Hippolyte et Aricie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hippolyte et Aricie
by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Portrait of Jean-Philippe Rameau by Joseph Aved in 1728
Librettist	Simon-Joseph Pellegrin
Language	French
Premiere	1 October 1733 (1733-10-01): Theatre in the Palais-Royal, Paris

Hippolyte et Aricie (which means Hippolytus and Aricia) was the very first opera written by Jean-Philippe Rameau. It first showed in Paris on October 1, 1733. This happened at the Palais-Royal theatre. The opera caused a lot of discussion at the time.

The story for the opera was written by Abbé Simon-Joseph Pellegrin. It is based on a famous play called Phèdre by Racine. Hippolyte et Aricie is a type of French opera called a tragédie en musique. This means it has a special introduction (a prologue) and five acts. Each act tells a part of the story.

Becoming an Opera Composer

Jean-Philippe Rameau was almost 50 years old when he wrote Hippolyte et Aricie. Before this, he was mostly known for his books about music theory. He also wrote pieces for the harpsichord, which is a bit like a piano. He hadn't written much music for plays or operas before.

Rameau really wanted to write an opera. In 1727, he even wrote a letter asking for a story (a libretto) for an opera. This shows how much he wanted to try writing for the stage.

Things changed in 1732. Rameau was very impressed by another opera called Jephté. He then asked the writer of that opera, Pellegrin, to write a story for him. This led to Hippolyte et Aricie.

The opera was practiced in spring 1733. Even then, there were some challenges. Rameau had to cut a difficult part in the second act. The singers found it too hard to perform. This was just a small sign of the big discussions that would follow the opera's first show.

Rameau later said that he had loved the stage since he was 12. But he only started writing an opera when he was 50. He felt lucky that it worked out and kept writing more.

How the Opera Was Received

Old Fans Versus New Fans

The style of opera called Tragédie en musique was created by Lully many years before. His operas were very popular and seen as a French tradition. When Hippolyte et Aricie first opened, some people loved it. They called Rameau "the Orpheus of our century," meaning he was a musical genius. Another composer, André Campra, said Rameau's opera had enough music for ten operas. He thought Rameau would become more famous than all of them.

However, not everyone liked it. Some people thought the music was strange and didn't sound right. Hippolyte was one of the first operas to be called "baroque". At that time, "baroque" was not a compliment; it meant odd or overly fancy. These critics felt Rameau's music was attacking Lully's traditional style. They thought it was too different from what French audiences were used to.

The opera followed Lully's structure, with an overture, prologue, and five acts. Each act also had a divertissement, which included dances and songs. But Rameau's music was very different. He changed almost everything, especially how the orchestra was used. Critics who didn't like the opera felt there was too much music. They thought it had too many instruments playing, too many notes, and was too hard to perform. They also felt it lacked true emotion.

Audiences and critics soon split into two groups. There were the traditionalists, called the lullistes, who liked Lully's style. Then there were Rameau's supporters, called the ramistes. This disagreement was very strong. It was like a fight between old music and new music. The older people and those who weren't professional musicians often supported Lully.

This debate continued with each new opera Rameau wrote in the 1730s. It was especially strong when his opera Dardanus premiered in 1739. Over time, Rameau became more famous, and the arguments died down. But some hints of the dispute still appeared even in the 1750s.

Changed Versions of the Opera

Rameau changed Hippolyte for a new performance in 1742. He made the role of Phèdre much smaller. He even removed her death scene in Act 4. These changes were so big that one singer refused to play Phèdre. Even with these changes, the opera was very successful. It was performed 43 times in 1742 and 1743.

Rameau changed the opera again in 1757. By then, he was very famous. He felt confident enough to put back some of the daring music he had cut before. This included the "Trio des Parques" (Trio of the Fates) and Phèdre's songs. He also completely removed the prologue. The opera was performed again in Paris in 1767, after Rameau had passed away. After that, it wasn't performed for a long time.

Modern Performances

Hippolyte et Aricie was performed again in modern times starting in the 20th century. The first modern show was in Geneva in 1903. It returned to the Paris Opéra in 1908 after 150 years. Critics at the time were not very impressed with the staging or acting. They also didn't like the changes made to the music.

Later in the 20th century, Hippolyte et Aricie was performed more often. Many famous conductors, like John Eliot Gardiner and William Christie, have led performances of the opera. It continues to be performed in the 21st century, showing its lasting importance.

The Story of the Opera

The story of Hippolyte et Aricie is based on a very famous Greek myth. It takes ideas from ancient plays like Hippolytus by Euripides. But the most important source was Jean Racine's famous French play Phèdre from 1677. Many people in Rameau's audience would have known this play well.

There are some differences between the opera Hippolyte et Aricie and Racine's play Phèdre. In Racine's play, the story happens in one place and within 24 hours. But in Pellegrin's opera, each act takes place in a different setting. Also, the opera has a happy ending for Hippolyte and Aricie. In Racine's play, the ending is completely tragic.

The opera also changes who the main character is. Racine's play focuses mostly on Phèdre. While she is still important in the opera, Pellegrin gives much more attention to Thésée. For example, the entire second act is about Thésée's journey to the Underworld. Many experts believe Thésée is one of the most powerful characters in Baroque opera.

Main Characters

The ballet dancers included Marie-Anne Cupis de Camargo.

Musical Instruments Used

The opera uses an orchestra with many different instruments. These include two flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, and two musettes (a type of bagpipe). It also uses two horns, two trumpets, and timpani (kettledrums) with other percussion. The main part of the orchestra is the strings, which includes violins, violas, cellos, and basses. A harpsichord is also used to provide harmony.

Other Works Inspired by Hippolyte

The opera was made fun of (parodied) twice in Paris. These parodies were also called Hippolyte et Aricie.

The story of Hippolyte et Aricie also inspired other operas. An Italian version of the story was used by the composer Tommaso Traetta for his opera Ippolito ed Aricia in 1759. Other composers also used this story for their own operas later on.