Anacréon (1757)
Encyclopedia
Anacréon is an opera
by the French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau
, first performed at the Opéra, Paris
, on 31 May 1757 as part of a revised version of the opéra-ballet
Les surprises de l'Amour
. It takes the form of a one-act acte de ballet and has a libretto by Pierre-Joseph-Justin Bernard
. Rameau had written another opera with the same title
in 1754. The earlier work has a libretto by Louis de Cahusac and a completely different plot. Both are linked by the figure of the ancient Greek lyric poet Anacreon
. The second Anacréon was composed to be the third entrée of a revised version of Rameau's opéra-ballet Les surprises de l'Amour. The work had originally been staged in 1748 and when it came to be revived in 1757 the allegorical
prologue, referring to the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
, was no longer relevant. This meant that the work now only contained two entrées so another act had to be written of roughly the same length as the prologue. The revised Les surprises de l'Amour was a great success. Anacréon was also performed as a separate work in 1769 and 1771, after Rameau's death.
, and love. The Maenads, followers of Bacchus, claim the two are incompatible and threaten the poet Anacreon who holds the contrary view. The quarrel is resolved in Anacreon's favour by L'Amour (Cupid
).
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...
by the French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau
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...
, first performed at the Opéra, 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...
, on 31 May 1757 as part of a revised version of the opéra-ballet
Opéra-ballet
Opéra-ballet was a popular genre of French Baroque opera, "that grew out of the ballets à entrées of the early seventeeth century". It differed from the more elevated tragédie en musique as practised by Jean-Baptiste Lully in several ways...
Les surprises de l'Amour
Les surprises de l'Amour
Les surprises de l'Amour is an opéra-ballet in two entrées and a prologue by the French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau. It was first performed in Versailles on 27 November 1748. The opera is set to a libretto by Gentil-Bernard...
. It takes the form of a one-act acte de ballet and has a libretto by Pierre-Joseph-Justin Bernard
Pierre-Joseph-Justin Bernard
Pierre-Joseph-Justin Bernard , called Gentil-Bernard by Voltaire for the measured grace of his discreetly erotic verses, was a French military man and salon poet with the reputation of a rake, the author of several libretti for Rameau...
. Rameau had written another opera with the same title
Anacréon (1754)
Anacréon is an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau which was first performed at Fontainebleau on 23 October 1754. Its libretto is by Louis de Cahusac. It takes the form of an acte de ballet in one act. Rameau also composed another opera called Anacréon in 1757...
in 1754. The earlier work has a libretto by Louis de Cahusac and a completely different plot. Both are linked by the figure of the ancient Greek lyric poet Anacreon
Anacreon
Anacreon was a Greek lyric poet, notable for his drinking songs and hymns. Later Greeks included him in the canonical list of nine lyric poets.- Life :...
. The second Anacréon was composed to be the third entrée of a revised version of Rameau's opéra-ballet Les surprises de l'Amour. The work had originally been staged in 1748 and when it came to be revived in 1757 the allegorical
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
prologue, referring to the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle of 1748 ended the War of the Austrian Succession following a congress assembled at the Imperial Free City of Aachen—Aix-la-Chapelle in French—in the west of the Holy Roman Empire, on 24 April 1748...
, was no longer relevant. This meant that the work now only contained two entrées so another act had to be written of roughly the same length as the prologue. The revised Les surprises de l'Amour was a great success. Anacréon was also performed as a separate work in 1769 and 1771, after Rameau's death.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, May 31, 1757 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Anacréon | bass-baritone Bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende... |
Nicolas Gélin |
| L'Amour | 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... |
Mlle Lemière |
| La Prêtresse de Bacchus | 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... |
Mlle Davaux |
| Agathocle | 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:... |
François Poirier |
| Euricles | haute-contre | Monsieur Muguet |
Synopsis
The slight plot concerns an argument over the relative merits of wine, symbolised by BacchusDionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
, and love. The Maenads, followers of Bacchus, claim the two are incompatible and threaten the poet Anacreon who holds the contrary view. The quarrel is resolved in Anacreon's favour by 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...
).
Recordings
- Anacréon 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 Christie (1 CD, Harmonia Mundi, 1982) - Anacréon 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...
(1 CD, Deutsche Grammophon, 1996)