Having been “forgotten” for three centuries, this Baroque zarzuela is being premièred at the Teatro Real with a sole performance on 10 June, conducted by the French flute player, guitarist and orchestra conductor, Vincent Dumestre.

It is an opera-zarzuela in concerto version, accompanied by the Le Poème Harmonique orchestra, of which Dumestre is the conductor.  Two years ago, this ensemble, along with the Spanish group, Músicos de Su Alteza, recovered this work, which is attributed to Sebastián Durón  (Brihuega, Guadalajara, 1660 - Cambo-les-Bains, France, 1716​), Master of the Royal Chapel of Madrid.

The production is divided into two stories interconnected through the main character: Coronis. First of all, it tells the story of the sea monster, Triton, who is in love with the nymph, Coronis, who rejects him. In turn, the gods, Neptune and Apollo, are competing to win over the faith of the region of Flegra. It is Coronis who has the power to choose the god of that land and he chooses Apollo to thank him for killing Triton.

This plot is an allegory to the “courtesan civil war” between 1704 and 1707 during the War of Succession in which the Habsburgs were fighting against the Bourbons for the Spanish throne.  In the court of Felipe V, there was also a conflict between the different sides that tried to influence the king.

It also has Spanish, French and Italian stylistic registers in the form of sumptuous choruses, intense lamenti, animated ensembles and tonadas (popular theatrical folksongs) typical of Spanish theatre.

Artistic File:

• Musical Conductor - Vincent Dumestre
• Orchestra - Le Poème Harmonique

Cast:

• Coronis - Ana Quintans
• Triton - Isabelle Druet
• Sirene - Victoire Bunel
• Meandro - Anthéa Pichanik
• Apollo - Marielou Jacquard
• Neptune - Caroline Meng
• Proteo - Cyril Auvity
• Iris - Brenda Poupard
• Marta - Olivier Fichet

Programme:

Zarzuela in Two Acts

• Music by Sebastián Durón (1660-1716)
• Première at the Teatro Real
• Production by Teatro de Caen, in co-production with the Opéra-Comique de Paris, the Ópera de Lille, the Ópera de Rouen and the Opéra de Limoges
• Opera In concerto version