L'Europe galante (Galant Europe) is an opéra-ballet in a prologue and four entrées by André Campra to a French libretto by Antoine Houdar de la Motte.
The opera is regarded as the first opéra-ballet, with the entrées sharing a common theme – in this case 'love' in four countries, France (entrée 1), Spain (entrée 2), Italy (entrée 3) and Turkey (entrée 4) – rather than a common narrative.
Performance history L'Europe Galante was first performed on 24 October 1697 by the Paris Opéra in the Salle du Palais-Royal in Paris. It was successful and was revived periodically until 1775. In 1997 – on the 300th anniversary of its creation – Istanbul Baroque led by Leyla Pınar staged L'Europe Galante in Istanbul Dolmabahçe Palace. They then toured it to the Brussels Printemps baroque du Sablon festival the same year.
Roles +RoleVoice typePremiere cast, 24 October 1697Conductor: Marin MaraisVénus (prologue)sopranoClémentLa Discorde (prologue)taille (baritenor)Claude DesvoyesPhilène (1)haute-contre (high tenor)Jean BoutelouSilvandre (1)bassGabriel-Vincent ThévenardCéphise (1)sopranoMarie-Louise DesmatinsDoris (1)sopranoDupeyréDom Carlos (2)bassCharles HardouinDom Pédro (2)haute-contre (high tenor)Pierre ChopeletOctavio (3)haute-contre (high tenor)Louis Gaulard DumesnyOlympia (3)sopranoFanchon MoreauZuliman (4)bassGabriel-Vincent ThévenardRoxane (4)sopranoMarie Le RochoisZäide (4)sopranoMarie-Louise Desmatins
Sources
Further reading Anthony, James R. (1992), "Europe galante, L" in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London)
External links