page_title: Orion (Lacoste)
section_title: Vocal music
hierarchical_section_title: Orion (Lacoste) / Musical analysis / Vocal music
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Imitons le Maistre des Cieux
context_page_description: Orion is an opera by the French composer Louis Lacoste on a libretto by Joseph de Lafont and Simon-Joseph Pellegrin. It was first performed at the Paris Opera on 19 February 1728 and was performed for the last time on 12 March 1728. The reduced score was printed in quarto by Christophe Ballard and is today available for consulting on the website of the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Orion only received a modest success and was never staged nor performed again for another season. However, extracts have already been played by the ensemble Fuoco e Cenere in 2019.
  A libretto by La Font, Hypermnestre, won considerable success in 1716 with the music of Charles-Hubert Gervais. Pellegrin has made himself known in 1713 with the tragédie lyrique Médée & Jason but his most brilliant success would be Jephté in 1732, followed by Hippolyte & Aricie in 1733. La Font died in 1725 before the completion of Orion's libretto, which Pellegrin took care of. It was the second and final collaboration between Lacoste and Pellegrin, the first was Télégone.
context_section_description: A developed demonstration of polyphonic composition
  Lacoste's approach to counterpoint in the choirs of Orion is much more developed than the operas of Lully and his initial successors. He is not unique in this case: we can see that since the XVIIIᵗʰ century, this style becomes crystallized with composers like André Campra or André Cardinal Destouches. In 1726, the arrival of François Francœur and François Rebel at the Opéra with Pyrame & Thisbé elevates it to a higher level. Despite the fact that all that remains to us is a reduced score, it is observable that the choir "Que du nom de Diane" (act IV), establishes a melismastic dialogue between the Dessus (Soprano) and the Basse-taille (Bass) voices. These long vocalizations are also alternated with homorythmic sections, instrumental parts and a trio with the highest voices : Dessus, Dessus 2 and Haute-contre (Tenor 1).
  The fact that the libretto does not offer opportunities to have male trios (Basse-taille, Taille (Tenor 2), Haute-contre) is perhaps regrettable. The duets between Pallantus and Orion in act I, combined or not with the choir, may fill that gap. In regards to the duets, we can find one for two Nymphs, homorythmic and with light accompaniment on the violin: "Sans l'indifférence" (act II).
  Exacerbated vocalists
  At the start of the XVIIIᵗʰ century, the French public began to clearly favor vocalizations, which became more and more virtuosic with a penchant for Italianism. The recruited singers receive more and more vocally demanding music. For example, in 1716, during a performance of Ajax by Bertin de la Doué, the Haute-contre Louis/Claude Murayre sang an aria composed for the castrato Nicolini in its original tonality.
  It is therefore not surprising that Lacoste gives in to this trend, although he demands much less virtuosity and neglects the Italian influence. He especially gives the opportunity to the singer Petitpas, who is distinguished by her vocal qualities, both in operatic airs or cantatas. The air "Souveraine des Bois" (act II) allows her to show off her art of ornamentation, while "Digne Sœur du Père du jour" (act II) and "Dieu d'Hymen, après mille peines" (act V) demonstrates her coloratura abilities. The main actress Marie Antier and her double Julie Eeremans also find moments to showcase their vocal skills. The first exploits her low register and uses several glissandos in the air "J'ai triomphé d'un Monstre affreux" (act II). The second shows the lightness of her voice through the developed vocalizations of the air "Tout rit" and "Battez Tambours" from act I.
  On the men's side, Denis-François Tribou, whose Haute-contre voice is generally more lyrical than his predecessors Murayre, Jacques Cochereau and Pierre Chopelet, receives some heroic vocalizations in his recitative "Je goûtais le repos..." (act I) and the air "Fille du Dieu puissant..." (act IV). Claude Chassé also finds occasions to show his vocal extension and flexibility with vocalizations and ornaments in the air "Ô Vous que le Destin..." (prologue) and "Unissez vos voix" (act III).
  Lacoste also employs this more melodic and virtuoso compositional style in duets, like in the duet between Orion and Alphisa "Vole, Amour..." (act IV), remarkable for its attacks in the higher register and melodies in triplet.
  The art of singing in support of the art of theater
  The airs that Lacoste provides to the singers also make it possible to reinforce the dramatic qualities of the characters:
  As the sole Tenor of the distribution, the role of Orion receives various big and small scale vocal pieces under multiple forms: For example, the recitativo secco "Mon bonheur passe mon attente" (act III) which, by the absence of complex ornaments and the changes of metrics, is an occasion for Tribou to focus more on declaiming the text, rather than singing it. As for the accompanied air "Amour si la Beauté..." (act I) which echoes the air "Bois épais..." from Amadis by the AABB form, it expresses the character's tenderness through trills or ports de voix, which can be varied in the reprises.
  The role of Diana i
caption: The counterpoint technique can be found right away in the prologue with the choir "Imitons le Maître des Cieux".
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