Jean-Francois Lombard; Elena Harsanyi; Valeria La Grotta; Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli; Markus Van Arsdale; Sebastian Monti; Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino; Federico Maria Sardelli - Jean-Baptiste Lully: Acis et Galatee

Jean-Baptiste Lully's unrivalled position at the Sun King's court gave him freedom to produce numerous grand theatre works. Acis et Galatee 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 heroique, with its plot based on the love story between the nymph Galatee and the shepherd Acis. The work's 'heroic' element is provided by the presence of the mythical Neptune and cyclops Polypheme who, for the love of Galatee, crushes Acis under a boulder.