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Alceste

Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully · libretto by Philippe Quinault · premiered 1674

Alceste, ou Le triomphe d'Alcide is a tragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts by Jean-Baptiste Lully. The French-language libretto is by Philippe Quinault, after Euripides' Alcestis. It was first performed on 19 January 1674 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal by the Paris Opera. The opera was presented in celebration of King Louis XIV's victory against Franche-Comté, and the prologue features nymphs longing for his return from battle. The opera itself concerns Alceste, princess of Iolcos and queen of Thessaly, who in the first act is abducted by Licomède (Lycomedes), king of Scyros, with the aid of his sister Thetis, a sea nymph; Aeolus, the god of the winds; and other supernatural forces. In the battle to rescue her, Alcide (Hercules) is triumphant, but Alceste's husband, Admète (Admetus), suffers a mortal wound. Apollo agrees to let Admète live if someone will die in his place. Alceste stabs herself to fulfill this requirement, but is rescued from the Underworld by Alcide, who loves her. The opera ends with a celebration of Alceste's return from the underworld and of Alcide's noble gallantry in returning her to her husband and relinquishing any claims to her. Alceste is Lully's second tragédie en musique, after Cadmus et Hermione. It was revived at Court twice in 1677 and once again in 1678.

Text from the Wikipedia article "Alceste (Lully)", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

About the Composer

Jean-Baptiste Lully (born Giovanni Battista Lulli; 28 or 29 November [O.S. 18 or 19 November] 1632 – 22 March 1687) was an Italian-French composer, dancer and instrumentalist, who is considered a master of the French Baroque music style. Best known for his operas, he spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV and became a French subject in 1661. He was a close friend of the playwright Molière, with whom he collaborated on numerous comédie-ballets, including L'Amour médecin, George Dandin ou le Mari confondu, Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, Psyché and his best known work, Le Bourgeois gentilhomme.

Text from the Wikipedia article "Jean-Baptiste Lully", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Other Operas by Jean-Baptiste Lully