Psyché - Schedule, Program & Tickets
Psyché
Tragédie lyrique in a prologue and five acts (1678)
Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully
Libretto by Thomas Corneille and Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle
Concert performance in French
Occupation:
Musical director Christophe Rousset
Psyché Ambroisine Bré
Vénus Bénédicte Tauran
Aglaure Deborah Cachet
Amour Cyril Auvity
Mercure Robert Getchell
Mars Edwin Crossley-Mercer
Jupiter Philippe Estèphe
Apollon Nicholas Scott
Flore Eugénie Lefebvre
Les Talens Lyriques Orchestra
The poet Apuleius (123 - approx. 170 AD) made Amor and Psyche in his Metamorphoses - today also known under the title The Golden Donkey - the main characters in the only completely preserved novel of Roman antiquity. Since no Greek template is known, it should be Apuleius' own creation, and for once a metamorphosis ends happily ever after. In Baroque Paris, Molière turned to history and worked on the tragédie-ballet Psyché in 1671, for which his long-time musical partner Lully was to compose the music. Molière was under time pressure and hired the poets Pierre Corneille and Philippe Quinault to help him with the libretto. But there was a break between Molière and Lully, who from then on worked with Quinault as a librettist. After Molière's death in 1673, Lully took up the subject again. Corneille's younger brother Thomas, who was a well-known poet himself at the time, and the early Enlightenment writer Fontenelle shortened the piece, converted the rigid Alexandrians of spoken dialogue into verse suitable for recitation and thus created a new text template. They also changed Molière's plot for the tragédie lyrique: Venus intrigues against the mortal psyché, who then plunges into a river out of grief and lovesickness. At the behest of Jupiter, however, Psyche is allowed to ascend to heaven, where she experiences eternal love with Cupid. Historical evidence diverges seriously about the success of the premiere at the Paris Opera. The magazine Le Mercure galant describes the opera as another perfect work by Lully. This statement can be mistrusted, because librettist Thomas Corneille was one of the editors of the Mercure. In turn, the Parfaict brothers, important 18th century theater historians, spoke contemptuously of Psyché. As an admirer of Quinault, her judgment is largely based on her rejection of Thomas Corneille. Because of this attitude, Lully's Psyché was overlooked for a long time. It was not until the 21st century that conductors turned to this extraordinary work by Lully, in which, in addition to the obligatory homage to the Sun King, there is also the satirical spirit of the late Molières.
Subject to changes.
Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully
Libretto by Thomas Corneille and Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle
Concert performance in French
Occupation:
Musical director Christophe Rousset
Psyché Ambroisine Bré
Vénus Bénédicte Tauran
Aglaure Deborah Cachet
Amour Cyril Auvity
Mercure Robert Getchell
Mars Edwin Crossley-Mercer
Jupiter Philippe Estèphe
Apollon Nicholas Scott
Flore Eugénie Lefebvre
Les Talens Lyriques Orchestra
The poet Apuleius (123 - approx. 170 AD) made Amor and Psyche in his Metamorphoses - today also known under the title The Golden Donkey - the main characters in the only completely preserved novel of Roman antiquity. Since no Greek template is known, it should be Apuleius' own creation, and for once a metamorphosis ends happily ever after. In Baroque Paris, Molière turned to history and worked on the tragédie-ballet Psyché in 1671, for which his long-time musical partner Lully was to compose the music. Molière was under time pressure and hired the poets Pierre Corneille and Philippe Quinault to help him with the libretto. But there was a break between Molière and Lully, who from then on worked with Quinault as a librettist. After Molière's death in 1673, Lully took up the subject again. Corneille's younger brother Thomas, who was a well-known poet himself at the time, and the early Enlightenment writer Fontenelle shortened the piece, converted the rigid Alexandrians of spoken dialogue into verse suitable for recitation and thus created a new text template. They also changed Molière's plot for the tragédie lyrique: Venus intrigues against the mortal psyché, who then plunges into a river out of grief and lovesickness. At the behest of Jupiter, however, Psyche is allowed to ascend to heaven, where she experiences eternal love with Cupid. Historical evidence diverges seriously about the success of the premiere at the Paris Opera. The magazine Le Mercure galant describes the opera as another perfect work by Lully. This statement can be mistrusted, because librettist Thomas Corneille was one of the editors of the Mercure. In turn, the Parfaict brothers, important 18th century theater historians, spoke contemptuously of Psyché. As an admirer of Quinault, her judgment is largely based on her rejection of Thomas Corneille. Because of this attitude, Lully's Psyché was overlooked for a long time. It was not until the 21st century that conductors turned to this extraordinary work by Lully, in which, in addition to the obligatory homage to the Sun King, there is also the satirical spirit of the late Molières.
Subject to changes.
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