Zoroastre (Zoroaster) is an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau, first performed on 5 December 1749 by the Opéra in the first Salle du Palais-Royal in Paris. The libretto is by Louis de Cahusac. Zoroastre was the fourth of Rameau's tragédies en musique to be staged and the last to appear during the composer's own lifetime. Audiences gave the original version a lukewarm reception, so Rameau and his librettist thoroughly reworked the opera for a revival which took place at the Opéra on 19 January 1756. This time the work was a great success and this is the version generally heard today.[1][2]
Zoroastre's premiere in 1749 was not a success; despite the magnificence of the staging, it failed to compete with Mondonville's new opéra-balletLe carnaval du Parnasse. Rameau and Cahusac decided to rework the opera completely before offering it to the public again in 1756. Acts 2,3 and 5 were heavily rewritten and there were several modifications to the plot. This time audiences took to the opera, although the critic Melchior Grimm was withering about Cahusac's libretto: "In Zoroastre it is day and night alternately; but as the poet...cannot count up to five he has got so muddled in his reckoning that he has been compelled to make it be day and night two or three times in each act, so that it might be day at the end of the play". Zoroastre was chosen to open the new Paris opera house on January 26, 1770, the old one having burned down in 1763. It was also translated into Italian by Casanova for a performance in Dresden in 1752, although some of Rameau's music was replaced by that of the ballet master Adam. Its first modern revival was in a concert version at the Schola Cantorum, Paris in 1903.[3] The United States premiere of the opera was staged by Boston Baroque (then known as Banchetto Musicale) at Harvard University's Sanders Theater under conductor Martin Pearlman in 1983 with Jean-Claude Orliac in the title role and James Maddalena as Abramane.[4]
Libretto and musicedit
Zoroastre includes some important innovations: it was the first major French opera to dispense with an allegorical prologue and its subject matter is not drawn from the Classical mythology of Greece and Rome, as was usual, but from Persian religion. There was good reason for this. As Graham Sadler writes, the opera is "a thinly disguised portrayal of Freemasonry". Cahusac, the librettist, was a leading French Mason and many of his works celebrate the ideals of the Enlightenment, including Zoroastre. The historical Zoroaster was highly regarded in Masonic circles and the parallels are obvious between Rameau's opera and an even more famous Masonic allegory, Mozart's The Magic Flute (1791), with its initiation rites conducted under the auspices of the wise "Sarastro".[5]
Rolesedit
Roles, voice types, cast of the premiere and the revised version
Mlles Dalière, Dubois and Duval, Mrs Le Roy and Laurent
Oromasès
basse-taille
No role
Monsieur Gelin
Narbanor
basse-taille
No role
Monsieur Cuvillier, fils
Synopsisedit
The synopsis is based on the 1756 version
Act 1
The story takes place in the ancient kingdom of Bactria and concerns the struggle between the forces of Good, led by Zoroastre, the "founder of the Magi", and Evil, led by the sorcerer Abramane. When the opera opens, Bactria is in chaos after the death of its king, who has left behind two daughters: Amélite, the presumptive heir, and Erinice. Both are in love with Zoroastre, who is devoted to Amélite. Abramane has taken the opportunity to send Zoroastre into exile. The sorcerer also plots to seize the throne with Erinice, who wants revenge on Zoroastre for rejecting her love. Abramane conjures up demons to capture Amélite.
Act 2
Zoroastre is in exile at the palace of the king of the good genies, Oromasès. Oromasès tells Zoroastre to go and rescue Amélite and destroy the forces of evil. He puts Zoroastre through a magic initiation ritual to prepare him for the task. In the dungeons of the fortress of Bactria, Abramane and Erinice are torturing Amélite to force her to renounce the throne, when Zoroastre suddenly appears. He releases Amélite and destroys the fortress with his magic powers. Amélite is presented as queen to her joyful Bactrian subjects.
Act 3
Night. Abramane and Erinice quarrel over the disaster that has befallen their plans. Abramane hides Erinice in a cloud. At dawn, Zoroastre, Amélite and the Bactrian people assemble to worship the Supreme Being then celebrate the marriage of Zoroastre and Amélite. As the wedding ceremony takes place, Abramane arrives on a fiery chariot and kidnaps Amélite. Zoroastre prepares his magic spirits for war.
Act 4
In the temple of the god Arimane, Abramane receives news that the battle between the spirits of good and evil is going badly for him. He sacrifices to the god and summons up Hate, Vengeance and Despair.
Act 5
Erinice, now repentant, warns Zoroastre of Abramane's plan for a new battle. Abramane appears in the fiery chariot once more and reveals Amélite in chains. He calls on Zoroastre to surrender. Instead, Zoroastre calls on the gods, who strike down Abramane and his evil priests with thunderbolts. The opera ends with rejoicing as Zoroastre and Amélite are crowned king and queen of Bactria.
Discographyedit
Year
Cast (Amélite, Céphie, Zoroastre, Abramane, La Vengéance
zoroastre, zoroaster, opera, jean, philippe, rameau, first, performed, december, 1749, opéra, first, salle, palais, royal, paris, libretto, louis, cahusac, fourth, rameau, tragédies, musique, staged, last, appear, during, composer, lifetime, audiences, gave, o. Zoroastre Zoroaster is an opera by Jean Philippe Rameau first performed on 5 December 1749 by the Opera in the first Salle du Palais Royal in Paris The libretto is by Louis de Cahusac Zoroastre was the fourth of Rameau s tragedies en musique to be staged and the last to appear during the composer s own lifetime Audiences gave the original version a lukewarm reception so Rameau and his librettist thoroughly reworked the opera for a revival which took place at the Opera on 19 January 1756 This time the work was a great success and this is the version generally heard today 1 2 Jean Philippe Rameau Contents 1 Performance history 1 1 Libretto and music 2 Roles 3 Synopsis 4 Discography 5 References 6 External linksPerformance history editZoroastre s premiere in 1749 was not a success despite the magnificence of the staging it failed to compete with Mondonville s new opera ballet Le carnaval du Parnasse Rameau and Cahusac decided to rework the opera completely before offering it to the public again in 1756 Acts 2 3 and 5 were heavily rewritten and there were several modifications to the plot This time audiences took to the opera although the critic Melchior Grimm was withering about Cahusac s libretto In Zoroastre it is day and night alternately but as the poet cannot count up to five he has got so muddled in his reckoning that he has been compelled to make it be day and night two or three times in each act so that it might be day at the end of the play Zoroastre was chosen to open the new Paris opera house on January 26 1770 the old one having burned down in 1763 It was also translated into Italian by Casanova for a performance in Dresden in 1752 although some of Rameau s music was replaced by that of the ballet master Adam Its first modern revival was in a concert version at the Schola Cantorum Paris in 1903 3 The United States premiere of the opera was staged by Boston Baroque then known as Banchetto Musicale at Harvard University s Sanders Theater under conductor Martin Pearlman in 1983 with Jean Claude Orliac in the title role and James Maddalena as Abramane 4 Libretto and music edit Zoroastre includes some important innovations it was the first major French opera to dispense with an allegorical prologue and its subject matter is not drawn from the Classical mythology of Greece and Rome as was usual but from Persian religion There was good reason for this As Graham Sadler writes the opera is a thinly disguised portrayal of Freemasonry Cahusac the librettist was a leading French Mason and many of his works celebrate the ideals of the Enlightenment including Zoroastre The historical Zoroaster was highly regarded in Masonic circles and the parallels are obvious between Rameau s opera and an even more famous Masonic allegory Mozart s The Magic Flute 1791 with its initiation rites conducted under the auspices of the wise Sarastro 5 Roles editRoles voice types cast of the premiere and the revised version Role Voice type Premiere cast 5 December 1749 6 7 Conductor Andre Cheron de fr Revised version19 January 1756 8 9 Zoroastre haute contre Pierre Jelyotte Francois PoirierAbramane basse taille bass baritone Claude Louis Dominique Chasse de Chinais Claude Louis Dominique Chasse de ChinaisAmelite soprano Marie Fel Marie FelErinice soprano Marie Jeanne Fesch M lle Chevalier Marie Jeanne Fesch M lle ChevalierZopire basse taille Monsieur Person Monsieur PersonCephie soprano Mlle Duperey Mlle DavauxZelize soprano Mlle Jacquet No roleAbenis haute contre Francois Poirier No roleA voice from a cloud haute contre Jean Paul Spesoller it called de La Tour or Latour No roleA Salamander basse taille Francois Le Page No roleA Sylph soprano Marie Angelique Coupe No roleVengeance basse taille en travesti Francois Le Page Henri LarriveeA voice from underground basse taille Monsieur Le Febvre Monsieur DesbellesJealousy soprano Mlle Daliere No roleAnger soprano Mlle Rollet No roleFirst Fury haute contre en travesti Francois Poireir No roleSecond Fury taille en travesti Louis Antoine Cuvillier pere No roleThird Fury haute contre en travesti Monsieur La Tour No roleThe Furies No roles Mlles Daliere Dubois and Duval Mrs Le Roy and LaurentOromases basse taille No role Monsieur GelinNarbanor basse taille No role Monsieur Cuvillier filsSynopsis editThe synopsis is based on the 1756 version Act 1 The story takes place in the ancient kingdom of Bactria and concerns the struggle between the forces of Good led by Zoroastre the founder of the Magi and Evil led by the sorcerer Abramane When the opera opens Bactria is in chaos after the death of its king who has left behind two daughters Amelite the presumptive heir and Erinice Both are in love with Zoroastre who is devoted to Amelite Abramane has taken the opportunity to send Zoroastre into exile The sorcerer also plots to seize the throne with Erinice who wants revenge on Zoroastre for rejecting her love Abramane conjures up demons to capture Amelite Act 2 Zoroastre is in exile at the palace of the king of the good genies Oromases Oromases tells Zoroastre to go and rescue Amelite and destroy the forces of evil He puts Zoroastre through a magic initiation ritual to prepare him for the task In the dungeons of the fortress of Bactria Abramane and Erinice are torturing Amelite to force her to renounce the throne when Zoroastre suddenly appears He releases Amelite and destroys the fortress with his magic powers Amelite is presented as queen to her joyful Bactrian subjects Act 3 Night Abramane and Erinice quarrel over the disaster that has befallen their plans Abramane hides Erinice in a cloud At dawn Zoroastre Amelite and the Bactrian people assemble to worship the Supreme Being then celebrate the marriage of Zoroastre and Amelite As the wedding ceremony takes place Abramane arrives on a fiery chariot and kidnaps Amelite Zoroastre prepares his magic spirits for war Act 4 In the temple of the god Arimane Abramane receives news that the battle between the spirits of good and evil is going badly for him He sacrifices to the god and summons up Hate Vengeance and Despair Act 5 Erinice now repentant warns Zoroastre of Abramane s plan for a new battle Abramane appears in the fiery chariot once more and reveals Amelite in chains He calls on Zoroastre to surrender Instead Zoroastre calls on the gods who strike down Abramane and his evil priests with thunderbolts The opera ends with rejoicing as Zoroastre and Amelite are crowned king and queen of Bactria Discography editYear Cast Amelite Cephie Zoroastre Abramane La Vengeance Conductor Opera house and orchestra Label 10 1971 Lou Ann WyckoffNancy DeeringBruce BrewerWilliam WorkmanWilliam Workman Richard KnappHamburg Chamber Orchestra 10 1756 version LP Turnabout 10 1983 Greta De ReyghereAgnes MellonJohn ElwesGregory ReinhartPhilippe Cantor Sigiswald KuijkenCollegium Vocale Gent La Petite Bande 10 1756 version 4 LPs 3 CDs Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 1983 10 2001 Gaelle MechalyStephanie RevidatMark PadmoreNathan BergMattieu Lecroart William Christie Les Arts Florissants 10 1756 version CD Erato Records 10 2006 Sine BundgaardDitte AndersenAnders Jerker DahlinEvgueny AlexeyevLars Arvidson Christophe Rousset Les Talens Lyriques Chorus of the Drottningholm Palace Theatre 10 1756 version DVD Opus Arte 10 2022 Jodie DevosGwendoline BlondeelReinoud van MechelenTassis ChristoyannisDavid Witczak Alexis Kossenko Les Ambassadeurs fr La Grande Ecurie Chœur de chambre de Namur 1749 version CD Alpha Classics 11 References editNotes Holden 2001 p 842 Sadler 1988 p 19 Girdlestone 1969 pp 278 279 John Rockwell May 22 1983 Opera Zoroastre by Boston Group The New York Times Sadler 2001 Zoroastre Opera baroque in French Casaglia Gherardo 2005 Zoroastre 5 December 1749 L Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia in Italian Original libretto Gallica Bibliotheque nationale de France Casaglia Gherardo 2005 Zoroastre 19 January 1756 L Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia in Italian a b c d e f g h i Recordings of Zoroastre by Jean Philippe Rameau operadis opera discography org uk Retrieved March 24 2021 Rameau Zoroastre 1749 Presto Music Retrieved 22 October 2022 SourcesGirdlestone Cuthbert 1969 Jean Philippe Rameau His Life and Work paperback edition New York Dover Holden Amanda ed 2001 The New Penguin Opera Guide New York Penguin Putnam ISBN 0 14 029312 4 Sadler Graham ed 1988 The New Grove French Baroque Masters Grove Macmillan Sadler Graham 2001 Zoroastre notes William Christie Les Arts Florissants External links editZoroastre RCT 62 Rameau Scores at the International Music Score Library Project Portal nbsp Opera Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Zoroastre amp oldid 1181780082, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
