Proserpine (Lully)

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Title page of Proserpine Lully - Proserpine - title page of the score, Paris 1680.png
Title page of Proserpine

Proserpine (Proserpina) is an opera with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully and a libretto by Philippe Quinault first performed at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 3 February 1680. [1]

Contents

Roles

Roles, voice types, premiere cast
Role Voice type Premiere cast, 3 February 1680
Prologue
La Paix (Peace) soprano Catherine Ferdinand
La Félicité (Felicitas)sopranoMlle Rebel
L'Abondance (Abundantia)sopranoMlle Puvigné (or Puvigny)
La Discorde (Discord) tenor (en travesti)Puvigné (or Puvigny)
La Victoire (Victoria)sopranoClaude Ferdinand
Tragédie
Pluton (Pluto) bass Jean Gaye
Ascalaphe (Ascalaphus), son of Acheron, confidant of PlutonbassAntoine Morel
Proserpine sopranoClaude Ferdinand
Cérès (Ceres)sopranoMlle de Saint-Christophe (or Saint-Christophle)
Jupiter bassGodonesche
Alphée (Alpheus) haute-contre Bernard Cledière
Aréthuse (Arethusa)sopranoCatherine Ferdinand
Mercure (Mercury)tenorLangeais
Cyané, a Sicilian nymph, confidante of CérèssopranoMlle Bony
Crinise, god of the Sicilian river Crinisus basse-taille Arnoul
Furies 2 tenors and a basse-taille(?)Claude Desvoyes, Puvigny (or Puvigné) and Le Maire
A blessed spiritsoprano

Synopsis

Based on Ovid's Metamorphoses , the plot centers around the abduction of Proserpine by Pluton, with side plots concerning Cérès's love for Jupiter and the love intrigue between Alphée and Aréthuse.

Recordings

References

  1. Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Proserpine, 3 February 1680" . L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).

Further reading