Les fêtes de Paphos

Les fêtes de Paphos (The Festivals of Paphos) is an opéra-ballet in three acts (or entrées) by the French composer Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville. The work was described as a ballet héroïque on the title page of the printed score. Each act had a different librettist. Les fêtes de Paphos was first performed at the Académie royale de musique, Paris on 9 May 1758 and was a popular success. Mondonville recycled material from two of his previous operas for the first two acts, namely Erigone (1747) and Vénus et Adonis (1752), both originally composed for Madame de Pompadour's Théâtre des Petits Cabinets.

The title of the work is explained in the preface to the printed score. Paphos was a city in Cyprus sacred to Venus, the goddess of love. "Reunited on the island of Paphos, Venus, Bacchus and Cupid decide to enliven their leisure in such a pleasant location by celebrating their first loves, and this gives rise to the following three acts and the title Les fêtes de Paphos."

Librettist: Jean-Baptiste Collet de Messine
Source: the myth of Venus and Adonis

The jealous god Mars plots against Adonis, his rival for the love of Venus. In spite of Venus's entreaties, Adonis sets off for a hunt where he is killed. Venus turns him into an anemone. Mars wants to destroy the flower but Jupiter brings Adonis back to life and he is happily reunited with Venus.

Librettist: Charles-Antoine le Clerc de la Bruère
Source: the myth of Bacchus and Erigone

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