Francais | English | Espanõl

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Amadis or Amadis de Gaule (Amadis of Gaul) is a tragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts by Jean-Baptiste Lully to a libretto by Philippe Quinault based on Nicolas Herberay des Essarts' adaptation of Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo's Amadis de Gaula. It was premiered at the Paris Opéra January 18 1684. There was a later production at Versailles without machines in 1685.

Contents 1 Performance history 2 Roles 3 Reference 4 External links

[edit] Performance history

Amadis was the first tragédie en musique to be based on chivalric rather than mythological themes; Lully's last three operas followed in this course. Louis XIV of France chose the theme. In the dance troupe the principal male dancers were Pierre Beauchamps, Louis Guillaume Pécour and Lestang, and the principal female dancers were La Fontaine, Carré and Pesan. There were eight revivals of the opera in Paris between 1687 and 1771. Between 1687 and 1729 it was produced in Amsterdam, The Hague, Marseilles, Rouen, Brussels, Lunéville, Lyon, and Dijon. The most famous aria from Amadis is "Bois épais".

[edit] Roles

Character Alquif Urgande Amadis Oriane Florestan Corisande Arcabonne Arcalaus Ghost of Ardan Canile

Description Sorcerer, husband of Urgande Sorceress, wife of Alquif Son of King Perion of Gaul Daughter of King Lisuart of Great Britain Illegitimate son of King Perion Ruler of Gravesande Sorceress, sister of Arcalaus and Ardan Canile Sorcerer knight, brother of Ardan Canile and Arcabonne Brother of Arcabonne and Arcalaus

Voice part baritone soprano haute-contre soprano baritone soprano soprano baritone baritone

Original cast ? ? Dumesnil Fanchon Moreau Jean Dun ? Marie Le Rochois ?

[edit] Reference

Lois Roscow. "Amadis", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed July 23 2006), grovemusic.com (subscription access).

[edit] External links

• on University of North Texas
• Original printed score (pdf)