Jean-Baptiste Lully’s unrivalled position at the Sun King’s court gave him freedom to produce numerous grand theatre works. Acis et Galatée is acknowledged as one of his masterpieces with its adroit alternation of effects and situations and its substantial use of dances and choruses. The opera was composed as part of lavish celebrations for the Dauphin’s stay at the castle of Anet and is a pastorale héroïque, with its plot based on the love story between the nymph Galatée and the shepherd Acis. The work’s ‘heroic’ element is provided by the presence of the mythical Neptune and cyclops Polyphème who, for the love of Galatée, crushes Acis under a boulder.

This recording documents the belated premiere of Lully’s opera Acis et Galatée in Florence, the city of his birth. His last completed theatre work and an acknowledged masterpiece in this genre, there are surprisingly few recordings of this opera available, so we are delighted to be able to present the disc edition of this highly successful 2022 production with the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, also available on the Dynamic label as 37971 (DVD) and 57971 (Blu-ray).

Federico Maria Sardelli is a Baroque music specialist and one of the most interesting and eclectic artists of today. He is a conductor, virtuoso flautist, musicologist, composer, painter, engraver, satirical writer and best-selling author with L’Affare Vivaldi, and has twice been nominated for Grammy Awards.

Soprano Elena Harsányi, whose ‘phrasing is crafted expertly’ and was ‘delivered with a high degree of expressivity’ is partnered with tenor Jean-François Lombard with voice having an ‘innate delicacy which he used to craft exquisitely detailed lines’ (operawire.com). Their performances as Acis and Galatée were admired in operaramblings as ‘very stylish and personable. Bass Luigi De Donato makes an impressively scary Polyphème’.

Cast:
- Acis: Jean-François Lombard (tenor)
- Galatée: Elena Harsányi (soprano)
- Diane / Second Naiad / Scylla: Valeria La Grotta (soprano)
- L’Abondance / Aminte / First Naiad: Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (soprano)
- Comus / Tircis: Mark Van Arsdale (tenor)
- Apollon / Priest of Juno / Télème: Sebastian Monti (tenor)
- Polyphème: Luigi De Donato (bass)
- Neptune: Guido Loconsolo (baritone)