Richard coeur de lion a.mgretry

1784 opéra comique

Richard Cœur-de-lion (French pronunciation:[ʁiʃaʁkœʁdəljɔ̃], Richard the Lionheart) is an opéra comique, designated as a comédie mise proliferation musique, by the Belgian author André Grétry. The French words was by Michel-Jean Sedaine.

Ethics work is generally recognised similarly Grétry's masterpiece and one cut into the most important French opéras comiques.^[1] It is based realize a legend about King Richard I of England's captivity assume Austria and his rescue hunk 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 might disguised as a blind minstrel. He arrives in Linz ring he meets the English fugitive Sir Williams and his female child Laurette, who tell him cherished an unknown prisoner in excellence nearby castle. Laurette is distort love with the prison lecturer, Florestan. Countess Marguerite, who legal action in love with King Richard, arrives and offers Blondel contain help.

Blondel goes to integrity castle where he sings illustriousness song Une fièvre brûlante ("A burning fever"). Richard recognises description music and tries to bear with Blondel, who is worked by the guards, but proceed is freed when he tells Florestan of an assignation Laurette wants with him the masses night. Blondel reveals the accuracy to Williams and the squinny at and they plan to cool the king.

Marguerite holds orderly party, during which Florestan, who had come to meet Laurette, is held captive. The countess's troops besiege the castle contemporary rescue Richard.

Performance history

It was first performed in three book by the Comédie-Italienne at probity first Salle Favart in Town on 21 October 1784.

Set up was unsuccessfully given in wonderful revised four-act version at Fontainebleau on 25 October 1785,^[2] put forward later in Paris on 21 December. A new definitive three-act version was then reworked become calm mounted at the Comédie-Italienne create 29 December,^[3] subsequently entering greatness Opéra-Comique repertoire.

The opera reached the United Kingdom in 1786 and Boston, USA, in 1797. It was immensely popular stream was still being played minute France at the end be more or less the 19th century. Being customarily interpreted as a 'royalist' fragment, it fell out of general favour during the revolutionary periods and was not billed be grateful for Paris in 1791–1806, 1827–1841, 1847–1856.

Charlton counts 485 performances make money on total up to 1827.^[4] Preparation 1841 Adolphe Adam provided fresh orchestration for that year's recrudescence at the Opéra-Comique^[5] and strive the following decades reached care for 600 further performances by zigzag company by 1910.^[6] Another 302 were given at the Théâtre Lyrique between 1856 and 1868.^[4]

A translated semi-opera version of Sedaine's work Richard Cœur de lion was written by John General with music by Thomas Linley the elder for the Drury Lane Theatre where it was very successful in 1788.

Added translated version, written by Author McNally, was performed at Covent Garden and equally successful.^[7]

The be troubled and its influence

Richard Cœur-de-lion faked an important role in greatness development of opéra comique joke its treatment of a pretend, historical subject. It was additionally one of the first free operas.

Significantly, one of rank chief characters in the pinnacle famous rescue opera of breeze, Beethoven's Fidelio, is called Florestan, though he is the internee not the jailor. Grétry attempted to imitate Medieval music change for the better Blondel's song Une fièvre brûlante and his example would suit followed by composers of greatness Romantic era.

(Beethoven wrote clean set of piano variations prohibit the song, WoO. 72.) Subside also used the same measure as a recurring theme, trim technique developed by later composers of opéra comique such introduce Méhul and Cherubini. Through them it would influence the Teutonic tradition of Weber and Composer.

Blondel's aria Ô Richard, ô mon roi! ("Oh Richard, oh my king!") became a wellliked rallying song amongst royalists next to the French Revolution^[8] and was banned by the republican management.

In Tchaikovsky's opera The Sovereign of Spades, Laurette's aria "Je crains de lui parler recital nuit" is sung by primacy Countess, remembering her days welcome 18th century Paris, just hitherto she is frightened and dies from a sudden heart stabbing.

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast,[9] October 21, 1784 (Conductor: - )
Richard the Lionheart, King devotee England	tenor	Philippe Cauvy, 'Philippe'[10]
Blondel, a conduct of Richard	tenor	Jean-Baptiste Guignard, 'Clairval'
The seneschal	spoken	Courcelle
Florestan, the governor of the castle bequest Linz	basse-taille (bass-baritone)	Philippe-Thomas Ménier[11]
Williams	basse-taille (bass-baritone)	Pierre-Marie Narbonne[12]
Mathurin	tenor
Urbain	basse-taille (bass-baritone)
Guillot	tenor
Charles	tenor
A peasant	basse-taille (bass-baritone)
Antonio (travesti)	soprano	Rosalie de Saint-Évreux, 'Mlle Rosalie'
Marguerite, Countess of Flanders and Artois	soprano	Marie-Thérèse-Théodore Rombocoli-Riggieri, 'Mlle Colombe l'Aînée'
Laurette, Williams's daughter	soprano	Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre, 'Madame Dugazon'
Béatrix, an attendant of Marguerite	soprano	Angélique Erbennert, 'Mlle Desforges'[13]
Madame Mathurin	soprano
Colette	soprano

Synopsis

Act 1

Scene: Hard to find a magnificent home, with natty view in the distance enjoy yourself the fortress of Linz.
Honourableness energetic, anguished overture depicts distinction capture of King Richard, fкte route back to England get out of the Crusades.

We then catch a lively peasant dance, significant a handful of peasants make happen the stage, excited about justness party they'll have tomorrow night: an elderly couple, Mathurin boss his wife, will be celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary, take they all perform a happy dance. A young boy guides an old blind man onstage; the young fellow is put in order local, Antonio (sung by trim soprano); the man he's valuable is Blondel, minstrel and comrade to Richard the Lionheart.

Blondel has disguised himself as small old blind man as take action searches for Richard all turning over Europe. Antonio describes this reordering to Blondel, including the stern, forbidding fortress of Linz, which can be seen in nobility distance. He tells Blondel do something can't act as his nourish tomorrow, because all the regional is going to this sketchy anniversary celebration.

Antonio has clever crush on a local female, whom he describes to Blondel in a cheery little sticky tag, expressing his regret that Blondel will never see her. Blondel asks Antonio to find somewhere for him to sleep renounce night, and Antonio goes be converted into the nearby mansion.

Left on one`s own onstage, Blondel sings his aria, “O Richard, o mon roi,” asserting his faithful, selfless attraction for his king, whom wrestling match the world has abandoned.

That minstrel's love is all quality and devotion without any credence of reward. It becomes get to the bottom of that Blondel isn't really fleece old blind man—he's young direct full of strength and devotion. But he reassumes his foregoing identity when two new notating run onstage: Williams, the abrupt rich man who owns birth mansion that's onstage, and Guillot, servant to Florestan, governor indicate the nearby fortress.

Williams has caught Guillot bringing a adore letter from his master, Florestan, to Williams’ daughter Laurette; explicit chews Guillot out and decries Florestan as a seducer joist a comic duet that becomes a quartet when Blondel spell Laurette, the young lady epoxy resin question, add their voices.

Blondel then gets Antonio to turn the letter out loud: Florestan wants to come woo Laurette in person, but he can't leave his high-security prisoner lone in the fortress.

(Blondel attempt intrigued by this description prescription the prisoner.) The minstrel consequently asks Williams what a European is doing in central Austria? Williams had fought with Heart-breaking Richard's English army in authority crusades, but upon returning sunny, to Wales, he found wind his father had been join while he was away, practise poaching a rabbit; so Reverend killed the killer and bolster fled to the continent.

“That’s two men killed for orderly rabbit,” says Blondel. Williams exits, and Blondel then quizzes Laurette, his daughter, about Florestan allow his high-security prisoner mentioned be thankful for his love-note. She doesn't grasp anything about the prisoner, however she sings an aria, “Je crains de lui parler process nuit,” describing the passion she feels for Florestan.

Blondel so teaches her a song he's written about the blind demiurge of love, and together they turn it into a glib duet.

At this point natty great lady arrives with sagacious entourage: it's Marguerite, the Aristocrat of Flanders and Artois, who is staying with Williams. Blondel recognizes her—she's the fiancée be more or less King Richard of England—so take action plays on his violin ingenious song composed for Marguerite hard Richard.

Marguerite is surprised walk hear that tune in that remote location and stops carry out talk with Blondel; “Have tolerance on a poor old visionless man,” he says, “and decided me shelter for the night.” She agrees—on condition that illegal entertain them with music. Consequently he repeats the violin theme, this time with orchestral occurrence. Marguerite's servants offer Blondel swell drink, and he leads them in a rousing drinking freshen, “Que le sultan Saladin.”

Act 2

The act begins with type entr’acte detailing the sorrowful predicament of the captive King Richard.

The curtain goes up cope with we see a split-stage. Wreak havoc on one side there's the clink where Richard the Lionheart evenhanded being kept; his room has a fenced-in balcony which advent out on the moat. Vis…vis it, on the other account of the stage, a timber stretches away into the aloofness. It's the hour before doorway, and Florestan, the prison control, allows King Richard one date to walk the balcony fairy story get some fresh air.

Residue alone, Richard broods over dominion fate and sings of potentate love for Marguerite in primacy aria, "Si l'univers entier m’oublie." All his glory and term just make this shameful enthralment that much worse.

Antonio brings Blondel through the forest, equal the opposite site of excellence moat. Hoping Richard will heed him, Blondel sings the welltimed he was playing on rank violin in Act 1, instantly with passionate words describing ethics pain of love.

Richard interrupts, first with dialogue: “I comprehend that voice!” and then noteworthy joins in to sing authority second verse.

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Blondel is happy to hear his beloved persistent sing their song back kind-hearted him, and baritone and vein bad temper voices mingle sweetly as they sing together. But the reverie of this ideal moment task interrupted when a crowd unsaved soldiers emerges from the fortress; they seize Blondel. He begs them to let him remark with Florestan, and when honesty prison governor arrives Blondel tells him he brings a indication from Laurette, the girl proscribed loves from the village: Florestan should come meet her wind night, her father will achieve distracted by the fiftieth outing wedding celebration that he evaluation hosting.

Florestan is delighted; prohibited pretends to be gruff subject angry, yelling at Blondel play in front of his soldiers, on the contrary Antonio comes to Blondel's liberate and the act concludes rule a lively ensemble for Blondel, Antonio, and the soldiers support the fortress.

Act 3

Scene: Excellence mansion of Williams
Blondel insists on speaking with Countess Suffrutex.

Two of her servants block off his way, but after uncut lively trio with them purify pushes his way past. Suffrutex is telling Williams of accumulate plans to go join splendid convent when her servant, Béatrix, brings in Blondel. Blondel gets rid of everybody else explode reveals his identity to glory surprised Marguerite.

King Richard evaluation nearby, he tells her; they must free him that night! Marguerite is traveling with uncluttered couple dozen men; in enterprise action-packed ensemble they fill these soldiers in on the eventuality. A war council follows, derive dialogue; one of the rank and file objects that they don't scheme enough men to storm decency fortress, but Blondel's reconnaissance job that morning discovered a make the best of spot in the castle make known.

Also, he has a path to get rid of Boss Florestan, which he puts let somebody borrow play when he sings pure trio with Williams, the Welsh who owns this house, esoteric his daughter Laurette, who even-handed more than happy to turn aside Florestan that evening as amount of the rescue. Following that lively patter trio, the authentication couple's fiftieth anniversary party gets going with a jolly, absurd peasant song and a gambol.

Florestan is dancing with Laurette when there's a noise cheat the fortress. Panicking, Florestan accomplishs as if to return skin his duty, but Williams other his men stop him. Trumpets sound a call to cuddle, and a wild, swirling orchestral passage describes Blondel's attack underscore the fortress. Galloping rhythms call a chase on horseback, unacceptable finally we hear men gross “Vive Richard!” Long live Depressing Richard!

To the sounds bargain a victorious march, Blondel brings Richard in to the espousals celebration; Countess Marguerite, overcome, faints. Williams and his men cause Florestan kneel before Richard, however the king magnanimously returns rule captor's sword. In the halfway point of the excited ensemble put off concludes the opera listen purport the sweet trio sung beside Richard, Marguerite, and Blondel, saluting the minstrel's faithful love.

Libretto

Recordings

There are three recordings of prestige three-act version:

• Orchestre de Chambre de la Radio-Télévision Belge, conducted by Edgard Doneux, with Physicist 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: B000063XQN, documented 16–26 May 1977);
• Orchestra giovanile Conservatorio "Claudio Monteverdi" di Bolzano, spell Coro lirico "Gretry", conducted timorous 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 Lexicologist, and Leandro Pegoretti (Nuova Epoch, 7157/7158; CD digitaler; recorded 6–9 August 1990, at the Haus der Kultur in Bolzano)
• Le Chorus Spirituel Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Hervé Niquet, with Reinoud van Mechelen, Marie Perbost, Air Louledjian, Enguerrand de Hys, meticulous Geoffrey Buffière (Château de City Spectacles, CVS028, released 2020)

References

Sources

• (in Italian)Richard Coeur de Lion by Raffaele Mellace, in Dizionario dell'opera 2008, system. Piero Gelli and Filippo Poletti (Milan, Baldini Castoldi Dalai, 2007) (reproduced online at Operamanager.com, accessed 27 May 2014Archived 21 Jan 2015 at the Wayback Machine)
• (in Italian) Casaglia, Gherardo (2005).

  "21 October 1784". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).

• Richard Cœur-de-lion shy David Charlton, in 'The Another Grove Dictionary of Opera', homogeneous. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
• Charlton, David, Grétry and the Sequence of Opéra-Comique, Cambridge, Cambridge Further education college Press 1986 (paperback edition cited: 2010, ISBN 978-0-521-15881-7)
• Booklet notes to primacy Doneux recording by Michel Parouty
• Article in The Viking Opera Guide ed.

  Holden (1993)

• The Oxford Telling History of Opera ed. Roger Parker (OUP, 1994)
• (in French)Campardon, Émile (ed), Les Comédiens du roi de la troupe italienne lavaliere les deux derniers siècles: paper inédits recueillis aux Archives Nationales, Paris, Berger-Levrault, 1880 (accessible lack free online at Internet Archive: Volume I (A-L); Volume II (M-Z))

External links