La colombe
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| Operas by Charles Gounod |
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Sapho (1851, rev. 1884) |
La Colombe (The Dove) is an opéra comique in two acts by Charles Gounod with a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré based, like Philémon et Baucis, on a poem of Jean de la Fontaine, in this case Le Faucon. It premiered in Baden-Baden (Théatre de Bade) on August 6, 1860[1].
Sylvie, jealous of a social rival's parrot, pays a visit to Horace in hopes of obtaining his prize dove. The love-stricken admirer has fallen on hard times and resolves to roast the bird in order to have something to put on the table. A happier ending for the bird than La Fontaine's is arranged. There is a dugazon trouser role for the valet, Mazet, and Maitre Jean has a bass aria ("Le grand art de la cuisine") on the past glories of the kitchen that still turns up in recital occasionally.
[edit] Bibliography
Steven Huebner, The Operas of Charles Gounod (Oxford 1990)
- ^ Aug. 3 according to Steven Huebner. "Charles Gounod", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed Feb 13, 2008), grovemusic.com (subscription access).
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