Le val d'Andorre
Encyclopedia
Le val d'Andorre is an opéra comique
by Fromental Halévy
with a libretto by Saint-Georges.
in Paris
. Although today almost completely forgotten, it was one of Halévy's greatest successes, running for 165 performances and restoring the then precarious financial situation of its theatre. The reviewer of the Parisian Gazette et révue musicale wrote 'This is the most brilliant total success ever recorded at the Opéra-Comique.' The opera was translated into German and produced in 1849 in Leipzig
, where it was praised by Ignaz Moscheles
- 'Music of a genuine dramatic character, which has more flow of melody than his other operas. The subject is cleverly worked out and very impressive.' In 1850 it opened in London
, to mediocre reviews, but was graced by a visit from Queen Victoria (for which the French cast had to be hurriedly coached to sing God Save the Queen
).
) seeks to escape conscription
by the French army. He is loved by the young Rose de Mai (soprano
), Rose's mistress, the widow Thérèse (mezzo-soprano
) and the wealthy Georgette (soprano
). When he is condemned to death for desertion, Rose ransoms him by stealing money from Thérèse, and claiming that the money is from Georgette. In a typically improbable twist, (stolen from The Marriage of Figaro
), Rose turns out to be Thérèse's long-lost daughter, Georgette withdraws, and Rose de Mai and Stéphan are free to marry.
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...
by Fromental Halévy
Fromental Halévy
Jacques-François-Fromental-Élie Halévy, usually known as Fromental Halévy , was a French composer. He is known today largely for his opera La Juive.-Early career:...
with a libretto by Saint-Georges.
Early productions
The opera was premiered on 11 November 1848 at the Opéra-ComiqueOpéra-Comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Parisian opera company, which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with, and for a time took the name of its chief rival the Comédie-Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was also called the...
in 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...
. Although today almost completely forgotten, it was one of Halévy's greatest successes, running for 165 performances and restoring the then precarious financial situation of its theatre. The reviewer of the Parisian Gazette et révue musicale wrote 'This is the most brilliant total success ever recorded at the Opéra-Comique.' The opera was translated into German and produced in 1849 in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, where it was praised by Ignaz Moscheles
Ignaz Moscheles
Ignaz Moscheles was a Bohemian composer and piano virtuoso, whose career after his early years was based initially in London, and later at Leipzig, where he succeeded his friend and sometime pupil Felix Mendelssohn as head of the Conservatoire.-Sources:Much of what we know about Moscheles's life...
- 'Music of a genuine dramatic character, which has more flow of melody than his other operas. The subject is cleverly worked out and very impressive.' In 1850 it opened in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to mediocre reviews, but was graced by a visit from Queen Victoria (for which the French cast had to be hurriedly coached to sing God Save the Queen
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
).
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, November 11, 1848 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Georgette | 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... |
Anne-Benoîte-Louise Lavoye |
| Jacques Sincère | bass | Charles Amable Battaille |
| L'endormi | bass | |
| Le joyeux | 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... |
|
| Rose de Mai | soprano | |
| Saturnin | tenor | |
| Stéphan | tenor | |
| Thérése | 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... |
|
Synopsis
The opera is set in Andorra, where Stéphan (tenorTenor
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...
) seeks to escape conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
by the French army. He is loved by the young Rose de Mai (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...
), Rose's mistress, the widow Thérèse (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...
) and the wealthy Georgette (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...
). When he is condemned to death for desertion, Rose ransoms him by stealing money from Thérèse, and claiming that the money is from Georgette. In a typically improbable twist, (stolen from The Marriage of Figaro
The Marriage of Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
), Rose turns out to be Thérèse's long-lost daughter, Georgette withdraws, and Rose de Mai and Stéphan are free to marry.