Stratonice (opera)
opera by Étienne-Nicolas Méhul
Stratonice is a one-act opéra comique by Étienne Méhul to a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman, first performed at the Théâtre Favart in Paris, on 3 May 1792. The plot is taken from De Dea Syria ("On the Syrian Goddess", attributed to Lucian) concerning an incident from the history of the Seleucid dynasty which ruled much of the Middle East during the Hellenistic era of the ancient world.
Performance history
Stratonice was a popular opera, receiving over 200 performances during Méhul's lifetime. On 6 June 1792, a parody titled Nice, by Jean-Baptiste Desprez and Alexandre de Ségur, appeared at the Théâtre du Vaudeville. In 1821, Méhul's nephew, Joseph Daussoigne-Méhul, wrote new recitatives for the opera's revival in Paris at the Académie Royale de Musique.
Roles
Synopsis
Antiochus, the son of King Seleucus, is pining away yet he would rather die than name the cause of his disease to his father. The doctor, Erasistratus, suspects love is behind Antiochus's suffering. He notices that the prince's pulse rate increases when he sees Stratonice, a young woman intended as his father's bride, and further tests confirm his diagnosis. The doctor subtly reveals the truth to the king who is content to relinquish Stratonice to Antiochus to save his son's life and happiness.
Musical numbers
Overture
Chorus: Ciel!
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Stratonice (opera)” as opera by Étienne-Nicolas Méhul. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7622229. VIAF identifies the subject as 183287575. The Library of Congress control number is no98020916. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1792 and 1821.
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