Francesco Cavalli, a natural successor to Monteverdi, was the most famous and influential Italian opera composer during the mid-17th century. Cardinal Mazarin, chief minister to the king, commissioned Cavalli to create a Parisian spectacle to celebrate the wedding of the ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV and the Infanta of Spain. Ercole amante (‘Hercules in Love’) was the flattering subject chosen for this regal extravaganza combining larger-than-life characters with mythology, and genuine human emotions with natural and cosmic phenomena. The result is a sumptuous Baroque spectacle, conceived on a vast scale in this lavish production by directors Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq.

Forgotten since its premiere in 1662, Ercole amante is such a uniquely grand and expensive conception that it was revived only as recently as 1981 and is still an extreme rarity. This 2019 Opéra Comique production is both musically and visually spectacular, entering into the spirit of breath-taking Baroque opulence and atmosphere, but with plenty of fresh fantasy and entertainingly modern touches to make its vast scale accessible to a wide public.

Critical admiration for this production was extensive:

‘Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq have found the perfect balance between fidelity to the libretto and its Baroque character and the need to simplify it technically and in dramaturgy. In the pit, Raphaël Pichon and his Ensemble Pygmalion bring all their knowledge and all the possibilities of their array of instruments to give sparkle to every detail of this opulent score which overflows with invention. The chorus is remarkable for its cohesion, precision and intonation.’ – Bachtrack.com

‘The cast was handpicked from strength. Nahuel di Pierro was superb in the title role. The voice has gained some wonderful resonance at the bottom, apparent as he descended to the sepulchral depths. Anna Bonitatibus brought her customary stylistic understanding to Giunone. Her ability to bring out beauty in the text was more than apparent, never afraid to pull her sappy, orange-toned mezzo right back, shading the tone with delicacy.’ – operatraveller.com

Cast:
- Ercole: Nahuel di Pierro (bass)
- Giunone: Anna Bonitatibus (mezzo-soprano)
- Deianira: Giuseppina Bridelli (mezzo-soprano)
- Iole: Francesca Aspromonte (soprano)
- Hyllo: Krystian Adam (tenor)
- Pasithea / Clerica / Terza Grazia / Secondo Pianeta: Eugénie Lefebvre (soprano)
- Venere / Bellezza / Cinzia: Giulia Semenzato (soprano)
- Nettuno / Eutyro: Luca Tittoto (bass)
- Il Paggio: Ray Chenez (countertenor)
- Licco: Dominique Visse (countertenor)

Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound format: PCM stereo and DTS 5.1
Language: Italian
Subtitles: Italian, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean
Region code: 0 (Worldwide)