''Zaïs'' 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 libr ...
by
Jean-Philippe Rameau first performed on 29 February 1748 at the Opéra in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
. It takes the form of a ''
pastorale héroïque
Pastorale héroïque was a type of ballet héroïque, a form of the opéra-ballet genre of French Baroque opera. The first work to bear the name was Jean-Baptiste Lully's final completed opera ''Acis et Galatée'' (1686), although musical works on ...
'' in four acts and a prologue. The
librettist
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. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...
was
Louis de Cahusac.
The score is particularly remarkable for its
overture, which depicts the emergence of the four elements out of chaos. It looks back to
Jean-Féry Rebel
Jean-Féry Rebel (18 April 1666 – 2 January 1747) was an innovative French Baroque composer and violinist.
Biography
Rebel, a child violin prodigy, was the most famous offspring of Jean Rebel, a tenor in Louis XIV's private chapel. He late ...
's ballet ''Les élemens'' and forward to
Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...
's overture for his
oratorio
An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...
''
The Creation''.
Roles
According to the published libretto
French libretto
/ref>
Synopsis
Zaïs, a genie
Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources)
– are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic myt ...
, disguises himself as a shepherd to win the love of a shepherdess, Zélide. After a series of ordeals in which Zaïs shows he is willing to give up his magic powers for his love, Oromases, the king of the genies, grants Zélide immortality so the couple can marry.
Recordings
* ''Zaïs'', John Elwes (Zaïs), Marjanne Kweksilber (Zélidie), Max van Egmond (Oromazès), David Thomas (Cindor), Mieke van der Sluis (Une Sylphide/ La Grande Prêtresse de l'Amour), Jane Marsch (L'Amour), René Jacobs
René Jacobs (born 30 October 1946) is a Belgian musician. He came to fame as a countertenor, but later in his career he became known as a conductor of baroque and classical opera.
Biography Countertenor
Born in Ghent, Jacobs began his music ...
(Un Sylphe), 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 ...
conducted by Gustav Leonhardt (3 CDs,Stil, 1975)
* ''Zaïs'', Julian Prégardien (Zaïs), Sandrine Piau (Zélidie), Aimery Lefèvre (Oromazès), Benoït Arnould (Cindor), Amel Brahim-Djelloul (Une Sylphide/ La Grande Prêtresse de l'Amour), Hasnaa Bennani (L'Amour), Zachary Wilder (Un Sylphe), Chœur de Chambre de Namur and Les Talens Lyriques
The French musical ensemble Les Talens Lyriques was created in 1991 in Paris, France, by the harpsichordist and orchestral conductor Christophe Rousset. This instrumental and vocal formation derives its name from the subtitle of '' Les fêtes d'Hà ...
conducted by Christophe Rousset
Christophe Rousset (; born 12 April 1961) is a French harpsichordist and conductor, who specializes in the performance of Baroque music on period instruments. He is also a musicologist, particularly of opera and European music of the 17th and 1 ...
(3 CDs, Aparte, 2015)
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.
*Sadler, Graham (Ed.), ''The New Grove French Baroque Masters'' Grove/Macmillan, 1988
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zais
Operas
Operas by Jean-Philippe Rameau
French-language operas
1748 operas
Opera world premieres at the Paris Opera