Les arts florissants (opera)

"Les arts florissants" (H. 487) is a short chamber opera (also described by the composer as "idyle en musique") in five scenes by Marc-Antoine Charpentier.

History

It was written around 1685 for the group of musicians employed by Marie de Lorraine, Duchess of Guise, a cousin of Louis XIV, at her residence in Paris. The French libretto, written by an unknown author , is allegorical in nature and draws on aspects of mythological and natural symbolism familiar to 17th-century audiences to add depth to a superficially simple plot.

The story of the opera concerns the eponymous Arts, shown flourishing under the beneficent and peaceful reign of Louis XIV, as they and a group of Warriors become drawn into a dispute between the central characters of "La paix" (Peace) and "La discorde" (Discord). After a brief struggle in which Discord and his Furies gain the upper hand, Peace appeals to Jupiter to intervene on her behalf. Discord and his followers are chased back into Hell by a hail of thunderbolts, and Peace holds sway once more.

Analysis

The opera is scored for seven solo voices, five-part chorus, two flutes (or recorders), two treble viols and basso continuo.

The manuscript score also calls for two choruses in the form of a "Troupe de Guerriers" (Troop of Warriors) and a "Choeur de Furies chantantes" (Chorus of singing Furies), to be sung by all available singers, [The vocal forces usually employed by Marie de Lorraine (Hitchcock suggests there were never more than fourteen singers at a time, and usually fewer) would otherwise have been too small to make this proliferation of choruses feasible. In Charpentier's manuscript, the various vocal lines of each chorus are labelled with the names of the seven soloists, which would seem to confirm that they were required to double as both choruses. See Hitchcock and Charpentier.] and a troupe of "Furies dansantes, si l'on veut" (Dancing Furies, "if desired"). The instrumentalists are included in the original character list under the entry "Suite de la Musique", and the overture is labelled "pour les symphonistes de la Suite de la Musique" ("for the orchestral players in Music's following").

Roles

elected recordings

*Charpentier: "Les Arts florissants" / William Christie, Les Arts Florissants CD. Harmonia Mundi Musique d'Abord (1999). Catalog# 1901083. (not widely available)

Bibliography

*Marc-Antoine Charpentier: "Les Arts florissans" , "Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Oeuvres complètes", ser.I vol.7 (facs.), ed. H. Wiley Hitchcock (Paris: Minkoff France, 1996) 120-164

References

External links

*H. Wiley Hitchcock: "Marc-Antoine Charpentier 1. Life", "Grove Music Online" ed. L. Macy (Accessed August 25 2006), [http://www.grovemusic.com www.grovemusic.com] (subscription access)
*John S. Powell: "Les Arts florissants", "Grove Music Online" ed. L. Macy (Accessed August 25 2006), [http://www.grovemusic.com www.grovemusic.com] (subscription access)
*Patricia M. Ranum: "The 'Guise Music': some thumbnail sketches of the members of Mlle de Guise's ensemble", "Ranums' Panat Times" website (Accessed August 25 2006), [http://www.ranumspanat.com/guise_music.html www.ranumspanat.com/guise_music.html]