''Vénus et Adonis'' is an opera (''

tragédie en musique Tragédie en musique (, ''musical tragedy''), also known as tragédie lyrique (, ''lyric tragedy''), is a genre of French opera introduced by Jean-Baptiste Lully and used by his followers until the second half of the eighteenth century. Operas in ...

'') in a prologue and 5 acts composed by Henri Desmarets to a libretto by Jean-Baptiste Rousseau. Based on the story of

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

and

Adonis In Greek mythology, Adonis, ; derived from the Canaanite word ''ʼadōn'', meaning "lord".R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 23. was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite. One day, Adonis was gored by a ...

in Book X of Ovid's ''

Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' ( la, Metamorphōsēs, from grc, μεταμορφώσεις: "Transformations") is a Latin narrative poem from 8 CE by the Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his '' magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the ...

'', it was first performed by the

Académie Royale de Musique 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 k ...

at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris on 28 July 1697 with Marie Le Rochois and Louis Gaulard Dumesny in the title roles. Desmarets staged a major revival of the work with a new prologue at the court of

Leopold, Duke of Lorraine Leopold the Good (11 September 1679 – 27 March 1729) was Duke of Lorraine and Bar from 1690 to his death. Through his son Francis Stephen, he is the direct male ancestor of all rulers of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, including all Emperors o ...

in 1707. During the composer's lifetime, it was performed in Germany, Belgium, and France, but then fell into obscurity. Its first staging in modern times took place at the Opéra de Nancy on 28 April 2006.

Background and performance history

''Vénus et Adonis'' was Desmarets' eighth stage work and his third to be premiered at the Académie Royale de Musique. Between 1695 and 1697, Desmarets was working simultaneously on ''Vénus et Adonis'', ''Les festes galantes'' (an ''

opéra-ballet ''Opéra-ballet'' (; plural: ''opéras-ballets'') is a genre of French Baroque lyric theatre that was most popular during the 18th century, combining elements of opera and ballet, "that grew out of the '' ballets à entrées'' of the early sevent ...

''), and another five-act ''tragédie en musique'', ''

Iphigénie en Tauride ''Iphigénie en Tauride'' (, ''Iphigenia in Tauris'') is a 1779 opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck in four acts. It was his fifth opera for the French stage. The libretto was written by Nicolas-François Guillard. With ''Iphigénie,'' Gluck t ...

''. ''Vénus et Adonis'' was the first of the three to premiere, and according to the French musicologist Jean Duron, it was also Desmarets' favourite work. His librettist was Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, who was at the start of his career and only 26 when the opera premiered. The myth of Venus and Adonis as recounted in Book X of Ovid's ''

'' held a particular fascination for the poets, artists, and musicians of the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass id ...

and Baroque eras and was the inspiration for numerous works. It had been the subject of at least two operas prior to Desmarets and Rousseau's treatment, Mazzocchi's ''

La catena d'Adone ''La catena d'Adone'' (''The Chain of Adonis'') is the only surviving opera by the Italian composer Domenico Mazzocchi. It was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito Aldobrandini and first performed at the Palazzo Conti, Rome on February 12, 1626. ...

'' (1626) and Blow's '' Venus and Adonis'' (1683), as well as Donneau de Visé's play, ''Les Amours de Vénus et d'Adonis'' with music by Charpentier (1669). Rousseau's treatment differed in that he added the character of Cidippe, a Cypriot princess, whose unrequited love for Adonis eventually ends in her suicide. During the time Desmarets was completing ''Vénus et Adonis'' and preparing the cast for its premiere, he was embroiled in a scandal involving his love affair with Marie-Marguerite de Saint-Gobert, the eighteen-year-old daughter of a high official in

Senlis Senlis () is a commune in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France. The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. It is known for its Gothic cathedral and other ...

. Her father was implacably opposed to a marriage, and the couple eloped to Paris in June 1697. ''Vénus et Adonis'' premiered on 28 July 1697 with Marie Le Rochois as Venus and Louis Gaulard Dumesny as Adonis. Six months later, Marie-Marguerite gave birth to a son and her father brought a criminal prosecution against Desmarets for seduction and kidnapping which was to last for over two years. ''Les festes galantes'' premiered in 1698, but Desmarets left ''Iphigénie en Tauride'' unfinished when he and Marie-Marguerite fled France in 1699. Desmarets was condemned to death ''in absentia'' and only pardoned some 20 years later. After several years in exile as the court composer for

Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mon ...

, Desmarets took up an appointment as master of music at the court of

Lunéville Lunéville ( ; German, obsolete: ''Lünstadt'' ) is a commune in the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. It is a subprefecture of the department and lies on the river Meurthe at its confluence with the Vezouze. History ...

. There he revived ''Vénus et Adonis'' on 15 November 1707 to celebrate the Duke's

name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, among other parts of Christendom. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively that of ...

. Desmarets had dedicated ''Vénus et Adonis'' to his long-time patron

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ve ...

and set the prologue on the plains of

Marly-le-Roi Marly-le-Roi () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, administrative region of Île-de-France, France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre Zero, ...

with Louis XIV's famous leisure residence, Château de Marly in the background. For the 1707 Lunéville performances, Desmarets and Rousseau created a completely new prologue set in the gardens of Duke Leopold's château. In the ensuing years ''Vénus et Adonis'' was performed at the court of

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

Baden-Durlach The Margraviate of Baden-Durlach was an early modern territory of the Holy Roman Empire, in the upper Rhine valley, which existed from 1535 to 1771. It was formed when the Margraviate of Baden was split between the sons of Margrave Christopher ...

(1713),

La Monnaie The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie (french: Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, italic=no, ; nl, Koninklijke Muntschouwburg, italic=no; both translating as the "Royal Theatre of the Mint") is an opera house in central Brussels, Belgium. The National O ...

in Brussels (1714), the Académie Royale de Musique with the Duchesse de Berry in attendance (1717), in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

performed in French but with a comic prologue in German (1725), and in Lyon (1739). Between 1714 and 1739, extracts from the opera were also heard at the royal court in Sweden and in London. Over 250 years of obscurity followed until 28 April 2006 when the opera received its first staging in modern times at the Opéra de Nancy directed and conducted by

Christophe Rousset Christophe Rousset (; born 12 April 1961) is a French harpsichordist and conductor, who specializes in the performance of Baroque music on period instruments. He is also a musicologist, particularly of opera and European music of the 17th and 1 ...

. The Nancy performances by the baroque orchestra

Les Talens Lyriques The French musical ensemble Les Talens Lyriques was created in 1991 in Paris, France, by the harpsichordist and orchestral conductor Christophe Rousset. This instrumental and vocal formation derives its name from the subtitle of '' Les fêtes d'H� ...

with Karine Deshayes as Venus and Sébastien Droy as Adonis, were recorded live and released on CD in 2007.

Roles

Prologue (original Paris Version) *Mélicerte, ''a

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ty ...

'' *Partenope, ''a nymph'' *Palémon, ''a shepherd'' *

Diana Diana most commonly refers to: * Diana (name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Diana (mythology), ancient Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals; later associated with the Moon * Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997) ...

Opera *

(

haute-contre The haute-contre (plural hautes-contre) was the primary French operatic tenor voice, predominant in French Baroque and Classical opera, from the middle of the seventeenth century until the latter part of the eighteenth century. History This voic ...

) – created by Louis Gaulard DumesnyPremiere cast and voice types from and *

( soprano) – created by Marie Le Rochois *Cidippe, ''a princess of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

'' (soprano) – created by

Marie-Louise Desmatins Marie-Louise Desmatins (fl. 1682–1708) was a French soprano and creator of many roles in French Baroque opera. She performed in Jean Baptiste Lully's '' Persée'' (1682), '' Armide'' (1686 and 1703 revival), '' Achille et Polyxène'' (1687), ...

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmos ...

(

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gu ...

) – created by

Charles Hardouin Charles Hardouin (1694 in Brittany, fl. Paris – 1718) was a French operatic baritone (''basse taille''). Beginning his career as a cathedral singer, Hardouin was engaged by the Paris Opéra as a principal singer around 1693–1694, though f ...

* Bellona *Jealousy *A follower of Mars *An inhabitant of Cyprus

Synopsis

Prologue

''A plain at dawn with the Château de Marly in the distance'' The nymphs, Mélicerte and Partenope, and Palemon, a shepherd, sing the praises of love and simple pleasures which can now be enjoyed thanks to the peace secured by the "greatest king in the world" (

). A dance by the shepherds is interrupted when

arrives in her chariot to recount the tale of

, in which love ended in tragedy.

Act 1

''The island of Cyprus'' Festivities are underway for the arrival of

who is to proclaim the new king of Cyprus. Venus arrives and announces that she has chosen Adonis as king, beckoning him to the royal palace. Vénus confesses her love for Adonis to Princess Cidippe, who also secretly loves him. Cidippe warns Venus that her love for Adonis risks angering her lover,

Act 2

''Inside the royal palace'' Adonis and Venus declare their love for each other and Venus proposes that they announce it to all with a public celebration. Later, she encounters Cidippe and joyfully tells her what has happened. Alone and consumed by disappointed love, Cidippe calls upon Jealousy and her followers to bring an end to the love affair.

Act 3

''A garden prepared for the celebrations of Venus and Adonis'' Mars is suspicious of the preparations for a celebration and tells his followers that the descent of Venus to earth has aroused his jealousy. He conceals himself in order to discover who her new lover might be. Venus and Adonis arrive accompanied by their attendants and sing of their love. The Graces and the young men of Cyprus come to pay their respects to the couple but flee when Mars appears. Mars angrily confronts Venus, but she feigns innocence and announces that she is leaving for

Paphos Paphos ( el, Πάφος ; tr, Baf) is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and New Paphos. The current city of ...

. Mars is reassured until Cidippe tells him that he has been deceived. Together they plan their revenge on Venus and Adonis.

Act 4

''The city of

Amathus Amathus or Amathous ( grc, Ἀμαθοῦς) was an ancient city and one of the ancient royal cities of Cyprus until about 300 BC. Some of its impressive remains can be seen today on the southern coast in front of Agios Tychonas, about west ...

'' Venus, believing that she has successfully deceived Mars, reassures Adonis and tells him that she must go to Paphos where festivities are being held in her honour. Mars and Cidippe confront Adonis. Mars prepares to kill him, but his hand is stayed by Cidippe who suggests a sacrifice. Mars summons Bellona, the goddess of war. She and her followers wreak havoc on the city of Amanthus and its people while Mars calls on Diana herself to punish Adonis.

Act 5

''The ruins of Amathus and the surrounding countryside'' Diana has unleashed a terrible beast who is killing the people of Amanthus, much to the satisfaction of Mars. Cidippe implores him to intervene, but he refuses and ascends to

Mount Olympus Mount Olympus (; el, Όλυμπος, Ólympos, also , ) is the highest mountain in Greece. It is part of the Olympus massif near the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, located in the Olympus Range on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, be ...

. Adonis meets Cidippe as he sets out to slay the monster. Left alone, Cydipe waits in terror until she hears the news that Adonis has triumphed. The people of Amathus give thanks for the bravery of their new king. Eager to find Adonis, Venus returns from Paphos and descends from her chariot amidst dancing and cheers. Cidippe confesses to Venus that she too loves Adonis and it was she who had spurred Mars to anger and vengeance. They then learn that Diana had brought the beast back to life and that it has killed Adonis. Cidippe commits suicide as Venus and the chorus lament the tragic fate of Adonis.

Recording

*''Vénus et Adonis'',

, conducted by

. Karine Deshayes (Venus), Sébastien Droy (Adonis), Henk Neven (Mars), Anna Maria Panzarella (Cidippe). Recorded live at the Opéra de Nancy, April–May 2006 (2 CDs,

Naïve Records Naïve Records is a French independent record label based in Paris, specializing in electronic music, pop music, jazz and classical music. Founding and expansion It was founded in 1998 by Patrick Zelnik, former CEO of Virgin France, Gilles Pair ...

, 2007)

References

Sources

* * * *

External links

*

on operabaroque.fr

on operabaroque.fr {{Authority control Operas Opera world premieres at the Paris Opera French-language operas 1697 operas Operas by Henri Desmarets Operas based on Metamorphoses