This dramma per musica in five acts is a re-telling of the legend of Paris and Helen in a libretto by Ranieri De' Calzabigi, premiered at Vienna's Burgtheater on November 3, 1770. This was the third and last of the composer's Italian reform operas, intended as a panacea to the complexities of opera seria. But, despite the talent of the renowned soprano castrato Giuseppe Millico as Paris, and a conservative style contrasting the city-state characters of militant, angular, and lively Sparta with elegant, gentle and lyrical Phrygia (Trojans), the critics reacted negatively to this opera's "unequal and somewhat strange taste."

The excellent overture, with interesting chromatic modulations and built on quotes from later scenes, introduces the idea of explicit contrasts with its martial Allegro, lyrical melodies, and a cheerful triple-meter dance transformation of the initial march.

In Act I, Paris and Trojan sailors are camped on the shore outside Sparta. The Trojans sing a hymn to Venus to help Paris see Helen. Zeus has chosen Paris to judge who is the most beautiful between Juno, Minerva, and Venus, but Helen is said to be the loveliest. Helen's confidant Cupid (Amore) disguised as Erasto says he will help Paris. A five-movement ballet with divergent styles concludes the act.

Act II depicts the meeting of Helen and Paris. They are immediately infatuated with each other: he declares her as beautiful as Venus, she says other women must be missing him. In "Le belle immagini," Paris, now alone, despairs that he may lose Helen.

Act III opens in the great courtyard of the royal house. Brief, martial music brings on Spartans, Trojans, guards, and athletes. Helen asks Paris to judge the games with her. The contestants offer bare, declarative music in unison and octaves and an energetic dance in dotted rhythms and on-rushing scales. Helen asks Paris for something more lyrical, and, to harp accompaniment, he sings "Quegli occhi belli" lauding Helen's loveliness. In minor keys, Helen expresses embarrassment and chagrin, declares she is moved only by loyalty and virtue, and orders Paris away. He believes the gods have betrayed him, and now he must die. Masking the mood of dolor, the act concludes with a exultant march in C major celebrating the games' close.

In Act IV, Helen, writing to Paris, is portrayed as torn between love and duty in the very moving "Lo potró! Ma frattando, oh infelice." She declares she is betrothed to another, but Paris says he would rather die than leave her.

In Act V, the couple is reunited through a ruse by Cupid, but goddess Pallas Athene is enraged and predicts the horrors of the coming war between the two city-states. Nevertheless, Paris and Helen seal their love ("L'amo! L'adoro!") and Cupid swears to protect them. As the Trojans and couple depart at the shore, the opera ends with several dances and a splendid choral piece interlaced with two arias for Cupid and a duet for Paris and Helen.

© All Music Guide

Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.