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)
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)
Tragédie lyrique in a prologue and 5 acts Composer : Marc-Antoine Charpentier Libretto : Thomas Corneille First performed : Académie royale de musique, Paris, 4 December 1693 Lully was dead – and with him his monopoly over opera. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x44fg5c For more than a decade, only he had been able to compose opera in France. He defined the tragédie … Continue reading 116. Médée (Charpentier)
Operette bouffe in 1 act Composer: Jacques Offenbach and M. de Saint Rémy [pseudonym of the Duc de Morny]. Libretto: Ludovic Halévy, Hector Crémieux, et Ernest L’Epine First performed: Salons du Corps législatif, Palais Bourbon, 31 May 1861, in the presence of Napoléon III. First public performance: Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, 14 September 1861 M. Choufleuri (“Mr Cauliflower”), a … Continue reading 98. M. Choufleuri restera chez lui le… (Jacques Offenbach)
HIPPOLYTE ET ARICIETragédie lyrique in 5 actes and a prologueComposer: Jean-Philippe RameauLibrettist: Abbé PellegrinFirst performed: Académie Royale de Musique at its theatre in the Palais-Royal, Paris, 1 October 1733Halte-là! Are you a Ramiste or a Lulliste? And shall we fight a duel?Those were serious questions in early 18th century France. Society was bitterly divided between those … Continue reading 87. Hippolyte et Aricie (Jean-Philippe Rameau)
Opéra in 3 acts Composer: Léo Delibes Libretto: Edmond Gondinet & Philippe Gille First performed: Opéra-Comique, Paris, 14 April 1883, conducted by Jules Danbé. Production: Charles Ponchard; sets: Auguste Rubé, Philippe Chaperon, Jean-Baptiste Lavastre, Antoine Lavastre, Eugène Carpezat; costumes: Théophile Thomas This is for Phil. CHARACTERS LAKMÉ, a priestess, daughter of Nilakantha (1st soprano): Marie Van Zandt … Continue reading 81. Lakmé (Léo Delibes)
Tragédie in 5 acts and a prologue Composer: Jean-Baptiste de Lully Librettist: Philippe Quinault First performed: Saint-Germain, before Louis XIV, 10 January 1676; Paris, August 1677 BACKGROUND Atys was known as "l'opéra du Roy", the King's opera. It was first performed at Saint-Germain, before Louis XIV. The king had it performed for him again in 1676, 1678, and 1682, … Continue reading 71. Atys (Jean-Baptiste Lully)
