''Persée'' (''

Perseus In Greek mythology, Perseus (Help:IPA/English, /ˈpɜːrsiəs, -sjuːs/; Greek language, Greek: Περσεύς, Romanization of Greek, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus ...

'') is a

tragédie lyrique This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names. "Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...

with music by

Jean-Baptiste Lully Jean-Baptiste Lully ( , , ; born Giovanni Battista Lulli, ; – 22 March 1687) was an Italian-born French composer, guitarist, violinist, and dancer who is considered a master of the French Baroque music style. Best known for his operas, he ...

and a

libretto 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 theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

Philippe Quinault Philippe Quinault (; 3 June 1635 – 26 November 1688), French dramatist and librettist, was born in Paris. Biography Quinault was educated by the liberality of François Tristan l'Hermite, the author of ''Marianne''. Quinault's first play w ...

, first performed on 18 April 1682 by the

Opéra This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names. "Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...

at the

Théâtre du Palais-Royal The Théâtre du Palais-Royal () is a 750-seat Parisian theatre at 38 rue de Montpensier, located at the northwest corner of the Palais-Royal in the Galerie de Montpensier at its intersection with the Galerie de Beaujolais. Brief history ...

in Paris.

Roles

Synopsis

ACT I: The Palace of King Céphée and Queen Cassiope of Ethiopia

King Céphée expresses the terror his people feel for the snake-haired Mèduse: anyone who looks on her turns to stone. The goddess Juno has sent Mèduse to punish Queen Cassiope for her insolence in comparing her own beauty to that of the goddess. In an effort to appease Juno's wrath, Cassiope has prepared a celebration of games in her honour. We learn that Mérope, the queen's sister, secretly loves Persée. However, Persée loves and is loved by Andromède, the king's daughter. Andromède is betrothed to Phinée, her uncle, who, in an agony of jealousy, accuses her of not returning his love, suspecting that she loves another. Andromède assures him that she will fulfil her duty to love him. As the act ends, we learn that Juno has rejected the sacrifices made in her honour. Messengers arrive with the terrible news that Mèduse has taken more victims.

ACT II: The Palace Gardens

Céphée announces that Persée will fight Mèduse to free Ethiopia of her terror; if successful, he is to have Andromède as his own. Phinée is outraged. Andromède and Mérope confess their mutual love for Persée and pray for his safe return. As Andromède and Persée say farewell, she cannot keep herself from confessing that she loves only him. Mercure assures Persée of the assistance of all the gods (except Juno). A troupe of Cyclops brings Persée a sword forged by Vulcan, Warrior Nymphs bring Pallas's diamond shield, and Fiery Spirits from the underworld present him with the helmet of Pluto.

ACT III: The dwelling of the Gorgons

Once a beautiful woman renowned for her gorgeous hair, Mèduse tells how she was turned into a snake-haired monster by the hand of the goddess Minerva, who was jealous of her. Mercure casts a sleeping spell over Mèduse and the Gorgons, who try but cannot resist the spell. Using Minerva's shield as a mirror to avoid gazing on Mèduse, Persée beheads her. Using Pluto's helmet to make himself invisible, Persée flees the wrath of the remaining Gorgons, carrying Mèduse's head.

ACT IV: A rocky seacoast in Ethiopia

The Ethiopians are celebrating and awaiting the victorious Persée on a rocky seacoast. A storm arises, and the sailor Idas enters to announce that the furious Juno, along with Neptune, is determined to sacrifice Andromède to a sea monster. Phinée says that he would rather see Andromède dead than in the arms of his rival, confessing that love has died in his heart. Before the despairing eyes of the king, the Tritons chain Andromède to a rock. At the last moment, Persée flies toward the approaching monster and kills it. The storm ends and the Ethiopians celebrate victory.

ACT V: A reception room prepared for the wedding of Persée and Andromède

A devastated Mérope longs for death, then is joined by Phinée. The two conspire to take revenge on Persée with the help of Juno. As the High Priest begins the wedding ceremony, however, Mérope repents of her treachery and warns Persée that Phinée`s assassins are approaching. The wedding guests flee. In the ensuing battle, Mérope is struck by an arrow and killed. With the help of Juno, the battle goes in Phinée's favour; however, Persée uses the Gorgon's head to turn his enemy to stone. The scene changes to Venus' palace. Venus descends from the heavens to announce that Juno is appeased and the Ethiopians can now live in peace. While Céphée, Cassiope, Persée and Andromède hover on Mercure's wings, the Ethiopians celebrate with dancing and singing.

Releases

DVD

A 2004 production by

Opera Atelier Opera Atelier is an opera company located in Toronto, Canada. It was founded in 1985 by husband and wife Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg. The company mounts baroque operas from the 17th and 18th centuries that are presented in venu ...

performed live at the

Elgin Theatre The Elgin Theatre can refer to: * Elgin Theatre (Ottawa) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, a former movie cinema that was the first twin cinema in North America * Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada * Elgin Theater, a former mov ...

under the direction of Marshall Pynkoski and conducted by

Hervé Niquet Hervé Niquet (born 28 October 1957) is a French conductor, harpsichordist, tenor, and the director of Le Concert Spirituel, specializing in French Baroque music. Biography Born on 28 October 1957, Hervé Niquet was raised at Abbeville in the ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

is the first home video release of the opera. It features

Cyril Auvity Cyril (also Cyrillus or Cyryl) is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Greek name Κύριλλος (''Kýrillos''), meaning 'lordly, masterful', which in turn derives from Greek κυριος ('' kýrios'') 'lord'. There are various varia ...

(Persée), Marie Lenormand (Andromeda), Stephanie Novacek (Cassiope), Monica Whicher (Mérope), Olivier Laquerre (Céphée/Méduse (the latter transposed from F to E-flat)), Alain Coulombe (Phinée), and Colin Ainsworth (Mercure). The designer was Gérard Gauci and the choreographer was Jeannette Zingg.

Marc Stone Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system o ...

directed the television production.

Notes

Sources

*Original libretto: ''Persée, Tragedie representée par l'Academie Royale de Musique le dix-septième Avril 1682'', Paris, Ballard, 1682 (accessible for free online a
Gallica - BNF
*Printed Score: ''Persée, Tragedie mise en musique, par Monsieur de Lully, Escuyer, ...'', Paris, Ballard, 1682 (accessible for free onlite a
Gallica - BNF
*''The New Grove French Baroque Masters'', ed. Graham Sadler (Macmillan, 1986) *''The Viking Opera Guide'' ed. Holden (Viking, 1993) *Parvopassu, Clelia ''Persée'', in Gelli, Piero & Poletti, Filippo (ed), ''Dizionario dell'opera 2008'', Milan, Baldini Castoldi Dalai, 2007, pp. 1008-1009

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Persee Operas by Jean-Baptiste Lully French-language operas Operas 1682 operas Operas based on classical mythology Opera world premieres at the Paris Opera Operas based on Metamorphoses