Portrait of Jean-Philippe Rameau - Joseph Aved

''Pigmalion'', more commonly today ''Pygmalion'', is an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

in the form of a one-act '' acte de ballet'' by Jean-Philippe Rameau first performed on 27 August 1748 at the Opéra in Paris. 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

Ballot de Sauvot Sylvain Ballot de Sauvot (1703 – December 1760) was an 18th-century French lawyer at Parlement de Paris and man of letters amateur, belonging to the entourage of Jean-Philippe Rameau (Sylvain Ballot, his brother, was Rameau's notary). He rework ...

. This work has generally been regarded as the best of Rameau's one-act pieces. He was said to have composed the work in eight days.

Roles

Synopsis

The story is based on the myth of

Pygmalion Pygmalion or Pigmalion may refer to: Mythology * Pygmalion (mythology), a sculptor who fell in love with his statue Stage * ''Pigmalion'' (opera), a 1745 opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Pygmalion'' (Rousseau), a 1762 melodrama by Jean-Jacques ...

as told in

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

's ''Metamorphoses''. In Rameau and Ballot de Sauvot's version, the sculptor Pigmalion creates a beautiful statue to which he declares his love. His girlfriend, Céphise, begs for attention; Pigmalion spurns her and entreats the goddess

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...

to bring his statue to life. Magically the statue enlivens, sings, and dances; Cupid arrives and praises Pigmalion for his artistry and faith in his powers. Much celebratory dancing and singing follows, attesting to the power of love. Cupid helpfully finds another lover for Céphise.

Recordings

* ''Pygmalion'' Orchestre de chambre des Concerts Lamoureux, Marcel Couraud (Archiv Produktion, recorded 1962) * ''Pygmalion''

La Petite Bande La Petite Bande is a Belgium-based ensemble specialising in music of the Baroque and Classical eras played on period instruments. They are particularly known for their recordings of works by Corelli, Rameau, Handel, Bach, Haydn, and Mozart. His ...

, Gustav Leonhardt (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, 1981) * ''Pygmalion'' English Bach Festival Singers and Orchestra,

Nicholas McGegan James Nicholas McGegan OBE (born 14 January 1950 in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, England) is a British harpsichordist, flutist, conductor and early music expert. Biography McGegan received his early education at Nottingham High School. He sub ...

(Erato, 1984) * ''Pygmalion'' Les Arts Florissants, William Christie (Harmonia Mundi, 1992) * ''Pygmalion'' Le Concert Spirituel,

Hervé Niquet Hervé Niquet (born 28 October 1957) is a French conductor, harpsichordist, tenor, and the director of Le Concert Spirituel, specializing in French Baroque music. Biography Born on 28 October 1957, Hervé Niquet was raised at Abbeville in the ...

(EMI, 1992; Virgin Veritas, 2008) * ''Pygmalion'' Concert Royal, James Richman (Centaur, 2010) * ''Pygmalion'' Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset (Aparte, 2017)

References

Sources

* Girdlestone, Cuthbert, ''Jean-Philippe Rameau: His Life and Work'', New York: Dover, 1969 (paperback edition) *Holden, Amanda (Ed.), ''The New Penguin Opera Guide'', New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. * Lajarte, Théodore ''Bibliothèque Musicale du Théatre de l'Opéra. Catalogue Historique, Chronologique, Anecdotique'', Tome 1, Paris, Librairie des bibliophiles, 1878 (copy a
Internet Archive
*Sadler, Graham, ed., ''The New Grove French Baroque Masters'' Grove/Macmillan, 1988 *Lambert, Kevin,
Hearing Pygmalion’s Kiss: A Scientific Object at the Paris Opéra
, ''Physics in Perspective'' 16, no. 4 (2014): 417–439. DOI: 10.1007/s00016-014-0148-2. {{authority control Operas Operas by Jean-Philippe Rameau French-language operas One-act operas 1748 operas Ballets by Jean-Philippe Rameau Operas based on Metamorphoses Ballets by Ballot de Sovot Opera world premieres at the Paris Opera Works based on Pygmalion from Ovid's Metamorphoses