Cinq-Mars (Gounod)

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Operas by Charles Gounod
Sapho (1851, rev. 1884) La nonne sanglante (1854) Le médecin malgré lui (1858) Faust (1859, revised 1869) Philémon et Baucis (1860, revised 1876) La colombe (1860, revised 1866) La reine de Saba (1862) Mireille (1864) Roméo et Juliette (1867) Cinq-Mars (1877) Maître Pierre (incomplete, 1877-8)
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Cinq-Mars is an opera in four acts by Charles Gounod to a libretto by Paul Poirson & Louis Gallet loosely adapted from Alfred de Vigny's historical novel. It was first performed at the Opéra-Comique on April 5, 1877.

The plot faithfully follows the external events of failed revolt of the French nobility against Richelieu's consolidation of power, but supplies a secret love affair between Cinq-Mars and a princess. Whereas de Vigny's character yearned to become her social equal, the opera's hero enters politics only on learning of a planned marriage between Marie and the king of Poland. After the conspiracy is discovered, she is given a chance to save him by agreeing to the match, but her sacrifice is in vain: before their escape plans can be put into effect, the hour of execution is suddenly moved forward.

The work work's reception was luke warm: "If [it] adds nothing to the glory of Gounod, neither does it diminish it." ^[1] Some critics seized on the straddling of the genres of grand opéra and opéra comique; a second edition (Léon Grus, n.d.) contains recitatives for the very few spoken scenes as well as an act III cantabile for de Thou written for the La Scala production.

[edit] Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, April 5, 1877 (Conductor: Léon Carvalho)
Le Marquis de Cinq-Mars	tenor	Dereims
Le Conseiller de Thou	baritone	Stéphanne
Père Joseph, an emissary of Cardinal Richelieu	bass	Giraudet
Le Vicompte de Fontrailles	baritone	Barré
Le Roi (Louis XIII of France)	bass	Maris
Chancellor	bass	Bernard
De Montmort	tenor	Lefèvre
De Montrésor	bass	Teste
De Brienne	baritone	Collin
De Monglat	tenor	Chenevière
De Château-Giron	baritone	Villars
Eustache, a spy	bass	Davoust
Princesse Marie de Gonzague	soprano	Chevrier
Marion Delorme	soprano	Frank-Duvernoy
Ninon de l'Enclos	soprano	Périer