Les Danaïdes
Christophe Rousset conductor
LES CHANTRES DU CENTRE DE MUSIQUE BAROQUE DE VERSAILLES
Olivier Schneebeli conductor
with Judith van Wanroij, Philippe Talbot, Tassis Christoyannis, Katia Velletaz, Thomas Dolié
‘One evening I paid a visit to the Opéra. There I saw Les Danaïdes, by Salieri. The gorgeous splendour of the spectacle, the rich fullness of the orchestra and the chorus, the wonderful voice and pathetic charm of Madame Branchu, Dérivis’s rugged power […] filled me with an excitement and enthusiasm that I cannot attempt to describe.’ Thus Berlioz related his encounter with one of the most revolutionary operas of the ancien régime, written by an eminent pupil of Gluck, Antonio Salieri. Feeling the stirrings of early Romanticism, the latter imbued the tragic fate of Hypermnestra with pathos and vehemence such as were rarely attained even by his teacher. The horrible plot fomented by Danaus with his daughters, the Danaids, takes us from palatial splendour to the sinister darkness of a secret temple, and finally to the Underworld itself, where a vulture, serpents, demons and the Furies avenge the mass murder of the sons of Ægyptus.
Contents of the book
Benoît Dratwicki, Intrigue and controversy at the Académie Royale de Musique
Marc-Henri Jordan, Stage scenery for 'Les Danaïdes' and the architectural language
Hivart, Correspondence on the staging of 'Les Danaïdes'
The musical opinion of Le Mercure de France
Synopsis
Libretto