel for the first time, The Firebird on gut strings, or Daphnis et Chloé, I can’t describe the shock. You understand why Stravinsky chose this combination of instruments and not another.”

Cast:
- Le Rossignol: Sabine Devieilhe (soprano)
- Le Pêcheur, Premier émissaire japonais: Cyrille Dubois (tenor)
- La Cuisinière: Chantal Santon Jeffery (soprano)
- Le Chambellan: Laurent Naouri (bass-baritone)
- Le Bonze: Victor Sicard (bass)
- Troisième émissaire japonais: Rodolphe Briand (tenor)
- Deuxième émissaire japonais: Francesco Salvadori (baritone)
- L’Empereur de Chine: Jean-Sébastien Bou, (baritone)
- La Mort: Lucile Richardot (contralto)