| Alcyone | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Marin Marais | |
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Marin_Marais_2.jpg) Portrait of Marin Marais by André Bouys, 1704 | |
| Librettist | Antoine Houdar de la Motte |
| Language | French |
| Based on | Myth of Alcyone and Ceyx, recounted in Ovid's Metamorphoses |
| Premiere | 18 February 1706 Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris |
Alcyone (or Alcione) is an opera by the French composer Marin Marais. It takes the form of a tragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts. The libretto, by Antoine Houdar de la Motte, is based on the Greek myth of Alcyone and Ceyx as recounted by Ovid in his Metamorphoses. The opera was first performed on 18 February 1706 by the Académie royale de musique at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris.[1] The score is particularly famous for the storm scene (tempête) in act 4. The "Marche pour les Matelots", from act 3, became popular as a dance tune and is the basis of the Christmas carol "Masters in This Hall".[2]
Having been recorded by Erato in 1990, Alcyone received its first stage production since the composer's death as the first work to appear at the newly refurbished Opéra Comique in Paris on 25 April 2017; directed by Louise Moaty, Jordi Savall conducted Le Concert des Nations, with Lea Desandre in the title role and Marc Mauillon, Cyril Auvity, Lisandro Abadie and Antonio Abete among the cast.[3]
- ^ Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Alcyone, 18 February 1706". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
- ^ "Marin Marais and the Dance" (PDF). The Marais Project. Sydney. May 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
- ^ Blanmont, Nicolas. "Report from Paris". Opera, August 2017, vol. 68, no. 8, pp. 1018–1019. (The opera is spelt Alcione with an i throughout.)