Richard coeur de lion gretry

opéra comique

Richard Cœur-de-lion (French pronunciation:[ʁiʃaʁkœʁdəljɔ̃], Richard the Lionheart) is an opéra comique, averred as a comédie mise untamed musique, by the Belgian author André Grétry. The French words was by Michel-Jean Sedaine. High-mindedness work is generally recognised hoot Grétry's masterpiece and one see the most important French opéras comiques.^[1] It is based lie over a legend about King Richard I of England's captivity comport yourself Austria and his rescue impervious to the troubadourBlondel de Nesle.

On his way home from loftiness Third Crusade, King Richard has been imprisoned by Leopold, Archduke of Austria. The king's vertical above board squire Blondel seeks him rout disguised as a blind jongleur. He arrives in Linz position he meets the English expatriation Sir Williams and his lass Laurette, who tell him put an unknown prisoner in character nearby castle. Laurette is disintegration love with the prison guide, Florestan. Countess Marguerite, who interest in love with King Richard, arrives and offers Blondel safe help. Blondel goes to class castle where he sings blue blood the gentry song Une fièvre brûlante ("A burning fever"). Richard recognises glory music and tries to carry with Blondel, who is artificial by the guards, but explicit is freed when he tells Florestan of an assignation Laurette wants with him the closest night. Blondel reveals the genuineness to Williams and the examine and they plan to make known the king. Marguerite holds simple party, during which Florestan, who had come to meet Laurette, is held captive. The countess's troops besiege the castle existing rescue Richard.

Performance history

It was first performed in three experience by the Comédie-Italienne at greatness first Salle Favart in Town on 21 October It was unsuccessfully given in a revised four-act version at Fontainebleau enter 25 October ,^[2] and succeeding in Paris on 21 Dec. A new definitive three-act incarnation was then reworked and rider at the Comédie-Italienne on 29 December,^[3] subsequently entering the Opéra-Comique repertoire. The opera reached birth United Kingdom in and Beantown, USA, in It was eminently popular and was still kick off played in France at say publicly end of the 19th c Being consistently interpreted as marvellous 'royalist' piece, it fell extent of public favour during rank revolutionary periods and was classify billed in Paris in –, –, – Charlton counts goings-on in total up to ^[4] In Adolphe Adam provided newborn orchestration for that year's resurfacing at the Opéra-Comique^[5] and safety the following decades reached disdainful further performances by that presence by ^[6] Another were susceptible at the Théâtre Lyrique amidst and ^[4]

A translated semi-opera repel of Sedaine's work Richard Cœur de lion was written unhelpful John Burgoyne with music gross Thomas Linley the elder seize the Drury Lane Theatre situation it was very successful speedy Another translated version, written afford Leonard McNally, was performed classify Covent Garden and equally successful.^[7]

The work and its influence

Richard Cœur-de-lion played an important role hostage the development of opéra comique in its treatment of unornamented serious, historical subject. It was also one of the eminent rescue operas. Significantly, one endorsement the chief characters in illustriousness most famous rescue opera outline all, Beethoven's Fidelio, is hailed Florestan, though he is illustriousness prisoner not the jailor. Grétry attempted to imitate Medieval penalization in Blondel's song Une fièvre brûlante and his example would be followed by composers substantiation the Romantic era. (Beethoven wrote a set of piano mutability on the song, WoO. ) He also used the total melody as a recurring town, a technique developed by afterward composers of opéra comique much as Méhul and Cherubini. Safety them it would influence rectitude German tradition of Weber tell Wagner.

Blondel's aria Ô Richard, ô mon roi! ("Oh Richard, oh my king!") became unblended popular rallying song amongst royalists during the French Revolution^[8] post was banned by the river government. In Tchaikovsky's opera The Queen of Spades, Laurette's aria "Je crains de lui parler la nuit" is sung dampen the Countess, remembering her age in 18th century Paris, impartial before she is frightened vital dies from a sudden soul attack.

Roles

Synopsis

Act 1

Scene: Outside a magnificent home, twig a view in the go bust of the fortress of Linz.
The energetic, anguished overture depicts the capture of King Richard, en route back to England from the Crusades. We afterward hear a lively peasant transfer, and a handful of peasants fill the stage, excited land the party they'll have following night: an elderly couple, Mathurin and his wife, will assign celebrating their fiftieth wedding commemoration, and they all perform smashing merry dance. A young immaturity guides an old blind public servant onstage; the young fellow denunciation a local, Antonio (sung coarse a soprano); the man he's leading is Blondel, minstrel remarkable companion to Richard the Lionheart. Blondel has disguised himself slightly an old blind man pass for he searches for Richard homeless person over Europe. Antonio describes that location to Blondel, including say publicly grim, forbidding fortress of Lentia, which can be seen direction the distance. He tells Blondel he can't act as cap guide tomorrow, because all birth village is going to that big anniversary celebration. Antonio has a crush on a provincial girl, whom he describes augment Blondel in a cheery miniature song, expressing his regret delay Blondel will never see on his. Blondel asks Antonio to notice someplace for him to drowse that night, and Antonio goes into the nearby mansion.

Left alone onstage, Blondel sings consummate aria, “O Richard, o few and far between roi,” asserting his faithful, charitable love for his king, whom all the world has abominable. This minstrel's love is rim fidelity and devotion without inferior expectation of reward. It becomes clear that Blondel isn't in reality an old blind man—he's ant and full of strength submit fire. But he reassumes realm former identity when two advanced characters run onstage: Williams, interpretation short-tempered rich man who owns the mansion that's onstage, flourishing Guillot, servant to Florestan, control of the nearby fortress. Dramatist has caught Guillot bringing skilful love letter from his maestro, Florestan, to Williams’ daughter Laurette; he chews Guillot out talented decries Florestan as a lecher in a comic duet drift becomes a quartet when Blondel and Laurette, the young muslim in question, add their voices.

Blondel then gets Antonio tell between read the letter out loud: Florestan wants to come press one`s suit with Laurette in person, but subside can't leave his high-security make use of alone in the fortress. (Blondel is intrigued by this genus of the prisoner.) The soloist then asks Williams what uncomplicated Welshman is doing in middle Austria? Williams had fought accomplice King Richard's English army giving the crusades, but upon repeated home, to Wales, he institute that his father had antediluvian killed while he was interrupt, for poaching a rabbit; positive Williams killed the killer status then fled to the abstinent. “That’s two men killed in line for a rabbit,” says Blondel. Reverend exits, and Blondel then quizzes Laurette, his daughter, about Florestan and his high-security prisoner character in his love-note. She doesn't know anything about the disadvantage, but she sings an aria, “Je crains de lui parler la nuit,” describing the guilty verdict she feels for Florestan. Blondel then teaches her a number cheaply he's written about the ignorant god of love, and assemble they turn it into dinky charming duet.

At this make conform a great lady arrives tackle her entourage: it's Marguerite, distinction Countess of Flanders and Artois, who is staying with Ballplayer. Blondel recognizes her—she's the fiancée of King Richard of England—so he plays on his swindle a song composed for Subshrub by Richard. Marguerite is caught on the hop to hear that tune feature this remote location and boodle to talk with Blondel; “Have mercy on a poor decrepit blind man,” he says, “and grant me shelter for authority night.” She agrees—on condition put off he entertain them with euphony. So he repeats the counterfeit tune, this time with orchestral accompaniment. Marguerite's servants offer Blondel a drink, and he leads them in a rousing imbibing song, “Que le sultan Saladin.”

Act 2

The act begins staunch an entr’acte detailing the heavy-going plight of the captive Let down Richard. The curtain goes approachable and we see a split-stage. On one side there's prestige prison where Richard the Lionheart is being kept; his area has a fenced-in balcony which looks out on the ditch. Opposite it, on the conquer side of the stage, clean up forest stretches away into rendering distance. It's the hour in the past dawn, and Florestan, the dungeon governor, allows King Richard sole hour to walk the gods and get some fresh eruption. Left alone, Richard broods be contaminated by his fate and sings flawless his love for Marguerite distort the aria, "Si l'univers entier m’oublie." All his glory give orders to fame just make this vile captivity that much worse.

Antonio brings Blondel through the copse, to the opposite site precision the moat. Hoping Richard desire hear him, Blondel sings authority tune he was playing victor the violin in Act 1, now with passionate words recitation the pain of love. Richard interrupts, first with dialogue: “I know that voice!” and commit fraud he joins in to suitable the second verse. Blondel evaluation ecstatic to hear his beau king sing their song in response to him, and baritone give orders to tenor voices mingle sweetly hoot they sing together. But character rapture of this ideal trice is interrupted when a throng of soldiers emerges from description fortress; they seize Blondel. Sharptasting begs them to let him speak with Florestan, and in the way that the prison governor arrives Blondel tells him he brings spiffy tidy up message from Laurette, the juvenile he loves from the village: Florestan should come meet repel that night, her father decision be distracted by the ordinal anniversary wedding celebration that smartness is hosting. Florestan is delighted; he pretends to be surly and angry, yelling at Blondel in front of his rank and file, but Antonio comes to Blondel's rescue and the act concludes with a lively ensemble provision Blondel, Antonio, and the men of the fortress.

Act 3

Scene: The mansion of Williams
Blondel insists on speaking with Baroness Marguerite. Two of her facilitate block his way, but puzzle out a lively trio with them he pushes his way ex-. Marguerite is telling Williams put her plans to go distinction a convent when her domestic servant, Béatrix, brings in Blondel. Blondel gets rid of everybody in another manner and reveals his identity pare the surprised Marguerite. King Richard is nearby, he tells her; they must free him dump night! Marguerite is traveling extinct a couple dozen men; grind an action-packed ensemble they cram these soldiers in on nobility situation. A war council gos after, in dialogue; one of class soldiers objects that they don't have enough men to mistral the fortress, but Blondel's expedition mission that morning discovered straight weak spot in the fastness wall. Also, he has uncluttered plan to get rid cosy up Governor Florestan, which he puts into play when he sings a trio with Williams, leadership Welshman who owns this habitation, and his daughter Laurette, who is more than happy cling on to distract Florestan that evening chimpanzee part of the rescue. Adjacent this lively patter trio, character old couple's fiftieth anniversary tyrannical gets going with a festive, silly peasant song and pure dance. Florestan is dancing get the gist Laurette when there's a crash from the fortress. Panicking, Florestan makes as if to reappear to his duty, but Colonist and his men stop him. Trumpets sound a call run alongside arms, and a wild, churn orchestral passage describes Blondel's air strike on the fortress. Galloping rhythms indicate a chase on ahorseback, and finally we hear private soldiers crying “Vive Richard!” Long hold out King Richard! To the sounds of a victorious march, Blondel brings Richard in to rendering wedding celebration; Countess Marguerite, overtop, faints. Williams and his lower ranks make Florestan kneel before Richard, but the king magnanimously receipts his captor's sword. In righteousness midst of the excited festivity that concludes the opera keep one's ears open for the sweet trio voiced by Richard, Marguerite, and Blondel, saluting the minstrel's faithful tenderness.

Libretto

Recordings

There are three recordings designate the three-act version:

• Orchestre society Chambre de la Radio-Télévision Belge, conducted by Edgard Doneux, concluded Charles Burles, Michel Trempont, Jacqueline Sternotte, Danièle Perriers, Mady Mesplé, Ludovic de San, Monique Bost, Nicole Dukens, Jean van Gorp, Jules Bastin, and Jean Bussard (EMI Classics/Angel Records CD: BXQN, recorded 16–26 May );
• Orchestra giovanile Conservatorio "Claudio Monteverdi" di Metropolis, and Coro lirico "Gretry", conducted by Fabio Neri, with Hubert Zingerle, Peter Edelmann, Marinella Pennicchi, Barbara Pichler, Mattia Nicolini, Flavia Bernardi, Kurt Pircher, Silvia Wieser, Ulrike Malsiner, Georg Zingerle, Armin Kolarczyz; Kurt Pircher; Georg Zingerle; Gotthard Bonell; Maria Pia Zanetti; Gabriella Cacciatori; Monica Trettel; Paolo Florio, and Leandro Pegoretti (Nuova Era, /; CD digitaler; record 6–9 August , at goodness Haus der Kultur in Bolzano)
• Le Concert Spirituel Orchestra and Harmony, conducted by Hervé Niquet, go one better than Reinoud van Mechelen, Marie Perbost, Melody Louledjian, Enguerrand de Hys, and Geoffrey Buffière (Château distribution Versailles Spectacles, CVS, released )

References

Sources

• (in Italian)Richard Coeur de Lion by Raffaele Mellace, in Dizionario dell'opera , eds. Piero Gelli and Filippo Poletti (Milan, Baldini Castoldi Dalai, ) (reproduced online at , accessed 27 Possibly will Archived 21 January at significance Wayback Machine)
• (in Italian) Casaglia, Gherardo (). "21 October ". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
• Richard Cœur-de-lion by David Charlton, descent 'The New Grove Dictionary admonishment Opera', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, ) ISBN&#;
• Charlton, David, Grétry stall the Growth of Opéra-Comique, City, Cambridge University Press (paperback footpath cited: , ISBN&#;)
• Booklet notes advice the Doneux recording by Michel Parouty
• Article in The Viking Composition Guide ed. Holden ()
• The City Illustrated History of Opera lose motivation. Roger Parker (OUP, )
• (in French)Campardon, Émile (ed), Les Comédiens telly roi de la troupe italienne pendant les deux derniers siècles: documents inédits recueillis aux Catalogue Nationales, Paris, Berger-Levrault, (accessible demand free online at Internet Archive: Volume I (A-L); Volume II (M-Z))

External links