Leclair: Scylla et Glaucus

Did you know that the favorite vocal music piece of his Majesty Charles III, king of the United Kingdom, came from a long forgotten French tragédie lyrique? In a recent radio show, Charles selected the fourth act revenge aria sung by the enchantress Circe in Leclair’s Scylla and Glaucus as his musical choice, describing this music as “incredibly full of joy and energy”. The first recording of this major opera was made by Baroque trailblazer John Eliot Gardiner, who revived it after more than two centuries of silence, despite the tremendous success of the premiere in 1746.