Le chevalier d'Harmental

Le chevalier d’Harmental is an opéra comique in five acts of 1896, with music by André Messager and a French libretto by Paul Ferrier, after Dumas père and Auguste Maquet.[1] The play of the novel – in five acts, a prologue and ten tableaux – was first performed on 16 July 1849 at the Théâtre-Historique in Paris.[2] The opera was first performed at the Opéra Comique (Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt) in Paris on 5 May 1896, but ran for only six performances.[2] It was seen at the Vienna Hofoper during the 1896-97 season.

The story concerns the conspiracy of the Prince of Cellamare, the Spanish ambassador, an envoy of Alberoni, who is at the heart of a plot involving the Duke and Duchess of Maine, which aims to capture the royal regent at a party, then gather together the Etats-Généraux and confer the regency on the King of Spain, Philippe V.[2]

The Annales author commends the attractive music, "as one might expect of the composer of Isoline and La Basoche", of which highlights cited included couplets for Fugère and the air of the queen of the night in the first act; a drinking song in the second, and several moments in the third act.[2]

Roles

Role Voice type Premiere Cast, 5 May 1896
(Conductor: Jules Danbé)
Buvat baritone Lucien Fugère
d'Harmenthal tenor Julien Lepestre
L'abbé Brigault tenor Ernest Carbonne
Capitaine Roquefinette bass Jacques Isnardon
Le régent baritone Marc Nohel
Maillefer bass Étienne Troy
Pompadour baritone César Bernaert
Ravane Tony Thomas
Gargouille Carrell
La Fare Jacquet
Cellamare Karloni
Richelieu Berriel
Un exempt Dufour
Daval tenor Rivière
Bathilde soprano Jane Marignan
La duchesse de Maine mezzo-soprano Esther Chevalier
Mme Denis soprano Mlle Jane Evel

References

  1. Wagstaff J. André Messager. In: The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Macmillan, London and New York, 1997.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Stoullig E. Les Annales du Théâtre et de la Musique, 22eme edition, 1896. G Charpentier et Cie, Paris, 1897.