Alcine (English: Alcina) is an opera by the French composer André Campra. It takes the form of a tragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts. The libretto, by Antoine Danchet, is based on cantos IV, VI and VII of Ariosto's epic poem Orlando furioso and tells of the love of the enchantress Alcine for the paladin Astolphe (Astolfo).
Performance history
Alcine was first performed on 15 January 1705 by the Académie royale de musique at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris. The opera was a failure at its first performance.
Roles +RoleVoice typePremiere cast, 15 January 1705PrologueGlory (La Gloire)sopranoMlle Du PeyréTime (Le Temps)basse-tailleJean Dun 'père'Male followers of Gloryhautes-contreJacques Cocherau and Louis MantienneA female follower of GloryMlle VincentTragédieAlcinesopranoMarie-Louise DesmatinsMélaniebas-dessusJulie d'Aubigny (La Maupin)Atlasbasse-tailleGabriel-Vincent ThévenardNérinesopranoMlle ArmandMelissesopranoMlle DujardinAstolphehaute-contreM PoussinCrisaldehaute-contrePierre ChopeletNymphs of Alcine's courtsopranosMlles Loignon and DupeyréA nereidsopranoMarie-Catherine PoussinA magiciantailleLouis MantienneA male loverhaute-contreJean BoutelouTwo female loverssopranosMlles Poussin and Loignon
Sources
Further reading Alcine, Tragédie; représentée pour la prémiere fois par l'Académie Royale de Musique, Le Quinziéme jour de Janvier 1705, Paris, Ballard, 1705 (original libretto) Gallica, Bibliothèque Nationale de France Alcine, tragédie mise en musique par Mr Campra (Partition in Folio), Paris, H. de Baussen, 1705 (original score) Gallica, Bibliothèque Nationale de France The Viking Opera Guide, ed. Amanda Holden (Viking, 1993) Le magazine de l'opéra baroque