Jean-Baptiste Lully - Proserpine (Christophe Rousset)

Information

Composer: Jean-Baptiste Lully

• Proserpine, LWV 58

Marie Lys; Véronique Gens; Olivier Gourdy

Jean-Sébastien Bou; Ambroisine Bré; Laurence Kilsby

Apolline Raï-Westphal; Nick Pritchard; Olivier Cesarini; David Witczak

Chœur de Chambre de Namur

Les Talens Lyriques

Christophe Rousset, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Château de Versailles Spectacles

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Premiered in 1680 at the Court of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Proserpine reunited librettist Philippe Quinault and composer Jean-Baptiste Lully after the controversy of Isis. Inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the opera centers on Ceres’s grief after Pluto abducts her daughter Proserpine, while also reflecting themes linked to the court of Louis XIV, including arranged marriage and abandonment. Musically, the work marked an important step in the evolution of French tragédie lyrique, with Lully expanding the orchestra’s dramatic role and introducing innovative vocal writing, notably the genre’s first bass duet. Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques continue their acclaimed exploration of Lullian opera through this interpretation.

Christophe Rousset (born 1961), founder of Les Talens Lyriques, is a renowned harpsichordist and conductor known for his passion for opera and early European music. Trained in Paris and The Hague, he gained early acclaim by winning the Bruges Harpsichord Competition at 22. Since founding his ensemble in 1991, he has become a key figure in reviving Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic repertoires, performing across major European venues and internationally. Rousset is also celebrated for his benchmark harpsichord recordings, his educational work with top institutions, his guest conducting, and his scholarly publications on Rameau, François Couperin, and historical performance practice.