Appendix II

Summaries of analyzed works

Idoménée

Ilione, daughter of the king of Troy, has rejected the advances of the Cretian king Idoménée, but secretly loves his son, Idamante. Meanwhile, Idoménée has been shipwrecked, and only survives thanks to the god Neptune, who offers to let him live if Idoménée promises to kill the first person he meets on his journey home. To his horror, that person is his own son, Idamante, and Idoménée is unable to fulfil his promise. Neptune sends a sea monster to keep Idoménée to his promise, but Idamante kills it. In the end, Idoménée gives Idamante and Ilione his blessing, but the gods are still angered by his failure to fulfil his oath; they send the king into a fit of insanity. In his pain and confusion, he kills his own son.

Sémélé

Sémélé, a mortal, is the secret lover of Jupiter, the king of the gods. As a mortal, she cannot behold her lover’s true form without being consumed in flames, but she believes Jupiter hides his identity from her because her does not truly love her. Weakened by her pleading, he reveals his divine form. After a brief moment of glory, Sémélé is engulfed in fire and dies.

L’Isle de Délos

This cantata is almost entirely devoid of any action. Rather, it primarily focuses on the depiction of the tranquil and wondrous island of Délos, the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, offering an invitation to appreciate its numerous pleasures.

Apollon

Lying on the Seine’s banks at dawn, a shepherd complains that, despite the heavenly spectacle that surrounds him, he cannot be happy, as he can only think of the love he has lost. In a flash of lightning, the god Apollo appears and scolds the shepherd for his ingratitude. This hard-earned peace, he says, should inspire mortals to contemplate wisdom and innocence while honouring the glory of the king of France.

Zéphyre et Flore

In this sweet cantata, the goddess Flore complains about her lover Zéphyre’s inconstancy. Hidden near her, Zéphyre hears her complaint, and delights that her love is true. Their subsequent reconciliation and celebration of their affection heralds the return of Spring.

La mort d’Hercule

In a fit of jealousy, Hercules’ wife Dejanira has gifted him a garment soaked in poison. The poison burns the hero’s flesh; unable to bear the agony, Hercules builds himself a funeral pyre and burns to death. The cantata serves as a lesson never to try to control or constrain love, as that only ever results in suffering.

Castor et Pollux

Castor and Pollux are twins, but whereas Pollux is immortal, Castor is not. The opera opens with the news of Castor’s death in a recent battle. Télaïre, his lover, is devastated, and confesses her grief to her friend Phébé. Phébé admits she loves Pollux. Pollux then arrives to confess his love to Télaïre, who rebukes him, and tells him that he must go to Hell to take his brother’s place. Despite Phébé’s efforts to stop him, he does so. In the end and in a great show of magnanimity, Jupiter awards immortality to both brothers.