Psyché

Jodie Devos Psyché
Karine Deshayes Eros
Tassis Christoyannis Mercure
Ludivine Gombert Dafné
Marie Gautrot Bérénice
Artavazd Sargsyan Antinoüs
Jérôme Boutillier Gorgias
Patrick Bolleire Le Roi

Pierre Bleuse direction
Orchestre de chambre de Paris
Flemish Radio Choir

Sung in French with French and English subtitles

Composed for the Opéra-Comique with a libretto by Jules Barbier and Albert Carré, Psyché tells the story of the thwarted love of Eros and Psyche, who are manipulated by a cynical Mercury. The work has a pronounced Italian feel with streams of vocalisation sung in alternation by the heroine and the cross-dressed Eros character written for a Rossini mezzosoprano with a very wide vocal range. There are two versions of the work, the second of which removed two male comic roles (the tenor Antinoüs and bass-baritone Gorgias). Developments in French opera following the success of Faust meant that there was probably less tolerance for this blend of comedy and tragedy. The story, set in the ancient Greece of legend, demonstrates the revival of interest in mythology in the Second Empire of which Les Troyens by Berlioz and La Belle Hélène of Offenbach are the finest examples. The work of Ambroise Thomas was overshadowed by Gounod, but he had a genuine talent as an orchestrator and possessed a very acute awareness of voices. His Psyché is a fine demonstration of his skills and deserves its moment in the spotlight courtesy of the Bru Zane Foundation.

Coproduction Palazzetto Bru Zane / Théâtre des Champs-Élysées / Orchestre de chambre de Paris
Dans le cadre du 8e Festival Palazzetto Bru Zane Paris