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Title page of Proserpine
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]
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
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)
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)
- Le magazine de l'opéra baroque by Jean-Claude Brenac (in French)
External links
- Proserpine (Lully): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project