Dardanus (opera)

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This article is about the opera by Rameau. For the opera by Sacchini, see Dardanus (Sacchini).
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Dardanus is an opera in five acts by Jean-Philippe Rameau. The French libretto was by Charles-Antoine Leclerc de La Bruère.

Performance history

It was first performed by the Académie de musique at its theatre in the Palais-Royal in Paris on November 19, 1739. It received 26 performances, mainly because of the support from Rameau's followers in the dispute between the styles of Rameau and Lully.

Critics accused Rameau's original opera of lacking a coherent plot. The inclusion of the sea monster also violated the French operatic convention of having a clear purpose for encounters with supernatural beings.

In 1744 (with help from Simon-Joseph Pellegrin),[1] and again in 1760, Dardanus was revised extensively in an attempt to correct its shortcomings. Large portions of the score were sacrificed in favour of plot but some scenes as arresting as the "Prison scene" (1744) were added in the process.

Dardanus was produced three times in the 20th century: in 1907 at Dijon, in 1979 at the Opéra de Paris, and finally in 1998, in a concert version, at the time of a recording (below) by Marc Minkowski. In the 21st century, it was produced in Sydney in November and December 2005 by Pinchgut Opera and the Orchestra of the Antipodes (see below for recording); the Royal Academy of Music also staged Dardanus in London in 2006. In France it was revived again in October-November 2009 at Lille, Caen, and Dijon, conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm and staged by Claude Buchvald.[2]

Roles

Role[3] Voice type[4] Premiere Cast, November 19, 1739[5]
(Conductor: - )
Vénus soprano M.lle Erémans (also spelled Erremans or Herémans)
l'Amour soprano M.lle Bourbonnais (also spelled Bourbonnois)
Dardanus, son of Electra and Jupiter haute-contre Pierre Jélyotte
Iphise, daughter of Teucer soprano M.lle Pélissier
Teucer, a King bass-baritone François Le Page (also spelled Lepage)
Anténor, a King bass-baritone M. Albert
Isménor, a magician bass-bariton François Le Page (also spelled Lepage)
a Phrygian man bass-baritone
a Phrygian woman soprano Marie Fel
First Dream soprano
Second Dream haute-contre Jean-Antoine Bérard[6]
Third Dream bass Jean Dun, fils
a Pleasure soprano
Retinue of Venus and Cupid, Sports and Pleasures, retinue of Jealousy, people, warriors, magicians, Phrygians, Dreams: choir
Dancing characters
Act 1 - Phrygian warriors: L. Javillier (a warrior), L. Dallemand (a Phrygian woman); Act 2 - Magicians: C. Maltaire (a magician); Act 3: Phrygian people: L. Maltaire et M.lle Mariette (Phrygian man and woman);
Act 4: Air spirits: David Dumoulin and Marie Sallé (Dreams); Act 5 - Sports and Pleasures, Charites: Louis Dupré, Matignon, M.lles Le Breton and Barbarine (Sports and Pleasures)

Synopsis

The original story is loosely based on that of Dardanus. However, in the opera, Dardanus is at war with King Teucer, who has promised to marry his daughter Iphise to King Anténor. Dardanus and Iphise meet, through the intervention of the magician Isménor, and fall in love. Dardanus attacks a monster ravaging Teucer's kingdom, saving the life of Anténor who is attempting, unsuccessfully, to kill it. Teucer and Dardanus make peace, the latter marrying Iphise.

Recordings

  • In 1980 Raymond Leppard recorded Dardanus with Frederica von Stade as Iphise but unfortunately omitted the prologue. Leppard otherwise followed the 1744 version of the opera.
  • In 1998 Marc Minkowski recorded Dardanus with John Mark Ainsley as Dardanus, Veronique Gens as Iphise and Laurent Naouri as Anténor. Minkowski's Musiciens du Louvre used period instruments in this recording and Minkowski followed the original 1739 version of the opera with the addition of two numbers from the 1744 version. This recording now "easily replaces Raymond Leppard's 1980 recording of the work" as the benchmark recording of Dardanus.
  • In December 2005, in a collaboration between Cantillation and the Orchestra of the Antipodes, Pinchgut Opera of Sydney Australia presented the 1739 version of Dardanus informed in part by additions from the 1744 version. The role of Dardanus was played by British tenor Paul Agnew, Paul Whelan as Antenor, Kathryn McCusker as Iphise and Stephen Bennett as Teucer. Conducted by Antony Walker, the performance was the first production of a Rameau opera in Australia on period instruments. The production was recorded by ABC Classics.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Sadler, p. 1077. Pellegrin's first name is wrongly reported as Pierre-Joseph
  2. ↑ «Le bien public», supplement: Quartier Libre, 6 Nov. 2009
  3. ↑ sources: Sadler; Dizionario dell'opera, accessed 5 February 2011
  4. ↑ the basse-taille parts are indicated as for bass-baritone
  5. ↑ sources: Lajarte, Le magazine de l'opéra baroque, both accessed 5 February 2011
  6. ↑ in 1744 Bérard interpreted the role of Arcas, introduced in the second version of the opera (Le magazine de l'opéra baroque, accessed 5 February 2011)
Sources

External links

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