Forest scene from the opera Hercule mourant

''Hercule mourant'' (''Hercules Dying'') is an opera by the French composer Antoine Dauvergne, first performed at the Académie Royale de Musique (

Paris Opéra The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...

) on 3 April 1761. It takes the form of a '' tragédie lyrique'' in five acts. The libretto, by

Jean-François Marmontel Jean-François Marmontel (; 11 July 1723 – 31 December 1799) was a French historian, writer and a member of the Encyclopédistes movement. Biography He was born of poor parents at Bort, Limousin (today in Corrèze). After studying wi ...

, is based on the tragedies '' The Women of Trachis'' by

Sophocles Sophocles ( 497/496 – winter 406/405 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. was an ancient Greek tragedian known as one of three from whom at least two plays have survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those ...

and ''Hercule mourant, ou La Déjanire'' (1634) by

Jean Rotrou Jean Rotrou (21 August 1609 – 28 June 1650) was a French poet and tragedian. Life Rotrou was born at Dreux, city of the current department of Eure-et-Loir, in Centre-Val de Loire region. He studied at Dreux and at Paris, and, though three ye ...

Performance history

The premiere was delayed by the death of the

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy () was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by the Crown lands of France, French crown in 1477, and later by members of the House of Habsburg, including Holy Roman E ...

. The opera ran for 18 performances. ''Hercule mourant'' was given its first performance in modern times on 11 November 2011 at the Opéra Royal de Versailles in a concert version with

Christophe Rousset Christophe Rousset (; born 12 April 1961) is a French harpsichordist and conducting, conductor, who specializes in the performance of Baroque music on Authentic performance, period instruments. He is also a musicologist, particularly of opera and ...

conducting Les Talens Lyriques. The title role was sung by Andrew Foster-Williams with Veronique Gens as Déjanire. A recording of the performance was released the following year on the Aparté label.Ashley, Tim (10 January 2013)
"Dauvergne: ''Hercule Mourant'' – review"
''

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''. Retrieved 28 October 2013.

Roles

Synopsis

Act 1

''Scene: the palace of Hercules''
Deianara awaits the return of her husband Hercules from completing his Twelve Labours. Hercules sends captives from his expedition in advance. His son Hyllus immediately falls in love with one of them, Iole. Meanwhile, Hercules' arch-enemy the goddess Juno sends Jealousy to make trouble for him with the help of Deianara's maid Dirce.

Act 2

''Scene: the palace gardens, by the sea''
Hyllus declares his love to Iole but Iole asks whether she could love the son of Hercules, her father's killer. More distressingly, she tells him Hercules himself has fallen in love with her and plans to repudiate Deianara in her favour. Hercules arrives to celebrate the homecoming feast. Dirce reveals Hercules' love for Iole to Deianara. In a jealous rage, Deianara plans to use the

love potion A love potion (''poculum amatorium'') is a magical liquid which supposedly causes the drinker to develop feelings of love towards the person who served it. Another common term to describe the potion, ''philtre'', is thought to have originated ...

made from the blood of the dying centaur Nessus.

Act 3

''Scene: An amphitheatre near Mount Olympus and the Temple of Jupiter''
Hercules proclaims the Olympic Games in honour of his father Jupiter. Hyllus arrives and gives him the robe Deianara has sent, dipped in the blood of Nessus. He describes how impatient his mother is to see her husband again. Moved by her concern and persuaded by his friend Philoctetes, Hercules decides to renounce Iole. As he prepares to sacrifice to Jupiter he puts on the robe.

Act 4

''Scene: The vestibule of the temple of Jupiter at Trachis''
Deianara has had an ominous dream of the blood-covered robe bursting into flames and begs Jupiter to save Hercules. As the sacrifice takes place the temple is shaken and the priests shut the doors to Deianara; the god has rejected her prayer. Hyllus brings the news that the poisoned robe has burned Hercules and he is now dying. Hercules has sent Hyllus to kill Deianara but he relents when she begs him to tell Hercules on his deathbed that she has always loved him.

Act 5

''Scene: The summit of Mount Oeta.''
Hercules' companions raise a funeral pyre for the dying hero. Hercules asks his friend

Philoctetes Philoctetes ( ''Philoktētēs''; , ), or Philocthetes, according to Greek mythology, was the son of Poeas, king of Meliboea (Magnesia), Meliboea in Thessaly, and Demonassa or Methone (Greek myth), Methone. He was a Greek hero, famed as an archer ...

to kill him with an arrow but Philoctetes refuses. Hyllus tells Hercules that Deianara did not mean to kill him, just before news comes that Deianara has committed suicide out of grief. Hercules now joins Hyllus and Iole in marriage and asks his son to do him one last favour: to light the funeral pyre and burn him to death. Hyllus is horrified but at that moment a lightning bolt from heaven strikes the pyre and it bursts into flames. Hercules emerges from the fire on a flying chariot sent by Jupiter, who welcomes his son into heaven.

Recording

*''Hercule mourant'', Andrew Foster-Williams (Hercule), Véronique Gens (Déjanire), Emiliano Gonzalez Toro (Hilus), Les Chantres du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles, Les Talens Lyriques, conducted by Christophe Rousset (2 CDs, Aparté, 2012)

References

Sources

*David Charlton ''Opera in the Age of Rousseau: Music, Confrontation, Realism'', Cambridge University Press, 2012. * Félix Clément and Pierre Larousse ''Dictionnaire des Opéras'', Paris, 1881. * Benoït Dratwicki, ''Antoine Dauvergne (1713—1797): une carrière tourmentée dans la France musicale des Lumières'', Editions Mardaga, 2011. * Benoït Dratwicki, booklet notes to the Rousset recording.

External links

* Les Talens Lyriques
Dossier: ''Hercule mourant''
(background information and synopsis) an
''Hercule mourant''
(detailed programme notes) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hercule mourant Operas Tragédies en musique French-language operas 1761 operas Operas by Antoine Dauvergne Operas based on works by Sophocles Libretti by Jean-François Marmontel