Jean-Baptiste Lully - Isis

"'Isis' - following 'Cadmus et Hermione' (1673), 'Alceste' (1674), 'Thésée' (1675) and 'Atys' (1676) - was the fifth 'tragedie en musique' resulting from the collaboration between Jean-Baptiste Lully and his librettist Philippe Quinault. The opera was premiered on Tuesday 5 January 1677 at the chateau vieux of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which was then the only royal residence with a theatre suitable for opera performances. In December 1669, at the request of Louis XIV, the architect Carlo Vigarani had transformed the original ballroom, built in the sixteenth century under Francois I, into a theatre, complete with stage machinery capable of elevating performers and shifting sets, and accommodating some six hundred and fifty spectators. 

 

"Like 'Thésée' and 'Atys,' also premiered at Saint-Ger-main-en-Laye, 'Isis' was sung by artists from Lully's Academie Royale de Musique (also known as the Opera) and from the Musique du Roi. The two basse-contre parts were taken by Jean Gaye of the Chambre du Roi (Hierax) and Francois Beaumavielhe of the Opera (Jupiter). Lully gave the title role to Marie Aubry, the first soprano in his troupe, who the previous year had created the role of Sangaride in 'Atys.' As for the jealous goddess Juno, who persecutes the poor nymph Io, her part was taken by the great Mademoiselle de Saint-Christophle of the Opera, who specialised in the roles of goddesses and enchantresses, and had created that of Cybele in Atys. A hundred musicians, members of the Grande Ecurie, the Chambre du Roi and the Opera, formed an impressive orchestra composed of the finest instrumentalists in the realm. Some of them played on stage, including several trumpeters from the Grande Ecurie accompanying Fame (La Renommée) and her attendants in the prologue, and four members of the famous Hotteterre family (Louis, Jean, Nicolas and Jeannot) playing the flute in the Act III divertissement telling the story of Pan and Syrinx. 

"Louis XIV had begun to take a very keen interest in opera performances in 1675 when, at the age of thirty-seven, he retired from dancing in public. After Thesée, many other works by Quinault and Lully were first presented at court during the Carnival period, then staged in Paris at the Opera: 'Atys' (1676), 'Isis' (1677), 'Proserpine' (1680), 'Le Triomphe de l'Amour' (1681), 'Phaeton' (1683), 'Roland' (1684). 

"Rehearsals, covering a period of almost two months, board and lodging for all the artists (accommodated by locals), the making of the sets and costumes, designed respectively by Carlo Vigarani and Jean Berain: everything was paid for by the royal treasury, with no expense spared. The aim was to dazzle all present - especially foreign ambassadors, but also the courtiers and the Parisians who were allowed to attend certain performances - and to show off the opulence and splendour of the court of the Sun King, while at the same time asserting the power of France. Rehearsals of 'Isis' began at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 19 November 1676. On 23 December, with preparations in full swing, Quinault read the prologue to the Academie Francaise, and was complimented on the beauty of his writing, which raised hopes for the great success of the work. Quinault was inspired for his libretto by the story of Io as related in the first book of Ovid's Metamorphoses. For understandable reasons, he omitted Io's transformation into a white heifer, but took up the episode in which Jupiter hides the nymph in a cloud in order to escape his wife's jealous eye. The encomiastic prologue, to the glory of Louis XIV, alludes to the French naval victory of 1676 over the Dutch and the Spanish in the Franco-Dutch War 'Mon empire a servi de théâtre a la guerre,' sings Neptune. 

"Eyewitnesses of the first performance found Jean Berain's costumes admirable, and the ballets choreographed by Pierre Beauchamp and François-Hilaire d'Olivet also received much applause. The reception of the opera was nevertheless mitigated. Quinault was criticised for producing a libretto that was considered below his normal standard, without any real dramatic action, and some critics found Lully's music too 'savant.' Apparently Louis was dissatisfied with a work for which he himself had chosen the subject, and Madame de Montespan, the king's mistress for the past ten years, attended only a few performances: she disliked the opera, finding its subject improper. Despite its relative lack of success, however, 'Isis' continued to be performed at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, alternately with 'Thesée,' until the end of February 1677.

"Little did Louis realise, when he approved the libretto, that during the summer of 1677 the court would identify the jealous and irascible goddess Juno with Madame de Montespan, and the character of Io with the young Marie-Elisabeth de Ludres, one of the royal mistress's fines d'honneur, with whom the king had become infatuated. Madame de Sevigne was among those who described the events of June-July 1677 (shortly before the work was taken to Paris) through the characters of 'Isis.' Quinault was accused of deliberately making fun of La Montespan; as a result he had to suffer two years of disgrace, during which time he wrote no more librettos for Lully: Thomas Corneille was to provide the texts for 'Psyché' (1678) and 'Bellerophon' (1679). Jean-Francois Lalouette, Lully's assistant, also got into trouble for having reportedly boasted that he was the author of some of the best parts of 'Isis': Lully dismissed him and appointed the composer Pascal Collasse to take his place. 

"Its lack of success at court meant that 'Isis' was not given in Paris as soon as the Opera reopened after Easter, as was customary; instead Lully revived 'Thesée.' Parisians did not have a chance to see the work until August 1677, when it was performed with the same costumes and sets at the theatre of the Academie Royale de Musique in the Palais-Royal, and with a change in the cast: Francois Baumavielhe, who had sung the role of Jupiter at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, took over the part of Hierax, previously sung by Jean Gaye, thus performing two roles. The work ran continuously until March 1678, when 'Psyché' was taken up again. Meanwhile, printed copies of the work had a wide distribution: 'Isis' was Lully's first printed score: part-books, running to at least six editions in 1677, were sold at performances (The full score was not published until 1719). During the composer's lifetime the work was also given in Amsterdam (25 November-30 December 1677, and 3 February 1678) and Regensburg (1683), and sometime around 1686 excerpts from the opera were presented in Ansbach.

 
"There were only three known revivals of 'Isis' at the Paris Opera in the eighteenth century (1704, 1717-18 and 1732-33). The last revival during the remaining years of the Sun King's reign took place on 14 February 1704. The 1717 revival was a great success: the cast was outstanding and particular care had been taken over the costumes and sets. Isis remained on the bill for five months, from 14 September 1717 to 9 January 1718, and gave rise to a parody by Jacques Charpentier, 'La Vache Io ou Les Amours de Jupiter et d'Io,' presented at the Foire Saint-Laurent that same year, 1718. The last Paris revival, from 14 December 1732, received much applause for its first-rate cast and its fine ballets choreographed by Michel Blondy, but the work as a whole was not very successful and it was taken off on the following 25 January. Despite such a short run, this last revival gave rise to two more parodies, both by Louis Fuzelier: 'La Jalousie avec sujet' (1732, not performed), and 'À Fourbe, fourbe a demi ou Le Trompeur trompé' (Foire Saint-Germain, 1733). On 16 and 21 March 1733 'Isis,' including Jean-Fery Rebel's 'Fantaisie,' was given 'pour la capitation des Acteurs.' After that 'Isis' left the repertoire of the Paris Opera. In the provinces, it was given in Lyon in 1698, Marseille in March 1701, and Dijon in 1729. Excerpts from the first three acts were given in Strasbourg in 1732.

"'Isis' stands apart among Quinault and Lully's operas. Doubtless because the chosen subject, the myth of Io, with its limited plot, provided the authors with few dramatic possibilities, they chose to give a large role to divertissements, episodes providing opportunities for spectacle and dance. As he had done previously in 'La Comédie sans comédie' of 1654, Quinault introduced in Act III a play within a play - or rather a mini-opera within an opera - when the story of Pan and Syrinx is enacted to put Argus to sleep: one of the finest passages in the work. Quinault also had Io transported for her sufferings to different climes, in response to the requirement of varietas, thereby giving the composer, choreographer and stage designer fine opportunities to show their skills, but not permitting a tightening of the plot. The strong presence of very carefully scored orchestral pieces and airs accompagnes, together with the many divertissements, led the work to become known as 'l'opera des musiciens' (Jean-Laurent Le Cerf de La Vieville, 'Comparaison de Ia musique italienne et de Ia musique françoise, Volume I,' 1704).

 
"Lully's sensibility and artistry are displayed to the full in many beautiful musical passages. Let us mention, for example, the descent of Apollo and the muses in the second scene of the prologue, with a prelude in G minor alternating orchestral tutti with a trio of flutes and violins: a piece showing great refinement in its writing and in the use of modulation. Then there is the announcement of the arrival of Jupiter, 'Échos retentissez dans ces lieux pleins d'appas' (Act I, Sc. 5), with its echo effects. And Pan's lament after the death of Syrinx, 'Hélas! quel bruit! qu'entends-je? Ah, quelle voix nouvelle!' (Act III, Sc. 6), with a basso continuo descending the twelve tones of the chromatic scale and an accompaniment of flutes symbolising Syrinx reincarnated as the reeds blowing and lamenting in the wind - a passage regarded at the time as Lully's masterpiece. But it is the fourth act that presents the greatest concentration of remarkable sequences. The first scene includes the famous chorus 'L'hiver qui nous tourmente,' sung by the people of the frozen regions, preceded by an instrumental entrée, each note of which has to be 'tremblée' in imitation of their shivering. This chorus, widely admired, inspired Purcell's 'Chorus of the Cold People' in Act III of 'King Arthur' (1691). In Scene 3, the Chalybes, famed as forgers of steel, make effective use of onomatopoeia ('Tot, tot, tot') as they strike the red-hot metal on their anvils. The chorus 'Exécutons l'arrêt du sort,' sung by the followers of the Fates in Scene 5, is punctuated by interventions from coryphdes representing War, Famine, Fire, Flood and Violent and Languishing Illnesses; the composer treats this passage with much humour. The act ends with the trio 'Le fil de la vie,' sung by the Fates (Les Parques): vertical writing is animated by brief vocalisations on the word 'tourne' (the image of the Fates spinning the thread of life); this piece was greatly admired for its skilful composition, and Lully was particularly proud of it. It probably inspired Rameau for the scene with the Furies at the end of Act II of 'Hippolyte et Aricie' (1733). (Pascal Denécheau. From the liner notes.)

 

Performers: Les Talens Lyriques, Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Christophe Rousset, Ève-Maud Hubeaux, Cyril Auvity, Edwin Crossley-Merger, Philippe Estèphe, Ambroisine Bré, Bénédicte Tauran, Fabien Hyon, Aimery Lefévre

1.1. Ouverture

1.2. Prologue, Scène I: 'Publions En Tous Lieux'

1.3. Prologue, Scène I: 'C'est Lui Dont Les Dieux Ont Fait Choix'

1.4. Prologue, Scène II: Premier Air Des Tritons

1.5. Prologue, Scène II: 'C'est Le Dieu Des Eaux Qui Va Paraître'

1.6. Prologue, Scène II: Deuxième Air Des Tritons

1.7. Prologue, Scène II: 'Mon Empire A Servi De Théâtre À La Guerre'

1.8. Prologue, Scène II: 'Célébrons Son Grand Nom Sur La Terre Et Sur L'onde'

1.9. Prologue, Scène III: Prélude Des Muses

1.10. Prologue, Scène III: 'Cessez Pour Quelque Temps, Bruit Terrible Des Armes'

1.11. Prologue, Scène III: Premier Air Pour Les Muses

1.12. Prologue, Scène III: Deuxième Air Pour Les Muses

1.13. Prologue, Scène III: 'Ne Parlez Pas Toujours De La Guerre Cruelle'

1.14. Prologue, Scène III: 'Ne Parlons Pas Toujours De La Guerre Cruelle'

1.15. Prologue, Scène III: Air Pour Les Trompettes

1.16. Prologue, Scène III: 'Hâtez-vous, Plaisirs, Hâtez-vous'

1.17. Prologue: Ouverture

1.18. Acte I, Scène I: Ritournelle

1.19. Acte I, Scène I: 'Cessons D'aimer Une Infidèle'

1.20. Acte I, Scène II: 'C'est Trop Entretenir Ces Tristes Rêveries'

1.21. Acte I, Scène III: 'M'aimez-vous? Puis-je M'en Flatter?'

1.22. Acte I, Scène IV: 'Ce Prince Trop Longtemps Dans Ses Chagrins S'obstine'

1.23. Acte I, Scène V: 'Le Dieu Puissant Qui Lance Le Tonnerre'

1.24. Acte I, Scène V: 'Échos, Retentissez Dans Ces Lieux Pleins D'appas'

1.25. Acte I, Scène V: 'C'est Ainsi Que Mercure'

1.26. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Que La Terre Partage'

1.27. Acte I, Scène VI: Premier Air Pour L'entrée Des Divinités De La Terre

1.28. Acte I, Scène VI: Deuxième Air

1.29. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Les Armes Que Je Tiens Protègent L'innocence'

1.30. Acte I: Entracte

1.31. Acte II, Scène I: Ritournelle

1.32. Acte II, Scène I: 'Où Suis-je, D'où Vient Ce Nuage?'

1.33. Acte II, Scène II: 'Vous Voyez Jupiter, Que Rien Ne Vous Étonne'

1.34. Acte II, Scène III: 'Iris Est Ici-bas Et Junon Elle-même'

1.35. Acte II, Scène IV: 'Arrêtez, Belle Iris, Différez Un Moment'

1.36. Acte II, Scène V: Prélude

1.37. Acte II, Scène V: 'J'ai Cherché Vainement La Fille D'Inachus'

1.38. Acte II, Scène VI: 'Dans Les Jardins D'Hébé Vous Deviez En Ce Jour'

1.39. Acte II, Scène VII: Entrée Pour La Jeunesse

1.40. Acte II, Scène VII: 'Les Plaisirs Les Plus Doux'

1.41. Acte II, Scène VII: Premier Air

1.42. Acte II, Scène VII: 'Aimez, Profitez Du Temps'

2.1. Acte II, Scène VII: Deuxième Air

2.2. Acte II, Scène VII: 'Que Ces Lieux Ont D'attraits'

2.3. Acte II, Scène VIII: 'Servez, Nymphe, Servez, Avec Un Soin Fidèle'

2.4. Acte II, Scène VIII: 'Que C'est Un Plaisir Charmant'

2.5. Acte III, Scène I: Ritournelle

2.6. Acte III, Scène I: 'Dans Ce Solitaire Séjour'

2.7. Acte III, Scène II: 'La Perfide Craint Ma Présence'

2.8. Acte III, Scène III: 'Liberté, Liberté!'

2.9. Acte III, Scène IV: 'De La Nymphe Syrinx, Pan Chérit La Mémoire'

2.10. Acte III, Scène V: 'Liberté, Liberté'

2.11. Acte III, Scène VI: Air Des Sylvains Et Des Satyres

2.12. Acte III, Scène VI: Marche Des Bergers Et Satyres

2.13. Acte III, Scène VI: Deuxième Air

2.14. Acte III, Scène VI: 'Quel Bien Devez-vous Attendre'

2.15. Acte III, Scène VI: Troisième Air

2.16. Acte III, Scène VI: 'Je Vous Aime, Nymphe Charmante'

2.17. Acte III, Scène VI: 'Aimons Sans Cesse'

2.18. Acte III, Scène VI: 'Faut-il Qu'en Vains Discours Un Si Beau Jour Se Passe?'

2.19. Acte III, Scène VI: 'Je Ne Puis Vous Quitter, Mon Coeur S'attache À Vous'

2.20. Acte III, Scène VI: 'Hélas! Quel Bruit! Qu'entends-je?'

2.21. Acte III, Scène VII: 'Reconnaissez Mercure Et Fuyez Avec Nous'

2.22. Acte III, Scène VIII: 'Revois Le Jour, Argus, Que Ta Figure Change!'

2.23. Acte III: Entracte

2.24. Acte IV, Scène I: Entrée Des Peuples Des Climats Glacés

2.25. Acte IV, Scène I: 'L'hiver Qui Nous Tourmente'

2.26. Acte IV, Scène II: 'Laissez-moi, Cruelle Furie'

2.27. Acte IV, Scène III: 'Tôt, Tôt, Tôt...'

2.28. Acte IV, Scène III: Entrée Des Forgerons

2.29. Acte IV, Scène IV: 'Quel Déluge De Feux Qui Sortent Des Forges'

2.30. Acte IV, Scène V: 'Exécutons L'arrêt Du Sort'

2.31. Acte IV, Scène VI: Premier Air Des Parques

2.32. Acte IV, Scène VI: Deuxième Air Des Parques

2.33. Acte IV, Scène VI: 'C'est Contre Moi Qu'il Faut Tourner'

2.34. Acte IV, Scène VII: 'Le Fil De La Vie'

2.35. Acte IV, Scène VII: 'Tranchez Mon Triste Sort D'un Coup Qui Me Délivre'

2.36. Acte IV: Entracte

2.37. Acte V, Scène I: Ritournelle

2.38. Acte V, Scène I: 'Terminez Mes Tourments, Puissant Maître Du Monde'

2.39. Acte V, Scène II: Prélude

2.40. Acte V, Scène II: 'Il Ne M'est Pas Permis De Finir Votre Peine'

2.41. Acte V, Scène III: 'Venez, Déesse Impitoyable'

2.42. Acte V, Scène III: 'Venez, Divinité Nouvelle!'

2.43. Acte V, Scène III: Premier Air Pour Les Égyptiens

2.44. Acte V, Scène III: Deuxième Air Pour Les Égyptiens

2.45. Acte V, Scène III: 'Isis Est Immortelle'

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