Le jugement de Midas
Encyclopedia
Le jugement de Midas is a French comédie mêlée d'ariettes
(a kind of opéra comique
), in three acts by André Grétry first performed privately at the Palais-Royal, Paris
on 28 March 1778. The libretto
is by the Irish playwright Thomas Hales
(also known by the French name Thomas d'Hèle) with additional contributions by Louis Anseaume
. It was based on the play Midas
(1760) by Kane O'Hara.
Comédie mêlée d'ariettes
Comédie mêlée d'ariettes is a form of French opéra comique that developed in the mid 18th century following the Querelle des Bouffons dispute over the respective merits of the French and Italian styles, between serious drama and comedy in opera.The best-known ones are Christoph Willibald Gluck's...
(a kind of opéra comique
Opéra comique
Opéra comique is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged out of the popular opéra comiques en vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent , which combined existing popular tunes with spoken sections...
), in three acts by André Grétry first performed privately at the Palais-Royal, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 28 March 1778. The libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
is by the Irish playwright Thomas Hales
Thomas Hales (dramatist)
Thomas Hales was a British-born French dramatist and librettist. He was from an Irish expatriate family in Gloucestershire and joined the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War. He settled in Jamaica for a short time and then in Havana, Cuba, before moving to Europe to travel...
(also known by the French name Thomas d'Hèle) with additional contributions by Louis Anseaume
Louis Anseaume
Louis Anseaume was a French librettist.He contributed the words for operas by André Ernest Modeste Grétry , Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny, Egidio Romualdo Duni, Christoph Willibald Gluck, and François-André Danican Philidor...
. It was based on the play Midas
Midas (burletta)
Midas is a burletta, or 'mock opera', by Kane O'Hara.Originally performed privately in 1760 near Lurgan, Ireland, it was revised and expanded with the encouragement of Lord Mornington, and was presented in its new form in Dublin in 1762 and at Covent Garden Theatre, London in 1764...
(1760) by Kane O'Hara.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, March 28, 1778 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Apollon | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
|
| Chloé | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Madame de Montesson Charlotte-Jeanne Béraud de la Haye de Riou, marquise de Montesson Charlotte-Jeanne Béraud de La Haye de Riou was a mistress to Louis Philippe d'Orléans, duc d'Orléans, and ultimately, his wife; however, Louis XV would not allow her to become the duchesse. She wrote and acted in several plays... |
| Lise | soprano | Rose-Louise Dugazon Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre , also known as Madame Dugazon, was a French operatic mezzo-soprano, actress and dancer.... |
| Marsias | haute-contre Haute-contre The haute-contre is a rare type of high tenor voice, predominant in French Baroque and Classical opera until the latter part of the eighteenth century.-History:... |
Antoine Trial Antoine Trial Antoine Trial was a French singer and actor. He was the younger brother of the musician Jean-Claude Trial and husband of soprano Marie-Jeanne .... |
| Midas | tenor | |
| Mopsa | soprano | |
| Palémon | bass | |
| Pan | Bass | |
Recordings
- Le jugement de Midas John Elwes, Mieke van der Sluis, Jules Bastin, La Petite BandeLa Petite BandeLa Petite Bande is a Belgium-based ensemble specialising in Baroque music played on period instruments. They are particularly known for their recordings of works by Corelli, Rameau, Handel, and Bach.-History:...
, conducted by Gustav LeonhardtGustav LeonhardtGustav Leonhardt is a highly renowned Dutch keyboard player, conductor, musicologist, teacher and editor. Leonhardt has been a leading figure in the movement to perform music on period instruments...
(Ricercar, 1989) - Le jugement de Midas Louis Devos, Jean-Jacques Schreurs, Bernadette Degelin, Loretta Clini, Chris de Moor, La Formation de chambre du Nouvel Orchestre Symphonique de la RTBF, conducted by Ronald Zollman (Koch Schwann 3-1090-2) Extracts