Les âges (English: The Ages) or Le ballet des âges is an opéra-ballet in a prologue and three acts by the French composer André Campra. The libretto is by Louis Fuzelier. It was first performed by the Académie royale de musique at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal on 9 October 1718.

Structure

The three acts were entitled:

  1. La jeunesse ou L'amour ingénu (Youth or Naive Love)
  2. L'âge viril ou L'amour coquet (Manhood or Pretty Love)
  3. La vieillesse ou L'amour enjoué (Old Age or Playful Love)

The 1718 printed score includes a further act entitled Les âges rivaux (Rival Ages), which is numbered as the third entrée, while La vieillesse ou L'amour enjoué (with some alterations) is turned into the fourth entrée.[1]

Roles

Roles, voice types, premiere cast
Role Voice type[2] Premiere cast, 9 October 1718[3]
Prologue
Hébé soprano Marie-Catherine Poussin
Time bass-baritone Le Mire
Vénus soprano Marie Antier
Bacchus bass-baritone Justin Destouches du Bourg
Act 1 La jeunesse ou L'amour ingénu
Florise soprano Mlle Toulou
Artémise haute-contre Louis Murayre
Léandre haute-contre Jacques Cochereau
Zerbin taille (baritenor) Louis Mantienne
'Masque chantant' soprano Mlle de la Garde
Act 2 L'âge viril ou L'amour coquet
Eraste bass-baritone Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard
Lucinde soprano Marie-Catherine Poussin
Damon haute-contre Louis Murayre
Cléon haute-contre Guesdon
Act 3 La vieillesse ou L'amour enjoué
Fabio bass-baritone Jean Dun "père"
Silvanire soprano Marie Antier
Valère baritone[4] Jean Dun fils
Argant taille (baritenor) Louis Mantienne
Merlin haute-contre Jacques Cochereau
L'ordonnateur de la fête haute-contre Guesdon
La Folie soprano Mlle Haran[5]
Un acteur de la fête haute-contre Louis Murayre

References

  1. ↑ Les Ages. Ballet en Musique Par Monsieur Campra, Paris, Ballard, 1718 (digitized at IMSLP).
  2. ↑ According to the clefs used in the 1718 manuscript score (digitized at IMSLP).
  3. ↑ Casaglia, Gherardo (2005)."Les âges, 9 October 1718". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
  4. ↑ The part is notated in the quite unusual F-clef placed on the third line (baritone clef).
  5. ↑ Haran was a member of the corps de ballet: besides performing the role of Folly in the final dancing divertissement, she was also callep upon to sing Folly's arietta ("air la Folie", in the score), "Riens sur la terre et dans les cieux".

Further reading

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