''Iphigénie en Tauride'' (English: ''Iphigeneia in Tauris'') is an opera by the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

composers

Henri Desmarets Henri Desmarets (February 1661 – 7 September 1741) was a French composer of the Baroque period primarily known for his stage works, although he also composed sacred music as well as secular cantatas, songs and instrumental works. Biogr ...

and

André Campra André Campra (; baptized 4 December 1660 – 29 June 1744) was a French composer and conductor of the Baroque era. The leading French opera composer in the period between Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau, Campra wrote several '' tra ...

. It takes the form of a ''

tragédie en musique Tragédie en musique (, ''musical tragedy''), also known as tragédie lyrique (, ''lyric tragedy''), is a genre of French opera introduced by Jean-Baptiste Lully and used by his followers until the second half of the eighteenth century. Operas in t ...

'' in a prologue and five acts. The

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 by

Joseph-François Duché de Vancy Joseph-François Duché de Vancy (29 October 1668, Paris – 14 December 1704) was a French playwright. Life He was the son of a gentleman in the household of Louis XIV and was himself a valet de chambre du roi. He followed Anne-Jules, 2nd duc de ...

with additions by

Antoine Danchet Antoine Danchet (7 September 1671 – 21 February 1748) was a French playwright, librettist and dramatic poet. Biography Danchet was born in Riom, in the Auvergne, France. Having been a professor of rhetoric at Chartres and then a tutor at Par ...

. Desmarets had begun work on the opera around 1696 but abandoned it when he was forced to go into exile in 1699. Campra and his regular librettist Danchet took up the piece and wrote the prologue, most of Act Five, two

aria In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

s in Act One, an aria for Acts Two and Three, and two arias for the fourth act. The plot is ultimately based on

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...

' tragedy ''

Iphigeneia in Tauris ''Iphigenia in Tauris'' ( grc, Ἰφιγένεια ἐν Ταύροις, ''Iphigeneia en Taurois'') is a drama by the playwright Euripides, written between 414 BC and 412 BC. It has much in common with another of Euripides's plays, ''Helen'', as w ...

''.

Performance history

''Iphigénie'' was first performed by the

Académie royale de musique The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...

at the

Théâtre du Palais-Royal The Théâtre du Palais-Royal () is a 750-seat Parisian theatre at 38 rue de Montpensier, located at the northwest corner of the Palais-Royal in the Galerie de Montpensier at its intersection with the Galerie de Beaujolais. Brief history ...

in Paris on 6 May 1704 with

Françoise Journet Françoise Journet (born Lyon, died Paris 1720) was a French operatic soprano. Beginning her career at the Lyon Opera, Journet eventually became a pupil of Marie Le Rochois in Paris. In 1699 she appeared as Mélisse in the premiere of ''Amadis de ...

as Iphigénie and

Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard (10 August 1669 – 24 August 1741) was a French operatic baritone (''basse taille''). Thévenard was born at Orléans or possibly Paris. Arriving in Paris in 1690, he studied under the composer André Cardinal Dest ...

as Oreste. It was coolly received at first, but enjoyed several revivals in the 18th century, the last being in 1762.

Roles

References

;Notes ;Sources * Original libretto: ''Iphigénie en Tauride, Tragédie, Représentée pour la prémiere fois par l'Academie Royale de Musique, Le Mardi sixiéme jour de May 1704'', Paris, Ballard, 1704 (accessible for free online a
Gallica, Bibliothèque Nationale de France
* 1711 printed score: ''Iphigénie en Tauride , tragedie mise en musique par Messieurs Desmarets, & Campra ; représentée pour la premiere fois par l'Academie royale de musique, le mardy sixiéme jour de may 1704. Remise au théatre le douziéme mars 1711'', Paris, Ballard, 1711 (accessible for free online a
Gallica, Bibliothèque Nationale de France
*''The Viking Opera Guide'' ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Iphigenie En Tauride Desmarets And Campra Tragédies en musique Operas by multiple composers Operas by André Campra Operas by Henri Desmarets French-language operas Operas Opera world premieres at the Paris Opera 1704 operas Operas based on classical mythology Operas based on Iphigenia in Tauris