Alceste (Lully)

"Alceste, ou Le triomphe d’Alcide" is a "tragédie en musique" in a prologue and five acts by Jean-Baptiste Lully. The French-language libretto is by Philippe Quinault, after Euripides’ "Alcestis". It was first performed at the Paris Opéra on January 19, 1674.

The opera was presented in celebration of King Louis XIV’s victory against Franche-Comté, and the prologue features nymphs longing for his return from battle. The opera itself concerns Alceste, princess of Iolcos and queen of Thessaly, who in the first act is abducted by Licomède (Lycomedes), king of Scyros, with the aid of his sister Thetis, a sea nymph; Aeolus, the god of the winds; and other supernatural forces. In the battle to rescue her, Alcide (Hercules) is triumphant, but Alceste’s husband, Admète (Admetus), suffers a mortal wound. Apollo agrees to let Admète live if someone will take his place in death. Alceste volunteers herself but is rescued by Alcide, who loves her. The opera ends with a celebration of Alceste’s return from the underworld and of Alcide’s noble gallantry in returning her to her husband and relinquishing any claims to her.

"Alceste" is Lully’s second "tragédie en musique", after "Cadmus et Hermione".

Roles

ynopsis

Young King Admète (also known as Admetus) barely escapes Thanatos, the God of Death, through the trickery of his friend, the god Apollon (or Apollo). Apollon had persuaded Death to take a substitute for Admète. It seemed like a good idea to both Admète and Apollon, however Death made one stipulation, the substitute had to be a voluntary one. Admète thought this would not be a problem, believing that his old and weary parents would willingly take his place and die. Instead, his parents made it clear, especially Pheres, his father, that life was more precious as one got older and his parents would not die for him. Only Admète' young beautiful wife and queen, Alceste (or Alcestis), came forth voluntarily to die for him.

Death comes for Alceste, leaving her grieving husband to contemplate a life of shame, celibacy and isolation. Heracles (or Alcide) enters and sees his friend in mourning. He asks who has died and Admetus lies to him saying it was a stranger and he is welcome to stay. Heracles takes Admète at his word and begins to drink and laugh. Finally, a servant tells Heracles that is is the queen, Alcestis, that has died. Heracles, angry and hurt confronts Admète and asks how he could deceive a friend in such an embarrassing and cruel way.

Admetus painfully tells Heracles the story. He tells Heracles that he is sorry for his humiliation but that he did not want to refuse Heracles hospitality since he felt that hospitality was the only thing left that he had to give his friend. Heracles not only forgives his friend but feels his pain in the loss of Alceste.

Heracles, being the super-hero of those times, goes off to Hades and wrestles Death for the life of Alcestis. He wins and brings Alceste back to Admète in disguise. It is as if Alcestis is still dead. It is not until Admète begins to understand the true pain of his deeds, that the veil drops from Alceste’ face and her husband happily recognizes and greets her.

Notable recordings

* "Alceste" with conductor Jean-Claude Malgoire and La Grande Ecurie et La Chambre du Roy. Cast includes: Jean-Philippe Lafont, Colette Alliot-Lugaz, Howard Crook, Veronique Gens, Francois Loup, Jean-Francois Gardeil, Gregory Reinhart, Olivier Lallouette, Gille Ragon, and Sophie-Marin Degor. Released in 1994 on the Astree label.

References