Jean-Baptiste Lully

Acis et Galatée

Acis et Galatée (Acis and Galatea) is an opera by Jean-Baptiste Lully. Unlike most of his operas, which are designated tragédies en musique, Lully called this work a pastorale-héroïque, because it

Performance history#

The opera was premiered by the Académie Royale de Musique (Paris Opera) at the Château d’Anet on 6 September 1686 (without machines) and later at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris on 17 September 1686. It was revived multiple times before the French Revolution and Madame de Pompadour appeared in one production.

Synopsis#

The story is of a love triangle between the three main characters—Acis, Galatea, and Poliphème. Poliphème murders Acis out of jealousy, but Acis is revived and turned into a river by Neptune.

Selected recording#

*Lully: Acis & Galatée (Fouchécourt, Gens, Naouri, Crook, Delunsch, Félix, Masset; Les Musiciens du Louvre; Conductor Minkowski). Archiv (1998). Lully: Acis et Galatée. Cyril Auvity (Acis/Apollon), Ambroisine Bré (Galatée/Diane), Edwin Crossley-Mercer (Polyphème), Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset. Aparte (2022).

References#

*Lois Rosow. “Acis et Galatée”, Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed July 23, 2006), grovemusic.com (subscription access).

Composer: Jean-Baptiste Lully