It was commissioned to celebrate the marriage of the InfantaMaria Teresa Rafaela of Spain to Louis, Dauphin of France. La princesse de Navarre opened the wedding festivities, while another new Rameau opera, Platée, closed them. The piece takes the form of a comédie-ballet, effectively a play with a large amount of incidental music, recalling the collaborations of Molière and Lully in the 17th century.[1]
Voltaire was a great admirer of Rameau, even considering him too good a composer for such a task. Nevertheless, Rameau wrote around an hour of music for the play, including an overture and three divertissements (musical interludes which ended each act).[2] Little of it has much bearing on the main action of the drama which concerns the complicated love life of the eponymous mediaeval princess.[3] Voltaire found Rameau to be a demanding and critical collaborator, leading the dramatist to declare: "Poor Rameau is mad...Rameau is as great an eccentric as he is a musician".[4] The production was a spectacular one, involving no less than 180 "extras". Voltaire complained about the acoustics of the hall in which it was staged claiming "the ceiling was so high that the actors appeared pygmies and they couldn't be heard". Nevertheless, the music was a critical success.[5] Much of the material was reworked to produce another opera, Les fêtes de Ramire, later the same year.[6]
Roles
Source: Oeuvres complètes de Voltaire, Théatre, ninth tome, Société Littéraire-typographique, 1784 (digitalized by Google) (accessed 21 October 2010)
Don Pedro, King of Castile, has taken captive Constance, Princess of Navarre. She manages to escape from prison in disguise and takes refuge with Don Morillo, but she is recognised by the young Alamir. Alamir falls in love with Constance and rejects Don Morillo’s daughter Sanchette. The act ends with a divertissement in which warriors, gypsies and astrologers entertain the lords and ladies.
Act 2
The king demands the return of Constance but Alamir vows to protect her. Alamir’s army, in alliance with the French, defeats the Castilians. Constance feels herself falling more and more in love with Alamir but she is reluctant to hurt Sanchette and sees Alamir’s lack of noble birth as a barrier to their union. The Graces distract her from her cares with a divertissement.
Act 3
Alamir returns from battle in triumph and reveals his true identity as the Duke of Foix. He and Constance can now marry and the play ends with a divertissement led by Cupid against the backdrop of the Pyrenees.[7]
Recordings
La princesse de Navarre English Bach Festival Chorus and Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan (1 CD, Erato, 1980)
^Based on the synopsis by Benoït Dratwicki at Rameau2014.fr
Sources
Girdlestone, CuthbertJean-Philippe Rameau: His Life and Work Dover paperback edition, 1969
Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. ISBN0-14-029312-4
Sadler, Graham (Ed.), The New Grove French Baroque Masters Grove/Macmillan, 1988
Sawkins, Lionel, Booklet notes to the McGegan recording
January 20, 2023
princesse, navarre, princess, navarre, comédie, ballet, voltaire, with, music, jean, philippe, rameau, first, performed, february, 1745, grande, ecurie, versailles, jean, philippe, rameau, contents, performance, history, roles, singing, characters, characters,. La princesse de Navarre The Princess of Navarre is a comedie ballet by Voltaire with music by Jean Philippe Rameau first performed on 23 February 1745 at La Grande Ecurie Versailles Jean Philippe Rameau Contents 1 Performance history 2 Roles 2 1 Singing characters 2 2 Characters of the comedy 3 Synopsis 3 1 Act 1 3 2 Act 2 3 3 Act 3 4 Recordings 5 References 6 SourcesPerformance history EditIt was commissioned to celebrate the marriage of the Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain to Louis Dauphin of France La princesse de Navarre opened the wedding festivities while another new Rameau opera Platee closed them The piece takes the form of a comedie ballet effectively a play with a large amount of incidental music recalling the collaborations of Moliere and Lully in the 17th century 1 Voltaire was a great admirer of Rameau even considering him too good a composer for such a task Nevertheless Rameau wrote around an hour of music for the play including an overture and three divertissements musical interludes which ended each act 2 Little of it has much bearing on the main action of the drama which concerns the complicated love life of the eponymous mediaeval princess 3 Voltaire found Rameau to be a demanding and critical collaborator leading the dramatist to declare Poor Rameau is mad Rameau is as great an eccentric as he is a musician 4 The production was a spectacular one involving no less than 180 extras Voltaire complained about the acoustics of the hall in which it was staged claiming the ceiling was so high that the actors appeared pygmies and they couldn t be heard Nevertheless the music was a critical success 5 Much of the material was reworked to produce another opera Les fetes de Ramire later the same year 6 Roles EditSource Oeuvres completes de Voltaire Theatre ninth tome Societe Litteraire typographique 1784 digitalized by Google accessed 21 October 2010 Singing characters Edit Fifteen women and twenty five men Characters of the comedy Edit Constance Princess of Navarre The Duke of Foix Dom Morillo a country gentleman Sanchette Morillo s daughter Leonor the princess s maid Hernand the squire of the Duke An officer of the guards An alcalde A gardener FollowersSynopsis Edit Premiere of La princesse de Navarre engraving by Charles Nicolas Cochin Act 1 Edit Don Pedro King of Castile has taken captive Constance Princess of Navarre She manages to escape from prison in disguise and takes refuge with Don Morillo but she is recognised by the young Alamir Alamir falls in love with Constance and rejects Don Morillo s daughter Sanchette The act ends with a divertissement in which warriors gypsies and astrologers entertain the lords and ladies Act 2 Edit The king demands the return of Constance but Alamir vows to protect her Alamir s army in alliance with the French defeats the Castilians Constance feels herself falling more and more in love with Alamir but she is reluctant to hurt Sanchette and sees Alamir s lack of noble birth as a barrier to their union The Graces distract her from her cares with a divertissement Act 3 Edit Alamir returns from battle in triumph and reveals his true identity as the Duke of Foix He and Constance can now marry and the play ends with a divertissement led by Cupid against the backdrop of the Pyrenees 7 Recordings EditLa princesse de Navarre English Bach Festival Chorus and Orchestra Nicholas McGegan 1 CD Erato 1980 References Edit Holden p 837 Girdlestone pp 443 445 Holden pp 837 838 Girdlestone p 444 Sawkins p 4 Holden p 840 Based on the synopsis by Benoit Dratwicki at Rameau2014 frSources EditGirdlestone Cuthbert Jean Philippe Rameau His Life and Work Dover paperback edition 1969 Holden Amanda Ed The New Penguin Opera Guide New York Penguin Putnam 2001 ISBN 0 14 029312 4 Sadler Graham Ed The New Grove French Baroque Masters Grove Macmillan 1988 Sawkins Lionel Booklet notes to the McGegan recording Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title La princesse de Navarre amp oldid 1000705081, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
