Listening to this thrilling recording of Rameau's 1739 opera Dardanus (with a few additions from the 1744 version), it is hard to see why it has languished in the backwaters of obscurity for so long. It contains elements guaranteed to get Rameau's juices flowing--a woman torn between love and duty, a generous helping of magic, and a set of finely drawn, rounded characters who transcend the conventional elements of the plot--and the composer responds with heartfelt passion: the music rivals anything in Les Boréades or Platée. In turn, Minkowski responds with direction which is a model of pacing: the drama crackles along in the sinuous recitatives, the climaxes are almost unbearably pulse-quickening (the thunderous and terrifying entracte "Bruits de guerre" is a good example), and the moments of reflection are poignant without being sentimental. (The Act 4 tenor aria "Lieux funestes" is a particular highlight.) Baroque superstars Ainsley and Gens are on excellent form, but are matched in intensity by the rest of the ensemble, and the whole just bursts with energy. --Warwick Thompson