Category: French opera

134. Dardanus (Rameau)

Tragédie lyrique in 5 actsComposer: Jean-Philippe RameauLibretto: Charles Antoine Le Clerc de la BruèreFirst performed : Académie royale de musique, Paris, 19 November 1739 (revised 23 April 1744) The tragédie lyrique, with its emphasis on text and ballet, bewildered foreigners: Burney considered the form “displeasing to all ears but those of France, which had been nursed … Continue reading 134. Dardanus (Rameau) →

130. Les Indes galantes (Rameau)

Opéra-ballet in a prologue and 4 entréesComposer : Jean-Philippe RameauLibretto : Louis FuzelierFirst performed : Académie royale de musique, Paris, 23 August 1735 "La terre, les cieux, et les mers / nous offrent tour-à-tour cent spectacles divers." Les Indes galantes offers plenty of spectacle : it's an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza, a round-the-world trip full of ceremonies, storms, shipwrecks, … Continue reading 130. Les Indes galantes (Rameau) →

129. Castor et Pollux (Rameau)

Tragédie en musique in 5 actsComposer: Jean-Philippe RameauLibretto: Gentil-BernardFirst performed: Académie royale de musique (1re salle du Palais-Royal), 24 October 1737 ; revised 1754 Of all Rameau's operas, Claude Debussy most admired Castor et Pollux, and, on his deathbed, he regretted he was unable to attend a performance. Since 1903, Debussy had held up Rameau (and … Continue reading 129. Castor et Pollux (Rameau) →

122. Le dilettante d’Avignon (Halévy)

LE DILETTANTE D'AVIGNON Opéra-comique in 1 act Composer: Fromental Halévy Libretto: François-Benoît Hoffman finished by Léon Halévy First performed: l’Opéra-Comique (salle Ventadour) 07 November 1829 This early Halévy rarity was released on Friday; “un chef-d'oeuvre inconnu”, as the Avignonnais dilettante remarks. One associates Halévy more with anathemas, anti-Semitism, boiling oil, and kings mad or poisoned … Continue reading 122. Le dilettante d’Avignon (Halévy) →

117. Tancrède (Campra)

Tragédie lyrique in a prologue and 5 acts Composer: André Campra Libretto: Antoine Danchet, after Tasso First performed: Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris, 7 November 1702, conducted by Marin Marais Welcome to the 18th century! Campra was the leading opera composer between Lully and Rameau.  A Provençal, he began as a church musician, rising to become … Continue reading 117. Tancrède (Campra) →