From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Le val d'Andorre
(The Valley of
Andorra
) is an
opera comique
by
Fromental Halevy
with a libretto by
Saint-Georges
. Although today almost completely forgotten, it was one of Halevy's greatest successes, running for 165 performances and restoring the then-precarious financial situation of the
Opera-Comique
in Paris, where it was given its premiere on 11 November 1848.
Production history
[
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]
After the premiere, the reviewer of the Parisian
Revue et gazette musicale
wrote "This is the most brilliant total success ever recorded at the Opera-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
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]
Synopsis
[
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]
- Place: Andorra
- Time:
Stephan (
tenor
) seeks to escape
conscription
by the French army. He is loved by the young Rose de Mai (
soprano
), Rose's mistress, the widow Therese (
mezzo-soprano
) and the wealthy Georgette (
soprano
). When he is condemned to death for desertion, Rose ransoms him by stealing money from Therese, and claiming that the money is from Georgette. In a typically improbable
twist
(stolen from
The Marriage of Figaro
), Rose turns out to be Therese's long-lost daughter, Georgette withdraws, and Rose de Mai and Stephan are free to marry.
References
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]
Notes
- ^
Moscheles 1873, vol 2, p. 203.
- ^
Jordan 1994, p. 137.
- ^
Robinson, Philip. "Battaille, Charles (Amable)" in Sadie 1992, vol. 1, p. 351.
Sources
