Hippolyte et Aricie
Encyclopedia
Hippolyte et Aricie was the first opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau
, which opened to great controversy at the Académie Royale de Musique, Paris on October 1, 1733. The libretto, by Abbé Simon-Joseph Pellegrin
, is based on Racine
's tragedy Phèdre
. The opera takes the traditional form of a tragédie en musique with an allegorical prologue followed by five acts. Early audiences found little else about the work to be conventional.
s and some popular pieces for the Paris fairs. Yet some time in 1732, Rameau approached Abbé Pellegrin and asked him for a libretto. Pellegrin had written the words for Montéclair's
tragédie en musique Jephté
(February, 1732), a work which had greatly impressed Rameau. Hippolyte et Aricie was given a run-through at the house of Rameau's patron, La Pouplinière, in April, 1733 and went into rehearsal at the Opéra in September. To Rameau's annoyance, the musicians at the opera house found the second trio for the Fates (Trio des Parques), some of the composer's most daring music, too hard to play and it was cut. It was just a foretaste of the difficulties to come.
and his librettist Quinault
in the 1670s and 1680s. Their works had held the stage ever since and had become regarded as a French national institution. When Hippolyte et Aricie made its debut, many in the audience were delighted, praising Rameau as "the Orpheus of our century". André Campra
was struck by the richness of invention: There is enough music in this opera to make ten of them; this man will eclipse us all". Others, however, felt the music was bizarre and dissonant (Hippolyte was the first opera to be described as baroque
, then a term of abuse). They saw Rameau's work as an assault on Lullian opera and French musical tradition. As Sophie Bouissou puts it: "With a single stroke Rameau destroyed everything Lully had spent years in constructing: the proud, chauvinistic and complacent union of the French around one and the same cultural object, the offspring of his and Quinault's genius. Then suddenly the Ramelian aesthetic played havoc with the confidence of the French in their patrimony, assaulted their national opera that they hoped was unchangeable."
Audiences and music critics soon split into two factions: the traditional Lullistes and Rameau's supporters, the Ramoneurs (a play on the French word for "chimney-sweep"). The controversy would burn on throughout the 1730s.
In recent years, Hippolyte et Aricie has shown strong indications it might re-enter the standard repertoire, with some of the leading lights of the Baroque revival, John Eliot Gardiner
(at Aix-en-Provence Festival
in 1982), Marc Minkowski
(at Versailles
Baroques Centre's Journée Rameau 1993, 2 concerts. then recorded CD), William Christie
(at Opéra National de Paris in 1996, then recorded CD) and Emmanuelle Haïm
(in the lavish show directed by Ivan Alexandre at Théâtre du Capitole
de Toulouse in 2009), giving acclaimed performances of the work.
The ballet corps included Marie-Anne Cupis de Camargo.
style precedes the allegorical prologue set in the Forest of Erymanthus where Diana
and Cupid
are arguing who will rule over the forest dwellers. The quarrel is settled by Jupiter
who decrees that Love will reign over their hearts for one day every year. Diana vows to look after Hippolyte and Aricie.
The story concerns the Greek hero Theseus
, King of Athens
(Thésée in the opera), his wife Phaedra
(Phedre) and Thésée's son by another woman, Hippolytus
(Hippolyte). Hippolytus is in love with a young woman, Aricia, but she is the daughter of Theseus's enemy, Pallas, and he has compelled her to take a vow of chastity to Diana. Before she does so, Hippolytus reveals his love for her and the goddess promises to protect the couple. This enrages Phaedra, who has been nursing an illicit desire for her stepson herself. News arrives that Theseus has made a journey to the Underworld and is probably now dead. This means Phaedra may pursue her passion for Hippolytus and offer him the crown of Athens.
Theseus descends to Hades to rescue his friend Pirithous
, who has been captured when he tried to seduce Pluto
(Pluton)'s wife, Proserpina
(Proserpine). Theseus has a special advantage: his father, the god Neptune
, has promised to answer his prayers on three occasions during his life. The first prayer Theseus makes is to be allowed to reach Hades. At the entrance, he fights with the Fury
Tisiphone
, but makes it through to Pluto's court. Pluto condemns Theseus to share the same fate as his friend but allows a trial. When Theseus again loses, he calls on Neptune to free him (his second prayer), and Pluto is powerless to hold him back. As Theseus leaves, however, the Furies (Les Parques) foretell that Theseus may leave Hades but he will find Hell in his own household.
Phaedra meets Hippolytus, who offers her condolences on her bereavement. Mistaking his concern for love, Phaedra confesses her passion. Hippolytus is shocked and curses her. Phaedra tries to kill herself with a sword but Hippolytus snatches it from her. At this moment, Theseus arrives unexpectedly. He is unsure what to make of the scene, but fears Hippolytus was trying to rape his wife. Phaedra rushes off and Hippolytus nobly refuses to denounce his stepmother. But this only serves to increase his father's suspicions, now reinforced by Phaedra's confidante, Oenone. Theseus finally decides to use his last prayer to Neptune to punish Hippolytus.
Hippolytus realises he must go into exile and Aricia vows to go with him as his wife. The forest people celebrate Diana. A monster suddenly emerges from the sea - the instrument of Theseus's punishment. Hippolytus tries to fight it but disappears in a cloud of flames. Phaedra arrives, distraught, and admits she is the cause of Hippolytus's death.
Theseus has learnt the truth from Phaedra, just before she killed herself. Full of remorse, he too threatens suicide but Neptune reveals that his son is still alive, thanks to Diana's protection. However, Theseus will never see him again.
The forest of Aricia, Italy
Aricia wakes up, still mourning Hippolytus. Diana tell her she has found a husband for the girl, but Aricia is inconsolable until the goddess reveals Hippolytus, alive and well. The opera ends with general rejoicing.
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau was one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the Baroque era. He replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera and is also considered the leading French composer for the harpsichord of his time, alongside François...
, which opened to great controversy at the Académie Royale de Musique, Paris on October 1, 1733. The libretto, by Abbé Simon-Joseph Pellegrin
Simon-Joseph Pellegrin
The abbé Simon-Joseph Pellegrin was a French poet and playwright, a librettist who collaborated with Jean-Philippe Rameau and other composers.-Biography:...
, is based on Racine
Jean Racine
Jean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
's tragedy Phèdre
Phèdre
Phèdre is a dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677.-Composition and premiere:...
. The opera takes the traditional form of a tragédie en musique with an allegorical prologue followed by five acts. Early audiences found little else about the work to be conventional.
Composition history
When he wrote Hippolyte, Rameau was almost fifty, and there was little in his life to suggest he was about to embark on a major new career as an opera composer. He was famous, if anything, for his works on music theory as well as his books of keyboard pieces. The closest he had come to writing dramatic music was composing a few secular cantataCantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
s and some popular pieces for the Paris fairs. Yet some time in 1732, Rameau approached Abbé Pellegrin and asked him for a libretto. Pellegrin had written the words for Montéclair's
Michel Montéclair
Michel Pignolet de Montéclair was a French composer of the baroque period.He was born Michel Pignolet in Andelot, Haute-Marne, France, and only later added "Montéclair" to his name. Little is known of his life, and there are no known portraits...
tragédie en musique Jephté
Jephté
Jephté is an opera by the French composer Michel Pignolet de Montéclair. It takes the form of a tragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts . The libretto, by the Abbé Simon-Joseph Pellegrin, is based on the Biblical story of Jephtha...
(February, 1732), a work which had greatly impressed Rameau. Hippolyte et Aricie was given a run-through at the house of Rameau's patron, La Pouplinière, in April, 1733 and went into rehearsal at the Opéra in September. To Rameau's annoyance, the musicians at the opera house found the second trio for the Fates (Trio des Parques), some of the composer's most daring music, too hard to play and it was cut. It was just a foretaste of the difficulties to come.
Reception: Lullistes versus Ramoneurs
Tragédie en musique had been invented as a genre by LullyJean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
and his librettist Quinault
Philippe Quinault
Philippe Quinault , French dramatist and librettist, was born in Paris.- Biography :Quinault was educated by the liberality of François Tristan l'Hermite, the author of Marianne. Quinault's first play was produced at the Hôtel de Bourgogne in 1653, when he was only eighteen...
in the 1670s and 1680s. Their works had held the stage ever since and had become regarded as a French national institution. When Hippolyte et Aricie made its debut, many in the audience were delighted, praising Rameau as "the Orpheus of our century". André Campra
André Campra
André Campra was a French composer and conductor.Campra was one of the leading French opera composers in the period between Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau. He wrote several tragédies en musique, but his chief claim to fame is as the creator of a new genre, opéra-ballet...
was struck by the richness of invention: There is enough music in this opera to make ten of them; this man will eclipse us all". Others, however, felt the music was bizarre and dissonant (Hippolyte was the first opera to be described as baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
, then a term of abuse). They saw Rameau's work as an assault on Lullian opera and French musical tradition. As Sophie Bouissou puts it: "With a single stroke Rameau destroyed everything Lully had spent years in constructing: the proud, chauvinistic and complacent union of the French around one and the same cultural object, the offspring of his and Quinault's genius. Then suddenly the Ramelian aesthetic played havoc with the confidence of the French in their patrimony, assaulted their national opera that they hoped was unchangeable."
Audiences and music critics soon split into two factions: the traditional Lullistes and Rameau's supporters, the Ramoneurs (a play on the French word for "chimney-sweep"). The controversy would burn on throughout the 1730s.
Performance history
The first run of Hippolyte et Aricie in 1733-34 enjoyed a respectable forty performances. It was revived for another forty performances in 1742-43 and again in 1757 and 1767. The revivals during Rameau's lifetime entailed several revisions, as was the composer's wont. Hippolyte et Aricie was never Rameau's most popular opera but its significance was recognised almost immediately and the Trio des Parques at least was well known by reputation in the nineteenth century, even in an era when no Rameau operas were being performed. The first modern revival took place in Paris on May 13, 1908. Another landmark was the recording by Anthony Lewis in 1966.In recent years, Hippolyte et Aricie has shown strong indications it might re-enter the standard repertoire, with some of the leading lights of the Baroque revival, John Eliot Gardiner
John Eliot Gardiner
Sir John Eliot Gardiner CBE FKC is an English conductor. He founded the Monteverdi Choir , the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique...
(at Aix-en-Provence Festival
Aix-en-Provence Festival
The festival international d'art lyrique is an annual international music festival which takes place each summer in Aix-en-Provence, principally in the month of July. Devoted mainly to opera, it also includes concerts of orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo instrumental music.-Establishment:The...
in 1982), Marc Minkowski
Marc Minkowski
Marc 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...
(at Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
Baroques Centre's Journée Rameau 1993, 2 concerts. then recorded CD), William Christie
William Christie (musician)
William Lincoln Christie is an American-born French conductor and harpsichordist. He is noted as a specialist in baroque repertoire and as the founder of the ensemble Les Arts Florissants....
(at Opéra National de Paris in 1996, then recorded CD) and Emmanuelle Haïm
Emmanuelle Haïm
Emmanuelle Haïm is a French harpsichordist and conductor with a particular interest in early music and Baroque music....
(in the lavish show directed by Ivan Alexandre at Théâtre du Capitole
Théâtre du Capitole
The Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse is an opera house and ballet company located within the main administration buildings, the Capitole, of the city of Toulouse in south-west France....
de Toulouse in 2009), giving acclaimed performances of the work.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, October 1, 1733 (Conductor: François Francœur) |
|---|---|---|
| Hippolyte (Hippolytus Hippolytus (mythology) thumb|260px|The Death of Hippolytus, by [[Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema]] .In Greek mythology, Hippolytus was a son of Theseus and either Antiope or Hippolyte... ) |
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:... |
Denise-François Tribou |
| Aricie (Aricia Aricia (mythology) Aricia was, according to Greek mythology, a niece of Aegeus. She was the last of the Pallantides and may have married Virbius . Aricia was also a location holy to Diana near Rome where Egeria, the spirit of a nearby stream who shared with Diana the guardianship of childbirth... ) |
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 Pélissier |
| Phèdre (Phaedra Phaedra (mythology) In Greek mythology, Phaedra is the daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus and the mother of Demophon of Athens and Acamas. Phaedra's name derives from the Greek word φαιδρός , which meant "bright".... ) |
mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Marie Antier |
| Thésée (Theseus Theseus For other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were... ) |
bass | Claude-Louis-Dominique Chassé de Chinais |
| Pluton (Pluto Pluto (mythology) In ancient Greek religion and myth, Pluto was a name for the ruler of the underworld; the god was also known as Hades, a name for the underworld itself... ) |
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... |
Jean Dun "fils" |
| Diane (Diana Diana (mythology) In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy... ) |
soprano | Mlle Eremans |
| Œnone, Phèdre's confidante | soprano | Mlle Monville |
| Arcas, friend to Thésée | taille Baritenor Baritenor is a musical term formed by a blend of the words "baritone" and "tenor". It is used to describe both baritone and tenor voices. In Webster's Third New International Dictionary it is defined as "a baritone singing voice with virtually a tenor range"... |
Louis-Antoine Cuvilliers |
| Mercure (Mercury Mercury (mythology) Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces... ) |
taille | Dumast |
| Tisiphone Tisiphone Tisiphone is the name of two figures in Greek mythology.-Erinyes:Tisiphone was one of the Erinyes or Furies, and sister of Alecto and Megaera. She was the one who punished crimes of murder: parricide, fratricide and homicide... |
taille | Louis-Antoine Cuvilliers |
| L'Amour, Cupid Cupid In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros... |
haute-contre | Pierre Jélyotte Pierre Jélyotte Pierre Jélyotte was a French operatic tenor, particularly associated with works by Rameau, Lully, Campra, and Destouches.-Life and career:... |
| La Grande-Prêtresse, High Priestess | soprano | Mlle Petitpas |
| Parques, three Fates | bass, taille, haute-contre | Cuignier, Cuvilliers and Jélyotte |
| Un suivant de l'Amour, follower of Cupid Cupid In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros... |
tenor | |
| Une prêtresse, a priestess of Diana Diana (mythology) In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy... |
soprano | |
| Une bergère, a shepherdess | soprano | Mlle Petitpas |
| Une matelote, a female sailor | soprano | Mlle Petitpas |
| Une chasseresse, a huntress | soprano | Mlle Petitpas |
| Spirits of the underworld, people of Troezen Troezen Troezen is a small town and a former municipality in the northeastern Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Troizinia, of which it is a municipal unit.... , sailors, huntsmen, nymph Nymph A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;... s of Diana Diana (mythology) In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy... , shepherds and shepherdesses, people of the forest (chorus) |
||
The ballet corps included Marie-Anne Cupis de Camargo.
Prologue
An overture in the typical LullianJean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
style precedes the allegorical prologue set in the Forest of Erymanthus where Diana
Diana (mythology)
In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
and Cupid
Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
are arguing who will rule over the forest dwellers. The quarrel is settled by Jupiter
Jupiter (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
who decrees that Love will reign over their hearts for one day every year. Diana vows to look after Hippolyte and Aricie.
Act 1
The temple of Diana in TroezenThe story concerns the Greek hero Theseus
Theseus
For other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
, King of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
(Thésée in the opera), his wife Phaedra
Phaedra (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Phaedra is the daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus and the mother of Demophon of Athens and Acamas. Phaedra's name derives from the Greek word φαιδρός , which meant "bright"....
(Phedre) and Thésée's son by another woman, Hippolytus
Hippolytus (mythology)
thumb|260px|The Death of Hippolytus, by [[Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema]] .In Greek mythology, Hippolytus was a son of Theseus and either Antiope or Hippolyte...
(Hippolyte). Hippolytus is in love with a young woman, Aricia, but she is the daughter of Theseus's enemy, Pallas, and he has compelled her to take a vow of chastity to Diana. Before she does so, Hippolytus reveals his love for her and the goddess promises to protect the couple. This enrages Phaedra, who has been nursing an illicit desire for her stepson herself. News arrives that Theseus has made a journey to the Underworld and is probably now dead. This means Phaedra may pursue her passion for Hippolytus and offer him the crown of Athens.
Act 2
Hades, the UnderworldTheseus descends to Hades to rescue his friend Pirithous
Pirithous
In Greek mythology, Pirithous - Πειρίθοος was the King of the Lapiths in Thessaly and husband of Hippodamia, at whose wedding the famous Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs occurred....
, who has been captured when he tried to seduce Pluto
Pluto (mythology)
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Pluto was a name for the ruler of the underworld; the god was also known as Hades, a name for the underworld itself...
(Pluton)'s wife, Proserpina
Proserpina
Proserpina or Proserpine is an ancient Roman goddess whose story is the basis of a myth of Springtime. Her Greek goddess' equivalent is Persephone. The probable origin of her name comes from the Latin, "proserpere" or "to emerge," in respect to the growing of grain...
(Proserpine). Theseus has a special advantage: his father, the god Neptune
Neptune (mythology)
Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,...
, has promised to answer his prayers on three occasions during his life. The first prayer Theseus makes is to be allowed to reach Hades. At the entrance, he fights with the Fury
Erinyes
In Greek mythology the Erinyes from Greek ἐρίνειν " pursue, persecute"--sometimes referred to as "infernal goddesses" -- were female chthonic deities of vengeance. A formulaic oath in the Iliad invokes them as "those who beneath the earth punish whosoever has sworn a false oath"...
Tisiphone
Tisiphone
Tisiphone is the name of two figures in Greek mythology.-Erinyes:Tisiphone was one of the Erinyes or Furies, and sister of Alecto and Megaera. She was the one who punished crimes of murder: parricide, fratricide and homicide...
, but makes it through to Pluto's court. Pluto condemns Theseus to share the same fate as his friend but allows a trial. When Theseus again loses, he calls on Neptune to free him (his second prayer), and Pluto is powerless to hold him back. As Theseus leaves, however, the Furies (Les Parques) foretell that Theseus may leave Hades but he will find Hell in his own household.
Act 3
Theseus's palace by the seaPhaedra meets Hippolytus, who offers her condolences on her bereavement. Mistaking his concern for love, Phaedra confesses her passion. Hippolytus is shocked and curses her. Phaedra tries to kill herself with a sword but Hippolytus snatches it from her. At this moment, Theseus arrives unexpectedly. He is unsure what to make of the scene, but fears Hippolytus was trying to rape his wife. Phaedra rushes off and Hippolytus nobly refuses to denounce his stepmother. But this only serves to increase his father's suspicions, now reinforced by Phaedra's confidante, Oenone. Theseus finally decides to use his last prayer to Neptune to punish Hippolytus.
Act 4
A grove sacred to Diana by the seaHippolytus realises he must go into exile and Aricia vows to go with him as his wife. The forest people celebrate Diana. A monster suddenly emerges from the sea - the instrument of Theseus's punishment. Hippolytus tries to fight it but disappears in a cloud of flames. Phaedra arrives, distraught, and admits she is the cause of Hippolytus's death.
Act 5
A grove sacred to Diana by the seaTheseus has learnt the truth from Phaedra, just before she killed herself. Full of remorse, he too threatens suicide but Neptune reveals that his son is still alive, thanks to Diana's protection. However, Theseus will never see him again.
The forest of Aricia, Italy
Aricia wakes up, still mourning Hippolytus. Diana tell her she has found a husband for the girl, but Aricia is inconsolable until the goddess reveals Hippolytus, alive and well. The opera ends with general rejoicing.
Recordings
- John Shirley-Quirk (Thesée), Janet BakerJanet BakerDame Janet Abbott Baker, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English mezzo-soprano best known as an opera, concert, and lieder singer.She was particularly closely associated with baroque and early Italian opera and the works of Benjamin Britten...
(Phèdre), Robert Tear (Hippolyte), Angela Hickey (Aricie); St. Anthony Singers, English Chamber Orchestra, Anthony Lewis (DeccaDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
: L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1966) - Ulrik Cold (Thesée), Carolyn WatkinsonCarolyn WatkinsonThe English mezzo-soprano Carolyn Watkinson is a well-known singer of baroque music.Watkinson was born in Preston and studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music and in The Hague. In 1978 she sang Rameau's Phèdre at the English Bach Festival at London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden...
(Phèdre), Ian Caley (Hippolyte), Arleen Auger (Aricie); Choer de l'English Bach Festival, La Grand Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy, Jean Claude Malgoire (CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, 1978) - Russell Smythe (Thésée), Bernarda FinkBernarda FinkBernarda Fink Inzko is an Argentinian mezzo-soprano. Born in Buenos Aires to Slovene parents, Bernarda Fink studied at the "Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colón" in Buenos Aires. She won First Prize at the Nuevas Voces Líricas competition in 1985 and moved to Europe...
(Phèdre), Jean-Paul FouchécourtJean-Paul FouchécourtJean-Paul Fouchécourt is a French tenor, mostly as an opera singer. He was born on August 30, 1958, at Blanzy in the Burgundy region. He is best known for singing French Baroque music, especially the parts called in French haute-contre, written for a very high tenor voice with no falsetto...
(Hippolyte), Véronique Gens (Aricie); 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...
, 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...
(Deutsche GrammophonDeutsche GrammophonDeutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label...
Archiv, 1994) - Laurent NaouriLaurent NaouriLaurent Naouri is a French bass-baritone. Initially beginning his education at the École Centrale de Lyon, Naouri decided to concentrate on opera in 1986 and continued his musical studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.His professional career in France began in 1992 with...
(Thésée), Lorraine Hunt (Phèdre), Mark Padmore (Hippolyte), Anna Maria Panzarella (Aricie); Les Arts FlorissantsLes Arts Florissants (ensemble)Les Arts Florissants is a Baroque musical ensemble in residence at the Théâtre de Caen in Caen, France. The organization was founded by conductor William Christie in 1979. The ensemble derives its name from the 1685 opera by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The organization consists of a chamber orchestra...
, William ChristieWilliam Christie (musician)William Lincoln Christie is an American-born French conductor and harpsichordist. He is noted as a specialist in baroque repertoire and as the founder of the ensemble Les Arts Florissants....
(EratoErato RecordsErato Records is a record label founded in 1953 to promote French classical music. In 1992 it became part of Warner Bros. Records. In 1999 Erato launched a subsidiary Detour Records....
, 1997)