Composer: Matthew Locke
Performer: Ensemble Correspondances, Sébastien Daucé
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Catalogue: HMM90532526
Release: 2022
Size: 1.94 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Psyche
CD 01
Act I
01. Overture
02. Scene 1: A symphony of recorders and soft musick
03. Scene 1: Great . goddess of each Field and Grove (Pan & Nymphs)
04. Scene 1: A rustick dance of Sylvans & Dryads
05. Scene 1: Symphony of rustick musick representing an eccho
06. Scene 1: Song of Ecchoes “Great Psyche shall find no such pleasure as here”
07. Scene 1: Dance for Ambition, Power, Plenty and Peace
08. Scene 1: Entry of Envy
09. Scene 1: Song of Envy & Furies “Envy ‘gainst Psyche”
10. Scene 1: Entry of the Princes Nicander & Polynices
11. Scene 1: Symphony at the descending of Venus in her chariot drawn by doves
12. Scene 1: With kindness I your pray’rs receive (Venus)
13. Scene 1: Symphony at the ascending of Venus in her chariot drawn by doves
Act II
14. Curtain tune. The temple of Apollo Delphicus
15. Scene 1: Song of procession in the temple “Let’s to Apollo’s Altar now repair”
16. Scene 1: Son of Latona (Chief Priest)
17. Scene 1: Dance of Priests
18. Scene 1: To Apollo, our Celestial King (Chief Priest & his attendants)
19. Scene 1: Ceremony for Apollo
20. Scene 2: Entry for Despairing Lovers
21. Scene 2: Break, break distracted heart (Four Despairing Lovers)
22. Scene 2: Intermède. Plainte italienne (extr. from Lully’s Psyché)
CD 02
Act III
01. Curtain tune
02. Scene 1: Dance of Cyclops
03. Scene 1: Song of Vulcan “Ye bold Sons of Earth”
04. Scene 1: Song at the Treat of Cupid & Psyche “All joy to fair Psyche”
05. Scene 2: Warlike dance with a consort of loud martial musick
06. Scene 2: Song and dance of the Salij “Let us loudly rejoice”
07. Scene 2: Song of Praesul “Great God of War”
08. Scene 2: Warlike dance
09. Scene 2: While we to Mars (Praesul)
10. Scene 2: Venus & Mars meet in the Air in their chariots; his drawn by horses, and hers by doves
11. Scene 2: Song of Venus & Mars “Great God of War”
12. Scene 2: Entry of Furies
Act IV
13. Scene 1: Curtain tune. A stately garden belonging to the magnificent palace
14. Scene 1: Entry for Cupids
15. Scene 1: Song for Cupids “Let old Age”
16. Scene 1: Dance of the statues, leaping from their pedestals
17. Scene 2: Stay, stay (God of the River & two Nymphs to Psyche)
18. Scene 2: Symphony at the descending of Venus
Act V
19. Curtain tune. Burning ruins of buildings, the throne of Pluto, and a great number of Devils & Furies
20. Scene 1: To what great distresses (Devils & Furies)
21. Scene 1: Dance of the Furies
22. Scene 1: Entry of Pluto
23. Scene 1: Refrain your tears (Pluto)
24. Scene 1: . draw near (Proserpina & Pluto)
25. Scene 1: Be gone, fair Psyche (Proserpina & Pluto)
26. Scenes 2 & 3: Symphony at the descending of Apollo and the Gods
27. Scene 3: Assemble all the ye Heavenly Quire (Apollo)
28. Scene 3: On Earth by unkindness (Three Elysian Lovers)
29. Scene 3: Symphony at the descending of Jupiter, Cupid & Psyche
30. Scene 3: Dance for Six Elysian Princes
31. Scene 3: Behold the God (Mars)
32. Scene 3: Rustick musick of Mænades & Ægipanes
33. Scene 3: Grand chorus and dance, with all the instruments “All joy to this Celestial Pair”
Inspired by the Psyché created collectively by Lully, Molière, Corneille and Quinault, Locke’s Psyche was a veritable artistic firework display: seeking to vie in splendour with the operas of continental Europe, it luxuriously combined theatre, song, dance, and spectacular machines and scenery. Sébastien Daucé here offers us his splendid reconstruction of this key masterpiece in the history of early English opera.