Alcyone
Opera byMarin Marais
Portrait of Marin Marais byAndré Bouys, 1704
Librettist	Antoine Houdar de la Motte
Language	French
Based on	Myth ofAlcyone and Ceyx, recounted in Ovid'sMetamorphoses
Premiere	18 February 1706 (1706-02-18) Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris

Alcyone (orAlcione) is anopera by the French composerMarin Marais. It takes the form of atragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts. Thelibretto, byAntoine Houdar de la Motte, is based on the Greek myth ofAlcyone and Ceyx as recounted byOvid in hisMetamorphoses. The opera was first performed on 18 February 1706 by theAcadémie royale de musique at theThéâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris.^[1] The score is particularly famous for the storm scene (tempête) in act 4. The "Marche pour les Matelots", from act 3, became popular as a dance tune and is the basis of the Christmas carol "Masters in This Hall".^[2]

Having been recorded byErato in 1990,Alcyone received its first stage production since the composer's death as the first work to appear at the newly refurbishedOpéra Comique in Paris on 25 April 2017; directed by Louise Moaty,Jordi Savall conductedLe Concert des Nations, withLea Desandre in the title role andMarc Mauillon, Cyril Auvity,Lisandro Abadie and Antonio Abete among the cast.^[3]

Prologue: The mountain godTmolus decides a musical competition between Pan and Apollo in favour of the latter. Apollo wishes for a return to the reign of peace over the world, symbolised by theHalcyons.

Act 1: Ceyx, King of Trachis, and Alcyone, daughter ofAeolus, are due to be married. Peleus, the best friend of Ceyx, is also in love with Alcyone. The wedding ceremony is disrupted by the magic of Phorbas, whose ancestors once ruled Trachis and who is bent on revenge against Ceyx.

Act 2: Ceyx goes to Phorbas's cave to entreat him to stop his evil spells. But Phorbas tells Ceyx he must journey to the oracle of Apollo on the island ofClaros to hear the god's verdict. In reality, this is a plan by Phorbas to bring about the death of Ceyx.

Act 3: Ceyx sets sail from the port ofTrachis. Phorbas tells Peleus that he has arranged the voyage so Peleus can be free to woo Alcyone for himself. But Peleus's conscience is troubled when he sees Alcyone faint at the departure of Ceyx.

Act 4: Alcyone goes to the temple ofJuno to pray for the safe return of Ceyx. She falls asleep and in a dream conjured up by Sommeil (Sleep) she sees a ship in trouble on a stormy sea.

Act 5: Alcyone is full of foreboding. Peleus confesses his love for her and is so ashamed he offers to commit suicide. Alcyone sees a body washed up on the beach and, believing it is Ceyx, runs herself through with a sword. ButNeptune restores the lovers to life and makes them responsible for calming the seas.

• Alcione,Jennifer Smith, Gilles Ragon,Philippe Huttenlocher,Les Musiciens du Louvre, conducted byMarc Minkowski (3 CDErato, 1991)
• Alcione, Suites des Airs à joüer (1706),Le Concert des Nations, conducted byJordi Savall, (CD Astrée-Auvidis 1994)
• Alcione,Lisandro Abadie (Pan, Phorbas,Marc Mauillon (Pelée), Cyril Auvity (Ceix), Lea Desandre (Alcione) Le Concert des Nations, conducted by Jordi Savall, (3 SACD Alia Vox 2020)

• Work details,Le magazine de l'opéra baroque by Jean-Claude Brenac
• Del Teatro (in Italian)
• Booklet notes to the above recording

• Alcyone (Marais): Scores at theInternational Music Score Library Project

• French-language operas
• Tragédies en musique
• 1706 operas
• Operas by Marin Marais
• Operas
• Opera world premieres at the Paris Opera
• Operas based on Metamorphoses

• Articles with Italian-language sources (it)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Works with IMSLP links
• Articles with International Music Score Library Project links