''Léandre et Héro'' (''Leander and Hero'') is an opera by the

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

composer the Marquis de Brassac, first performed at the Académie Royale de Musique (the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...

) on 25 April (or the 5 May) 1750.''Livrets baroques'' gives 25 April, Clément and Larousse 5 May It takes the form of a ''

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 a prologue and five acts. The libretto, by

Jean-Jacques Lefranc, Marquis de Pompignan Jean-Jacques Lefranc (also Le Franc), Marquis de Pompignan (10 August 1709 – 1 November 1784) was a French man of letters and erudition, who published a considerable output of theatrical work, poems, literary criticism, and polemics; treatises ...

, is based on the Greek legend of

Hero and Leander Hero and Leander (, ) is the Greek myth relating the story of Hero (, ''Hērṓ''; ), a priestess of Aphrodite (Venus in Roman mythology) who dwelt in a tower in Sestos on the European side of the Hellespont, and Leander (, ''Léandros''; ...

Notes and references

Sources

Libretto at "Livres baroques"

Félix Clément and Pierre Larousse ''Dictionnaire des Opéras'', Paris, 1881
page 398. *(in French
Score at La Bibliothèque Nationale de France
French-language operas Tragédies en musique Operas 1750 operas {{french-opera-stub