Phaëton was the first lyric tragedy of Lully and Quinault to receive its world premiere at the Palace of Versailles, where it was given without stage machinery on or about 6 January 1683.[1] The Paris Opera also performed it at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal (beginning on 27 April), where it was very successful with the general public. The performances ceased for thirty days of mourning following the death of the queen on 30 July 1683, but resumed thereafter and continued until 12 or 13 January 1684. The opera was revived at the Palais-Royal in 1692, 1702, 1710, 1721, 1730, and 1742. It was sometimes referred to as "the people's opera", just as Lully's Isis came to be called "the musician's opera" (because of its score), and his Atys, as "the king's opera" (one of Louis XIV's favorite works).[2]
Followers of Triton; Kings and Tributaries of Merops; Egyptians, Ethiopians, Indians; followers of Phaëton; Priestesses; Worshippers of Isis; Furies; Hours of the Day; Four Seasons
1709 illustration for Phaëton
Synopsis
Phaëton, the prideful and reckless son of the Sun and the ocean nymph Clymene, is driven to abandon his lover Theona by his ambition for the hand of Libya, daughter of the king of Egypt. On the day of the wedding, Libya's enraged lover Epaphus, himself the son of Jupiter, disputes Phaëton's claim to divine lineage. Desiring to prove himself, Phaëton convinces his father to allow him to drive the sun-chariot for one day. In the course of his flight he loses control of the horses, threatening the earth beneath with fiery destruction; Epaphus entreats his father to put an end to the danger, and Jupiter strikes the chariot down with a thunderbolt. Phaëton falls to his death.
^According to Parvopassu, haute-contre, but in fact the part is notated in the bass clef in the original printed score (p. 175; accessible online at IMSLP).
Sources
1742 libretto: Phaeton, Tragedie représentée pour la première fois à Versailles devant le Roi, le mercredi 6 janvier 1683 et à Paris (...) Remise au théâtre le mardi 13 novembre 1742. Paris: Ballard (accessible for free online at Gallica - B.N.F.)
Brenac, Jean-Claude. "Phaëton" page, Le magazine de l'opéra baroque website (Accessed 6 September 2006), (French only)
La Gorce, Jérôme de (2001). "Lully. (1) Jean-Baptiste Lully [Lulli, Giovanni Battista] (i)" in Sadie 2001.
Lajarte, Théodore (1878). Bibliothèque musicale du Théâtre de l'Opéra, volume 1 [1671–1791]. Paris: Librairie des Bibliophiles (copy at Internet Archive)
"Phaëton (1683)" pages, The Jean-Baptiste Lully Collection website, University of North Texas Music Library (Accessed 6 September 2006).
(in Italian) Parvopassu, Clelia, Phaéton, in Gelli, Piero & Poletti, Filippo (ed), Dizionario dell'opera 2008, Milan, Baldini Castoldi Dalai, 2007, pp. 1015-1016, ISBN978-88-6073-184-5 (reproduced online at Opera Manager)
Pitou, Spire (1983–1990). The Paris Opéra: An Encyclopedia of Operas, Ballets, Composers, and Performers (3 volumes). Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN978-0-686-46036-7.
Rosow, Lois (1992). "Phaëton" in Sadie 1992, vol. 3, p. 991.
phaëton, lully, phaëton, tragédie, musique, prologue, five, acts, jean, baptiste, lully, philippe, quinault, wrote, french, libretto, after, story, from, ovid, metamorphoses, read, allegorical, depiction, punishment, awaiting, those, mortals, dare, raise, them. Phaeton LWV 61 is a tragedie en musique in a prologue and five acts by Jean Baptiste Lully Philippe Quinault wrote the French libretto after a story from Ovid s Metamorphoses It can be read as an allegorical depiction of the punishment awaiting those mortals who dare to raise themselves as high as the sun i e the Sun King Cover page Phaeton was the first lyric tragedy of Lully and Quinault to receive its world premiere at the Palace of Versailles where it was given without stage machinery on or about 6 January 1683 1 The Paris Opera also performed it at the Theatre du Palais Royal beginning on 27 April where it was very successful with the general public The performances ceased for thirty days of mourning following the death of the queen on 30 July 1683 but resumed thereafter and continued until 12 or 13 January 1684 The opera was revived at the Palais Royal in 1692 1702 1710 1721 1730 and 1742 It was sometimes referred to as the people s opera just as Lully s Isis came to be called the musician s opera because of its score and his Atys as the king s opera one of Louis XIV s favorite works 2 Contents 1 Roles 2 Synopsis 3 Recordings 4 References 5 External linksRoles EditRole Description Voice type 3 Premiere cast c 6 January 1683PrologueAstree Astraea a goddess soprano Fanchon Moreau 4 Saturne Saturn a god from a former age bass Companions of Astraea Followers of Saturn and AstraeaTragedyLibie Libya daughter of Merops by his first wife soprano Theone Theona daughter of Proteus Phaeton s lover soprano Phaeton the son of Clymene and the Sun haute contre high tenor Louis Gaulard DumesnyClimene Clymene daughter of Oceanus second wife of Merops soprano Protee Proteus a sea god Triton s herdsman bass Triton a sea god brother of Clymene haute contre Claude DesvoyesEpaphus a son of Jupiter Libya s lover bass Merops king of Egypt bass Un roi Ethiopien a king from Ethiopia bass Un roi Indien a king from India bass Une des Heures du jour an Hour of the day soprano L Automne Autumn a god bass 5 Le Soleil the Sun a god haute contre Une bergere Egyptienne An Egyptian shepherdess soprano La Terre the Earth a goddess haute contre Claude DesvoyesJupiter king of the gods bass Followers of Triton Kings and Tributaries of Merops Egyptians Ethiopians Indians followers of Phaeton Priestesses Worshippers of Isis Furies Hours of the Day Four Seasons 1709 illustration for PhaetonSynopsis EditPhaeton the prideful and reckless son of the Sun and the ocean nymph Clymene is driven to abandon his lover Theona by his ambition for the hand of Libya daughter of the king of Egypt On the day of the wedding Libya s enraged lover Epaphus himself the son of Jupiter disputes Phaeton s claim to divine lineage Desiring to prove himself Phaeton convinces his father to allow him to drive the sun chariot for one day In the course of his flight he loses control of the horses threatening the earth beneath with fiery destruction Epaphus entreats his father to put an end to the danger and Jupiter strikes the chariot down with a thunderbolt Phaeton falls to his death Recordings EditLully Phaeton Marc Minkowski Les Musiciens du Louvre Erato 1993 Catalogue 91737 2 CDs Christophe Rousset Aparte 2 CDs 2011References EditNotes Pitou 1983 vol 1 p 289 Rosow 1992 Note that La Gorce 2001 gives a revised date of 8 9 January 1683 Pitou 1983 vol 1 p 290 Lajarte 1878 pp 44 45 According to Clelia Parvopassu Dizionario dell opera 2008 unless otherwise stated Lajarte p 45 According to Parvopassu haute contre but in fact the part is notated in the bass clef in the original printed score p 175 accessible online at IMSLP Sources 1742 libretto Phaeton Tragedie representee pour la premiere fois a Versailles devant le Roi le mercredi 6 janvier 1683 et a Paris Remise au theatre le mardi 13 novembre 1742 Paris Ballard accessible for free online at Gallica B N F Brenac Jean Claude Phaeton page Le magazine de l opera baroque website Accessed 6 September 2006 French only La Gorce Jerome de 2001 Lully 1 Jean Baptiste Lully Lulli Giovanni Battista i in Sadie 2001 Lajarte Theodore 1878 Bibliotheque musicale du Theatre de l Opera volume 1 1671 1791 Paris Librairie des Bibliophiles copy at Internet Archive Phaeton 1683 pages The Jean Baptiste Lully Collection website University of North Texas Music Library Accessed 6 September 2006 1 in Italian Parvopassu Clelia Phaeton in Gelli Piero amp Poletti Filippo ed Dizionario dell opera 2008 Milan Baldini Castoldi Dalai 2007 pp 1015 1016 ISBN 978 88 6073 184 5 reproduced online at Opera Manager Pitou Spire 1983 1990 The Paris Opera An Encyclopedia of Operas Ballets Composers and Performers 3 volumes Westport Connecticut Greenwood Press ISBN 978 0 686 46036 7 Rosow Lois 1992 Phaeton in Sadie 1992 vol 3 p 991 Sadie Stanley editor 1992 The New Grove Dictionary of Opera 4 volumes London Macmillan ISBN 978 1 56159 228 9 Sadie Stanley editor 2001 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians 2nd edition London Macmillan ISBN 978 1 56159 239 5 hardcover OCLC 419285866 eBook and Grove Music Online External links EditPhaeton at the University of North Texas Digital Collections website High resolution images of the 1683 edition Phaeton at the University of North Texas Digital Collections website High resolution images of the 1709 edition Phaeton Scores at the International Music Score Library Project Portals Classical music Opera Music Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Phaeton Lully amp oldid 1085732383, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
