La cigale et les violons The Grasshopper and the Violins Favorite Fables by Jean de La Fontaine Music by Denis Gougeon and Jean-Philippe Rameau Catherine Perrin, narrator and harpsichord Les Violons du Roy - Mathieu Lussier, conductor ACD2 2693 • Jean de La Fontaine‘s Fables return to vivid life with La cigale et les violins, thanks to Catherine Perrin‘s narration and a musical setting that combines the worlds of Canadian composer Denis Gougeon and of 18th-century French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau. • The 11 fables chosen for this disc are presented in words and in music by Catherine Perrin.   She serves both as narrator — and playing solo or accompanied by Les Violons du Roy directed by Mathieu Lussier — as harpsichordist. • According to Catherine Perrin, who came up with the original concept for this project: “Some fables simply call for a musical setting. I found the perfect ones in Jean-Philippe Rameau‘s Pièces de clavecin en concert.   The great miracle-worker in this project was composer Denis Gougeon.   Some of the fables — ‘The Tortoise and the Hare‘, ‘The Ant and the Cricket‘ — are so well known that he was able to relate them purely in music.   For others, he created magnificent cinema for the ear.” • Catherine Perrin leads a very active double life as a harpsichordist and broadcaster.   She performs in venues throughout Quebec with groups such as the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, Les Violons du Roy, and I Musici de Montréal.   From 2000 to 2004, she co-hosted Le Septième, a multi-Gémeaux award winning TV show about film, broadcasted by Télé-Québec.   Perrin presented the cultural shows On fait tous du show business and Six dans la cité for Radio-Canada television.   She now hosts Médium large, a radio program on culture and society broadcast on the Ici Radio-Canada Première network. LA CIGALE ET LES VIOLONS   1. Introduction - Le Corbeau et le Renard [GOUGEON] 2:32   2. Intermède : Menuet en sol mineur [RAMEAU] 1:37   3. Le Lion amoureux [RAMEAU : MENUET EN SOL - L'ENHARMONIQUE - L'EGYPTIENNE] 2:46   4. Intermède : La Forqueray [RAMEAU] 3:58   5. Le Lièvre et la Tortue [GOUGEON] * 3:54   6. La Poule aux oeufs d'or [RAMEAU : LA POULE] 2:13   7. Le Chêne et le Roseau [GOUGEON] 4:44   8. La Cigale et la Fourmi [GOUGEON] * 3:13   9. Le Renard et la Cigogne [RAMEAU : LE VÉZINET] 2:14 10. Les deux Pigeons [RAMEAU : LA LIVRI, GOUGEON] 9:05 11. Intermède : La Livri [RAMEAU] 2:50 12. Le Lion et le Rat [RAMEAU : L'INDISCRÈTE] 1:31 13. Le Lièvre et les Grenouilles [GOUGEON] 3:28 14. Intermède : La Pantomime [RAMEAU] 3:00 15. La Grenouille qui veut se faire aussi grosse que le Boeuf [GOUGEON] 3:24 16. Final : Tambourins [RAMEAU] 2:28       * FABLES EN MUSIQUE | FABLES WITH MUSIC JEAN-PHILIPPE RAMEAU 17. Les Sauvages 1:57 18. L'enharmonique 5:09 19. L'Egyptienne 2:28       CATHERINE PERR1N CLAVECIN HARPSICHORD 20. La Poule [LA POULE AUX OEUFS D'OR] 2:13 21. L'Indiscrète [LE LION ET LE RAT] 1:31 22. Le Vézinet [LE RENARD ET LA CIGOGNE] 2:13       VERSIONS INSTRUMENTALES | INSTRUMENTAL VERSIONS ATMA Classique is distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading PO Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone +61 (0)3 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile +61 (0)3 9444 6879