Lully: Cadmus and Hermione at the Château de Versailles Spectacles

Cast

Thomas Dolié Cadmus
Adèle Charvet Hermione
Eva Zaïcik Charite, Melisse
Lisandro Abadie Arbas, Pan
Guilhem Worms The Grand Sacrificer, Jupiter
Nicholas Scott Arcas (Country God), Nurse
Virgile Ancely Draco, Mars
Enguerrand De Hys First Tyrian Prince, Sun
Olivier Fichet Second Tyrian Prince
Benoit-Joseph Meier Envie, First Africain
Kaëlig Boché Second Africain, Echion
Brenda Poupard Love, Palès, Juno
Marine Lafdal-Franc Aglante, Pallas, Hymen

Ensemble Aedes
Le Poème Harmonique
Vincent Dumestre Musical conductor
Mathieu Romano Choirmaster

Presentation

In 1672, Lully obtained the King’s privilege for the nascent Académie Royale de Musique. In 1673, he gave his first lyric tragedy (opera), Cadmus and Hermione, which met with incredible success.

As in his previous compositions – divertimentos, court ballets and comedy-ballets – Lully beautifully highlights the voices and the orchestra and multiplies the exceptional arias so enjoyed by the court. And also, with the librettist Philippe Quinault, he introduces the dramatic force of French tragedy in an exclusively musical work: the audience is charmed by the magnificent depiction of heroic love. First tragic heroes, first great love duets, first audience tears: lyric tragedy, opera in the French style, was born and Lully would continue along this path until his death in 1687…and his works were performed until the Revolution.

In 2008, Vincent Dumestre brilliantly revived this foundation work. He is returning to this work after a decade of love for this music and experience acquired by his musicians, with the desire to record it for our CD collection. A celebration of the 350th anniversary of the Académie Royale de Musique with its first masterpiece!

This programme will be recorded for the recording label Château de Versailles Spectacles.

Show in French with surtitles in French and English

Le Poème Harmonique is supported by the Ministry of culture (DRAC de Normandie), the Région Normandie, the department of Seine-Maritime and the city of Rouen. For its rehearsals, the Poème Harmonique is in residence at the Fondation Singer-Polignac.
Mécénat Musical Société Générale, the Caisse des Dépôts and Lubrizol France are patrons of Le Poème Harmonique.

La Caisse des Dépôts is Ensemble Aedes's principal patron.
The ensemble is sponsored by the Ministry of culture and communication - DRAC Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Hauts-de-France, the regional councils of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Hauts-de-France and the departmental councils of Yonne and Oise.It is also supported by ADAMI and SPEDIDAM.
The Ensemble is in residence at the Théâtre Impérial in Compiègne, at the Théâtre d’Auxerre at the Cité de la Voix in Vézelay and at the Fondation Singer-Polignac.
It was awarded the 2009 Prix Bettencourt for choral singing, it is a member of Tenso (European network of professional chamber choirs), of the FEVIS (Federation of specialised vocal and instrumental ensembles) and of PROFEDIM; The Ensemble Aedes would like to thank the Fondation Bettencourt-Schueller and Mécénat Musical Société Générale for their past support.