This world première and eagerly anticipated release is the fruit of lengthy musicological research by Christophe Rousset. Together with a cast of great talent and breath-taking performances from Cyril Auvity and Céline Scheen, Christophe Rousset, conducting his Talens Lyriques, invites us to rediscover the revelation that is Bellérophon, first performed on January 31st, 1679.

It originally ran for nine months at the Palais Royal, and it is not surprising that the work, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, endeared itself to the king. The mythical story of a fearless hero whose arrogance is punished by the gods was none too subtly altered to show a hero who practises restraint and moderation to the foes he vanquishes – a reference to the Sun King's recent victory over the Dutch, the Spanish and the Holy Roman Emperor.

Synopsis: The eponymous hero is Neptune’s son and is happily betrothed to the Lycian princess Philonoé. But the fiery Stenobée also desires Bellérophon and wants revenge due to his rejection of her. Her ally, the magician Amisodar, takes three monsters and creates a new one from them: the chimera. However, Bellérophon defeats the monster without too much difficulty. Thwarted, Stenobée kills herself out of disappointment and the Lycians acclaim Bellérophon whose dazzling strength and benevolence are intended to mirror similar attributes of Louis XIV’s.

Cast:
- Cyril Auvity (Bellérophon)
- Céline Scheen (Philonoé)
- Ingrid Perruche (Sténobeé)
- Jennifer Borghi (Argie/Pallas)
- Evgeniy Alexiev (Pan/Jobate-Le Roy)
- Jean Teitgen (Apollon/Amisodar)
- Robert Getchell (Bacchis/La Pythie)

Recorded in the Opera Royal of the Chateau de Versailles, France.