Le val d'Andorre

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Le val d'Andorre
Opéra comique by Fromental Halévy
TranslationThe Valley of Andorra
LibrettistJules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges
LanguageFrench
Premiere
11 November 1848 (1848-11-11)

Le val d'Andorre (The Valley of Andorra) is an opéra comique by Fromental Halévy with a libretto by Saint-Georges. Although today almost completely forgotten, it was one of Halévy's greatest successes, running for 165 performances and restoring the then-precarious financial situation of the Opéra-Comique in Paris, where it was given its premiere on 11 November 1848.

Production history[edit]

After the premiere, the reviewer of the Parisian Revue et gazette musicale wrote "This is the most brilliant total success ever recorded at the Opéra-Comique."

The opera was translated into German and produced in 1849 in Leipzig, where it was praised by Ignaz Moscheles – "Music of a genuine dramatic character, which has more flow of melody than his other operas. The subject is cleverly worked out and very impressive."[1] In 1850 it opened in London, to mediocre reviews, but was graced by a visit from Queen Victoria (for which the French cast had to be hurriedly coached to sing God Save the Queen).[2]

Roles[edit]

Role Voice type Premiere Cast, 11 November 1848
(Conductor: - )
Georgette soprano Anne-Benoîte-Louise Lavoye
Jacques Sincère bass Charles-Amable Battaille[3]
L'endormi bass
Le joyeux tenor
Rose de Mai soprano
Saturnin tenor
Stéphan tenor
Thérèse mezzo-soprano

Synopsis[edit]

Place: Andorra
Time:

Stéphan (tenor) seeks to escape conscription by the French army. He is loved by the young Rose de Mai (soprano), Rose's mistress, the widow Thérèse (mezzo-soprano) and the wealthy Georgette (soprano). When he is condemned to death for desertion, Rose ransoms him by stealing money from Thérèse, and claiming that the money is from Georgette. In a typically improbable twist (stolen from The Marriage of Figaro), Rose turns out to be Thérèse's long-lost daughter, Georgette withdraws, and Rose de Mai and Stéphan are free to marry.

References[edit]

Notes

  1. ^ Moscheles 1873, vol 2, p. 203.
  2. ^ Jordan 1994, p. 137.
  3. ^ Robinson, Philip. "Battaille, Charles (Amable)" in Sadie 1992, vol. 1, p. 351.

Sources

  • Jordan, Ruth (1994). Fromental Halévy, his Life and Music. London: Kahn & Averill. ISBN 978-1-871082-51-7.
  • Moscheles, Charlotte (1873). Life of Moscheles: (2 volumes, translated from German by A. D. Coleridge). London: Hurst and Blackett. OCLC 1210534, 10354571.
  • Sadie, Stanley, editor (1992). The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (4 volumes). London: Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-56159-228-9.