With L’Amant jaloux, premiered in Versailles in 1778, André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry produced one of the most refined masterpieces of French opéra-comique. At the crossroads of theatre and music, this comédie mêlée d’ariettes explores the universal themes of jealousy, deception and arranged marriages with elegance, in a plot where misunderstandings and emotions unfold with remarkable fluidity.
L'Amant jaloux
by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry(1741-1813)
Mathieu Lussier • Magali Simard-Galdès • Hélène Guilmette • Guylaine Girard • Pierre Derhet • Artavazd Sargsyan • Matthieu Lécroart • Arion Orchestre Baroque
Carried by Grétry’s luminous and expressive musical writing, the work showcases his dramatic genius and his unrivalled ability to weave music and text into a seamless whole. Its colourful, agile orchestration follows the natural rhythms of the language, bringing to life characters who are by turns moving and comical. Hailed from its premiere as a model of the genre, L’Amant jaloux enjoyed more than 150 performances before remaining in the repertory until the mid-nineteenth century.
This new recording brings together Arion Baroque Orchestra under the direction of Mathieu Lussier, a leading figure in the revival of early music in Canada. Joined by an outstanding cast—including sopranos Magali Simard-Galdès and Hélène Guilmette, and tenors Pierre Derhet and Artavazd Sargsyan—the ensemble restores all the wit, freshness and dramatic vitality of a work in which humour, tenderness and emotional tension coexist with remarkable finesse. Produced in co-production with the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles, this recording reflects a shared commitment to promoting the rich heritage of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French opera to today's audiences.