Alcyone (opera)
Encyclopedia
Alcyone is an opera
by the French
composer Marin Marais
. It takes the form of a tragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts. The libretto
, by Antoine Houdar de la Motte, is based on the Greek myth of Ceyx
and Alcyone
as recounted by Ovid
in his Metamorphoses. The opera was first performed at the Académie royale de musique
, Paris
on 18 February 1706. The score is particularly famous for the storm scene (tempête) in Act Four. The Marche pour les Matelots, also part of this movement, became popular as a dance tune and is the basis of the Christmas carol Masters in this Hall
.
decides a musical competition between Pan and Apollo in favour of the latter. Apollo wishes for a return to the reign of peace over the world, symbolised by the Halcyons.
, are due to be married. Peleus, the best friend of Ceyx, is also in love with Alcyone. The wedding ceremony is disrupted by the magic of Phorbas, whose ancestors once ruled Trachis and who is bent on revenge against Ceyx.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
composer Marin Marais
Marin Marais
Marin Marais was a French composer and viol player. He studied composition with Jean-Baptiste Lully, often conducting his operas, and with master of the bass viol Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe for 6 months. He was hired as a musician in 1676 to the royal court of Versailles...
. It takes the form of a tragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts. The libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, by Antoine Houdar de la Motte, is based on the Greek myth of Ceyx
Ceyx
Ceyx may be:*In Greek mythology:**Ceyx, son of Eosphorus, husband to Alcyone. After whom is named:***Ceyx , son of Lucifer and the goddess Diana***Ceyx , a genus of kingfisher...
and Alcyone
Alcyone
In Greek mythology, Alcyone was the daughter of Aeolus, either by Enarete or Aegiale. She married Ceyx, son of Eosphorus, the Morning Star....
as recounted by Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
in his Metamorphoses. The opera was first performed at the Académie royale de musique
Académie Royale de Musique
The Salle Le Peletier was the home of the Paris Opera from 1821 until the building was destroyed by fire in 1873. The theatre was designed and constructed by the architect François Debret on the site of the former Hôtel de Choiseul...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 18 February 1706. The score is particularly famous for the storm scene (tempête) in Act Four. The Marche pour les Matelots, also part of this movement, became popular as a dance tune and is the basis of the Christmas carol Masters in this Hall
Masters in This Hall
"Masters in This Hall" , , is a Christmas carol with words written around 1860 by William Morris to an old French dance tune...
.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast |
|---|---|---|
| Alcyone | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Marie-Louise-Antoinette Desmatins |
| Ceix | haute-contre Haute-contre The haute-contre is a rare type of high tenor voice, predominant in French Baroque and Classical opera until the latter part of the eighteenth century.-History:... |
Antoine Boutelou |
| Pelée (Peleus) | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard was a French operatic baritone .Thévenard was born at Orléans or possibly Paris. Arriving in Paris in 1690, he studied under the composer André Cardinal Destouches and went on to become a member of the Académie Royale de Musique... |
| Sommeil (Sleep) | haute-contre | Pierre Chopelet |
| Pan Pan (mythology) Pan , in Greek religion and mythology, is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, as well as the companion of the nymphs. His name originates within the Greek language, from the word paein , meaning "to pasture." He has the hindquarters, legs,... /Phorbas/Chief sailor |
bass | Jean Dun "pére" |
| Tmole/High Priest/Neptune Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in the Solar System. Named for the Roman god of the sea, it is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third largest by mass. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth and is slightly more massive than its near-twin Uranus, which is 15 times... |
bass | Charles Hardouin Charles Hardouin Charles Hardouin was a French operatic baritone .Beginning his career as a cathedral singer, Hardouin was engaged by the Paris Opéra as a principal singer around 1693-1694, though from 1697 onwards he was eclipsed by the more powerful Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard... |
| Phosphore | haute-contre | Robert Lebel |
| Sailor/Morphée (Morpheus Morpheus (mythology) Morpheus in Greek mythology is the god of dreams, leader of the Oneiroi. Morpheus has the ability to take any human form and appear in dreams... ) |
haute-contre | Louis Mantienne |
| Apollon (Apollo Apollo Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology... ) |
haute-contre | Jacques Cochereau |
Prologue
The mountain god TmolusTmolus
Tmolus was a King of Lydia and husband to Omphale. He is the eponymous namesake of Mount Tmolus , which lies in Lydia with the Lydian capital at its foot and Hypaepa on its southern slope...
decides a musical competition between Pan and Apollo in favour of the latter. Apollo wishes for a return to the reign of peace over the world, symbolised by the Halcyons.
Act One
Ceyx, King of Trachis, and Alcyone, daughter of AeolusAeolus
Aeolus was the ruler of the winds in Greek mythology. In fact this name was shared by three mythic characters. These three personages are often difficult to tell apart, and even the ancient mythographers appear to have been perplexed about which Aeolus was which...
, are due to be married. Peleus, the best friend of Ceyx, is also in love with Alcyone. The wedding ceremony is disrupted by the magic of Phorbas, whose ancestors once ruled Trachis and who is bent on revenge against Ceyx.
Act Two
Ceyx goes to Phorbas's cave to entreat him to stop his evil spells. But Phorbas tells Ceyx he must journey to the oracle of Apollo on the island of Claros to hear the god's verdict. In reality, this is a plan by Phorbas to bring about the death of Ceyx.Act Three
Ceyx sets sail from the port of Trachis. Phorbas tells Peleus that he has arranged the voyage so Peleus can be free to woo Alcyone for himself. But Peleus's conscience is troubled when he sees Alcyone faint at the departure of Ceyx.Act Four
Alcyone goes to the temple of Juno to pray for the safe return of Ceyx. She falls asleep and in a dream conjured up by Sommeil (Sleep) she sees a ship in trouble on a stormy sea.Act Five
Alcyone is full of foreboding. Peleus confesses his love for her and is so ashamed he offers to commit suicide. Alcyone sees a body washed up on the beach and, believing it is Ceyx, runs herself through with a sword. But Neptune restores the lovers to life and makes them responsible for calming the seas.Recordings
- Alcyone Jennifer Smith, Gilles Ragon, Philippe HuttenlocherPhilippe HuttenlocherPhilippe Huttenlocher is a Swiss baritone.He was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He first studied violin at the conservatory in Neuchâtel, and then voice in Fribourg...
, Les Musiciens du LouvreLes Musiciens du LouvreLes Musiciens du Louvre is a French period instrument ensemble, formed in 1982. Originally based in Paris, since 1996 it has been based in the Couvent des Minimes in Grenoble. The Guardian considers it one of the best orchestras in the world.- History:Founded by Marc Minkowski in 1982, the...
, conducted by Marc MinkowskiMarc MinkowskiMarc Minkowski is a French conductor of classical music, especially known for his interpretations of French Baroque works. His mother is American, and his father was Alexandre Minkowski, a Polish-French professor of pediatrics and one of the founders of neonatology...
(Erato, 1991)
Sources
- Le magazine de l'opéra baroque by Jean-Claude Brenac
- Del Teatro (in Italian)
- Amadeus Online
- Booklet notes to the above recording.