L'Europe galante

L'Europe galante (Galant Europe) is an opéra-ballet in a prologue and four entrées by André Campra, The French text was by Antoine Houdar de la Motte.

The opera is regarded as the first opéra-ballet, with the entrées sharing a common theme - in this case 'love' in four different countries, France (entrée 1), Spain (entrée 2), Italy (entrée 3) and Turkey (entrée 4) - rather than a common narrative.

Performance history

L'Europe Galante was first performed on 24 October 1697 by the Paris Opéra under Marin Marais in the Salle du Palais-Royal in Paris. It was successful and was revived periodically until 1775. In 1997 - on the 300th anniversary of its creation - Istanbul Baroque led by Leyla Pınar staged L'Europe Galante thoroughly in Istanbul Dolmabahçe Palace. Then made a tour to Brussels Printemps Baroque du Sablon Festival the same year.

Roles

Role Voice type Premiere Cast, 24 October 1697
(Conductor: Marin Marais )
Vénus (prologue) soprano Clément
Philène (1) haute-contre or high tenor Antoine Boutelou
Silvandre (1) bass Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard
Céphise (1) soprano Marie-Louise Desmatins
Doris (1) soprano Dupeyré
Dom Carlos (2) bass Charles Hardouin
Dom Pédro (2) haute-contre or high tenor Pierre Chopelet
Octavio (3) haute-contre or high tenor Louis Gaulard Dumesny
Olympia (3) soprano Fanchon Moreau
Zuliman (4) bass Thévenard
Roxane (4) soprano Marie Le Rochois
Zäide (4) soprano Desmatins

Sources

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