Le Cid (opera)
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| Operas by Jules Massenet |
|---|
La grand'tante (1867) |
Le Cid is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Louis Gallet, Édouard Blau and Adolphe d'Ennery. It is based on the play of the same name by Pierre Corneille.
It was first performed by a star-studded cast at the Opéra Comique in Paris on November 30, 1885, with Jean de Reszke as Rodrigue. While the opera itself is not in the standard operatic repertory, the ballet suite is a popular concert piece and includes the famous Aragonaise. Some consider the heroic subject matter of Le Cid less suited to Massenet's style than his other works. Still, it retains a marginal place on the world's operatic stages due mostly to the ballet suite and a 1976 recording with tenor Plácido Domingo and soprano Grace Bumbry of the live concert performance given on March 8 of that year in Carnegie Hall. A production by the Washington Opera, starring Domingo, was shown on PBS television in 2001.
One or other of the work's two big tenor arias have been recorded in grand style by several great 20th Century tenors, including Enrico Caruso and Georges Thill. These particular recordings are available on CD reissues and are essential listening for lovers of Massenet's music.
[edit] Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 30 November 1885 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Chimène | soprano | Mme Fidès-Devriès |
| Rodrigue | tenor | Jean de Reszke |
| Don Diègue | baritone | Edouard de Reszke |
| Le Roi | bass | Léon Melchissédec |
| Le comte de Gormas | bass | Pol Plançon |
| l'Infante | soprano | Mme Bosman |
[edit] Noted arias
- Act II - Rodrigue: "O noble lame étincelante"
- Act III - Chimène: "Pleurez, pleurez mes yeux"
- Act III - Rodrigue: "O souverain, o juge, o père"
[edit] References
- Le Cid at Jules-Massenet.com outdated
- Le Cid was available at the International Music Score Library Project.
