''Épicure'' (''Epicurus'') is an opera in three acts with music by the composers Étienne Méhul and

Luigi Cherubini Luigi Cherubini ( ; ; 8 or 14 SeptemberWillis, in Sadie (Ed.), p. 833 1760 – 15 March 1842) was an Italian Classical and Romantic composer. His most significant compositions are operas and sacred music. Beethoven regarded Cherubini as the gre ...

. The libretto is by

Charles-Albert Demoustier Charles-Albert Demoustier (13 March 1760 – 2 March 1801) was a French writer. He falsely claimed to be a descendant of La Fontaine by his mother and Jean Racine, Racine by his father. Demoustier was born in Villers-Cotterêts. He worked as a l ...

. It was first performed at the

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief rival, the Comédie-Italienne ...

, Paris on 14 March 1800. It was a complete failure, enjoying only three performances. For the third and final performance on 20 March the opera was reduced from three acts to two. Cherubini wrote the overture, the first act and half of the third; Méhul the second act and the rest of the third.

Roles

Synopsis

Epicurus is loved by his pupil Aspasia but he believes she feels no more than friendship for him. Four suitors compete for Aspasia's hand in marriage: Narcissus, the

Sybarite Sybarite may refer to: * Sybarite, a native of Sybaris Sybaris ( grc, Σύβαρις; it, Sibari) was an important city of Magna Graecia. It was situated in modern Calabria, in southern Italy, between two rivers, the Crathis (Crati) and the ...

; Ruston, the Stoic; Heraclitus ("the weeping philosopher"); and Democritus ("the laughing philosopher"). When Aspasia receives them coldly they suspect Epicurus is the cause and they denounce him to the Areopagus. Epicurus is taken to prison where his philosophy helps him to survive and he converts his warder. He falls asleep and has a vision of Wisdom descending from heaven. The next day, Epicurus is led before the Areopagus, where he is accused of seducing young people and preaching corruption. Epicurus proves his philosophy is based on moral principles. Aspasia comes to his aid and exposes the criminal motives behind the denunciation. Epicurus is found not guilty and pardons his accusers.Adapted from the review in the ''Almanach des Muses'', Volume 38 (1801).

References

Sources

*Arthur Pougin ''Méhul: sa vie, son génie, son caractère'' (Fischbacher, 1889) *General introduction to Méhul's operas in the introduction to the edition of '' Stratonice'' by M. Elizabeth C. Bartlet (Pendragon Press, 1997) *Leorigildo Salerno, "Les mésaventures de ''L'amour fugitif'': Genèse de ''Anacréon'' de Luigi Cherubini (1803)" in ''Schweizer Jahrbuch für Musikwissenschaft 2008/2009'' (Peter Lang, 2009) {{DEFAULTSORT:Epicure (opera) Operas by multiple composers Operas by Étienne Méhul Operas by Luigi Cherubini 1800 operas Opéras comiques French-language operas Operas Opera world premieres at the Opéra-Comique