Acis et Galatée

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Acis et Galatée (Acis and Galatea) is an opera by Jean-Baptiste Lully. Unlike most of his operas, which are designated tragédies en musique, Lully called this work a pastorale-héroïque, because it was on a pastoral theme and had only three acts (plus a prologue) compared to the usual five. Otherwise, there is little musically or dramatically to distinguish it from Lully's tragédies. Jean Galbert de Campistron wrote the French libretto after the story in Ovid's Metamorphoses. It was premiered at the Château d'Anet on September 6, 1686 and later at the Académie Royale de Musique on September 17, 1686. It was commissioned by Louis Joseph, duc de Vendôme in honor of Louis, le Grand Dauphin. Lully did not work with his usual collaborator, Philippe Quinault, because he was no longer doing theatrical work. The story is of a love triangle between the three main characters—Acis, Galatea, and Poliphème. Poliphème murders Acis out of jealousy, but Acis is revived and turned into a river by Neptune.

[edit] Roles

• Galatea, a sea nymph (soprano)
• Acis, a mortal (counter-tenor)
• Poliphème (Polyphemus), a monster (baritone)
• Neptune (bass)

[edit] Recording

• Lully - Acis & Galatée / Fouchécourt, Gens, Naouri, Crook, Delunsch, Félix, Masset, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski. Archiv (1998). ASIN: B00000C2ER

[edit] Reference

Lois Roscow. "Acis et Galathée", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed July 23, 2006), grovemusic.com (subscription access).