Les plaisirs de Versailles
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| Operas by Marc-Antoine Charpentier |
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Le Malade imaginaire (1673) |
Les plaisirs de Versailles (English: The Pleasures of Versailles) is a short opera (or divertissement) by the French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. It was intended for the inauguration of King Louis XIV's apartments at the palace of Versailles in 1682. The librettist is unknown.
[edit] Roles and synopsis
Most of the characters represent the pleasures enjoyed at Versailles: La Musique (Music), La Conversation (Conversation), Le Jeu (Gambling), Comus and Un plaisir (A Pleasure). The cast of the first performance is unknown but Charpentier himself may have sung Le Jeu. La Musique sings until she is interrupted by the babble of La Conversation. Comus arrives and tries to reconcile the two by offering chocolate, wines and confectionery. Le Jeu suggests they gamble, but La Musique only wants to sing and La Conversation only wants to drink chocolate. The two finally agree to settle their differences so they can both help King Louis to relax after fighting his wars.
[edit] Selected recordings
- Les plaisirs de Versailles (with Les stances du Cid and Amor vince ogni cosa) Sophie Daneman, Katalin Karolyi, Steve Dugardin, Jean-François Gardeil, Les Arts Florissants conducted by William Christie (Erato, 1996)
[edit] Sources
- The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
- Le magazine de l'opéra baroque
