Alcine

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Alcine (English: Alcina) is an opera by the French composer André Campra. It takes the form of a tragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts. The libretto, by Antoine Danchet, is based on Cantos IV, VI and VII of Ariosto's epic poem Orlando furioso and tells of the love of the enchantress Alcine (Alcina) for the paladin Astolphe (Astolfo).

[edit] Performance history

Alcine was first performed at the Académie royale de musique on 15 January 1705 with Marie-Louise-Antoinette Desmatins as Alcine, Julie d'Aubigny (La Maupin) as Mélanie and Vénus, and Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard as Atlas. The opera was a failure at its first performance.

[edit] Sources

• The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
• Le magazine de l'opéra baroque
• Amadeus Almanac