Isis manuscript, undated

Isis, which premiered January 5, 1677, at St. Germain-en-Laye, was the fifth of Jean-Baptiste Lully's tragédies lyriques written with librettist Philippe Quinault. The plot is loosely adapted from one of the episodes in Ovid's Metamorphoses. In many of its essentials, the plot of Isis resembles that of Lully's previous opera, Atys. In Isis, the nymph Io, daughter of the river Inachus, is promised in marriage to Hierax, just as the nymph Sangaride, daughter of the river Sangar, was promised to Celoenus. Like Sangaride, Io is pursued by another love and yields to this love in spite of her feelings of guilt. Like Sangaride, Io has a goddess as a rival and is vulnerable to her jealousy. Lully's contemporaries interpreted this story as representing the volatile situation between two of the King's mistresses.  The subsequent scandale of the premiere ended the collaboration between Lully and Quinault for a time, and led to the dismissal of a number of members of Lully's artistic circle. 

The Prologue takes place in the Palace of Renommée (Fame). Surrounded by his entourage, Renommée details the glories of the empire of France and exhorts everyone present to join him in praise. The chorus responds with "Happy the empire that follows its laws." Neptune, god of the sea, enters with an entourage of Tritons and sailors, reminding the crowd that his domain is the current battlefield--a reference to Louis' ongoing war with Holland, which had a significant naval component.   The nine Muses and seven Liberal Arts enter with the sun god Apollo and his entourage. The Muses beg that talk of war cease and peace be the subject of song. Apollo concurs, calling for songs about pleasure and sport. The prologue ends with Renommée and the chorus entreating the Pleasures to reveal their "soft charms." 

As Act I begins, the stage represents the banks of the River Inachus, father of the nymph Io. Hyerax is discovered, lamenting the inconstancy of Io, his betrothed. Pyrante, Hyerax' friend, urges him to forget his distress in contemplating the beauties of nature, and reminds him that he has the approval of Inachus and Juno, Queen of the gods. Nevertheless, Hyerax is inconsolable. Io enters. Despite passionate protests by Hyerax, she confirms that she no longer loves him. Hyerax and Pyrante exit, leaving Io alone with her confidante, Micene. Io at last reveals that she and Jupiter, king of the gods, have fallen in love. Jupiter sends his messenger, Mercure, every day to confirm that he shares her passion. Mercure enters, on cue, to announce Jupiter's arrival. The act concludes as Jupiter descends, surrounded by gods of earth, water and subterannean riches. Magnanimously accepting the cheers of the people, Jupiter promises to serve and protect them, to defeat their enemies, and to restore peace. 

The Act II curtain rises to reveal a dense cloud in which Jupiter has enveloped himself and Io to hide them from the fury of his wife, Juno, queen of the gods. Hidden in the cloud, Jupiter and Io profess their love.  Mercure, who has been given the job of watching out for Juno, is confronted by the goddess' messenger, Iris. In an attempt to give Jupiter a chance to flee, Mercure announces that he loves Iris and begs her to go away with him. Iris is suspicious, but, swayed by Mercure's eloquence, admits that she has never found a faithful love. The two swear to live eternally in honesty and in love. Their affair ends prematurely, however, when Iris discovers that Mercure has lied about Jupiter's presence in the cloud. Juno appears and accosts Jupiter. Realizing that Io is his newest plaything, she demands the nymph as her newest handmaiden. Jupiter unwillingly acquiesces. 

Act III finds the hapless Io in a wilderness, near a lake and in the middle of a forest. Juno has left her there guarded by the giant Argus (brother of Hyerax) who has a hundred eyes and can therefore keep constant watch. Io laments that Jupiter must no longer love her, since he has abandoned her to Juno. Hyerax enters, demanding that Argus let him avenge himself against his inconstant betrothed; Argus refuses. Mercure enters with a chorus of Nymphs, hoping to lull Argus asleep by performing the story of Pan and Syrinx, which (in part) parallels the story of Io ("Ah! quel malheur!"). As the play-within-a-play unfolds, the continuous dancing mesmerizes Argus.  Just as he begins to sleep, Hyerax awakens him, preventing Io from making her escape. Juno enters and, enraged, banishes Io to the four corners of the earth where she will be relentlessly pursued by the Furies. 

Act IV begins in the ice-fields of Scythie. The choir bewails the torture of snow and ice in the famous "shivering chorus" ("L'hiver qui nous tourmente"). Io pleads with the Furies to leave her in peace. The scene changes to the steel forges of Chalybes and then to a cave where Io is tormented by the demons of war, sickness, famine, fire and flood. In desperation, Io exclaims "Is it a crime to love that which the whole universe adores?" to which the chorus replies, "to see the end of your deplorable fate is to stop destiny." 

As Act V opens, Io is discovered at the Nile where the Furies have chased her. Io begs for deliverance. She fears that Jupiter has abandoned her and exclaims that she must accept her fate. Jupiter, touched with pity, descends to rescue his love. However, he tells her that Juno remains implacable in her hatred and that he can do nothing more to save his favorite nymph. Juno descends and proposes a compromise: she will give Io immortality in the stars as the Egyptian goddess Isis if Jupiter pledges never to look at another woman. Jupiter and Juno agree to put aside their differences and try to live in peace. The opera ends with an Egyptian chorus singing praises to the new goddess Isis. 

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