Isis was revived only once during the remaining 38 years of Louis XIV's reign, on 14 February 1704. It was revived again in 1717–1718 and 1732–1733.[1]
The prologue, which includes the usual paean to Louis XIV, takes place in the palace of Fame (La Renommée) with Rumors (Rumeurs) and Noises (Bruits) dancing in attendance to the goddess. When Fame sings of "the glory and triumphant valor of the greatest of heroes," she is referring to Louis XIV. She is visited by Apollo with his retinue of Muses, who arrive from the sky, and Neptune with his retinue of Tritons, who arrive from the sea. Both groups are equipped with violins, lutes, and trumpets. When Neptune sings of the conqueror's recent adventures at sea, he is referring to the French naval victory over the Dutch and Spanish in 1676 in the Franco-Dutch War.[11]
Acts 1–5
The plot of the tragedy of Isis is loosely adapted from one of the episodes in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Its plot parallels that of Lully's previous opera, Atys (in which Sangaride, promised to Celoenus, is pursued by another and acquires a goddess as a rival). Isis centers around the godJupiter's love for the nymphIo and the jealousy of Juno.
Io, daughter of Inachus, is promised in marriage to Hierax, but is pursued by Jupiter, and yields to this love in spite of her feelings of guilt.
Juno has Io imprisoned and tortured, leading Io to cry out to Jupiter for help. He swears faithfulness to Juno if she will spare Io, and Juno turns Io into a goddess: Isis, the Egyptian goddess.
Scandal
Lully's contemporaries interpreted this story as representing the volatile situation between two of the King's mistresses. The character of Io was equated with Madame de Ludres, Louis XIV's new favorite at court, to whom he had given lavish gifts. His long-time mistress, Madame de Montespan, "was furious and did everything she could to humiliate her."[12] The subsequent scandale of the premiere ended the collaboration between Lully and Quinault for a time, and led to the dismissal of a number of members of Lully's artistic circle.
^This singer, later to become the leading haute contre, made his Opéra debut in this performance, as a "taille", interpreting the minor role of a Triton (The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, I, article: "Dumesnil, [Duménil, Dumény, Du Mesny, du Mény]", p. 1273)
^ abThis haute-contre part is unusually notated in the mezzosoprano clef on the period printed score cited below as an external link.
^ abNo part for this travesti character is written in the period printed score cited below as an external link, nor is the character itself mentioned by Parvopassou.
^According to Parvopassu the tragedy also features four more characters (not mentioned in the original libretto): Famine (haute-contre), War (bass), Flood (haute-contre), Blaze (bass).
^ abThis part is stated by Parvopassu as a bass one, but it is notated in the baritone clef on the period printed score cited below as an external link.
^According to Parvopassu the third Fate is a haute-contre part, but it is notated in the bass clef on the period printed score cited below as an external link, and was sung by Monsieur Forestier, the same artiste that also performed the Prologue bass role of Neptune.
Parvopassu, Clelia Isis, in Gelli, Piero & Poletti, Filippo (ed), Dizionario dell'opera 2008, Milan, Baldini Castoldi Dalai, 2007, pp. 671–672
Pitou, Spire (1983). The Paris Opéra: An Encyclopedia of Operas, Ballets, Composers, and Performers. Genesis and Glory, 1671–1715. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN9780313214202.
