- Persée
"Persée" ("Perseus") is a
tragédie lyrique with music byJean-Baptiste Lully and alibretto byPhilippe Quinault , first performed in1682 inParis .Roles
*Persée - son of Jupiter and Danaë (
haute-contre ) -Louis Gaulard Dumesny
*Andromède - daughter of Céphée (soprano )
*Phinée - brother of Céhée (baritone ) -François Beaumavielle
*Mérope - sister of Cassiope (soprano) -Marie Le Rochois
*Méduse (tenor )
*Phronime and Mégathyme, attendants of Virtue
*Virtue
*Fortune
*Céphée, King of Ethiopia
*Cassiope, Queen of Ethiopie
*Three Ethiopians: Amphimédon, Corite, Proténor
*The Cyclops
*Mercure
*The three Gorgons: Méduse, Euryale, Sténone
*Idas, a Sailor in Céphée's navy
*High priest of Hymenée (Wedding Priest)
*High priest
*Vénus
*L'amour (Love)
*L'hymen (Marriage)
*Triton (Neptune's henchman)
*Chorus/Ballet: Followers of Virtue and Fortune, followers of Cassiope; Young persons chosen for the Games;Spectators; Warrior nymphs; Infernal deities; Phantoms;Ethiopians; Tritons and Nereides; Victorious Heroesynopsis
The plot concerns the love between Persée and Andromède, who is already betrothed to Phinée, while Mérope loves Persée. Persée is able to triumph and win Andromède by overcoming supernatural enemies, including the
Gorgon Méduse, using weapons he is granted by the gods.ources
*"The New Grove French Baroque Masters", ed. Graham Sadler (Macmillan, 1986)
*"The Viking Opera Guide" ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
* [http://perso.orange.fr/jean-claude.brenac/Operabaroque.htm Le magazine de l'opéra baroque by Jean-Claude Brenac (in French)]External links
* [http://www.library.unt.edu/music/special-collections/lully/browse/persee-2nd-edition-1722/?searchterm=persee description, plot summary, original text of "Persée"] from the University of North Texas Libraries.
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