Composer

:

Michel Pignolet de Montéclair

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Cantata

Average_duration

:

23:24

Michel Pignolet de Montéclair's "Pyrame et Thisbé" is a French Baroque opera-ballet that premiered in Paris in 1726. The work is divided into five acts and features a prologue and 23 musical numbers. The libretto, written by Antoine Houdar de la Motte, is based on the story of Pyramus and Thisbe from Ovid's "Metamorphoses." The prologue sets the stage for the story to come, with the allegorical figures of Love, Jealousy, and Envy introducing themselves and their roles in the drama. Act I begins with a chorus of shepherds and shepherdesses celebrating the arrival of spring. Pyrame, a young shepherd, sings of his love for Thisbé, a shepherdess who lives nearby. Thisbé, in turn, sings of her love for Pyrame. The two lovers plan to meet that night under a mulberry tree. Act II sees Pyrame waiting for Thisbé under the mulberry tree. However, she is delayed by a lioness, and Pyrame, thinking that she has been killed, stabs himself with his sword. Thisbé arrives shortly thereafter and, finding Pyrame dying, stabs herself with the same sword. Act III features a lament for Pyrame by the shepherds and shepherdesses. Thisbé, who is still alive, appears and sings a lament for Pyrame as well. The two lovers are reunited briefly before Pyrame dies. Act IV sees Thisbé being pursued by the lioness. She takes refuge in a nearby cave, where she finds a statue of Venus. The goddess comes to life and tells Thisbé that she will be reunited with Pyrame in the afterlife. Act V features a final chorus in which the shepherds and shepherdesses mourn the loss of Pyrame and Thisbé. However, the allegorical figures from the prologue return to remind the audience that love conquers all. "Pyrame et Thisbé" is characterized by its use of dance and spectacle. The work features several ballets, including a pastoral dance in Act I and a dance of the furies in Act IV. The use of allegorical figures and the emphasis on the power of love are also typical of French Baroque opera. The work was well-received at its premiere and remained popular throughout the 18th century.

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