La naissance de la lyre

La naissance de la lyre (The Birth of the Lyre) is an opera (styled a conte lyrique) in one act by the French composer Albert Roussel. The libretto, by Théodore Reinach, is based on the satyr play Ichneutae by Sophocles. It was first performed at the Paris Opéra on 1 July 1925 with choreography by Bronislava Nijinska.

Roles

Roles, voice types, premiere cast
Role Voice type Premiere cast: 1 July 1925[1]
Conductor: Philippe Gaubert
Kylléné soprano Jeanne Delvair
Petite Hermès (Little Hermes) soprano Marcelle Denya
Apollon (Apollo) tenor Edmond Rambaud
Silène (Silenus) tenor Henri Fabert
First choreute[a] tenor Georges Regis
Second choreute bass Léon Ernst
  1. ^ choreute: member of the Greek chorus

Synopsis

The newborn god Hermes steals his brother Apollo's cattle. The satyrs, led by Silenus, track him down and find Hermes has made a new musical instrument, the lyre, from the horns of one of the cattle. Apollo is so pleased with the lyre that he adopts it as his own and forgives his young brother.

References

  1. ^ Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "La naissance de la lyre, 1 July 1925". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).

Further reading