Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville - Titon et l'Aurore

"'If I couldn't be Rameau, there's no one I'd rather be than Mondonville', Pierre-Louis Daquin wrote at the time of the first performance of Mondonville's 'Titon', thereby reflect the latter's immense reputation at this period. Famous as a violinist, Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville had first made a name for himself as a writer of instrumental and religious music, and it was this which, in 1739, gained him a post as 'maître de musique' in the 'Chapelle Royale', while his 'grands motets' enjoyed enormous popularity at the Concert Spirituel: according to 'Le Mercure de France', his music was performed at nine out of every ten concerts over a twenty-year period, in other words, it was played on no fewer than 363 occasions between 1742 and 1762. Considered worthy successors to those of Lalande and Campra, Mondoville's motets were universally admired and regarded as seminal works. In the second of his 'Lettres de Correcteur des Bouffons', J.-B. Jourdan wrote that the composer fully deserved to be acknowledged as 'the man to whome France should be as indebted for her sacred vocal music as she is to Monsieur Rameau for his vocal music for the theatre'.

"Mondonville's own works for the state, by contrast, enjoyed mixed fortunes although his three mid-century operas ('Le Carnaval du Parnasse', 'Titon et l'Aurore' and 'Daphnis et Alcimadure') were among the most brilliant successful works of that time. It has been argued that the success of 'Titon' was due, essentially, to external circumstances: in the 'Querelle des Bouffons', which was raging at this time, it is said that the advocated of French opera drew a deliberate contrast between 'Titon' and Pergolesi's 'La Serva Padrona' and that they organised an elaborate cabal in high places to ensure that its first performance, at the 'Académie Royale de Musique' on 9 January 1753, was a triumph for all concerned. Indeed, the partisans of Italian opera even claimed that when they arrived at their usual seats, they found them already occupied by members of the Royal Guard, while the rest of the pit had been requisitioned by members of the Household Cavalry and King's Own Musketeers, who thus made their own contribution to this aesthetic war.

"Even if there is any substance to this report, it does not explain the extraordinarily durable nature of the work's success: box-office takings were such that the piece was staged, twice a week, for thirty-five consecutive performances between January and June 1753, before being revived in the autumn of that year. It returned to the repertory of the 'Académie Royale de Musique' in February and March 1763, between January and May 1764, finally but no less successfully, between January and March 1768. It is difficult, therefore, not to share the opinion of the contributor to 'Le Mercure de France', who wrote in March 1763: 'From the very first of its current run of performances, the public has proved that the work has gained its favbour due not to circumstances but to its own particular merit.'

"Some doubt surrounds the authorship of the libretto, although Mondonville's contemporaries had firmly fixed views on the subject. The Prologue, they were convinced, was the work of Antoine Houdart de la Motte (1672-1731), who had written the words for twelve operas by Campra, Destouches, Collasse, Marais and others. The three acts of the 'pastorale héroïque itself have always been attributed to the Breton poet, the Abbé de la Marre, who also wrote the words for Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer's 'Zaïde' and who died in tragic circumstances when he fell from a window in 1742. Some writers have suggested that the original text was revised by 'several men of wit', including Mondonville himself.

"According to the 'Dictionnaire dramatique' of 1776, 'the subject of the Prologue is Prometheus's ravishment of fire from heaven; he uses this fire & that of Love to breathe life into statues of men and women and, with them, peoples the Universe.' The author of 'La Guerre de l'opera' sums up the pastorale proper with elegant concision: 'There are two Lovers crossed by two persons that are jealous.'

"The Prologue follows tradition, therefore, in being apparently independent of the main action. None the less, the two parts end in similar fashion with the appearance of triumphant Love, whose blessings are duly celebrated.

"Although space permits no more than a rapid survey of the piece, we will perhaps attempt to identify certain aspect of the audience's reaction as recorded in accounts of the time.

"The dramatic power of the anguished overture, with its quasi-rhetorical questions, looks forward, in its intensity, to Prometheus's following narrative; it was found to be 'full of noise' by certain early listeners, who were disconcerted by its 'excessive strangeness'. In the Prologue, listeners 'enjoyed the sinfonia which announces the moment when the spiritus comes to life' - in other words, the moment when the statues come alive. Certainly, the gentleness of this passage - which marks the first appearance of a major tonality - and the shimmering, interlanced arpeggios create an otherworldly atmosphere worthy of Rameau's 'Pygmalion'. Other writers drew a contrast between the lofty sentiments of the opening chorus and the triviality of 'La Serva Patrona': 'the chorus of animated statues expresses the philosophical terror which each man must feel when he contemplates himself, questioning the whole of nature in order to know his place in it &, by a natural impulse, addressing himself to Heaven in his wish to understand the plight in which his own existence places him. [...] These are the tableaux that our Operas should present, instead of depicting a man's impatience as he waits for his drink of chocolate.

"The opening act was said to be 'the most agreeable in the opera', with 'Titon's monologue and its accompaniment' being 'applauded with particular warmth'. The commentator is no doubt referring here to the instrumental effect produced by the basses and bassoons in their lowest registers to reproduce the darkness of night, as required by the staging. Also admired were the duet for Titon and Aurora, the ariett 'Venez, petits oiseaux', and Titon's Romance, a musette entitled 'Votre cœur aimable Aurore', which, published in 'Le Mercure de France', was soon being sung all over Paris. The author of 'La Guerre de l'Opera' particularly liked the depiction of dawn: 'The Music which heralds the dawn is perhaps the most florid and voloptuous that I have ever heard at the Opera. The listener has the sensation of seeing the flowers open and the dew begin to fall; he thinks he hears birds singing and feels all nature atremble at the approach of day.'

"Contemporary accounts of the second act singled out a 'chorus for the Winds' which, 'full of noise and harmony', claimed the listener's attention, while the 'village fête' merited mention for its 'attractive violin airs and tuneful ariettas'.

"In the third act, 'Titon's final arietta was predictably praised but, above all, it was his monologue in the second scene which drew attention to itself, shocking certain listenerds who, otherwise well disposed, felt that this depiction of the hero's decrepitude was somehow 'disagreeable': 'It seems that the composer has sought to depict the painful and useless effort made by a dying octogenarian to cough up phlegm from his chest.' The 'cognoscenti', by contrast, found this number 'a product of genius', a 'tragic flaw' that produced 'both one of the most beautiful pieces of French Music & one of the most felicitous dénouements in all dramatic Art.'

"'The only thing we found that was genuinely new in this Opera was the costumes worn by the actors', one detractor noted, a remark which one of the work's admirers was able to turn to advantage when he described the effect of the first-act celebrations: 'Nothing astonishes you, yet everything is pleasing.' It is difficult to think of a more apposite characterisation of Mondonville's operatic art than this, for it is this, among other things, which sets him apart from Rameau's often disconcerting genius.

"According to a chansonnier published in 1750, 'In fine, the difference between Mondonville and Rameau is that the one amazes the ignorant through an excess of learning, forcing the connoisseur to admire his talent; the other, a less affected but more amiable Orpheus, flatters his listener and bring him within his grasp.'

"Mondonville certainly showed an innovative bent not only in his instrumental writing, with its use of harmonics and novel orchestration, but also in creating new genres, including harpsichord sonatas with violin accompaniment, vocal concertos and oratorios set to French words. But this is not the style of his operas, where he prefers to seduce his listeners with grace and tenderness, elegance, delicacy and lightness of approach. As the success of his works attests, they must be judged as the perfect embodiment of a taste that is typical of a refined century. As Caux de Cappeval wrote in his 'Apologie du goût françois', 'To glorify that taste which France may call her own, Rameau will be Virgil, as Lully once was Homer: baside them at the opera Mondonville now rises to support them, like some new constellation.' (Jean-Paul Burgos, 17th July 1991, tr. Stewart Spencer. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Ensemble Vocal Françoise Herr, Les Musiciens Du Louvre, Marc Minkowski, Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, Catherine Napoli, Philippe Huttenlocher, Jennifer Smith, Anne Monoyios

1.1. Ouverture

1.2. Prologue, Scène I: 'Dieux! Connaissez-vous D'autre Félicité'

1.3. Prologue, Scène I: 'Faisons De Leur Repos Rougir Les Immortels'

1.4. Prologue, Scène I: 'Esprits Soumis À Mon Empire, Que Ce Peuple S'anime'

1.5. Prologue, Scène I: Air Pour Les Esprits Du Feu

1.6. Prologue, Scène I: 'Soyez De L'Univers Le Plus Parfait Ouvrage'

1.7. Prologue, Scène I: Lent

1.8. Prologue, Scène I: 'Chantez Mortels'

1.9. Prologue, Scène I: 'Quelle Clarté Brille À Nos Yeux?'

1.10. Prologue, Scène I: 'Vous, Dont L'obéissance A Rempli Mes Souhaits'

1.11. Prologue, Scène I: Air Léger

1.12. Prologue, Scène I: 'Quelle Agréable Mélodie'

1.13. Prologue, Scène II: 'Lorsque Des Eléments J'ai Terminé La Guerre' (L'Amour, Prométhée)

1.14. Prologue, Scène II: 'Qu'on Ne Parle Que De Ta Gloire' (L'Amour, Prométhée, Chœur)

1.15. Prologue, Scène II: 'Vous, Qui De Tant D'attraits Embellissez Cythère'

1.16. Prologue, Scène II: Air Pour Les Grâces

1.17. Prologue, Scène II: Premièr Et Deuxième Gavottes

1.18. Prologue, Scène II: 'Jeunes Mortels, Livrez Vos Armes Aux Douceurs De La Volupté'

1.19. Prologue, Scène II: Air

1.20. Prologue, Scène II: 'De L'Amour Le Pouvoir Suprême'

1.21. Prologue, Scène II: 'Célébrons Le Dieu Des Amours'

1.22. Prologue, Scène II: Reprise De L'Ouverture

1.23. Acte I, Scène I: 'Que L'Aurore Tarde À Paraître'

1.24. Acte I, Scène II: 'Je Vous Revois Enfin'

1.25. Acte I, Scène II: 'Règne, Amour Dans Nos Âmes'

1.26. Acte I, Scène II: 'Bergers, Soyez Témoins De Nos Tendres Soupirs'

1.27. Acte I, Scène III: 'Célébrons L'amour Et L'Aurore'

1.28. Acte I, Scène III: Musette/'Votre Cœur, Aimable Aurore'

1.29. Acte I, Scène III: Air Pour Les Pâtres

1.30. Acte I, Scène III: Venez Sous Ce Riant Feuillage'

1.31. Acte I, Scène III: Air Léger

1.32. Acte I, Scène IV: Prélude/'Que Vois-je, Ô Ciel!'

1.33. Acte I, Scène IV: 'Vous Me Fuyez En Vain'

1.34. Acte I, Scène IV: 'Divinité Des Cœurs Jaloux'

1.35. Acte I, Scène V: 'Eole, Quel Sujet Cause Votre Fureur?'

1.36. Acte I, Scène V: 'Fiers Aquilons, Soumis À Mon Obéissance'

1.37. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Quel Succès, Quel Bonheur!'

1.38. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Tout Favorise Dans Ce Jour Mes Feux Et Ma Vengeance'

2.1. Acte II, Scène I: 'Dois-je Amour De Tant De Larmes'

2.2. Acte II, Scène II: 'L'Instant Ou L'on Perd Ce Qu'on Aime'

2.3. Acte II, Scène III: 'Avez-vous Adouci Les Regrets De L'Aurore?'

2.4. Acte II, Scène IV: 'Vents Furieux, Sortez De La Grotte Profonde'

2.5. Acte II, Scène IV: Air Pour Les Vents

2.6. Acte II, Scène IV: 'Partez, Et Que Titon Éprouve Ma Fureur'

2.7. Acte II, Scène V: 'Bergers, Je Connais Vos Malheurs'

2.8. Acte II, Scène V: Air Pour Les Nymphes

2.9. Acte II, Scène V: Air Lent Et Très Doux

2.10. Acte II, Scène V: 'Que Je Plains Les Cœurs Amoureux'

2.11. Acte II, Scène V: Rondeau

2.12. Acte II, Scène V: 'Ce Ruisseau Qui Dans La Plaine'

2.13. Acte II, Scène V: Première Et Deuxième Gavottes

2.14. Acte II, Scène V: 'Amour, Amour Lance Dans Nos Ames'

2.15. Acte II, Scène VI: 'Rien Ne Peut Dissiper L'ennui Qui Vous Dévore'

2.16. Acte II, Scène VII: 'Tu Vas Sentir Les Effets De Ma Rage'

2.17. Acte III, Scène I: Ritournelle

2.18. Acte III, Scène I: 'Avez-vous Triomphé Du Rival Que J'abhore!'

2.19. Acte III, Scène I: 'Ne Craignez Aucun Retour'

2.20. Acte III, Scène I: 'Pour Le Sauver, Vous Cherchez Un Détour'

2.21. Acte III, Scène I: 'Connaissez Votre Erreur'

2.22. Acte III, Scène I: 'Ah! Quel Plaisir Dans Nos Malheurs'

2.23. Acte III, Scène II: 'Que Vois-je?'

2.24. Acte III, Scène III: 'C'est La Voix De Titon'

2.25. Acte III, Scène III: 'Quels Sons Harmonieux? Quelle Clarté Nouvelle?'

2.26. Acte III, Scène IV: 'Ne Craignez Plus La Jalouse Vengeance De Palès'

2.27. Acte III, Scène IV: 'Quel Dieu M'anime Et Me Rend La Clarté?'

2.28. Acte III, Scène IV: 'Amour, Amour, Après Tant De Bienfaits'

2.29. Acte III, Scène IV: 'De Deux Parfaits Amants, Occupez Les Loisirs'

2.30. Acte III, Scène V: 'Chantons, Chantons La Gloire Et La Puissance'

2.31. Acte III, Scène V: Aria Et Altro

2.32. Acte III, Scène V: 'La Tourterelle Tendre Et Fidèle'

2.33. Acte III, Scène V: Rondeau En Chaconne

2.34. Acte III, Scène V: 'Du Dieu Des Cœurs, On Adore L'empire'

2.35. Acte III, Scène V: Contre Danse

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