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Jean-Philippe Rameau's Opera-Ballet, Adonis, Performed in Hungary

Jan. 15, 2022

On January 26, the one-act opera-ballet Adonis (from the first version of Jean-Philippe Rameau's Les Surprises de l’amour) will be performed in the Liszt Academy in Budapest, conducted by György Vashegyi. The opera-ballet was first performed in 1748, then not for another 274 years. This small stage work, intimate in character, promises to make a great impact. The ballet Les Surprises de l’amour is based on a libretto by the poet of Castor et Pollux, Gentil-Bernard, and has a somewhat complex performance history. It is one of many works by Rameau which exist in two or even three versions. The first version of Les Surprises de l’amour was peformed at Versailles by a combination of professional musicians and friends and confidants of the king. In Adonis, the librettist develops the legendary visceral struggle between Venus and Diana, the thesis and antithesis of love. The two goddesses compete for the affections of the beautiful young Adonis, with one (Venus) trying to emancipate him, whilst the other (Diana) attempts to bring him under her control. Venus effortlessly succeeds in manipulating and seducing the youth, and the opera celebrates this triumph of love. György Vashegyi's concert performance of this work uses Bärenreiter's new edition which reproduces the entirely unique Versailles version of the work. Learn more about the history of Jean-Philippe Rameau's Les Surprises de l’amour here.

Jean-Philippe Rameau
Les Surpises de l’amour
Opera in a prologue and two acts
Libretto by Pierre-Joseph Bernard
Versailles Version 1748, Act II: Adonis, edited by Sylvie Bouissou
Characters: Vénus (Dessus/Soprano), Amour (Dessus/Soprano), Diane (Dessus/Soprano), Une première Nymphe (Dessus/Soprano), Une deuxième Nymphe (Dessus/Soprano), Un Plaisir (Dessus/Soprano), Adonis (Bass) – Choir, Ballett 
Orchestra: piccolo, flutes, oboe, trumpets violins, bassoons, timpani, viola de gambas, basses, double bass, basso continuo (basses of the little choir, harpsichord).
Duration: ca. 30‘.
Publisher: Bärenreiter. BA 8871, Already available: Ouverture et Prologue “Le retour d’Astrée”. The complete opera “Les Surprises de l’amour” will be published as Vol. IV/17 of “Opera Omnia Rameau.” The complete performance material will replace this partial material.








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