''Les Plaisirs de l'Isle enchantée'' ("The Pleasures of the Enchanted Island") was a multi-day festival presented from 7 to 13 May 1664 to the court of King

Louis XIV of France LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

Kathleen Wine (2002), "''Plaisirs de l'Isle enchantée, Les''", pp. 371–373, in ''The Molière Encyclopedia'', edited by James F. Gaines. Westport, Connecticut/London: Greenwood Press. . in the newly landscaped

gardens of Versailles The Gardens of Versailles ( ) occupy part of what was once the ''Domaine royal de Versailles'', the royal demesne of the Palace of Versailles, château of Versailles. Situated to the west of the Palace of Versailles, palace, the gardens cover so ...

.Powell, John S. (2000). ''Music and Theatre in France 1600–1680'', pp. 337–338. Oxford: Oxford University Press. . Unlike earlier royal festivals given in urban settings, it was presented to an exclusive audience of about 600 invited guests. At the King's request, it was organized by the

Duke of Saint-Aignan Duke of Saint-Aignan ( Fr.: ''duc de Saint-Aignan'') was a title of nobility in the peerage of France created by Louis XIV of France for François de Beauvilliers in 1663. It takes its name from Beauvilliers' hometown of Saint-Aignan (which is c ...

, who took the title from a popular episode in cantos 6–8 and 10 of the 1516 Italian epic ''

Orlando furioso ''Orlando furioso'' (; ''The Frenzy of Orlando'') is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was not published in its complete form ...

'' by Ludovico Ariosto, in which the knight Ruggiero (in French, Roger) becomes a prisoner of love at the sorceress Alcina's court. The incidental music for the festivities was composed by

Jean-Baptiste Lully Jean-Baptiste Lully ( – 22 March 1687) was a French composer, dancer and instrumentalist of Italian birth, who is considered a master of the French Baroque music style. Best known for his operas, he spent most of his life working in the court o ...

, the verses were by

Isaac de Benserade Isaac de Benserade (; baptized 5 November 161310 October 1691) was a French poet and playwright. Born in Lyons-la-Forêt, Normandy, his family appears to have been connected with Richelieu, who bestowed on him a pension of 600 ''livres''. On R ...

and Octave de Périgny, and the stage machinery and sets were designed by

Carlo Vigarani Carlo Vigarani ( – 17 February 1713)Sheren and La Gorce 2001. was an Italian scenic designer who worked as ("royal engineer") and then ("intendant to the King's pleasures") at the court of the French king Louis XIV until 1690. He was born in ...

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...

also played a large role in the organisation of festivities, which featured the premières of his plays ''

La Princesse d'Élide ''La Princesse d'Élide'' (''The Princess of Elis'') is a 1664 French comic play ("comédie galante") in 5 acts in verse and prose by Molière, who based it on Agustin Moreto y Cabaña's 1654 Spanish play ''El desdén con el desdén'' (''Scorn ...

'' and ''

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; , ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy (or more specifically, a farce) by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical theat ...

''. Lully also composed the music for the six ''

intermède ''Intermède'' (also ''intermédie'', ''intramède'', ''entremets'') is a French theatrical entertainment or spectacle, often involving song and dance and inserted between the acts of a play. It was similar to the Italian '' intermedio''. The co ...

s'' of ''La Princesse d'Élide'', which was performed on the second day of the festival in a temporary outdoor theatre installed in the gardens for the occasion. The audience had a view of the Basin of Apollo (at that time known as the Fountain of Swans) in which Vigarani had constructed a small-scale set depicting Alcine's magic palace. Fireworks were set off at the basin on the third day.

Recordings

* ''Lully ou le Musicien du Soleil'', Vol. III (besides an excerpt ("1ère journée") from ''Les Plaisirs de l'Ile Enchantée'' (LWV 22), also includes ''La Grotte de Versailles'' (LWV 39) and ''Le Carrousel'' (LWV 72)). Benjamin Lazar, speaker; Françoise Masset, Julie Hassler, Raphaële Kennedy, sopranos; Renaud Tripathi, tenor; Jean-Louis Georgel, baritone; Philippe Roche, bass;

La Simphonie du Marais La Simphonie du Marais is a French music Ensemble (music), ensemble established in 1987 by Recorder (musical instrument), recorder player Hugo Reyne. Today, it is located in the Logis de la Chabotterie of Saint-Sulpice-le-Verdon in Vendée. It pe ...

, conducted by

Hugo Reyne Hugo Reyne (born in 1961) is a contemporary French recorder player, oboist and conductor. He is the founder and music director of La Simphonie du Marais. Biography Born in Paris, Hugo Reyne began learning the flute and oboe at a very young age ...

. .

References

External links

*
''Les Plaisirs de l'îsle enchantée'' (1673)
at Gallica {{DEFAULTSORT:Plaisirs de l'Isle enchantee Ancien Régime History of the Palace of Versailles French plays