Inspirée d’une Psyché signée Lully, Molière, Corneille et Quinault, la Psyche de Locke fut un véritable feu d’artifice artistique : cherchant à rivaliser en splendeur avec les opéras du continent, elle mêlait avec gourmandise théâtre, chant, danse, décors et machines spectaculaires. Sébastien Daucé s’est livré à un formidable travail de reconstitution de ce chef-d’œuvre essentiel dans l’histoire de la naissance de l’opéra anglais.

Tracklist

1. Disque 1
2. Psyche, Act I: Overture
3. Psyche, Act I Scene 1: A symphony of recorders and soft musick
4. Psyche, Act I Scene 1: Great Psyche, goddess of each Field and Grove (Pan & Nymphs)
5. Psyche, Act I Scene 1: A rustick dance of Sylvans & Dryads
6. Psyche, Act I Scene 1: Symphony of rustick musick representing an eccho
7. Psyche, Act I Scene 1: Song of Ecchoes "Great Psyche shall find no such pleasure as here"
8. Psyche, Act I Scene 1: Dance for Ambition, Power, Plenty and Peace
9. Psyche, Act I Scene 1: Entry of Envy
10. Psyche, Act I Scene 1: Song of Envy & Furies "Envy 'gainst Psyche"
11. Psyche, Act I Scene 1: Entry of the Princes Nicander & Polynices
12. Psyche, Act I Scene 1: Symphony at the descending of Venus in her chariot drawn by doves
13. Psyche, Act I Scene 1: With kindness I your pray'rs receive (Venus)
14. Psyche, Act I Scene 1: Symphony at the ascending of Venus in her chariot drawn by doves
15. Psyche, Act II: Curtain tune. The temple of Apollo Delphicus
16. Psyche, Act II Scene 1: Song of procession in the temple "Let's to Apollo's Altar now repair"
17. Psyche, Act II Scene 1: Son of Latona (Chief Priest)
18. Psyche, Act II Scene 1: Dance of Priests
19. Psyche, Act II Scene 1: To Apollo, our Celestial King (Chief Priest & his attendants)
20. Psyche, Act II Scene 1: Ceremony for Apollo
21. Psyche, Act II Scene 2: Entry for Despairing Lovers
22. Psyche, Act II Scene 2: Break, break distracted heart (Four Despairing Lovers)
23. Psyche, Act II Scene 2: Intermède. Plainte italienne (extr. from Lully's Psyché)
24. Disque 2
25. Psyche, Act III: Curtain tune
26. Psyche, Act III Scene 1: Dance of Cyclops
27. Psyche, Act III Scene 1: Song of Vulcan "Ye bold Sons of Earth"
28. Psyche, Act III Scene 1: Song at the Treat of Cupid & Psyche "All joy to fair Psyche"
29. Psyche, Act III Scene 2: Warlike dance with a consort of loud martial musick
30. Psyche, Act III Scene 2: Song and dance of the Salij "Let us loudly rejoice"
31. Psyche, Act III Scene 2: Song of Praesul "Great God of War"
32. Psyche, Act III Scene 2: Warlike dance
33. Psyche, Act III Scene 2: While we to Mars (Praesul)
34. Psyche, Act III Scene 2: Venus & Mars meet in the Air in their chariots; his drawn by horses, and hers by doves
35. Psyche, Act III Scene 2: Song of Venus & Mars "Great God of War"
36. Psyche, Act III Scene 2: Entry of Furies
37. Psyche, Act IV Scene 1: Curtain tune. A stately garden belonging to the magnificent palace
38. Psyche, Act IV Scene 1: Entry for Cupids
39. Psyche, Act IV Scene 1: Song for Cupids "Let old Age"
40. Psyche, Act IV Scene 1: Dance of the statues, leaping from their pedestals
41. Psyche, Act IV Scene 2: Stay, stay (God of the River & two Nymphs to Psyche)
42. Psyche, Act IV Scene 2: Symphony at the descending of Venus
43. Psyche, Act V: Curtain tune. Burning ruins of buildings, the throne of Pluto, and a great number of Devils & Furies
44. Psyche, Act V Scene 1: To what great distresses (Devils & Furies)
45. Psyche, Act V Scene 1: Dance of the Furies
46. Psyche, Act V Scene 1: Entry of Pluto
47. Psyche, Act V Scene 1: Refrain your tears (Pluto)
48. Psyche, Act V Scene 1: Psyche, draw near (Proserpina & Pluto)
49. Psyche, Act V Scene 1: Be gone, fair Psyche (Proserpina & Pluto)
50. Psyche, Act V Scenes 2 & 3: Symphony at the descending of Apollo and the Gods
51. Psyche, Act V Scene 3: Assemble all the ye Heavenly Quire (Apollo)
52. Psyche, Act V Scene 3: On Earth by unkindness (Three Elysian Lovers)
53. Psyche, Act V Scene 3: Symphony at the descending of Jupiter, Cupid & Psyche
54. Psyche, Act V Scene 3: Dance for Six Elysian Princes
55. Psyche, Act V Scene 3: Behold the God (Mars)
56. Psyche, Act V Scene 3: Rustick musick of Mænades & Ægipanes
57. Psyche, Act V Scene 3: Grand chorus and dance, with all the instruments "All joy to this Celestial Pair"