Locke: Psyche

CD1

1. ACT I Overture 
2. ACT I Scene 1: A symphony of recorders and soft musick
3. ACT I Scene 1: Pan & Nymphs: 'Great Psyche, goddess of each Field and Grove' 
4. ACT I Scene 1: A rustick dance of Sylvans & Dryads  
5. ACT I Scene 1: Symphony of rustick musick representing an eccho
6. ACT I Scene 1: Song of Ecchoes: 'Great Psyche shall find no such pleasure as here' 
7. ACT I Scene 1: Dance for Ambition, Power, Plenty and Peace  
8. ACT I Scene 1: Entry of Envy  
9. ACT I Scene 1: Song of Envy & Furies: 'Envy 'gainst Psyche'  
10. ACT I Scene 1: Entry of the Princes Nicander & Polynices  
11. ACT I Scene 1: Symphony at the descending of Venus in her chariot drawn by doves  
12. ACT I Scene 1: Venus: 'With kindness I your pray'rs receive'  
13. ACT I Scene 1: Symphony at the ascending of Venus in her chariot drawn by doves
14. ACT II Act tune: the temple of Apollo Delphicus  
15. ACT II Scene 1: Song of procession in the temple: 'Let's to Apollo's Altar now repair'  
16. ACT II Scene 1: Chief Priest: 'Son of Latona'  
17. ACT II Scene 1: Dance of Priests
18. ACT II Scene 1: Chief Priest & his attendants: 'To Apollo, our Celestial King'
19. ACT II Scene 1: Ceremony for Apollo  
20. ACT II Scene 2: Entry for Despairing Lovers  
21. ACT II Scene 2: Four Despairing Lovers: 'Break, break distracted heart'  
22. ACT II Scene 2: Interlude: Italian Lament [extr. from Lully's Psyché]  

CD2

1. ACT III Act tune
2. ACT III Scene 1: Dance of Cyclopes
3. ACT III Scene 1: Song of Vulcan: 'Ye bold Sons of Earth'
4. ACT III Scene 1: Song at the Treat of Cupid & Psyche: 'All joy to fair Psyche'
5. ACT III Scene 2: Warlike dance with a consort of loud martial musick  
6. ACT III Scene 2:  Song and dance of the Salij: 'Let us loudly rejoice'
7. ACT III Scene 2: Song of Praesul: 'Great God of War'  
8. ACT III Scene 2: Warlike dance
9. ACT III Scene 2: Praesul: 'While we to Mars'
10. ACT III Scene 2: Venus & Mars meet in the Air in their chariots; his drawn by horses, and hers by doves 
11. ACT III Scene 2: Song of Venus & Mars: 'Great God of War'  
12. ACT III Scene 2: Entry of Furies
13. ACT IV Scene 1: Act tune: a stately garden belonging to the magnificent palace
14. ACT IV Scene 1: Entry for two Cupids
15. ACT IV Scene 1: Song for two Cupids: 'Let old Age'  
16. ACT IV Scene 1: Dance of the statues, leaping from their pedestals 
17. ACT IV Scene 2: God of the River & two Nymphs to Psyche: 'Stay, stay'  
18. ACT IV Scene 1: Symphony at the descending of Venus  
19. ACT V Act tune: burning ruins of buildings, the throne of Pluto, and a great number of Devils & Furies
20. ACT V Scene 1: Devils & Furies: 'To what great distresses'  
21. ACT V Scene 1: Dance of the Furies
22. ACT V Scene 1: Entry of Pluto 
23. ACT V Scene 1: Pluto: 'Refrain your tears'
24. ACT V Scene 1: Proserpina & Pluto: 'Psyche, draw near'
25. ACT V Scene 1: Proserpina & Pluto: 'Be gone, fair Psyche'
26. ACT V Scene 2 - ACT V Scene 3: Symphony at the descending of Apollo and the Gods  
27. ACT V Scene 3:Apollo: 'Assemble all the ye Heavenly Quire'
28. ACT V Scene 3: Three Elysian Lovers: 'On Earth by unkindness' 
29. ACT V Scene 3: Symphony at the descending of Jupiter, Cupid & Psyche  
30. ACT V Scene 3: Dance for Six Elysian Princes 
31. ACT V Scene 3: Mars: 'Behold the God' 
32. ACT V Scene 3: Rustick musick of Mænades & Ægipanes
33. ACT V Scene 3: Grand chorus and dance, with all the instruments: 'All joy to this Celestial Pair'  

Inspired by the Psyché created collectively by Lully, Molière, Corneille and Quinault, Locke's Psyche was a veritable artistic firework display: seeking to vie in splendour with the operas of continental Europe, it luxuriously combined theatre, song, dance, and spectacular machines and scenery. Sébastien Daucé here offers us his splendid reconstruction of this key masterpiece in the history of early English opera.