The libretto for Circé was written by Louise Genevieve Gillot de Saintonge (1650–1718) who based it on the Greek mythological character of that name. She also wrote the libretto for the opera Didon, also composed by Desmarets.
Henri Desmarets
Henri Desmarets (1661–1741) was a French Baroque era composer associated with the court of King Louis XIV. He was considered very talented and became best known for his sacred grand motets. He spent his early years in the shadow of the king's favorite, Lully, and after Lully's death in 1687 composed several successful operas, but then a dispute with the family of the girl he eloped with in 1697 forced him to live in exile for twenty years and he then spent another twenty without a position in France.[1]
Performance and reception
Circe was first performed on 1 October 1694[2] at the Paris Opera.[3] It was not received well; most of Desmarets' operas were said to have mimicked Lully's music in a way that produced material similar but inferior to it. No fault of Desmarets', Lully's monopoly on court music cast a shadow in which any potential individuality Desmarets had was quashed. This may have contributed to the generally negative sentiment toward his work evident in reviews written at the time.[4][5]
The libretto was published in Amsterdam in 1695.[6]
Circe in mythology
Circe appears often in ancient literature as an enchantress well-versed in potions and sorcery, seen at times as the prototype of the sexual and predatory woman. She is best known as a character in Homer's Odyssey, where she falls in love with Odysseus and lures him and his crew to a wine- and potion-laced feast where she turns several of the men into swine. They all remain on her island for a year until she frees them and directs Odysseus home.
Tragédie en musique
Circe falls under the category of tragedie en musique (also known as tragedie lyrique), a genre of opera formed and popularized in the Baroque era by Lully and carried on until the end of the period. Operas in this genre served the purpose of edifying the king and exemplify regality with stately rhythmic structures and consonant harmonies. Most were based on Greek myth and tragedy, hence its name, literally "tragedy set to music."[7]
Score
Though the similarities between Desmarets' and Lully's music were written off by bitter critics as the sign of a composer failing to come into his own, the use of one of Desmarets' musical structures in later music suggests quietly admitted approval within the musical community. At the time one trend was to highlight low voices and sonorities, which the composer furthered through choruses that featured a single exposed melody to be sung by bass voices as seen in the songes affreux in Circe.
The prologue is a good example of the homophony characteristic of French music at the time the opera was written, and includes points of imitation, or repeated material in succession between different instrument and voice parts which may mimic a fugue.
The most popular excerpt of the piece is the rigaudon transcribed by Ernst Pauer for piano.
^Mason Greene, David (1985). Greene's Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers. Doubleday and Company. pp. 186–187.
^Clément, Félix; Larousse, Pierre (1881). Dictionnaire des Opéras (in French). Paris. p. 163. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
^Taruskin, Richard. Oxford History of Western Music: Music in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Oxford.[page needed]
^Sadle, Stanley. New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Grove's Dictionaries of Music.
^Sadle, Stanley. Oxford Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Oxford.
^Circé, Tragédie en musique representée par L'Academie Royalle de Musique (in French). Amsterdam: Antoine Schelte. 1695. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
^Anthony, James R. French Baroque Music from Rameau to Beaujoyeulx.
^"Centerpiece Opera: Desmarest's Circé". Boston Early Music Festival. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
March 22, 2023
circé, desmarets, circé, opera, composed, henri, desmarets, libretto, louise, geneviève, gillot, saintonge, first, performed, académie, royale, musique, paris, opera, october, 1694, takes, form, tragédie, musique, prologue, five, acts, piece, concerns, sorcere. Circe is an opera composed by Henri Desmarets to a libretto by Louise Genevieve Gillot de Saintonge and first performed at the Academie Royale de Musique the Paris Opera on 1 October 1694 It takes the form of a tragedie en musique in a prologue and five acts The piece concerns the sorceress Circe who appears in Greek mythology and in Homer s Odyssey The front cover of the score to Circe by Desmarets Contents 1 Louise Genevieve Gillot de Saintonge 2 Henri Desmarets 3 Performance and reception 4 Circe in mythology 5 Tragedie en musique 6 Score 7 Recordings 8 ReferencesLouise Genevieve Gillot de Saintonge EditThe libretto for Circe was written by Louise Genevieve Gillot de Saintonge 1650 1718 who based it on the Greek mythological character of that name She also wrote the libretto for the opera Didon also composed by Desmarets Henri Desmarets EditHenri Desmarets 1661 1741 was a French Baroque era composer associated with the court of King Louis XIV He was considered very talented and became best known for his sacred grand motets He spent his early years in the shadow of the king s favorite Lully and after Lully s death in 1687 composed several successful operas but then a dispute with the family of the girl he eloped with in 1697 forced him to live in exile for twenty years and he then spent another twenty without a position in France 1 Performance and reception EditCirce was first performed on 1 October 1694 2 at the Paris Opera 3 It was not received well most of Desmarets operas were said to have mimicked Lully s music in a way that produced material similar but inferior to it No fault of Desmarets Lully s monopoly on court music cast a shadow in which any potential individuality Desmarets had was quashed This may have contributed to the generally negative sentiment toward his work evident in reviews written at the time 4 5 The libretto was published in Amsterdam in 1695 6 Circe in mythology EditCirce appears often in ancient literature as an enchantress well versed in potions and sorcery seen at times as the prototype of the sexual and predatory woman She is best known as a character in Homer s Odyssey where she falls in love with Odysseus and lures him and his crew to a wine and potion laced feast where she turns several of the men into swine They all remain on her island for a year until she frees them and directs Odysseus home Tragedie en musique EditCirce falls under the category of tragedie en musique also known as tragedie lyrique a genre of opera formed and popularized in the Baroque era by Lully and carried on until the end of the period Operas in this genre served the purpose of edifying the king and exemplify regality with stately rhythmic structures and consonant harmonies Most were based on Greek myth and tragedy hence its name literally tragedy set to music 7 Score EditThough the similarities between Desmarets and Lully s music were written off by bitter critics as the sign of a composer failing to come into his own the use of one of Desmarets musical structures in later music suggests quietly admitted approval within the musical community At the time one trend was to highlight low voices and sonorities which the composer furthered through choruses that featured a single exposed melody to be sung by bass voices as seen in the songes affreux in Circe The prologue is a good example of the homophony characteristic of French music at the time the opera was written and includes points of imitation or repeated material in succession between different instrument and voice parts which may mimic a fugue The most popular excerpt of the piece is the rigaudon transcribed by Ernst Pauer for piano Recordings EditBoston Early Music Festival 2023 planned following performances scheduled for June 2023 8 References Edit Mason Greene David 1985 Greene s Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers Doubleday and Company pp 186 187 Clement Felix Larousse Pierre 1881 Dictionnaire des Operas in French Paris p 163 Retrieved 9 November 2022 Taruskin Richard Oxford History of Western Music Music in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries Oxford page needed Sadle Stanley New Grove Dictionary of Opera Grove s Dictionaries of Music Sadle Stanley Oxford Dictionary of Music and Musicians Oxford Circe Tragedie en musique representee par L Academie Royalle de Musique in French Amsterdam Antoine Schelte 1695 Retrieved 9 November 2022 Anthony James R French Baroque Music from Rameau to Beaujoyeulx Centerpiece Opera Desmarest s Circe Boston Early Music Festival Retrieved 9 November 2022 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Circe Desmarets amp oldid 1140343166, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
