Programme
Le Carnaval du Parnasse
Ballet in a Prologue and Three Acts (1749)
Music by Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville (1711-1772)
Libretto by Louis Fuzelier (1672-1752)
This production of Mondonville’s opéra-ballet Carnaval du Parnasse has not been performed since the 18th century. It forms the second chapter of the CMBV’s joint residency with the ensemble Ambassadeurs – La Grande Écurie at the Atelier lyrique de Tourcoing.
An outstanding composer under Louis XV, Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville’s grands motets and operas met with unprecedented success. He was also one of the few musicians to successfully rival the great Rameau at the time. His Le Carnaval du Parnasse was premiered in 1749, coinciding with Rameau’s Zoroastre which it overshadowed completely, running for weeks at the Académie Royale. A virtuoso violinist, skilled composer and experienced thespian, Mondonville knew how to win over audiences. This score more than any other is packed with jaunty airs, lavish choruses and colourful orchestration. The plot centres on the figure of Madness and constitutes a Marivaux style romantic banter, full of wit and skilful manipulation. It was impossible for audiences at the time (and doubtless also today) not to succumb to its charm. To stage this work again and record it in the best possible conditions, Alexis Kossenko has assembled a cast of leading repertoire specialists including the tenor Mathias Vidal in the role of Apollon. As with his previous CMBV projects, the conductor has researched the archives in order to offer the most historically and artistically faithful rendering of the score.
