''Actéon'' (''Actaeon'') is a ''Pastorale'' in the form of a miniature '' tragédie en musique'' in six scenes by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Opus H.481 & H.481a, based on a Greek myth.

History

It is highly unlikely that this opera was written for performance at the Hôtel de Guise, the palatial Parisian residence of Marie de Lorraine, Duchess of Guise, Charpentier's protectress. (The work was copied into a Roman-number notebook, which strongly suggests that it was an outside commission; and the overall distribution of voices and instruments does not match that of the Guise ensemble of the time.) Although the patron and the place of performance remain unknown, the date can be determined with considerable accuracy: the spring hunting season of 1684. Later that year (presumably for the fall hunting season) it was revised to change the title role from an ''haute-contre'' role (perhaps originally sung by Charpentier) to a soprano part, and was at that time renamed ''Actéon changé en biche.''This is, of course, a pun, because a female singer (a ''biche'', a "doe") has taken the place of the original male who was turned into a stag. The author of the French

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

is unknown, however the plot is based on a story in Ovid's '' Metamorphoses''. In this story the hunter

Actaeon Actaeon (; grc, Ἀκταίων ''Aktaion''), in Greek mythology, son of the priestly herdsman Aristaeus and Autonoe in Boeotia, was a famous Theban hero. Like Achilles in a later generation, he was trained by the centaur Chiron. He fell to ...

(Actéon in French) accidentally discovers the goddess

Diana Diana most commonly refers to: * Diana (name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Diana (mythology), ancient Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals; later associated with the Moon * Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997) ...

(Diane in French) bathing with her attendants. He tries to hide himself, but is discovered, and Diane in anger turns him into a

stag Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

, and he is pursued and torn apart by his own hounds. This story is the same one recounted in the aria "Oft she visits this lone mountain" from Purcell's '' Dido and Aeneas'', first performed in 1689. In 2015, Ayrshire Opera, led by David Douglas translated the opera into Scots and performed it as part of a community project.

Roles

Selected recordings

*conducted by William Christie, Les Arts Florissants CD. Harmonia Mundi Musique d'Abord (1982). Catalog# 1951095. *conducted by Paul O'Dette and

Stephen Stubbs Stephen Stubbs (born 1951) is a lutenist and music director and has been a leading figure in the American early music scene for nearly thirty years. Born in Seattle, he studied harpsichord and composition at the University of Washington where, a ...

Boston Early Music Festival The Boston Early Music Festival (BEMF) is a non-profit organization founded in 1980 in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. to promote historical music performance. It presents an annual concert series in Boston and New York City, produces opera recordi ...

CD.

cpo CPO may refer to: Occupations * Certified Professional Organizer * Certified Protection Officer, a professional certification for security officers from the International Foundation for Protection Officers * Chief people officer, a corporate of ...

(2009). Catalog# 777 613–2.

References

* John S. Powell. "Actéon", ''

Grove Music Online ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...

'', ed. L. Macy (accessed July 23, 2006)
grovemusic.com
(subscription access). * H. Wiley Hitchcock. "Charpentier, Marc-Antoine 3. Stage music.", ''

'', ed. L. Macy (accessed July 23, 2006)
grovemusic.com
(subscription access).

External links

(in French) {{DEFAULTSORT:Acteon Operas by Marc-Antoine Charpentier French-language operas 1684 operas Tragédies en musique Operas Operas based on Metamorphoses Pastoral operas One-act operas