List of French haute-contre roles

The following list includes most of the roles which were created by the leading French hautes-contre of the 17th and 18th centuries, or at least those to be found in operas by the major composers of the same period. The table was compiled by collating data from the sources listed at the bottom of the page, either printed or online, and makes no pretence at being exhaustive. Rather, its purpose is to provide an outline of a significant period in French operatic singing: it extends chronologically from Bernard Clédière to Joseph Legros.

role title genre author first performer theatre[1] première date
Juturne,[2]
Dieu des jardins ("god of gardens")		 Pomone[3] opéra or play set to music
(or pastorale)		 Robert Cambert Bernard Clédière,
Pierre Taulet (or Tholet)		 Salle du Bel-Air (rue de Vaugirard) 3 March 1671[4]
Apollon, Pan Les peines et les plaisirs de l'amour pastorale héroïque
in lyric verse		 Cambert Clédière, Taulet Salle du Bel-Air (rue de Vaugirard) February/March 1672
L'Envie ("Envy")[2]/first Tyrian prince/the wet nurse,[2] second Tyrian prince Cadmus et Hermione tragédie en musique Jean-Baptiste Lully Clédière, Gingan "cadet" Salle du Bel-Air (rue de Vaugirard) 27 April 1673
Admète, Apollon/Alecton[2] Alceste, ou Le triomphe d'Alcide[5] tragédie en musique Lully Clédière, Le Roy Palais-Royal 19 January 1674
Thésée, Bacchus, old man Thésée tragédie en musique Lully Clédière, de La Grille, Tholet Saint-Germain-en-Laye 11 January 1675
Atys, Zephyr, le Sommeil ("Sleep") Atys tragédie en musique Lully Clédière, de La Grille, Ribon Palais-Royal[6] August 1675[6]
Mercure, Apollon, a Fury[2] Isis tragédie en musique Lully Clédière, de La Grille, Ribon [7] Saint-Germain-en-Laye 5 January 1677
Vertumne, Amour, Mercure, Vulcain, Zephire, Apollon, Mars, a Fury[8] Psyché tragédie en musique Lully (unknown) Palais-Royal 18 April 1678
Bellérophon, Bacchus/the Pythia[2] Bellérophon tragédie en musique Lully Clédière, Le Roy Palais-Royal 31 January 1679
Alphée, la Discorde ("Discord")[2] Proserpine tragédie en musique Lully Clédière,[9] Puvigné Saint-Germain-en-Laye 3 February 1680
Persée Persée tragédie en musique Lully Louis Gaulard Dumesny Palais-Royal 17 April 1682
Le Jeu ("Gambling") Les plaisirs de Versailles divertissement Marc-Antoine Charpentier Marc-Antoine
Charpentier (?)		 Versailles[10] 1682
Phaëton Phaëton tragédie en musique Lully Dumesny Versailles 6 January 1683
Actéon Actéon pastorale Charpentier Charpentier (?) Hôtel de Guise 1683
Amadis Amadis tragédie en musique Lully Dumesny Palais-Royal 15 January 1684
Médor Roland tragédie en musique Lully Dumesny Versailles 8 January 1685
La Peinture ("Painting")[2] Les arts florissants opéra de chambre Charpentier Charpentier Collège Louis-le-Grand 6 August 1685
Florestan La couronne de fleurs pastorale Charpentier Charpentier (inconnu) 1685 (?)[11]
Renaud, the Danish knight, a fortunate lover Armide tragédie en musique Lully Dumesny, (other performers unknown) Palais-Royal 15 February 1686
Acis Acis et Galatée pastorale héroïque Lully Dumesny Château d'Anet 6 September 1686
Orphée, Ixion La descente d'Orphée aux enfers opéra de chambre Charpentier François Anthoine, Charpentier (uncertain) 1686
Achille Achille et Polyxène tragédie en musique Lully et Pascal Collasse Dumesny Palais-Royal 7 November 1687
David, the Witch of Endor[2] David et Jonathas tragédie biblique Charpentier (uncertain) Collège Louis-le-Grand 28 February 1688
Pélée Thétis et Pélée tragédie en musique Collasse Dumesny Palais-Royal 11 January 1689
Énée Énée et Lavinie tragédie en musique Collasse Dumesny[12] Palais-Royal 7 November 1690
Myrtil Le ballet de Villeneuve Saint-Georges opéra-ballet Collasse Dumesny Villeneuve-Saint-Georges (at the Dauphin's) 1 September 1692
Eneé Didon tragédie lyrique Henry Desmarets Dumesny Palais-Royal 5 June 1693
Jason Médée tragédie mise en musique Charpentier Dumesny Palais-Royal 4 December 1693
Le Printemps ("Spring"), Zéphyre/Aquilon, l'Été ("Summer") Le ballet des saisons or Les saisons opéra-ballet Collasse and Louis Lully[13] Renaud[14], Pierre Chopelet,
Jean Boutelou[15]		 Palais-Royal 18 October 1695
Bacchus Ariane et Bacchus[16] tragédie lyrique Marin Marais Dumesny Palais-Royal 8 March 1696
Apollon (Philémon), le Sommeil ("Sleep")/a shepherd/oracle Issé pastorale héroïque André Cardinal Destouches Dumesny, J. Boutelou Fontainebleau 7 October 1697
Octavio, Philène,[17] Don Pédro L'Europe galante opéra-ballet André Campra Dumesny, J. Boutelou, Pierre Chopelet Palais-Royal 24 October 1697
Amadis Amadis de Grèce tragédie lyrique Destouches Dumesny Palais-Royal 26 March 1699
Télamon, un Plaisir ("a Pleasure") Hésione tragédie en musique Campra Chopelet, J. Boutelou Palais-Royal 21 December 1700
Apollon/Dardanus, a magician/un Plaisir ("a Pleasure")/a shepherd Scylla tragédie lyrique Theobaldo di Gatti Chopelet, J. Boutelou Palais-Royal 16 September 1701
Cariselli Cariselli divertissement comique[18] Robert Cambert[19] J. Boutelou Palais-Royal 1702/1703
An enchanter/a warrior, a sylvan Tancrède opéra Campra Jacques Cochereau,[20] J. Boutelou Palais Royal 7 November 1702
Plutus, Mercure/the professor of folly Le carnaval et la folie[21] comédie-ballet (comédie en musique) Destouches Cochereau, J. Boutelou Fontainebleau 17 October 1703
Apollon/Aristippe, Palémon/Eraste, Les muses opéra-ballet Campra Chopelet, Cochereau Palais-Royal 28 October 1703
Pylade, Triton Iphigénie en Tauride tragédie en musique Desmarest et Campra Poussin,[22] Chopelet Palais-Royal 6 May 1704
Octave, un Plaisir ("a Pleasure")/a boatman, a masker La Vénitienne ballet
(comédie lyrique)		 Michel de La Barre Chopelet, J. Boutelou, Cochereau Palais-Royal 26 May 1705
Athamas, a shepherd/Arcas, a genius Philomèle tragédie lyrique Louis Lacoste Cochereau, Chopelet, J. Boutelou Palais-Royal 20 October 1705
Apollon, Ceix, le Sommeil ("Sleep"),
Phosphore, a follower of Ceix		 Alcyone tragédie lyrique Marais Cochereau, Marin Boutelou,[23] Chopelet, Robert Lebel, J. Boutelou Palais Royal 16 February 1706
Apollon, Oreste, Arcas, the Simoeis Cassandre tragédie lyrique François Bouvard and Thomas Toussaint Bertin de La Doué Thomas-Louis Bourgeois, Cochereau, M. Boutelou, Chopelet Palais-Royal 22 June 1706
Mercure, Ulixes, a hunter Polyxène et Pyrrhus tragédie lyrique Collasse Chopelet, M. Boutelou, J. Boutelou Palais-Royal 22 June 1706
a Marsigliese, a Marsigliese, a warrior Bradamante tragédie lyrique Lacoste Cochereau, M. Boutelou, Bourgeois Palais-Royal 2 May 1707
Triton/a shepherd, the high priest Hippodamie tragédie lyrique Campra Cochereau, Chopelet Palais-Royal 6 March 1708
Adraste, Apollon Sémélé tragédie lyrique Marais Cochereau, Beaufort Palais-Royal 9 April 1709
Daunus, Zéphyre Diomède tragédie lyrique Bertin de La Doué Cochereau, Chopelet Palais-Royal 28 April 1710
Damiro/Eraste, A follower of Fortune Les fêtes vénitiennes opéra-ballet Campra Cochereau, Buseau Palais-Royal 17 June 1710
Idamante, Arbas Idoménée tragédie en musique Campra Cochereau, Buseau Palais-Royal 12 January 1712
Idas, the Pythia[2] Créuse l'athénienne tragédie lyrique Lacoste Cochereau, Chopelet Palais-Royal 5 April 1712
Agenor Callirhoé tragédie-opéra Destouches Cochereau Palais-Royal 27 December 1712
Jason, a sailor Médée et Jason tragédie lyrique François Joseph Salomon Cochereau, Chopelet Palais-Royal 24 April 1713
Pâris Les amours déguisés ballet lyrique (ballet héroïque) Thomas-Louis Bourgeois Cochereau Palais-Royal 22 August 1713
Arsame, a priest of Hercules Télèphe tragédie lyrique Campra Cochereau, Chopelet[24] Palais-Royal 28 November 1713
Léandre Les fêtes de Thalie opéra-ballet Jean-Joseph Mouret Cochereau Palais-Royal 19 August 1714
Télémaque, Arcas, Un Art ("an Art")/a demon turned into a pleasure Télémaque tragédie lyrique Destouches Cochereau, Buseau, Bourgeois Palais-Royal 29 November 1714
Un Plaisir ("a Pleasure")/ Licidas, Timante, Bacchus/Lisis, Momus, a drunkard Les plaisirs de la paix opéra-ballet Bourgeois Thomas-Louis Bourgeois, Cochereau, Buseau, Lebel, Louis Murayre [25] Palais-Royal 29 April 1715
Leucippe, a man from Poitou/a warrior Théonoé tragédie lyrique Salomon Cochereau, Murayre Palais-Royal 3 December 1715
Corèbe, Arbas Ajax tragédie lyrique Bertin de la Doué Cochereau, Murayre Palais-Royal 20 April 1716
Lisis Les festes de l'été opéra-ballet Michel Pignolet de Montéclair Murayre Palais-Royal 12 June 1716
Lyncée, an Egyptian/a shepherd/second coryphaeus Hypermnestre tragédie en musique Charles-Hubert Gervais Cochereau, Murayre Palais-Royal 3 November 1716
Cérite, Zephire/a Volscian man Camille, reine des Volsques tragédie en musique Campra Cochereau, Murayre[26] Palais-Royal 9 November 1717
A shepherd, second Plaisir ("Pleasure")/a follower of la Folie ("Folly") Ballet de la Jeunesse ballet Jean-Baptiste Matho e Alarius (Hilaire Verloge, ca 1684-1734) Antoine Boutelou,[27] Muraire Palais des Tuileries febbraio 1718
Léandre/Merlin, Artémise[2]/Damon/an actor Les âges opéra-ballet Campra Cochereau, Murayre Palais-Royal 9 October 1718
Arsane, a Babylonian/a genius Sémiramis tragédie lyrique Destouches Cochereau,[28] Murayre Palais-Royal 4 December 1718
Triton Les amours de Protée opéra-ballet Gervais Murayre Palais-Royal 23 May 1720
le Plaisir ("Pleasure")/a singer, le Chagrin ("Affliction"), in the shape of la Raison ("Reason")/a singer/a shepherd, Les folies de Cardénio ballet for a heroicomic drama[29]
(ballet héroïque)		 Michel-Richard Delalande A. Boutelou,[27] Muraire Palais des Tuileries 29 (or 20) December 1720
Arion/Vertumne, Mercure Les élémens opéra-ballet Destouches et de Lalande A. Boutelou,[27] Murayre Palais des Tuileries 31 December 1721
Renaud, Arcas Renaud (or La suite d'Armide) tragédie lyrique Desmarets Denis-François Tribou,[30] Grenet Palais Royal 5 March 1722
Pirithoüs, la Discorde ("Discord")[2] Pirithoüs tragédie lyrique Mouret Murayre, Tribou Palais-Royal 26 January 1723
Tibulle, Éros, Amintas Les fêtes grecques et romaines ballet héroïque François Collin de Blamont Murayre, Grenet, Tribou Palais-Royal 13 July 1723
Ali, the Euphrates La reine des péris comédie persane [31] Jacques Aubert Murayre, Tribou Palais-Royal 10 April 1725
Télémaque, the High Priest of Minerva Télégone tragédie-opéra Lacoste Murayre, Tribou Palais-Royal 6 November 1725
Iphis/Lycas/slave and king of plays, Timante Les stratagèmes de l'amour opéra-ballet Destouches Murayre, Tribou Palais-Royal 21 March 1726
Ninus Pirame et Thisbé tragédie lyrique François Francœur et François Rebel Murayre Palais-Royal 17 October 1726
Apollon/a faun Les amours des dieux opéra-ballet Mouret Tribou Palais-Royal 14 September 1727
Orion Orion tragédie lyrique Lacoste Tribou Palais-Royal 17 February 1728
Tersandre La princesse d'Élide ballet héroïque Alexandre de Villeneuve Tribou Palais-Royal 20 July 1728
Tarsis Tarsis et Zélie tragédie lyrique Francœur and Rebel Tribou Palais-Royal 19 October 1728
Adonis/Linus Les amours des déesses ballet héroïque Jean-Baptiste-Maurice Quinault Tribou Palais-Royal 9 August 1729
Acamas Pyrrhus tragédie lyrique Joseph Nicolas Pancrace Royer Tribou Palais-Royal 26 October 1730
Nèrine[2] Le jaloux trompé[32] entrée de ballet Campra Tribou Palais Royal 18 January 1731
Endymion Endymion pastorale héroïque de Blamont Tribou Palais-Royal 17 May 1731
Ammon Jephté opéra sacré Montéclair Tribou Palais-Royal 28 February 1732
Le Soleil ("Sun")/Protésilas Le triomphe des sens (or Ballet des sens) opéra-ballet Mouret Tribou Palais-Royal 5 June 1732
Iphis Biblis (or Byblis) tragédie lyrique Lacoste Tribou Palais-Royal 6 November 1732
L'Amour ("Cupid") L'empire de l'amour ballet héroïque René de Galard de Béarn de Brassac Tribou Palai-Royal 14 April 1733
Hippolyte,
l'Amour ("Cupid")/second Fate[2]		 Hippolyte et Aricie tragédie en musique Jean-Philippe Rameau Tribou,
Pierre de Jélyotte[33]		 Palais-Royal 1 October 1733
Périandre La fête de Diane entrée (de ballet) [34] Colin de Blamont Jéliotte Palais-Royal 9 February 1734
Damon, Zéphyre Les fêtes nouvelles ballet
(ballet héroïque)		 Duplessis called "le Cadet" (first name unknown) Tribou, Jélyotte Palais-Royal 22 July 1734
Ulysse, a shepherd/an Italian shepherd/Mercure Achille et Déidamie tragédie en musique Campra Tribou, Jéliotte Palais-Royal 24 February 1735
Smindiride, Léonce Les grâces pastorale héroïque Mouret Tribou, Jélyotte Palais-Royal 5 May 1735
Valère/Don Carlos, Tacmas[35] Les Indes galantes opéra-ballet Rameau Jélyotte, Tribou Palais-Royal 23 August 1735
Scanderberg,
the mufti/La Magie ("Magia")[2]/the Jannissary agha		 Scanderberg tragédie (tragédie en musique)[36] Francœur and Rebel Tribou, Jélyotte Palais-Royal 27 October 1735
Damon Les sauvages entrée[37] Rameau Jélyotte Palais-Royal 10 March 1736
L'Amour ("Cupid") Les voyages de l'Amour opéra-ballet Joseph Bodin de Boismortier Jélyotte Palais-Royal 6 April 1736
Iphis/Léon/Lindor,
un genius/un opera genius		 Les romans ballet
(ballet héroïque)		 Jean-Baptiste Niel Tribou, Jélyotte Palais-Royal 23 August 1736
Léandre/a sylph Les génies opéra-ballet Mlle Duval Tribou Palais-Royal 18 October 1736
Hylas, Orphée, a follower of Églé Le triomphe de l'harmonie ballet
(ballet héroïque)		 François-Lupien Grenet Tribou, Jélyotte Palais-Royal 9 May 1737
Castor, an athlete Castor et Pollux tragédie lyrique Rameau Tribou,
Jean-Antoine Bérard		 Palais-Royal 24 October 1737
Iphis/Mercure, Apollon/Philémon Le ballet de la paix opéra-ballet Francœur and Rebel Tribou, Jélyotte Palais-Royal 29 May 1738
Thélème/ Mercure, Momus/Lycurgue Les fêtes d'Hébé opéra-ballet Rameau Jélyotte, Bérard Palais-Royal 21 May 1739
Almanzor, Octave Zaïde, reine de Grenade ballet héroïque Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer Tribou, Jélyotte Palais-Royal 3 September 1739
Dardanus, second Dream Dardanus tragédie lyrique Rameau Jélyotte, Bérard Palais-Royal 19 November 1739
Cambise, a sailor/another person of the feast/ Salamandre Nitétis tragédie lyrique Charles-Louis Mion Jélyotte, Bérard Palais-Royal 17 April 1741
Colin, Thibault Les amours de Ragonde comédie lyrique Mouret Jélyotte, Bérard Palais Royal 30 January 1742
Alcidon Isbé pastorale héroïque Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville Jélyotte Palais Royal 10 April 1742
Don Quichotte Don Quichotte chez la duchesse ballet comique (comédie lyrique) Boismortier Bérard Palais-Royal 12 February 1743
Émire/Le Dieu du Jour ("the god of the Day") Le pouvoir de l'amour ballet héroïque Royer Jélyotte Palais-Royal 23 April 1743
Licas/Iphis/Agénor Les caractères de la folie opéra-ballet Bernard de Bury Jélyotte Palais-Royal 20 August 1743
Valère/Léandre L’école des amants opéra-ballet Niel Jélyotte Palais-Royal 11 June 1744
First priest Les Augustales prologue for a revival of Lully's "Acis et Galatée" Francœur and Rebel Jélyotte Palais-Royal 15 November 1744
First and second voice,[38] an astrologer La princesse de Navarre[39] comédie-ballet Rameau Jélyotte, François Poirier, Jean-Paul Spesoller (called La Tour or Latour)[40] Versailles 23 February 1745
Zélindor, the genius of France Zélindor, roi de sylphes acte de ballet Francœur and Rebel Jélyotte, Poirier Versailles 17 March 1745
Platée,[2] Thespis, Mercure Platée comédie-lyrique (or 'ballet bouffon') Rameau Jélyotte, La Tour, Bérard Versailles 31 March 1745 [41]
Alcide/Antiochus, a chief of arts Les fêtes de Polymnie ballet héroïque Rameau Jéliotte, La Tour Palais-Royal 12 October 1745
Apollon/Trajan, Bacchus/a vanquished king, a shepherd/another vanquished king Le temple de la gloire opéra-ballet Rameau Jéliotte, Poirier, La Tour Versailles 27 November 1745
Apollon/a minister of Destiny, shepherd Daphnis/Morphée/a shepherd/a Pleasure, Jupiter Jupiter vainqueur des Titans tragédie en musique Colin de Blamond/Bury La Tour, Poirier, Jéliotte Versailles 11 December 1745
Glaucus, a shepherd Scylla et Glaucus tragédie en musique Jean-Marie Leclair Jélyotte, La Tour Palais-Royal 4 October 1746
Zéphire/Bacchus, Momus/The Coryphaeus L'année galante ballet héroïque Mion Jéliotte, Poirier Versailles 13 February 1747
Osiris/Aruéris, Ageris,
un Plaisir ("a Pleasure")/Egyptian shepherd,		 Les fêtes de l'Hymen et de l'Amour opéra-ballet Rameau Jéliotte, La Tour, Poirier Versailles 15 March 1747
Daphnis,
un Plaisir ("a Pleasure")/a pastor		 Daphnis et Chloé pastorale Boismortier Jéliotte, La Tour Palais-Royal 28 September 1747
Zaïs, a sylph Zaïs pastorale héroïque Rameau Jélyotte, Poirier Palais-Royal 29 February 1748
Pygmalion Pygmalion acte de ballet Rameau Jéliotte Palais-Royal 27 August 1748
Neptune, Neptune (prologue), Astérion Naïs pastorale héroïque Rameau Jéliotte, La Tour, Poirier Palais-Royal 22 April 1749
A shepherd/Apollon, a follower of Euterpe Le carnaval du Parnasse ballet héroïque Mondonville Jéliotte, La Tour Palais-Royal 23 September 1749
Zoroastre, Abenis/Orosmade/first Fury,[2] third Fury[2]/a voice from the clouds Zoroastre tragédie en musique Rameau Jéliotte, Poirier, La Tour Palais-Royal 5 December 1749
Léandre Léandre et Héro tragédie lyrique René de Galard de Béarn de Brassac Jéliotte Palais Royal 5 May 1750
Titon Titon et l'Aurore acte de ballet de Bury Jéliotte Palais Royal 18 February 1751
Myrtil La guirlande acte de ballet Rameau Jéliotte Palais-Royal 21 September 1751
The genius of America Les génies tutélaires acte de ballet Francœur and Rebel Jéliotte Palais-Royal 21 September 1751
Acanthe, a coryphaeus, a shepherd Acante et Céphise[42] pastorale héroïque Rameau Jéliotte, Poirier, La Tour Palais-Royal 19 November 1751
Colin Le devin du village opéra pastoral
(or intermède)		 Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jéliotte Fontainebleau 18 October 1752,
Daphnis /Bacchus, the grand priest of Hymen Les amours de Tempé ballet héroïque Antoine Dauvergne Jéliotte, Poirier Palais Royal 7 November 1752
Titon, a shepherd Titon et l'Aurore pastorale héroïque Mondonville Jéliotte, Poirier Palais-Royal 9 January 1753
Agis Sibaris acte de ballet Rameau Poirier Fontainebleau 13 November 1753
Damon La sibille acte de ballet Dauvergne Jéliotte Fontainebleau 13 November 1753
Daphnis Daphnis et Églé pastorale héroïque Rameau Jéliotte Fontaineblue 29 (or 30) November 1753
Batyle (ou Bathylle) Anacréon acte de ballet héroïque Rameau Jéliotte Fontaineblue 23 October 1754
Daphnis, Jeanet Daphnis et Alcimadure[43] pastorale Mondonville Jélyotte, La Tour Fontainebleau 29 October 1754
Iphis Iphis et Célime (or Célime) acte de ballet M. le chevalier d'Herbain Poirier Palais-Royal 28 September 1756
Linus/Mercure/Agathocle, Euricles Les surprises de l'Amour[44] opéra-ballet Rameau Poirier, Muguet Palais-Royal 31 May 1757
Adonis, Mercure, a voice Les fêtes de Paphos ballet héroïque Mondonville Poirier, Jean-Pierre Pillot, Muguet Palais-Royal 9 May 1758
Damon Les fêtes d'Euterpe opéra-ballet Dauvergne Pillot Palais-Royal 8 August 1758
High Priest of the Sun Phaétuse acte de ballet Pierre Iso Pillot Palais Royal 20 July 1759
The fairy Manto,[2] Atis, a paladin Les Paladins comédie lyrique Rameau Pillot, Lombard, Muguet Palais Royal 12 February 1760
Picus, Mégère[2] Canente tragédie lyrique Dauvergne Pillot, Muguet Palais-Royal 11 November 1760
Hilus Hercule mourant tragédie (lyrique) Dauvergne Pillot Palais Royal 3 April 1761
Agénor (performing the role of Adonis) L'opéra de société comédie-ballet (acte de ballet) François-Joseph Giraud Pillot Palais Royal 1 October 1762
Isménias Ismène et Isménias tragédie lyrique Jean-Benjamin de La Borde Jéliotte[45] Théâtre Royal de la Cour de Choisy-le-Roi 13 June 1763
Ali Le rencontre imprévue[46] comédie mêlée d'ariettes Christoph Willibald Gluck Godard Vienna, Burgtheater 7 January 1764
Zénis Zénis et Almasie ballet héroïque de La Borde Jélyotte Fontainebleau 2 November 1765
Usbek Aline, reine de Golconde ballet héroïque Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny Joseph Legros Palais des Tuileries 15 April 1766
Batyle (ou Bathylle) Anacréon[47] entrée de ballet Rameau Legros Tuileries 29 August (or 2 September) 1766
Lindor Lindor et Ismène (or Isménie) entrée de ballet Pierre Montan Berton Legros Tuileries 29 August (or 2 September) 1766
Zamnis Érosine entrée de ballet Louis-Joseph Francœur, called le Neveu Pillot Tuileries 29 August (or 2 September) 1766
Amintas Sylvie opéra-ballet Montan Berton (acte I) et Jean-Claude Trial (prologue, actes I et II) Legros Tuileries 18 November 1766
Amphion Amphion [48] ballet pastorale héroïque de La Borde Legros Fontainebleau 11 October 1767
Sandomir Ernelinde, princesse de Norvège tragédie lyrique François-André Danican Philidor Legros Tuileries 24 November 1767
Octave La vénitienne[49] comédie-ballet (comédie lyrique) Dauvergne Legros Tuileries 3 May 1768
Sandomir Sandomir, prince de Danemarck[50] tragédie lyrique Philidor Legros Tuileries 24 January 1769
Iphis Omphale tragédie lyrique Jean-Baptiste Cardonne Legros Tuileries 2 May 1769
Hylas La fête de Flore pastorale héroïque Trial Legros Palais-Royal 18 June 1771
The bailiff [51] La cinquantaine pastorale de La Borde Legros Palais-Royal 13 August 1771
Raimond de Mayenne Adèle de Ponthieu tragédie lyrique de La Borde Legros Palais-Royal 1 December 1772
Ovide Ovide et Julie acte de ballet Cardonne Legros Palais-Royal 16 July 1773
Bathilde/Floridan L'union de l'amour et des arts opéra-ballet héroïque Étienne-Joseph Floquet Legros Palais-Royal 7 September 1773
Achille Iphigénie en Aulide tragédie-opéra Christoph Willibald Gluck Legros Palais-Royal 19 April 1774
Orphée Orphée et Eurydice tragédie-opéra Gluck Legros Palais-Royal 2 August 1774
Azolan Azolan opéra-ballet héroïque Floquet Legros Palais Royal 22 November 1774
Alexis Alexis et Daphné pastorale François Joseph Gossec Legros Palais-Royal 26 September 1775
Admète Alceste opéra-tragédie Gluck Legros Palais-Royal 23 April 1776
(?) Les romans opéra-ballet héroïque Giuseppe Maria Cambini Legros,
Étienne Lainez (or Lainé)		 Palais-Royal 30 July 1776
Alain Alain et Rosette intermède Joseph Pouteau Lainez Palais-Royal 10 January 1777
Renaud, the Danish knight Armide drame-héroïque (tragédie en musique) Gluck Legros, Lainez Palais-Royal 23 September 1777
Myrtil Myrtil et Lycoris opéra (pastorale) Léopold-Bastien Désormery Lainez Palais-Royal 2 December 1777
Médor, Coridon Roland tragédie lyrique Niccolò Piccinni Legros, Lainez Palais-Royal 27 January 1778
The lord La fête de village intermède Gossec Lainez Palais-Royal 26 May 1778
Neptune Hellé tragédie lyrique Floquet Legros Palais-Royal 5 January 1779
Pylade, a Scythian Iphigénie en Tauride tragédie lyrique Gluck Legros, Lainez Palais-Royal 18 May 1779
Narcisse, Cynire, a sylvan Écho et Narcisse drame-lyrique Gluck Lainez, Legros,
Jean-Joseph Rousseau[52]		 Palais-Royal 24 September 1779
Amadis Amadis de Gaule tragédie lyrique Johann Christian Bach Legros Palais-Royal 14 December 1779
Atys, Idas Atys tragédie lyrique Piccinni Legros, Lainez Palais-Royal 22 February 1780
Pyrrhus Andromaque tragédie lyrique André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry Legros Palais-Royal 6 June 1780
Persée Persée tragédie lyrique Philidor Legros Palais-Royal 27 October 1780
M. de Mersans, the parish priest Le seigneur bienfaisant opéra
(comédie lyrique)		 Floquet Legros, Rousseau Palais-Royal 14 December 1780
Pylade, a priest Iphigénie en Tauride tragédie lyrique Piccinni Legros, Lainez Palais-Royal 23 January 1781
Apollon Apollon et Coronis opéra (pastorale) Jean-Baptiste Rey and Louis-Charles-Joseph Rey Legros Palais-Royal 3 May 1781
The knight L'inconnue persécutée comédie mêlée d'ariettes Jean-Baptiste Rochefort Lainez Salle des Menus-Plaisirs, rue Bergère 21 September 1781
Raimond de Mayenne Adèle de Ponthieu [53] tragédie lyrique Piccinni Legros Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin 27 October 1781
Alphonse Colinette à la cour or La double épreuve comédie lyrique Grétry Lainez Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin 1 January 1782
Thésée Thésée tragédie lyrique Gossec Legros Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin 1 March 1782
Pylade Électre tragédie lyrique Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne Lainez Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin 2 July 1782
Renaud,
an infernal goddess (Alecton?)[2]		 Renaud tragédie lyrique Antonio Sacchini Legros,[54] Rousseau Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin 28 February 1783
Main article: Haute-contre

Sources and references
  1. in Paris, unless otherwise stated
  2. role en travesti
  3. this work, which is often regarded as the first French opera, was performed at the inauguration of the Académie royale des opéra
  4. there had already been two private performances in June 1670
  5. whereas in “Cadmus et Hermione” the male protagonist was still performed by a baisse-taille, starting from this opera Lully chose the voice type of the haute-contre for the leading amatory parts (Grove, I, article: "Cadmus et Hermione", p. 676)
  6. place and date reported by Pitou (1983, article: "Atys", p. 164)
  7. Louis Gaulard Dumesny made his Opéra debut in this performance, as a "taille", interpreting the minor role of a Triton (Grove, I, article: "Dumesnil, [Duménil, Dumény, Du Mesny, du Mény]", p. 1273)
  8. cf. Thomas Corneille, Psyché : Tragédie, critical edition by Luke Arnason (master's thesis under the direction of Georges Forestier), Université Paris-Sorbonne, 2005 (accessible online at the University of Manitoba Website).
  9. Dumesny, who had originally created the minor role of the second Fury in the premiere at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, replaced Clédière as Alphée in the following Paris performances of this opera, being promoted to "principal haute-contre" of the Académie from his former position of "haute-taille". As for Clédière, he moved to the Musique du Roi (Grove, I, article: "Cledière, Bernard", p. 879)
  10. inauguration of 'the King's receptions' (appartements du Roi)
  11. this opera was given as part of the celebrations of the truce of Ratisbon
  12. according to Pitou (1983 , article: "Dumenil", p. 214) Dumesny might have performed the role of Turnus; according to The New Grove Dictionary (I, article: "Dumesnil, [Duménil, Dumény, Du Mesny, du Mény]", p. 1273) he was (much more likely) the protagonist (cf. also Magazine de l’opéra baroque)
  13. according to Théodore Lajarte, Colasse and the late (that is, Jean-Baptiste) Lully were cited as the composers (Pitou, 1983, article: "Les Saisons", p. 308)
  14. Sources do not report the first name of this rather mysterious singer.
  15. Boutelou is generally indicated by sources with his surname alone; the first name 'Jean' is now reported by the article on the singer in the Dictionnaire de l'Opéra de Paris sous l'Ancien Régime (1669-1791) (I, ad nomen). Not to be confused with his two sons: Marin, also a singer at the Académie Royale de Musique in the second half of the 1700s, and Antoine, a tenor at the Chapelle Royale starting from 1707.
  16. according to Pitou, "Ariadne et Bacchus" (1983, ad nomen, p. 158)
  17. The New Grove Dictionary (II, article: "Europe galante, L’", p. 1273) claims that the haute-contre role is that of Silvandre, but it must be erroneous (see for instance Magazine de l’opéra baroque)
  18. it was added, during its first eight-month run, as a further entrée to the spectacle coupé, Les Fragments de M. De Lully, first staged on 10 September 1702 (Pitou, 1983, article: "Les Fragments de Lully", p. 192). The spectacle coupé was a type of program composed of several "acts taken from different works and presented on the same bill without any attempt to unify them" (Piyou, 1985, article: "Spectacle coupé", p. 502)
  19. erroneously attributed to Lully (Le magazin de l'opéra baroque Archived 2014-03-01 at the Wayback Machine); for the wrong attribution cf. Pitou, 1983 , articles: "Les Fragments de Lully", p. 228, and "Cariselli", p. 192
  20. Cochereau is reported to have made his Opéra debut two months before in the spectacle coupé "Les Fragments de M. De Lully" (Pitou, 1983 , ad nomen, p. 201)
  21. or Le Mariage de Carnaval et de la Folie
  22. Poussin, who was going shortly to die before his time, had been engaged by the Académie Royale de Musique as a haute-taille (Le magazin de l'opéra baroque, page: Cassandre Archived 2014-03-01 at the Wayback Machine), but he deserves to be cited here because his role of a lifetime, Pylade, was later to enter the repertoire of the greatest hautes-contre of the century, from Muraire to Legros
  23. The libretto just refers to this singer as 'Boutelou fils'; his first name 'Marin' is reported by the article on him in the Dictionnaire de l’Opéra de Paris sous l’Ancien Régime (1669-1791) (I, ad nomen) where, however, he is erroneously classed as a "basse taille". Not to be confused with his father Jean, a performer in this opera as well, and his younger brother Antoine, a tenor at the Chapelle royale starting from 1707.
  24. with the part of a "priest" Chopelet retired from the Opéra: having been the leading haute-contre for a short while, since 1702 due to illness he had had to content himself with numerous minor roles (Grove, I, ad nomen, p. 850)
  25. Murayre (or Muraire) joined the Opéra in 1715; he was to become the principal haute-contre of the Académie from 1719 till his retirement (very much regretted by the public) in 1727, after a long disease (Grove, III, ad nomen, p. 523)
  26. cast taken from the website Le magazine de l'opéra baroque.
  27. The original libretto only reports this performer's surname, Boutelou, but he should almost certainly be the youngest member of the family of singers, Antoine: his father and his older brother, respectively Jean and Marin, had been members of the company of the Académie Royale de Musique during the two decades around the turn of the century. Antoine was instead a tenor at the Chapelle royale and, as such, he used not to be involved in the Académie's public performances, but was called upon on occasions to perform in court musical enterteinments, as were the 'ballets du roy'. The information about the nomenclature of the Boutelou family, a traditionally confusing topic, is drawn from the Dictionnaire de l'Opéra de Paris sous l'Ancien Régime (1669-1791) , tome I (A-C), ad nomina .
  28. after the 1718-19 season Cochereau retired from the Opéra and was replaced by Murayre in his leading position (Grove, I, article: « Cochereau, Jacques », p. 893)
  29. French: ballet pour une pièce héroï-comique
  30. Tribou had made his most successful debut at the Opéra on 13 November 1721 in the role of the Sun, on the occasion of a revival of Lully’s Phaéton; he was to become the principal haute-contre of the Académie Royale from 1727 until 1739, when his strong dislike for the new musical style introduced by Rameau led him to retire and to join the Musique du Roi as a theorbo master in 1741 (Pitou, 1985, ad nomen, p. 526 ; Grove, IV, ad nomen, p. 808)
  31. Persian comedy
  32. this entrée, which was given within a revival of “Le carnaval et la folie”, is a revision of the entrée written by Campra for the performance of the spectacle coupé “Les Fragments de M. De Lully” on 10 September 1702, when the grotesque role en travesti of Nérine had been performed by J. Boutelou
  33. Jélyotte had made his debut, at the age of twenty, on 11 June 1733, in the small role of “a Greek”, in a revival of the ballet héroïque “Les festes grecques et romaines” by Colin de Blamont; within few years he was to replace Tribou in his post as the principal haute-contre of the Académie Royale and to be acclaimed as one of the greatest artists of his time
  34. this entrée was added, on the occasion of a revival, to the ballet héroïque Les fêtes grecques et romaines to make room for the new star, Jéliotte
  35. Tacmas is the protagonist of the third entrée “Les Fleurs, fête persane” which was added during the third performance; according to Pitou, however, it was not an addition, but only a rearrangement introduced from the fourth performance in order to remove the 'transvestism' of both the hero and princess Fatime in clothes of the opposite sex, which had aroused the public’s displeasure (1985, article: "Les Indes galantes", p. 285)
  36. this opera fully followed the fashion of the time for turquerie: it was visually one of the most elaborate of the Turkish operas, with detailed scenic designs for mosques and seraglio courts; many exotic characters were displayed, as well
  37. it is the fourth entrée added to “Les Indes galantes” (according to Pitou this entrée was first performend only on 16 July 1744, 1985, ad nomen, p. 285)
  38. in the final divertissement
  39. in this play by Voltaire, the only comédie-ballet (a play with music, singing and dance added) composed by Rameau, there is an “unusually demanding duo for two haute-contres, ‘Charmant amour’ ..., [where] Poirier sung the upper part (a – d′′) and Jélyotte the lower (f♯ – c′′)” (Grove, II, article: "Haute-contre", p. 669). In fact, the incipit of the duo is ‘Charmant Hymen’ (Oeuvres complètes de Voltaire, Théatre, ninth tome, Société Littéraire-typographique, 1784, pp. 142-143 (digitalized by Google), accessed 25 October 2010)
  40. Sources used not to report the full name of this singer, generally referred to just as La Tour, Latour or Delatour. The name Georges Imbart de La Tour, given by the site L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia, is erroneous as it belongs in fact to another tenor of the late nineteenth century. The exact full name is now reported by Sylvie Bouissou in her article Latour, Jean-Paul Spesoller de, in Dictionnaire de l’Opéra de Paris sous l’Ancien Régime (1669-1791), tome III (H–O), pp. 413-414.
  41. the première of March 1745, given on the occasion of the Dauphin’s marriage with the Infanta of Spain, was at first the only performance of the opera; it had however a very successful first public run at the Palais-Royal in 1749, and was later revived again in 1750 and in 1754, always starring in the title role the second haute-contre of the Opéra, La Tour. According to Rodolfo Celletti ("La Scuola vocale francese e Rameau", p. 90, in (in Italian) Storia dell'Opera (ideata da Guglielmo Barblan e diretta da Aberto Basso), UTET, Torino, 1977, vol. III/1), the role of Platée performed by La Tour was the highest haute-contre part ever written by Rameau
  42. or "Acanthe et Céphise" (Pitou, 1985, ad nomen, p. 6)
  43. this opera was originally given in Languedocien; later on, Mondonville was forced to get it translated into French, seeing that after the departure of Jélyotte and of Mlle Fel, there were no more Gascon actors left at the Opéra
  44. this opera was originally performed on 27 November 1748, in a rather different version, as the season opening of Versailles' theatre of the Petits Appartements, upon the Grand Escalier des Ambassadeurs (Ambassadors' Great Staircase), with a cast starring Madame de Pompadour and other nobles of the Court
  45. Jélyotte had retired from the Académie Royal de Musique et de Danse from 1755, but he did not leave the Court and “continued to offer his services to the king and queen for the operatic programs at Fontainebleu and Versailles” until 9 November 1765, when he finally got to take “leave of royalty to return to his home and to enjoy a quiet retirement” in his native village near Pau (Pitou, 1985 , ad nomen, p. 301)
  46. this opera, composed to an old revised libretto of 1727 (Les pèlerins de la Mecque), was Gluck’s last opéra-comique for Vienna. The role of Ali was interpreted by an haute-contre from the Paris Opéra (Grove, III, ad nomen, p. 1288-89); according to Amedeusonline this tenor’s name was Godard
  47. this work, which had originally been given as an acte de ballet héroïque, at the Palace of Fontainebleau, on 13 October 1754, was proposed to the public as the second entrée of the ballet héroïque pastiche “Les fêtes lyriques” (whose first and third entrées were Francœur and Berton's works, “Lindor et Ismène” and Érosine, respectively). This piece of Rameau's is not to be confused with the different acte de ballet bearing the same title, which was created by the great French composer in 1757 to a libretto by Gentil-Bernard with quite another plot, to serve as the third entrée to a revival of “Les surprises de l'Amour”
  48. this work was given as the last entrée of the spectacle coupé “Les fragments nouveaux” by various composers
  49. rewriting of Michel de La Barre’s 1705 opera
  50. rearrangement of "Ernelinde, princesse de Norvège"
  51. in this opera the leading amatory role of the teenager protagonist, Colin, a sort of Cherubino longing for marriage, is allotted en travesti to a soprano, while the haute-contre is restricted to a traditional callous-hearted bailiff/mayor part: Legros had originally been cast for the part of Lubin, but he "disliked his role so thoroughly that he refused to appear in it at first. When he faced the prospect of confinement in prison for disobedience, however, he changed his mind and went on stage as the bailiff ” (Pitou, 1985, article: "La Cinquantaine", p. 118)
  52. a nineteen-year-old "J. Rousseau" made his debut at the Opéra with the minor role of a sylvan in this drame lyrique; he was later considered the last real haute-contre of the Académie Royale (cf. Jérôme Lalande's Voyage en Italie (2/1786), p. 204-5, cited by Mary Cir, op. cit.), and, after Legros’s retirement, he was to be “promoted to leading tenor of the company along with Lainé” (or Lainez); at the beginning of the 1790s, however, “he found himself a victim of a chronic illness, and this disability undermined his health to such an extent that he could not perform regularly in 1792, and thereafter until his death in 1800” when was not yet forty years old (Pitou, 1985, ad nomen, pp. 477-478). Sources traditionally report only the initial letter (J.) of this singer's name; full details, however, can be found in "Organico dei fratelli a talento della Loggia parigina di Saint-Jean d'Écosse du Contrat Social (1773-89)" (list of the members of this Masonic lodge), reported as an Appendix in Zeffiro Ciuffoletti and Sergio Moravia (eds), La Massoneria. La storia, gli uomini, le idee, Milan, Mondadori, 2004, ISBN 978-8804536468 (in Italian).
  53. inauguration of the new venue of the Académie Royale de Musique
  54. Renaud was the last creation by Legros, who retired in that same year 1783, widely regretted not only by the public: de La Ferté, the "sole intendant" (administrator) of the Menus-Plaisirs du Roi, ‘acknowledged [Legros’s] value to the company by alluding to him as “the first singer of the Opéra” ’ and ‘by saying without intent to flatter Legros that his departure “would be a real loss for the Administration.” He also paid him the supreme compliment when he assured his superiors in 1783 that Legros alone was qualified to fill the vacant directorship of the Opéra’ (Pitou, 1985 , article: "Legros, Joseph", p. 339). Legros was replaced in his post as the principal haute-contre of the Académie Royale, by his deputy, Étienne Lainez, and by Jean-Joseph Rousseau

Bibliography
  • (in French) Bouissou, Sylvie; Denécheau, Pascal; and Marchal-Ninosque, France (edition directors), Dictionnaire de l'Opéra de Paris sous l'Ancien Régime (1669-1791), Paris, Classiques Garnier, 2019, tome I (A-C), ISBN 978-2406090656
  • Cyr, Mary, "On performing 18th-century Haute-Contre Roles", Musical Times, vol 118, 1997, pp 291–5, later reproduced in Cyr, M., Essays on the Performance of Baroque Music. Opera and Chamber Music in France and England, Ashgate Variorum, Aldeshot (UK)/Burlington, VT (USA), 2008, ISBN 978-0-7546-5926-6 (essay no. IX)
  • Pitou, Spire, The Paris Opéra. An Encyclopedia of Operas, Ballets, Composers, and Performers – Genesis and Glory, 1671-1715, Greenwood Press, Westport/London, 1983 (ISBN 0-313-21420-4)
  • Pitou, Spire, The Paris Opéra. An Encyclopedia of Operas, Ballets, Composers, and Performers – Rococo and Romantic, 1715-1815, Greenwood Press, Westport/London, 1985 (ISBN 0-313-24394-8)
  • Sadie, Stanley (ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Grove (Oxford University Press), New York, 1997 (ISBN 978-0-19-522186-2)

Online sources
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