Démophoon was Cherubini's first French opera after his move from London to Paris. It was not a success and was soon eclipsed by Johann Christoph Vogel's opera on the same subject, which premiered the following year. The musicologist Basil Deane writes: "In retrospect it is easy to see that failure was inevitable. Marmontel based his French libretto on Metastasio, but sacrificed his predecessor's directness by introducing a superfluous sub-plot. Diffuse in structure, his text is pompously banal in language."[1] The Italian Cherubini also had difficulty setting French and there are numerous examples of false accentuation. He was also only partially successful at changing his musical style from that of opera seria to one influenced by Christoph Willibald Gluck, who was then fashionable in France.[2]
Some later critics have been much more enthusiastic about the score. E. J. Dent wrote, "Cherubini produced a French opera, Démophoon, which in its technical accomplishment is as masterly as anything of Mozart's. If any work ever deserved the epithet 'classical', it is Démophoon."[3]
Basil Deane, Cherubini, Oxford University Press, 1965
Edward Joseph Dent The Rise of Romantic Opera (Cambridge University Press, 1979 edition)
Raffaele Mellace (2007). "Démophoon". In Piero Gelli (ed.). Dizionario dell'opera 2008 (in Italian). Milan: Baldini Castoldi Dalai. p. 302. ISBN978-88-6073-184-5. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
October 25, 2023
démophoon, opera, vogel, démophon, sometimes, spelt, démophon, opera, composer, luigi, cherubini, first, performed, académie, royale, musique, paris, opera, december, 1788, takes, form, tragédie, lyrique, three, acts, libretto, jean, françois, marmontel, based. For the opera by Vogel see Demophon Demophoon sometimes spelt Demophon is an opera by the composer Luigi Cherubini first performed at the Academie Royale de Musique the Paris Opera on 2 December 1788 It takes the form of a tragedie lyrique in three acts The libretto by Jean Francois Marmontel is based on Demofoonte by Metastasio Luigi Cherubini Contents 1 Performance history and reception 2 Roles 3 References 4 SourcesPerformance history and reception EditDemophoon was Cherubini s first French opera after his move from London to Paris It was not a success and was soon eclipsed by Johann Christoph Vogel s opera on the same subject which premiered the following year The musicologist Basil Deane writes In retrospect it is easy to see that failure was inevitable Marmontel based his French libretto on Metastasio but sacrificed his predecessor s directness by introducing a superfluous sub plot Diffuse in structure his text is pompously banal in language 1 The Italian Cherubini also had difficulty setting French and there are numerous examples of false accentuation He was also only partially successful at changing his musical style from that of opera seria to one influenced by Christoph Willibald Gluck who was then fashionable in France 2 Some later critics have been much more enthusiastic about the score E J Dent wrote Cherubini produced a French opera Demophoon which in its technical accomplishment is as masterly as anything of Mozart s If any work ever deserved the epithet classical it is Demophoon 3 Roles EditCast Voice type PremiereDemophoon King of Thrace basse taille bass baritone Auguste Athanase Augustin CheronOsmide son of Demophoon tenor Etienne LainezNeade Demophoon s second son tenor Jean Joseph Rousseau it Ircile princess of Phrygia soprano Anne Cheron nee Cameroy called Mlle Dozon Astor warrior of the army and the court of Demophoon baritone Francois LaysDirce daughter of Astor wife of Osmide soprano Antoinette Saint HubertyAdraste captain of Demophoon s guards tenor MartinLygdame high priest of Apollo basse taille bass baritone MoreauAn officer of the palace basse taille bass baritone ChateaufortThe oracle basse taille bass baritone ChateaufortA priestess soprano Anne Marie Jeanne Gavaudan the elder A child mute Mlle DesforgesChorus Priests priestesses young girls people of Thrace warriorsReferences Edit Deane p 2 Deane pp 2 3 Dent p 49Sources EditOriginal libretto on Google Books Basil Deane Cherubini Oxford University Press 1965 Edward Joseph Dent The Rise of Romantic Opera Cambridge University Press 1979 edition Raffaele Mellace 2007 Demophoon In Piero Gelli ed Dizionario dell opera 2008 in Italian Milan Baldini Castoldi Dalai p 302 ISBN 978 88 6073 184 5 Retrieved 1 September 2018 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Demophoon amp oldid 1171920708, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
