Les surprises de l'Amour

Composer: Jean-Philippe Rameau
Librettist: Pierre-Joseph-Justin Bernard
Company: Opera Lafayette

Synopsis

"1st entrée: ""L'enlèvement d'Adonis"" (The rape of Adonis)

Topic: struggle between love and chastity 

The scene is laid in a vast forest sacred to Diana, where Adonis (soprano en travesti), as a follower of the chaste goddess, abhors love as a terrible monster jeopardizing humans' peace of mind, but at the same time complains about no longer feeling the lure of sylvan life. Cupid himself (soprano en travesti) descends into the forest and approaches Adonis in order to tear him from Diana and to hand him over to Venus, who is in love with him. When Venus (soprano) arrives upon the scene, she easily succeeds in getting the better of Adonis' scruples and, supported by Cupid, they resolve to flee in order to shun Diana's dreadful wrath. When Diana (soprano) enters the scene, she charges Cupid with the abduction of credulous Adonis and entreats vengeance of heaven and hell. Mercury (haute-contre) then descends onto the scene assuring the enraged goddess that Venus will return Adonis to her, and the goddess of love re-enters over a cloud accompanied by Cupid and Adonis disguised as Cupid, so that Diana cannot tell them apart. Since Adonis refuses to reveal himself, Diana decides to withdraw for fear of possibly choosing Cupid, her bitterest enemy. The entrée goes on firstly to a ballet celebrating the coming wedding of Venus and Adonis, as in the distance Diana herself (ballerina) is shown to be falling in love with a sleeping Endymion (male dancer), and then to further more elaborate ballets representing Diana and Cupid's(ballerina en travesti) meeting, Cupid's wakening Endymion and eventually Endymon's making love to Diana and his admission onto her cart. The entrée ends in a festive chorus accompanied by a general dance.

2nd entrée: ""La lyre enchantée"" (The enchanted lyre)

Topic: struggle between love and indifference 

The scene is laid in a country valley at the foot of Montparnasse. The siren Parthenope (soprano) is in love with the musician Linus (haute-contre), but Urania (soprano), the Muse of astrology, urges him to beware of traps of love passions, for gods alone can come through them unharmed, while they will always cost humans their peace of mind. However, after her departure, Linus and Parthenope meet and confess their mutual love, whereupon the siren proposes taking vengeance on the Muses and on their enduring struggle against love ardour: for such a purpose she will leave her enchanted lyre behind, so that Urania may fall under its magic spell. The muse re-enters looking for Linus and picks the instrument, a simple touch being enough to immediately make her sing a song of love for him despite herself. Yet, to her great shame, he maintains his love to Parthenope and only Apollo's (basse-taille) arrival gets to settle the matter: he gives Urania his lyre so as to break the spell and invites the Muses and Sirens to combine their respective talents to form ""the sweet chains that lead to pleasures"". The entrée closes with a ballet performed by the Muses and Sirens under the guidance of Terpsichore (ballerina).
3rd entrée: ""Anacréon""

Topic: struggle between love and inebriety

The scene is laid in Teos at the poet Anacreon's house, where a feast is being held: the landlord (basse-taille), his guests, Agathocle (haute-contre) and Euricles (haute-contre), and the rest of his suite are celebrating Bacchus, the local patron god. Anacreon addresses to his beautiful slave girl, Lycoris (ballerina), a warm request that she cheer up the party with the bloom of her youth and that she be the priestess of all gods he adores, including Cupid as well as Bacchus (aria: ""Nouvelle Hébé, charmante Lycoris""). As she is dancing and Anacreon singing, however, an inflamed symphony is suddenly heard and the priestess of Bacchus bursts into the scene, followed by the Maenads, objecting to the festivities on account of their profane character and of their mingling together the cults of their god and of Cupid. A ballet follows thereupon representing the confrontation between Anacreon's suite and Bacchus' followers, but eventually Anacreon and his guests yield to the priestess' demands and agree to worship Bacchus alone. As the Bacchantes go off the stage and Lycoris, as a symbol of love, is driven away, a ravishing sweet music slowly sends the whole drunken party to sleep. In his dreams Anacreon is visited by Cupid (soprano en travesti) and informed that Lycoris is dying of grief because she has been deserted for Bacchus by the insensitive man she is in love with. As he realises he is such a man, Anacreon throws himself at Cupid's feet imploring the god to return Lycoris to him, for he is willing to forgo everything else for her. Lycoris re-enters the stage accompanied by the Graces, but, as Anacreon is singing Cupid's praises, a prelude foretells the return of Bacchus' followers: they cannot however shrink from bowing down before the present god of love and paying homage to his statue, while Cupid's retinue pay homage to Bacchus' as well, and the two dancing parties mingle together under the guidance of Lycoris. The entrée ends in a chorus and in a contredanse accompanied by sistrums and ""other Bacchic instruments"". "