| André Grétry |
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Operas
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Pierre le Grand (Peter the Great) is an opéra comique by André Grétry. The libretto, by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, is based on the early life of the Russian tsar Peter the Great. It was first performed in Paris on January 13, 1790, with Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre, known as Madame Dugazon, as Catherine.
Contents |
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, January 13, 1790 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia | tenor | |
| Catherine | soprano | Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre |
| François Lefort | bass | |
| Georges | bass | |
| Géneviève | soprano | |
| Caroline | soprano | |
| Alexis | tenor | |
| Menshikoff | spoken | |
| Maturin | tenor |
The plot tells how the young Tsar Peter disguised himself as a carpenter to work in a Russian shipyard where he fell in love with and married a peasant girl, Catherine (later the Empress Catherine I). Bouilly was working on his play at the time the French Revolution was breaking out in 1789 and the work reflects the political events of the day. Tsar Peter is intended to symbolise King Louis XVI, Catherine is Marie Antoinette and the Swiss Le Fort alludes to the Genevan financier Jacques Necker, who had attempted to reform the French economy. Peter and Catherine are depicted as ideal figures, deeply concerned for the welfare of the common people, and the liberal Bouilly clearly hoped the French king and queen would follow their example.