''Actéon'' (''Actaeon'') is a ''Pastorale'' in the form of a miniature ''

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 i ...

'' 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 (From the Italian word , ) 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 th ...

is unknown, however the plot is based on a story in

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

's ''

Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' (, , ) is a Latin Narrative poetry, narrative poem from 8 Common Era, CE by the Ancient Rome, Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''Masterpiece, magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its Cre ...

''. In this story the hunter

Actaeon In Greek mythology, Actaeon (; ''Aktaiōn'') was the son of the priestly herdsman Aristaeus and Autonoe in Boeotia, and a famous Thebes, Greece, Theban Greek hero cult, hero. Through his mother he was a member of the ruling House of Cadmus. Like ...

(Actéon in French) accidentally discovers the goddess Diana (Diane in French) bathing with her attendants. He tries to hide himself, but is discovered, and Diane in anger turns him into a stag, and he is pursued and torn apart by his own

hound A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey. Description Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. ...

s. This story is the same one recounted in the aria "Oft she visits this lone mountain" from Purcell's ''

Dido and Aeneas ''Dido and Aeneas'' (Z. 626) is an opera in a prologue and three acts, written by the English Baroque music, Baroque composer Henry Purcell with a libretto by Nahum Tate. The dates of the composition and first performance of the opera are uncer ...

'', 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, Boston Early Music Festival CD. cpo (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 t ...

'', 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