| François-André Danican Philidor |
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Ernelinde, princesse de Norvège (Ernelinde, Princess of Norway) is a three-act operatic tragédie lyrique, by the French composer François-André Danican Philidor. The text was by Antonine Alexandre Henri Poinsinet, after Francesco Silvani's opera libretto La fede tradita, e vendicata.
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The work was first performed at the Salle des Machines du Palais des Tuileries[1], Paris Opéra, on 24 November 1767. Revised as Sandomir, prince de Dannemarck it was given in the same theatre on 24 January 1769. Still in three acts, it was further revised, this time as Ernelinde for Versailles on 11 December 1773. The libretto was then rewritten for a five-act version by Michel-Jean Sedaine given at the Paris Opéra on 8 July 1777.
The 1777 performances, with their exotic Viking setting, excited enough interest to provoke parodies. One by Jean-Etienne Despréaux, entitled Berlingue, was performed at Théâtre Royal de la Cour di Choisy-le-Roy on 13 September, another anonymous work called Sans dormir was given at the Opéra-Comique on 12 October.[2]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 24 November 1767 | 1st revision, 24 January 1769 | 2nd revision, 11 December 1773 | 3rd revision, 8 July 1777 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ricimer, King of the Goths | baritone | Henri Larrivée | Larrivée | Larrivée | Larrivée |
| Sandomir, Prince of Denmark | tenor | Joseph Legros | Legros | Legros | Legros |
| Ernelinde, Princess of Norway | soprano | Marie Jeanne Larrivée | Marie Jeanne Larrivée | Marie Jeanne Larrivée | Rosalie Levasseur |
| Rodoald, King of Norway | bass | Nicolas Gélin |
A viking-era saga about the struggle for control of Norway, Sweden and Denmark - and the hand of the Norwegian princess Ernelinde.