Le roi Arthus
Encyclopedia
Le roi Arthus is an opera
in three acts by the French
composer Ernest Chausson
to his own libretto
. It was composed between 1886 and 1895, but only first performed on 30 November 1903 at the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels
, after long delays. The musical style is heavily influenced by the works of Richard Wagner
, particularly Tristan und Isolde
and Parsifal
, as well as César Franck
. The scenery at the premiere was designed by Albert Dubosq and the Symbolist
painter Fernand Khnopff
; it was executed by Dubosq's atelier together with Chausson's brother-in-law Henri Lerolle and under the supervision of Chausson's widow.
, King Arthur praises the fighting prowess of the knights of the Round Table, particularly Lancelot. That night Lancelot meets Arthur's wife Guinevere for an adulterous tryst but the two are spied on by Mordred. Lancelot fights and wounds him.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in three acts by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
composer Ernest Chausson
Ernest Chausson
Amédée-Ernest Chausson was a French romantic composer who died just as his career was beginning to flourish.-Life:Ernest Chausson was born in Paris into a prosperous bourgeois family...
to his own 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...
. It was composed between 1886 and 1895, but only first performed on 30 November 1903 at the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, after long delays. The musical style is heavily influenced by the works of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
, particularly Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
and Parsifal
Parsifal
Parsifal is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, the 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail, and on Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail.Wagner first conceived the work...
, as well as César Franck
César Franck
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
. The scenery at the premiere was designed by Albert Dubosq and the Symbolist
Symbolism (arts)
Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century art movement of French, Russian and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts. In literature, the style had its beginnings with the publication Les Fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire...
painter Fernand Khnopff
Fernand Khnopff
Fernand Edmond Jean Marie Khnopff as a Belgian symbolist painter.- Youth and Training :...
; it was executed by Dubosq's atelier together with Chausson's brother-in-law Henri Lerolle and under the supervision of Chausson's widow.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast Conductor: Sylvain Dupuis Sylvain Dupuis Sylvain Dupuis was a Belgian conductor, composer, oboist, and music educator.-Life:Born in Liège, Dupuis was trained at the Royal Conservatory of Liège. After graduating in 1878, he was appointed to that school's faculty as a professor of harmony. In 1911 he succeeded Jean-Théodore Radoux as the... |
|---|---|---|
| Arthus King Arthur King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and... |
baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Henri Albers |
| Genièvre Guinevere Guinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot... |
mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Jeanne Paquot d'Assy |
| Lancelot Lancelot Sir Lancelot du Lac is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is the most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories... |
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... |
Charles Dalmorès |
| Lyonnel | tenor | Ernest Forgeur |
| Merlin Merlin Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures... |
baritone | Édouard Cotreuil |
| Mordred Mordred Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his... |
bass | François |
| Allan | bass | Jean Vallier |
| A worker | tenor | Henner |
| A knight / a squire | bass | Danlée |
| Chorus: Knights, squires, pages, bards; Genièvre's ladies | ||
Act One
Fresh from his defeat of the SaxonsSaxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
, King Arthur praises the fighting prowess of the knights of the Round Table, particularly Lancelot. That night Lancelot meets Arthur's wife Guinevere for an adulterous tryst but the two are spied on by Mordred. Lancelot fights and wounds him.
Act Two
Lancelot flees to his castle with Guinevere. He learns that Mordred has survived and revealed the truth to the king. Arthur consults the wizard Merlin who foretells the downfall of the Round Table.Act Three
Arthur pursues Lancelot and gives battle, but Lancelot throws away his weapons and refuses to fight his king. Guinevere, fearing Lancelot's imminent death, strangles herself with her own hair. Arthur forgives the mortally wounded Lancelot. A vessel arrives at the coast to bring the king to the 'Ideal'.Recordings
- Le roi Arthus Gino QuilicoGino QuilicoGino Quilico, OC is a Canadian lyric baritone of Italian descent and the son of Canadian baritone Louis Quilico and Lina Pizzolongo.-Early life:...
, Teresa Zylis-Gara, Gösta WinberghGösta WinberghGösta Winbergh was a Swedish tenor and Mozart admirer.Winbergh was born in Stockholm. He is often mentioned as among Sweden's and, indeed, the world's finest tenors, included with Jussi Björling and Nicolai Gedda....
, René Massis, French Radio Chorus and New Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Armin JordanArmin JordanArmin Jordan , was a Swiss conductor known for his interpretations of French music, Mozart and Wagner.Armin Jordan was born in Lucerne, Switzerland. "Mr...
(Erato, 1986) - Le roi Arthus François Le Roux, Susan BullockSusan BullockSusan Bullock is an English soprano.She was educated at Cheadle Hulme School, and further at Royal Holloway College, University of London, the Royal Academy of Music and the National Opera Studio....
, Donald McIntyreDonald McIntyreThis page is about the singer. For others of similar name see Donald MacIntyreSir Donald McIntyre, CBE is a celebrated operatic bass-baritone. He made his formal debut as Zaccaria in Nabucco, at the Welsh National Opera, in 1959...
, Andrew Schroeder, Paul Parfitt, BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leon BotsteinLeon BotsteinLeon Botstein is an American conductor and the President of Bard College . Botstein is the music director and principal conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra and conductor laureate of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, where he served as music director and principal conductor from 2003-2010...
(Telarc, 2005)
Sources
- The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
- Del Teatro (in Italian)
- Amadeus Online
- The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera ed. Parker (OUP, 1994)