Premiere: March 16 1888, Grand-Théâtre, Marseille, conducted by Brunel, choregraphed by Victor Natta; danced by Matta (Alcmeon), Comolli (Callirhoë), Miles Bercé, Gautier amd the corps de ballet.

This ballet is based on a libretto by Provençal poet Elzéard Rougier. Set in ancient Greece, Callirhoë tells the story of a beautiful maiden and her beloved Agénor, whose love is tested by jealousy and divine interference. After trials of misunderstanding and separation, harmony is restored through loyalty and truth. her “symphonie ballet” relates how Alcmeon wins the heart of his captive princess Callirhoé who, dreaming only of being allowed to return to her native land, persistently remains aloof. The goddess Venus steps in and, after many vicissitudes, including the heroine being turned into a marble statue, the tale ends happily.

The Marseille premiere was warmly received, and critics readily compared Chaminade with Léo Delibes, then regarded as France’s foremost ballet composer. Although Callirhoé was subsequently revived in several southern French cities—including Lyon (1891), Bordeaux (1901), Cannes (1913), Toulouse (1910) and Deauville. It was staged three hundred times. (Charles de Bussy, Cécile Chaminade Tablette d’Avignon et de Provence, June 1, 1930, No. 214 p.3-4)

However, its greatest success came not on the stage but in the concert hall. Recognizing the score’s orchestral appeal, Chaminade assembled a concert suite that quickly established an independent reputation. Charles Lamoureux introduced excerpts as early as 1889, and the complete suite was first heard in Paris at the Concerts Colonne in November 1890. It remained popular for many years, appearing not only in orchestral programs but also in military and municipal band repertories. Among its movements, the Scherzettino (later transcribed for two piano four hands) proved especially successful, earning an encore at its first performance and becoming one of Chaminade’s best-known orchestral miniatures.

Although some critics found it too similar to Le Rouet d’Omphale by Saint-Saëns, Callirhoé was seen as attesting to the composer’s many qualities, although the praise occasionally concealed misogynistic prejudices, as in the article that appeared in Parisian literary periodical Gil Blas: “The ideas have a feminine side that contrasts delightfully with the composition, which shows a masculine sureness of hand.”

Reviewing the 1910 revival of Callirhoë, J. Hugounenc describes the ballet as “the theatrical sensation of the season.” He notes that since its 1888 Marseille premiere, several numbers, including the Pas des Amphores and Scherzetto, had become concert favorites and were widely circulated on Pianola rolls. He praises Chaminade’s music for its charm, grace, elegance, and brilliant orchestration, while also commending Victor Natta’s staging and the production’s enthusiastic public reception, which earned three curtain calls.