Wikipedia
Proserpine (Lully)
Proserpine (Proserpina) is an opera with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully and a libretto by Philippe Quinault first performed at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 3 February 1680.[1]
Title page of Proserpine
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 3 February 1680 |
|---|---|---|
| Prologue | ||
| La Paix (Peace) | soprano | Catherine Ferdinand |
| La Félicité (Felicitas) | soprano | Mlle Rebel |
| L'Abondance (Abundantia) | soprano | Mlle Puvigné (or Puvigny) |
| La Discorde (Discord) | tenor (en travesti) | Puvigné (or Puvigny) |
| La Victoire (Victoria) | soprano | Claude Ferdinand |
| Tragédie | ||
| Pluton (Pluto) | bass | Jean Gaye |
| Ascalaphe (Ascalaphus), son of Acheron, confidant of Pluton | bass | Antoine Morel |
| Proserpine | soprano | Claude Ferdinand |
| Cérès (Ceres) | soprano | Mlle de Saint-Christophe (or Saint-Christophle) |
| Jupiter | bass | Godonesche |
| Alphée (Alpheus) | haute-contre | Bernard Cledière |
| Aréthuse (Arethusa) | soprano | Catherine Ferdinand |
| Mercure (Mercury) | tenor | Langeais |
| Cyané, a Sicilian nymph, confidante of Cérès | soprano | Mlle Bony |
| Crinise, god of the Sicilian river Crinisus | basse-taille | Arnoul |
| Furies | 2 tenors and a basse-taille(?) | Claude Desvoyes, Puvigny (or Puvigné) and Le Maire |
| A blessed spirit | soprano | |
Synopsis
Based on Ovid's Metamorphoses, the plot centers around the abduction of Proserpine by Pluton, with side plots concerning Cérès's love for Jupiter and the love intrigue between Alphée and Aréthuse.
Recordings
- Proserpine, soloists, Le Concert Spirituel, conducted by Hervé Niquet (Glossa, 2 CDs, 2008)
- Proserpine, CMD German Opera Company of Berlin, conducted by Gertrude Heinz (CMD Recordings, digital download, 2022)
References
- ^ Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Proserpine, 3 February 1680". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
Further reading
- The New Grove French Baroque Masters, ed. Graham Sadler (Macmillan, 1986)
- The Viking Opera Guide, ed. Amanda Holden (Viking, 1993)
External links
- Proserpine (Lully): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project