Circé (Desmarets)

The libretto for Circé was written by Louise Genevieve Gillot de Saintonge (1650–1718) who based it on the Greek mythological character of that name.

[6] Circe appears often in ancient literature as an enchantress well-versed in potions and sorcery, seen at times as the prototype of the sexual and predatory woman.

She is best known as a character in Homer's Odyssey, where she falls in love with Odysseus and lures him and his crew to a wine- and potion-laced feast where she turns several of the men into swine.

Operas in this genre served the purpose of edifying the king and exemplify regality with stately rhythmic structures and consonant harmonies.

The prologue is a good example of the homophony characteristic of French music at the time the opera was written, and includes points of imitation, or repeated material in succession between different instrument and voice parts which may mimic a fugue.