| Operas by Johann Christian Bach |
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Temistocle (1772) |
Amadis de Gaule or Amadis des Gaules (Amadis of Gaul) is a French opera in three acts by the German composer Johann Christian Bach. The libretto is a revision by Alphonse-Marie-Denis de Vismes de Saint-Alphonse of Amadis by Philippe Quinault, originally set by Jean-Baptiste Lully in 1684 which in turn was based on the knight-errantry romance Amadis de Gaula (1508). Bach's opera was first performed at the Académie Royale de Musique, Paris on 14 December 1779. It followed the contemporary French fashion for resetting libretti by Quinault (Armide by Gluck and Roland by Piccinni are other examples of this trend). The work was not a success with the Parisian public, mainly because it pleased neither the supporters of Gluck nor those of Piccinni, the two leading rival opera composers in France at the time. It was the last opera J. C. Bach composed.
| Cast | Voice type | Premiere, 14 December 1779 (Conductor: — ) |
|---|---|---|
| Urgande | soprano | |
| Amadis | tenor | Joseph Legros |
| Oriane | soprano | Rosalie Levasseur |
| Arcabonne | soprano | |
| Arcalaüs | bass | Henri Larrivée |
| Ghost of Ardan Canile | bass |
The brother and sister Arcalaus and Arcabonne, both magicians, pursue Amadis and his beloved Oriane because Amadis has slain their brother Ardan Canile. After many complications the lovers finally overcome their enemies with the help of the good sorceress Urgande.