Opéra comique en 3 actes, créé le 15 Janvier 1858 au Théâtre-Lyrique de Paris.
142 performances at the Théâtre Lyrique until 1870 (58 in 1858 alone), 30 at l'Opéra Comique (1872, 1886).
Libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Molière's play. Speaking parts are extracts of the original text of Molière, the singing parts are inspired from the play.
The score was composed by Gounod in three months, ready to be rehearsed in the beginning of October 1857. But because of some conflicts of interest with La Comédie Française, the institution in charge of Molière's plays performances, Gounod had to beg Achille Fould (minister of state and of the imperial household, in charge of opera) to save the project. Princess Mathilde Bonaparte (first cousin of the emperor Napoleon III and great supporter of the Arts) also intervened, and Gounod was able to play his opera at the Théâtre Lyrique.
Synopsis in French here.
" Avoir une femme est une sotte affaire
Et qu'Aristote a bien raison,
Quand il dit qu'une femme est un démon."
The adaptation of the text of Molière for the opera has some issues, especially since the play consists of two distinct dramatic stories that aren't simultaneous.
The first one is about the marital disputes between Martine and Sganarelle and her plan to get him hired as a doctor by Géronde to cure his daughter Lucinde.
The second half of the play is about the love affair between Lucinde and Léandre. In the text, Léandre first appears in the last scene of Act 2 whereas Lucinde no longer speaks until the end of Act 3.
The libretto has therefore some changes; Léandre gets an aria in the beginning of Act 2 that has nothing to do with the original text but serves as an introduction of the character; in the end of Act 2, Barbier and Carré also add a new scene (a "divertissement"), providing Gounod with the possibility of a grand finale for the act.
142 performances at the Théâtre Lyrique until 1870 (58 in 1858 alone), 30 at l'Opéra Comique (1872, 1886).
Libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Molière's play. Speaking parts are extracts of the original text of Molière, the singing parts are inspired from the play.
The score was composed by Gounod in three months, ready to be rehearsed in the beginning of October 1857. But because of some conflicts of interest with La Comédie Française, the institution in charge of Molière's plays performances, Gounod had to beg Achille Fould (minister of state and of the imperial household, in charge of opera) to save the project. Princess Mathilde Bonaparte (first cousin of the emperor Napoleon III and great supporter of the Arts) also intervened, and Gounod was able to play his opera at the Théâtre Lyrique.
Synopsis in French here.
" Avoir une femme est une sotte affaire
Et qu'Aristote a bien raison,
Quand il dit qu'une femme est un démon."
The adaptation of the text of Molière for the opera has some issues, especially since the play consists of two distinct dramatic stories that aren't simultaneous.
The first one is about the marital disputes between Martine and Sganarelle and her plan to get him hired as a doctor by Géronde to cure his daughter Lucinde.
The second half of the play is about the love affair between Lucinde and Léandre. In the text, Léandre first appears in the last scene of Act 2 whereas Lucinde no longer speaks until the end of Act 3.
The libretto has therefore some changes; Léandre gets an aria in the beginning of Act 2 that has nothing to do with the original text but serves as an introduction of the character; in the end of Act 2, Barbier and Carré also add a new scene (a "divertissement"), providing Gounod with the possibility of a grand finale for the act.
" Cette partition, la première que j'aie eu l'occasion d'écrire dans le genre comique, est d'une allure facile et légère qui se rapproche de l'opéra bouffe italien. J'ai tâché d'y rappeler, dans certains passages, le style de Lulli ; mais l'ensemble de l'ouvrage reste néanmoins dans la forme moderne et participe de l'école française.
Parmi les morceaux qui furent le plus goûtés, se trouve la Chanson des glouglous, supérieurement dite par Meillet, à qui on la redemandait toujours ; le Trio de la bastonnade, le Sextuor de la consultation, un Fabliau, la Scène de consultation des paysans, et un duo entre Sganarelle et la nourrice. "
Extrait de Mémoires d'un Artiste, autobiographie de Charles Gounod, disponible ici.
" Il n'a pas seulement remporté l'une de ces faciles victoires que proclament les masses, mais il a réussi au point de vue de l'art."
Jules Lovy, journal Le Ménestrel, 17 janvier 1858.
1858 in the life of Gounod:
- death of his mother Victoire Lemachois on Jan.16 (one day after the premiere of Le Médecin Malgré Lui)
- Carvalho (director of the Théâtre Saint-Martin) and Royer (director of the Théâtre Lyrique) postpone Faust even with half the score already written
- spends some time in a mental hospital, as Berlioz mentions in a letter to Escudier in October 8, 1858 : Tu sais sans doute le nouveau malheur qui vient de frapper la famille Zimmermann : ce pauvre Gounod est devenu fou, il est maintenant dans la maison de santé du docteur Blanche, on désespère de sa raison.
Théâtre Lyrique, Paris, 18591858 in France:
- Jan.14: bombing against the Emperor Napoleon III and wife Eugénie, in front of the Opera (rue Le Pelletier) by Felice Orsini relating to the unification of Italy: 18 dead, more than 150 injured (Orsini and accomplish throw three bombs in the crowd).
The couple were on their way to attending Donizetti's Maria Stuarda and did proceed with their plan for the evening. - following that event, Napoleon III starts the process for the construction of a new opera house; for the first time in French history, an architectural contest will determine who will build the new Opera House (Charles Garnier will win it on May 31, 1861).
- first French settlers in Cochinchine (South Viêtnam)
Discography:
1962 Nino Sanzogno
Coro & Orchestra della RAI Roma
Géronte: Italo Tajo
Jacqueline: Miti Truccato Pace
Léandre: Eric Tappy
Lucas: Antonio Pietrini
Lucinde: Andrée Aubéry Lucchini
Martine: Luisella Ciaffi Ricagno
Sganarelle: Scipio Colombo
Valère: Paolo Montarsolo
E.J. Smith The Golden Age of Opera EJS 388 (1 LP live)
1972 Jean-Claude Hartemann
Orchestre Lyrique de l'ORTF
Jean-Christophe Benoit - Sganarelle
Michel Hamel - Léandre
Janine Capderou - Martine
Lina Dachary - Jacqueline
Monique Stiot - Lucinde
Jean-Louis Soumagnas - Géronte
Jean Martin - Valère
Joseph Peyron - Lucas
MRF; Gaieté Lyrique 202322 (1 CD)
Quizz musical sur Charles Gounod ici.
Bibliography:
Mille et un opéras, Piotr Kaminski
Les opéras de Charles Gounod, Steven Huebner
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