Le val d'Andorre
Le val d'Andorre (The Valley of Andorra) is an opéra comique by Fromental Halévy with a libretto by Saint-Georges. 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 the Opéra-Comique in Paris, where it was given its premiere on 11 November 1848.
| Le val d'Andorre | |
|---|---|
| Opéra comique by Fromental Halévy | |
Anne-Benoîte-Louise Lavoye as Georgette | |
| Translation | The Valley of Andorra |
| Librettist | Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges |
| Language | French |
| Premiere | 11 November 1848 Opéra-Comique, Paris |
Production history edit
After the premiere, the reviewer of the Parisian Revue et gazette 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."[1] 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).[2]
Roles edit
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 11 November 1848 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Georgette | soprano | Anne-Benoîte-Louise Lavoye |
| Jacques Sincère | bass | Charles-Amable Battaille[3] |
| L'endormi | bass | |
| Le joyeux | tenor | |
| Rose de Mai | soprano | |
| Saturnin | tenor | |
| Stéphan | tenor | |
| Thérèse | mezzo-soprano |
Synopsis edit
- Place: Andorra
- Time:
Stéphan (tenor) 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.
References edit
Notes
Sources
- Jordan, Ruth (1994). Fromental Halévy, his Life and Music. London: Kahn & Averill. ISBN 978-1-871082-51-7.
- Moscheles, Charlotte (1873). Life of Moscheles: (2 volumes, translated from German by A. D. Coleridge). London: Hurst and Blackett. OCLC 1210534, 10354571.
- Sadie, Stanley, editor (1992). The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (4 volumes). London: Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-56159-228-9.