L'Europe galante

{{Short description|1697 opéra-ballet by André Campra}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}{{Italic title}}

L'Europe galante (Galant Europe) is an opéra-ballet in a prologue and four entrées by André Campra to a French libretto 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 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 in Istanbul Dolmabahçe Palace. They then toured it to the Brussels Printemps baroque du Sablon festival the same year.{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Serge |title=Une Europe Galante Déroutante |url=https://www.lesoir.be/art/musique-campra-au-printemps-baroque-du-sablon-une_t-19970426-Z0DMGD.html |date=26 April 1997}}

Roles

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|+{{sronly|Roles, voice types, premiere cast}}

!Role

!Voice type

!Premiere cast, 24 October 1697{{Almanacco|dmy=24 October 1697|match=L´Europe galante}}
Conductor: Marin Marais

Vénus (prologue)

|soprano

|Clément

La Discorde (prologue)

|taille (baritenor)

|Claude Desvoyes

Philène (1)

|haute-contre (high tenor)

|Jean 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 (high tenor)

|Pierre Chopelet

Octavio (3)

|haute-contre (high tenor)

|Louis Gaulard Dumesny

Olympia (3)

|soprano

|Fanchon Moreau

Zuliman (4)

|bass

|Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard

Roxane (4)

|soprano

|Marie Le Rochois

Zäide (4)

|soprano

|Marie-Louise Desmatins

Sources

Further reading