About the work
Castor et Pollux is a tragédie en musique by Jean-Philippe Rameau to a libretto by Pierre-Joseph-Justin Bernard. Its premiere on 24 October 1737 at the Académie royale de musique in Paris was a major success that strengthened Rameau's standing against Lully's supporters; for a 1754 revival he replaced the prologue with a new first act and substantially tightened the work.
Plot
The mortal Télaïre loves Castor, who dies in battle. His immortal twin brother Pollux, who also loves Télaïre, gives up his own immortality and descends to the underworld to bring Castor back. In the end, Jupiter unites the two brothers forever among the stars.
Cultural significance
The 1754 version, in which Rameau trimmed recitatives and tightened the plot, is still considered one of his most accomplished operas; after a long absence from the stage, the work returned for the first time in 1903.