A highly successful work, premièred in 1680 at the Court of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Proserpine marks the return of the fruitful collaboration between Quinault and Lully, broken by the scandal of Isis in 1677. While the story of Proserpine is inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the libretto of this lyric tragedy in five acts focuses more on the figure of Ceres, Proserpine’s mother, devastated by the abduction of her daughter by Pluto, god of the underworld, who wishes to marry her. The context of the work’s creation is enlightening, as it coincided with the announcement of the marriage between Marie-Anne of Bavaria and the Grand Dauphin, Louis XIV’s only legitimate son: Proserpine, who must marry a man she has not chosen in order to become Queen of the Underworld where she will finally find love, evokes the story of the future Dauphine of France. The character of Ceres, abandoned by Jupiter, is also reminiscent of the Marquise de Montespan, spurned by Louis XIV for Madame de Ludres.

With Proserpine, Lully furthered the development of the genre of lyric tragedy that he himself had founded by exploring a wide variety of vocal and orchestral combinations. No longer content to play the instrumental entertainment framing the action, the orchestra now contributed to the dramatic progression by supporting and responding to the characters and choruses. The duet of Pluto and Ascalaphe, the first bass duet in this repertoire, also attests to innovation within the genre. As such, according to musicologist Jérôme de La Gorce, this work heralded “decisive changes for the future of tragedy”.

For Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques, performing Proserpine represents a new milestone in their brilliant and acclaimed exploration of Lullist tragedies.

Alice de la Bouillerie.

Coproduction Royal Opera / Château de Versailles Spectacles, Les Talens Lyriques.

This programme will be recorded for the Château de Versailles Spectacles label.

Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)
Proserpine

Musical tragedy with libretto by Philippe Quinault, first performed at Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1680.

Show in French with French and English surtitles.

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PRESTIGE CATEGORY: Excellent seats with complimentary glass of champagne and programme.

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