Portrait of Jean-Philippe Rameau - Joseph Aved

''Zéphire'' (or ''Zéphyre'') 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 ...

Jean-Philippe Rameau Jean-Philippe Rameau (; – ) was a French composer and music theory, music theorist. Regarded as one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the 18th century, he replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of Fr ...

in the form of a one-act ''acte de ballet''. Nothing is known about the date of its composition and in all likelihood it was probably not performed in Rameau's lifetime. The name of its

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 ...

is also unknown but may possibly have been

Louis de Cahusac Louis de Cahusac (6 April 1706 – 22 June 1759) was an 18th-century French playwright and librettist, and Freemason, most famous for his work with the composer Jean-Philippe Rameau. He provided the libretti for several of Rameau's operas, name ...

. The first known performance of ''Zéphire'' did not take place until modern times when it was performed on 15 June 1967 at the Jubilee Hall in

Aldeburgh Aldeburgh ( ) is a coastal town in the English county, county of Suffolk, England. Located to the north of the River Alde. Its estimated population was 2,276 in 2019. It was home to the composer Benjamin Britten and remains the centre of the int ...

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Roles

Synopsis

Scene: ''A forest with an altar to Diana'' Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, is in love with Chloris, one of the nymphs of Diana. As the nymphs approach, he hides himself in the foliage. The nymphs celebrate the return of the dawn (Chorus: ''"Chantons le retour de l'aurore"'') and reget the absence of Diana herself (Chorus: ''"Ô Diane, pourquoi vous séparer de nous?"''). They deck Diana's altar with floral wreaths. As Chloris is about to leave, Zephyrus stops her, makes flowers magically appear beneath her footsteps and declares his love for her. Chloris is reluctant to trust his flattery, believing he is the mischievous god Cupid in disguise. As the other nymphs return, Zephyrus commands his followers, the zephyrs, to charm them in the guise of young men while he continues to woo Chloris. He asks Cupid to break the laws of chastity which Diana has ordered her nymphs to follow (Air: ''"Vole, Amour, brise leur chaíne"''). The nymphs dance with the zephyrs but their pleasure is interrupted by the sound of a horn, signalling the arrival of Diana. They fear her anger, but Diana admits she too has fallen in love with the shepherd

Endymion Endymion primarily refers to: * Endymion (mythology), an Ancient Greek shepherd * ''Endymion'' (poem), by John Keats Endymion may also refer to: Fictional characters * Prince Endymion, a character in the ''Sailor Moon'' anime franchise * Raul ...

. She confesses the power of Cupid and frees them from their vows of chastity. Zephyrus and Chloris sing of their love for one another (Duet: ''"Qu'il est doux de suivre"'') and Zephyrus transforms her into

Flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

, the goddess of Spring. Cupid appears and everyone celebrates his triumph (Duet and chorus: ''"Amour, sois le dieu de nos âmes"'').

Recordings

*''Zéphyre'', sung by Philip Langridge (Zéphyre), Michèle Pena (Cloris), Isabel Garcisanz (Diane) with Maîtrise Gabriel Fauré, Choeur Elizabeth Brasseur, & Ensemble Instrumental de France conducted by Jean-Pierre Wallez, IPG 7465, 1976 (1LP). *''La Guirlande'' & ''Zéphyre'', sung by Gaëlle Méchaly (Zéphyre), Rebecca Ockenden (Cloris / Flore), Sophie Decaudaveine (Diane) with Cappella Coloniensis des WDR, & Les Arts Florissants conducted by William Christie, Erato 8573-85774-2, 2000 (2CD).

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

External links

Rameau le site
a site dedicated to Jean-Philippe Rameau (in both French and English) {{DEFAULTSORT:Zephire Operas Operas by Jean-Philippe Rameau French-language operas One-act operas 18th-century operas Operas based on classical mythology Ballets by Jean-Philippe Rameau