Les Arts florissants (opera)
Encyclopedia
Les arts florissants is a short chamber opera
(also described by the composer
as idylle en musique) in five scenes by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
.
for the group of musicians employed by Marie de Lorraine, Duchess of Guise, at her residence in Paris
. The reason behind the creation of this work, as well as its place of performance, remain a matter for speculation. The French
libretto
, written by an unknown author, is allegorical in nature and draws on aspects of mythological and natural symbolism familiar to 17th-century audiences to add depth to a superficially simple plot.
The story of the opera
concerns the eponymous Arts, shown flourishing under the beneficent and peaceful reign of Louis XIV
, as they and a group of Warriors become drawn into a dispute between the central characters of La paix (Peace) and La discorde (Discord). After a brief struggle in which Discord and his Furies
gain the upper hand, Peace appeals to Jupiter
to intervene on her behalf. Discord and his followers are chased back into Hell
by a hail of thunderbolts, and Peace holds sway once more.
, two flutes (or recorder
s), two treble viol
s and basso continuo.
The manuscript score also calls for two choruses in the form of a Troupe de Guerriers (Troop of Warriors) and a Chœur de Furies chantantes (Chorus of singing Furies), to be sung by all available singers, and a troupe of Furies dansantes, si l'on veut (Dancing Furies, "if desired"). The instrumentalists are included in the original character list under the entry Suite de la Musique, and the overture is labelled pour les symphonistes de la Suite de la Musique ("for the orchestral players in Music's following").
Chamber opera
Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra.The term and form were invented by Benjamin Britten in the 1940s, when the English Opera Group needed works that could easily be taken on tour and performed in a variety of small...
(also described by the composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
as idylle en musique) in five scenes by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, , was a French composer of the Baroque era.Exceptionally prolific and versatile, he produced compositions of the highest quality in several genres...
.
History
It was written in 16851685 in music
- Events :*The father of Georg Philipp Telemann dies, leaving his widow to bring up the children.*Antonio Stradivari makes the ex Arma Senkrah violin.*John Blow is recorded among the private musicians of King James II of England....
for the group of musicians employed by Marie de Lorraine, Duchess of Guise, at her residence in 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...
. The reason behind the creation of this work, as well as its place of performance, remain a matter for speculation. 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...
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...
, written by an unknown author, is allegorical in nature and draws on aspects of mythological and natural symbolism familiar to 17th-century audiences to add depth to a superficially simple plot.
The story of the opera
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...
concerns the eponymous Arts, shown flourishing under the beneficent and peaceful reign of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, as they and a group of Warriors become drawn into a dispute between the central characters of La paix (Peace) and La discorde (Discord). After a brief struggle in which Discord and his Furies
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"...
gain the upper hand, Peace appeals to 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....
to intervene on her behalf. Discord and his followers are chased back into Hell
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
by a hail of thunderbolts, and Peace holds sway once more.
Analysis
The opera is scored for seven solo voices, five-part chorusChoir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, two flutes (or recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
s), two treble viol
Viol
The viol is any one of a family of bowed, fretted and stringed musical instruments developed in the mid-late 15th century and used primarily in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The family is related to and descends primarily from the Renaissance vihuela, a plucked instrument that preceded the...
s and basso continuo.
The manuscript score also calls for two choruses in the form of a Troupe de Guerriers (Troop of Warriors) and a Chœur de Furies chantantes (Chorus of singing Furies), to be sung by all available singers, and a troupe of Furies dansantes, si l'on veut (Dancing Furies, "if desired"). The instrumentalists are included in the original character list under the entry Suite de la Musique, and the overture is labelled pour les symphonistes de la Suite de la Musique ("for the orchestral players in Music's following").
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 1685 (Conductor: – ) |
|---|---|---|
| La Musique, Music | 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... |
Jacqueline-Geneviève de Brion |
| La Poésie, Poetry | soprano | Antoinette Talon |
| La Peinture, Painting | 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:... |
Marc-Antoine Charpentier |
| L'Architecture, Architecture | 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 Guilbault de Grandmaison |
| La Discorde, Discord | bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C... |
Pierre Beaupuis |
| La Paix, Peace | soprano | Elisabeth "Isabelle" Thorin |
| Un Guerrier, A Warrior | 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... |
Germain Carlier |
Selected recordings
- Charpentier: Les Arts florissants / 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....
, 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...
CD. Harmonia MundiHarmonia MundiHarmonia Mundi is an independent music record label founded in 1958 by Bernard Coutaz in Arles . The Latin phrase means "world harmony"....
Musique d'Abord (1999). Catalog# 1901083. (not widely available)
Sources
- H. Wiley HitchcockH. Wiley HitchcockHugh Wiley Hitchcock was an American musicologist. He is best known for founding the Institute for Studies in American Music at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York in 1971. The insititue was recently renamed the Hitchcock Institute for Studies in American Music in his...
: "Marc-Antoine Charpentier 1. Life", Grove Music OnlineGrove Dictionary of Music and MusiciansThe New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, it is the largest single reference work on Western music. The dictionary has gone through several editions since the 19th century...
ed. L. Macy (Accessed August 25, 2006), www.grovemusic.com (subscription access) - John S. Powell: "Les Arts florissants", Grove Music OnlineGrove Dictionary of Music and MusiciansThe New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, it is the largest single reference work on Western music. The dictionary has gone through several editions since the 19th century...
ed. L. Macy (Accessed August 25, 2006), www.grovemusic.com (subscription access)
External links
- Patricia M. Ranum: "The 'Guise Music': some thumbnail sketches of the members of Mlle de Guise's ensemble", Ranums' Panat Times website (Accessed August 25, 2006), www.ranumspanat.com/guise_music.html