Polixène
Polixène (Polyxena) is an opera by the French composer Antoine Dauvergne, first performed at the Académie Royale de Musique (the Paris Opéra) on 11 January 1763. It takes the form of a tragédie lyrique in five acts. The libretto, by Nicolas-René Joliveau, is based on Euripides and tells the story of the Trojan princess Polyxena. The opera was dedicated to Emmanuel-Félicité de Durfort de Duras.
Roles
| Cast | Voice type | Premiere |
|---|---|---|
| Pyrrhus, son of Achilles | basse-taille (bass-baritone) | Nicolas Gélin |
| Teléphe (Telephus), Prince of the Mysians | haute-contre | Jean-Pierre Pillot |
| Hécube (Hecuba), widow of Priam | soprano | Marie-Jeanne Fesch, known as "Chevalier" |
| Polixène (Polyxena), daughter of Priam and Hecuba | soprano | Sophie Arnould |
| Junon (the goddess Juno) | soprano | Mlle Rozet |
| Thétis (Thetis) | soprano | Mlle Rozet |
| La grande prêtresse de Junon (the high priestess of Juno) | Mlle Rivier | |
| Le grand prêtre d'Achille (the high priest of Achilles) | Joly | |
| Un thessalien (a Thessalian man) | Durand | |
| Une troyenne (a Trojan woman) | Mlle Bernard | |
| Une thessalienne (a Thessalian woman) | Mlle Bernard | |
| La jalousie (Jealousy) | basse-taille | Henri Larrivée |
| Le désespoir (Despair) | Joly | |
| La fureur (Fury) | Muguet | |
| L'ombre d'Achille (the ghost of Achilles) | Durand | |
Synopsis
The action takes place in the aftermath of the Trojan War. Pyrrhus (son of Achilles) wants to marry Polyxena, but the goddess Juno and Queen Hecuba of Troy, (Polyxena's mother) oppose him. Juno hates the Trojans and would not wish to see a marriage uniting the son of Achilles with the daughter of Hecuba. Hecuba hates Pyrrhus for slaughtering her family. Pyrrhus' friend Telephus is also a rival for Polyxena’s love and he has Hecuba's blessing. Hecuba urges him to kill Pyrrhus. However, Thetis, Pyrrhus' grandmother, manages to appease Juno. When Telephus refuses to kill Pyrrhus, Hecuba has him killed instead. Finally, Hecuba is won over and consents to the marriage of Polyxena and Pyrrhus.
Sources
- David Charlton Opera in the Age of Rousseau: Music, Confrontation, Realism, Cambridge University Press, 2012.
- Félix Clément and Pierre Larousse Dictionnaire des Opéras, Paris, 1881.
- (in French) Benoït Dratwicki, Antoine Dauvergne (1713—1797): une carrière tourmentée dans la France musicale des Lumières, Editions Mardaga, 2011.
External links
- Polixène (complete score at the Bibliothèque nationale de France)