''Bacchus, Ceres en Venus'' is a 1686 Dutch-language pastoral opera by Johan Schenck around the theme – "without Ceres and

Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

remains cold", a theme popular with many Dutch painters of the time. It is one of the earliest surviving Dutch-language operas, 8 years after with Carolus Hacquart's '' De triomfeerende Min'' (1678). The

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 ...

was by

Govert Bidloo Govert Bidloo or Govard Bidloo (12 March 1649 – 30 March 1713) was a Dutch Golden Age physician, anatomist, poet and playwright. He was the personal physician of William III of Orange-Nassau, Dutch stadholder and King of England, Scotland ...

an Amsterdam physician and poet. A large number of selections from the opera were published as Schenk's Op. 1 in 1687 enabling a reconstruction as the basis for a recording by

Camerata Trajectina Camerata Trajectina is a Dutch early music ensemble (in English, the word, "camerata," generally means a choir or small chamber orchestra). The ensemble was founded in Utrecht (hence Latin ''trajectina''; of Utrecht) in 1974 by Jos van Veldhoven ...

in 2006."Schenck: ''Bacchus, Ceres en Venus''"

, , Globe Records GLO6060 – via prestomusic.com"Johan Schenck – ''Bacchus, Ceres en Venus''"
background (in Dutch)
"Photos"booklet (in Dutch and English

The opera had its (rather late) premiere at the

Festival Oude Muziek The Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht ("Utrecht Early Music Festival") is an annual music festival that showcases and celebrates early European art music. The ten-day festival takes place in the Dutch city of Utrecht, and begins in August. The program ...

Utrecht in 2011. The production was directed by Marc Krone and featured Bernard Loonen as Mercurius, Hieke Meppelink as Cerus, Jasper Schweppe as Bacchus, and Renate Arends as Venus.

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Opera Dutch-language operas 1686 operas Operas set in ancient Greece