Matthew Locke's semi-opera "Psyche" / Further information

Italy and France may be considered the great opera powerhouses of the 17th century, but the most unusual musical theater works of the period may well have come from England. Matthew Locke, for example, boldly experimented with new aesthetic approaches and daring harmonies that were perceived by his contemporaries as being as dissonant as his life: At a time of strict Puritanism, Locke converted to Catholicism, and when the theaters were about to be closed, he demonstratively composed theater music. His semi-opera Psyche (1675) is also marked by this urge to disobey, in which he masterfully interweaves spoken dialogues with arias and dance music. Actors and singers stand side by side on equal footing. The king's daughter Psyche is so supernaturally beautiful that even Cupid, the god of love, woos her and makes her his lover. However, in order to maintain his incognito, he never shows himself in daylight – and Psyche begins to wonder who she has embarked on an affair with.

Concert performance in English with German surtitles

Introduction to the work 30 minutes before the performance begins

Correspondances Ensemble

Lucile Richardot ChiefPriest

Tristan Hambleton Pan

Élodie Fonnard Venus

Etienne Bazola Vulcan

Conductor:Sébastien Daucé

Further info