Lully, Alceste

Judith Van Wanroij Alceste
Emiliano Gonzalez Toro Admète / Apollo / 2nd triton
Edwin Crossley-Mercer Alcide
Marie-Claude Chappuis Céphise / Glory / A shadow
Enguerrand de Hys Lychas / Phérès / Alecton / 1st triton
Douglas Williams Lycomède / Caron
Ambroisine Bré Nymph of the Tuileries / Proserpine
Bénédicte Tauran Nymph of the Marne / Thetis / Diane
Lucía Martin-Cartón Nymph of the Seine / A nymph / Grieving woman
Etienne Bazola Cléante / Straton / Pluton / Eole

Chœur de chambre de Namur (Choir masters: Leonardo García Alarcón & Thibaut Lenaerts) 
Les Talens Lyriques
Christophe Rousset Conductor

Created in January 1674, Alceste ou le triomphe d'Alcide is Lully’s second opera. With Cadmus et Hermione the previous year, he had offered Louis XIV the first ever lyric tragedy and whetted the royal appetite. Alceste is Lully’s first masterpiece. The King was already conquered: he had asked for the rehearsals to take place in Versailles and his enthusiasm was such that: “the King declared that if he was in Paris at the time of the performances, he would go every evening”. 

Lully and his librettist Quinault’s genius was to talk about love and power in terms that could only please the young King: beautiful Alceste, glorious King Admete’s betrothed is coveted by Hercules, under his identity as Alcide. Mortally wounded during combat, King Admete can only be saved if someone takes his place in Hell: Alceste sacrifices herself for love. Alcide/Hercules promises Admete that he will fetch Alceste from Hell if she becomes his. When they return from Hell, the farewell scene between the spouses is so moving that Alcide/Hercules renounces Alceste and lets her go back to Admete.

Lully invented here everything that led him to success and Christophe Rousset, remarkably knowledgeable about the work of the Florentine born musician, is pursuing his cycle of Lully operas with this masterpiece, supported by the best singers to make our hearts flutter, as did the young King’s, victorious in war and madly in love with Madame de Montespan…