Jean-Pierre Solié
Encyclopedia
Jean-Pierre Solié was a French
cellist and operatic
singer. He began as a tenor
, but switched and became well-known as a baritone
. He sang most often at the Paris Opéra-Comique
. He also became a prolific composer
, writing primarily one-act comic operas
.
, and became a choirboy
in the cathedral. As he got older he began traveling to nearby towns in southern France, where he played cello in local theatre orchestras and supplemented his income by giving lessons in guitar and singing. In 1778 in Avignon
he was called upon to replace an ailing tenor in André Grétry's La rosière de Salency and made such a good impression, he was hired to sing tenor roles. Later he was asked to go to Paris to perform two roles with the Opéra-Comique
, where he first sang in Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny
's Félix on 31 August 1782 and later in Grétry's L'amant jaloux. His success was limited, and he returned to the provinces, working and singing in Nancy and Lyon
.
By 1787 he was back in Paris performing minor roles, but on 26 March 1789 he replaced Jean-Baptiste Clairval with great success in the premiere of Girard de Propiac's La fausse paysanne. By this time his voice was becoming more that of a baritone
. Baritones were somewhat unusual at that time at the Opéra-Comique, but the composer Étienne Méhul
began creating leading baritone roles for Solié, including Alibour in Euphrosine
(4 September 1790), Erasistrate in Stratonice
(3 May 1792), and Jacob in Joseph
(17 February 1807). Grétry also had a high regard for Solié, in particular as an actor: "l'excellent acteur, le citoyen Solier".
on 4 November 1783. His career as a composer, however, really began in 1790 with an adaptation he prepared of Christoph Willibald Gluck
's La rencontre imprévue
, which Solié called Les fous de Médine, and for which he composed several original pieces including parodies of music by Henri Montan Berton
and Gluck. In May 1792 he participated in a collaboration with Rodolphe Kreutzer
called Le franc Breton, but his first important totally independent work came in November with Jean et Geneviève. The opera was revived several times, receiving its final performance in 1822. Solié also participated in the collaborative Revolutionary
opera Le congrès des rois
, a 3-act comédie mêlée d'ariettes, which was composed by order of the Comité du Salut public (Committee of Public Safety
) and was hurriedly put together in just two days. The work combined music written by Solié and 11 other composers and was first performed by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle Favart on 26 February 1794. It was poorly received and was soon banned by the Revolutionary authorities.
?), became an author who wrote about music (see Other sources). Emile's son Charles (died after 1912) was a conductor
and director in the 1860s at the Théâtre Graslin
in Nantes
. Subsequently he conducted at the Théâtre-Français in Nice
. He was also a composer: his comic opera Schein Baba, ou L'intrigue au harem was well-received when it was performed in Nice on 5 April 1879.
, from Letailleur as noted. Printed works were published in Paris. Library and shelf marks provided by Wild and Charlton are shown in parenthesis. Listings of works for which libretto and score have not been found are based on company registers or other sources. Abbreviations: AN, Archives Nationales, Paris; BMO, Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra, Paris; BMR, Bibliothèque municipale de Rouen; BNF, Bibliothèque nationale de France
(Départements des Imprimés, des Manuscrits et de la Musique).
Other sources
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
cellist and operatic
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer. He began as a tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, but switched and became well-known as a baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
. He sang most often at the Paris Opéra-Comique
Opéra-Comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Parisian opera company, which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with, and for a time took the name of its chief rival the Comédie-Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was also called the...
. He also became a prolific composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, writing primarily one-act comic operas
Opéra comique
Opéra comique is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged out of the popular opéra comiques en vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent , which combined existing popular tunes with spoken sections...
.
Career as a singer
His father was a cellist with the orchestra at the theatre in Nîmes, and Solié likewise learned to play the cello. But he also learned to sing and play the guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, and became a choirboy
Choirboy
A choirboy is a boy member of a choir, also known as a treble.As a derisive slang term, it refers to a do-gooder or someone who is morally upright, in the same sense that "Boy Scout" refers to someone who is considered honorable or conscientious.- History :The use of choirboys in Christian...
in the cathedral. As he got older he began traveling to nearby towns in southern France, where he played cello in local theatre orchestras and supplemented his income by giving lessons in guitar and singing. In 1778 in Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
he was called upon to replace an ailing tenor in André Grétry's La rosière de Salency and made such a good impression, he was hired to sing tenor roles. Later he was asked to go to Paris to perform two roles with the Opéra-Comique
Opéra-Comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Parisian opera company, which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with, and for a time took the name of its chief rival the Comédie-Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was also called the...
, where he first sang in Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny
Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny
Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny was a French composer and a member of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts .He is considered alongside André Grétry and François-André Danican Philidor to have been the founder of a new musical genre, the opéra comique, laying a path for other French composers such as...
's Félix on 31 August 1782 and later in Grétry's L'amant jaloux. His success was limited, and he returned to the provinces, working and singing in Nancy and Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
.
By 1787 he was back in Paris performing minor roles, but on 26 March 1789 he replaced Jean-Baptiste Clairval with great success in the premiere of Girard de Propiac's La fausse paysanne. By this time his voice was becoming more that of a baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
. Baritones were somewhat unusual at that time at the Opéra-Comique, but the composer Étienne Méhul
Étienne Méhul
Etienne Nicolas Méhul was a French composer, "the most important opera composer in France during the Revolution." He was also the first composer to be called a "Romantic".-Life:...
began creating leading baritone roles for Solié, including Alibour in Euphrosine
Euphrosine
Euphrosine, ou Le tyran corrigé is an opera, designated as a 'comédie mise en musique', by the French composer Étienne Nicolas Méhul with a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman. It was the first of Méhul's operas to be performed and established his reputation as a leading composer of his time...
(4 September 1790), Erasistrate in Stratonice
Stratonice (opera)
Stratonice is a one-act opéra comique by Étienne Méhul to a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman, first performed at the Théâtre Favart, Paris, on 3 May 1792...
(3 May 1792), and Jacob in Joseph
Joseph (opera)
Joseph is an opera in three acts by the French composer Étienne Méhul. The libretto, by Alexandre Duval, is based on the Biblical story of Joseph and his brothers. The work was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 17 February 1807 at the Théâtre Feydeau...
(17 February 1807). Grétry also had a high regard for Solié, in particular as an actor: "l'excellent acteur, le citoyen Solier".
Career as a composer
Solié apparently composed some music for a comedy, Le séducteur, in 1783, and it was presented at FontainebleauFontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
on 4 November 1783. His career as a composer, however, really began in 1790 with an adaptation he prepared of Christoph Willibald Gluck
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Christoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck was an opera composer of the early classical period. After many years at the Habsburg court at Vienna, Gluck brought about the practical reform of opera's dramaturgical practices that many intellectuals had been campaigning for over the years...
's La rencontre imprévue
La rencontre imprévue
Les pèlerins de la Mecque ou La rencontre imprévue Wq. 32 is a comédie mêlée d'ariettes, a form of opéra comique, composed in 1763 by Christoph Willibald Gluck to a libretto by Louis Hurtaut Dancourt after the 1726 play by Alain René Lesage and d'Orneval....
, which Solié called Les fous de Médine, and for which he composed several original pieces including parodies of music by Henri Montan Berton
Henri Montan Berton
Henri Montan Berton was a French composer, teacher, and writer, and the son of Pierre Montan Berton.-Career:...
and Gluck. In May 1792 he participated in a collaboration with Rodolphe Kreutzer
Rodolphe Kreutzer
Rodolphe Kreutzer was a German violinist, teacher, conductor, and composer of forty French operas.-Biography:...
called Le franc Breton, but his first important totally independent work came in November with Jean et Geneviève. The opera was revived several times, receiving its final performance in 1822. Solié also participated in the collaborative Revolutionary
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
opera Le congrès des rois
Le congrès des rois
Le congrès des rois was a 3-act French Revolutionary opera of the genre comédie mêlée d'ariettes with a libretto by De Maillot, a stage name used by Antoine-François Ève early in his career, and music by a collaborative of twelve composers...
, a 3-act comédie mêlée d'ariettes, which was composed by order of the Comité du Salut public (Committee of Public Safety
Committee of Public Safety
The Committee of Public Safety , created in April 1793 by the National Convention and then restructured in July 1793, formed the de facto executive government in France during the Reign of Terror , a stage of the French Revolution...
) and was hurriedly put together in just two days. The work combined music written by Solié and 11 other composers and was first performed by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle Favart on 26 February 1794. It was poorly received and was soon banned by the Revolutionary authorities.
Significance as a composer
The music historian Paulette Letailleur has written: "Although pleasant and facile, Solié’s compositional style was not assertive enough to achieve lasting success. He is, however, remembered for Le secret (103 performances between 1801 and 1814) and Le jockey, works which owe much to the librettist [François-Benoît] Hoffman, Le diable à quatre (95 performances) and for occasional pieces such as L’opéra au village (1807), written for the emperor’s return and the signing of the peace."Descendants
Solié's second son, Emile Solié (9 April 1801, Paris – after 1867, AncenisAncenis
Ancenis is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Now, in Région Pays de la Loire, it played a great historical role as a key location on the road to Nantes , the historical capital of Brittany...
?), became an author who wrote about music (see Other sources). Emile's son Charles (died after 1912) was a conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and director in the 1860s at the Théâtre Graslin
Théâtre Graslin
The Théâtre Graslin is a theatre and opera house in the city of Nantes in France. Created in a new district of the city in the late 18th Century by the local architect Mathurin Crucy and named after the owner of the land, Jean-Louis Graslin...
in Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
. Subsequently he conducted at the Théâtre-Français in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
. He was also a composer: his comic opera Schein Baba, ou L'intrigue au harem was well-received when it was performed in Nice on 5 April 1879.
List of stage works
This list of works for the stage was compiled from Wild and Charlton with additional works, primarily those not performed at the Opéra-ComiqueOpéra-Comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Parisian opera company, which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with, and for a time took the name of its chief rival the Comédie-Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was also called the...
, from Letailleur as noted. Printed works were published in Paris. Library and shelf marks provided by Wild and Charlton are shown in parenthesis. Listings of works for which libretto and score have not been found are based on company registers or other sources. Abbreviations: AN, Archives Nationales, Paris; BMO, Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra, Paris; BMR, Bibliothèque municipale de Rouen; BNF, Bibliothèque nationale de France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
(Départements des Imprimés, des Manuscrits et de la Musique).
- Le séducteur, a 5-act comedy with text by G.-F. Bièvre, was first performed at FontainebleauFontainebleauFontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
on 4 November 1783. - Les arts et l'amitié, a 1-act comedy with music by Solié, Henri-Montan BertonHenri Montan BertonHenri Montan Berton was a French composer, teacher, and writer, and the son of Pierre Montan Berton.-Career:...
, and Jean-Paul-Egide MartiniJean Paul Egide MartiniJean Paul Egide Martini, was a composer of classical music. Sometimes known as Martini Il Tedesco, he is best known today for the vocal romance "Plaisir d'Amour," on which the 1961 Elvis Presley standard "Can't Help Falling in Love" is based...
and text by Armand de Bouchard, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle Favart on 5 August 1788. It included four pieces of music: Aria No. 1 (Solié), No. 2 (Berton), No. 3 (Martini), No. 4 (unknown). It was probably performed again up to about 1793. The text (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: 8º Yth. 1277; 1788 edition), and the full score (BMR: Fonds 08, Th. 42) were published.- The work was later transformed into a 1-act comic opera with music by Louis-Emmanuel JadinLouis-Emmanuel JadinLouis-Emmanuel Jadin was a French composer, pianist and harpsichordist.Jadin was born in Versailles. He learned piano from his brother Hyacinthe Jadin and later worked at the Théâtre de Monsieur. His first opera was staged in Versailles in 1788. The following year he took the position of second...
and libretto by Armand de Bouchard, which was first performed by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle Feydeau on 9 June 1807 for a total of 6 performances.
- The work was later transformed into a 1-act comic opera with music by Louis-Emmanuel Jadin
- Les fous de Médine, ou La rencontre imprévue, a 3-act opéra bouffon with a libretto by Louis Dancourt. The music includes parodies of pieces by Berton and Gluck. The opera was performed for the first and last time by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle Favart on 1 May 1790. The libretto and the score have not been found.
- Solié's opera was an adaption of GluckChristoph Willibald GluckChristoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck was an opera composer of the early classical period. After many years at the Habsburg court at Vienna, Gluck brought about the practical reform of opera's dramaturgical practices that many intellectuals had been campaigning for over the years...
's opera La rencontre imprévueLa rencontre imprévueLes pèlerins de la Mecque ou La rencontre imprévue Wq. 32 is a comédie mêlée d'ariettes, a form of opéra comique, composed in 1763 by Christoph Willibald Gluck to a libretto by Louis Hurtaut Dancourt after the 1726 play by Alain René Lesage and d'Orneval....
, which had been performed in Vienna in 1764. - A prior version of the libretto had been published by Dancourt in 1776 under the title La rencontre imprévue.
- Solié's opera was an adaption of Gluck
- Le franc Breton, a 1-act opera composed in collaboration with Rodolphe KreutzerRodolphe KreutzerRodolphe Kreutzer was a German violinist, teacher, conductor, and composer of forty French operas.-Biography:...
with a libretto by Jean-Élie Dejaure, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle Favart on 3 November 1792 with further performances up to 1801. The full score (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: D. 3078) was published.- The opera is a lyric adaptation of a comedy by Dejaure called Le Franc Breton ou le Négociant de Nantes, which had been performed by the Comédiens Italiens on 9 February 1791. The text (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: series X. 1282, t. 27, 1791 edition and ms) was published and also exists in manuscript form.
- The opera is a lyric adaptation of a comedy by Dejaure called Le Franc Breton ou le Négociant de Nantes, which had been performed by the Comédiens Italiens on 9 February 1791. The text (BNF
- Jean et Geneviève, a 1-act comédie mise en musique with a libretto by Edmond-Guillaume-François de Favières, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle Favart on 3 December 1792 with a revival at the Salle Feydeau on 12 October 1801, and further performances up to 1822. The libretto (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Thb 4146; 1810 edition) and full score (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: L. 2207) were published. The libretto gives the genre as opéra-comique mêlé d'ariettes. - L'école de village was a 1-act opéra comique en vaudeville with 10 pieces attributed to Solié, including airs parodiés and vaudevillesVaudeville (song)A vaudeville is a French satirical poem or song born of the 17th and 18th centuries. Its name is lent to the French theatrical entertainment comédie en vaudeville of the 19th and 20th century. From these vaudeville took its name....
. Among the composers parodied are Nicolas DalayracNicolas DalayracNicolas-Marie d'Alayrac, known as Nicolas Dalayrac , was a French composer, best known for his opéras-comiques.- Biography :...
and André Grétry. The libretto (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Thb. 2975) by Charles Augustin de Bassompierre Sewrin was published, but the score has not been found. The work was first performed by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle Favart on 10 May 1793 and was given a total of two times. - La moisson, a 2-act opéra comique en vaudeville with a libretto by Charles Augustin de Bassompierre Sewrin, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 5 September 1793, with further performances up to 1794. The composer Nicolas DalayracNicolas DalayracNicolas-Marie d'Alayrac, known as Nicolas Dalayrac , was a French composer, best known for his opéras-comiques.- Biography :...
has been identified as one of those parodied. The libretto (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Thb. 3793) was published. - Le plaisir et la gloire, a 1-act scéne patriotiques mêlée de chants with a libretto by Charles Augustin de Bassompierre Sewrin, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle Favart on 19 January 1794 and was performed a total of 19 times. The libretto (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Thb. 4143) was published, but the score has not been found.- This patriotic piece concludes with "La MarseillaiseLa Marseillaise"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song, originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795...
," canon shots, "La Générale," and the sounding of the tocsin (alarm bell).
- This patriotic piece concludes with "La Marseillaise
- Le congrès des roisLe congrès des roisLe congrès des rois was a 3-act French Revolutionary opera of the genre comédie mêlée d'ariettes with a libretto by De Maillot, a stage name used by Antoine-François Ève early in his career, and music by a collaborative of twelve composers...
, a 3-act comédie mêlée d'ariettesComédie mêlée d'ariettesComédie mêlée d'ariettes is a form of French opéra comique that developed in the mid 18th century following the Querelle des Bouffons dispute over the respective merits of the French and Italian styles, between serious drama and comedy in opera.The best-known ones are Christoph Willibald Gluck's...
with music by Solié and 11 other composers and a libretto by Antoine-François Èvre, was first performed by the Opéra-ComiqueOpéra-ComiqueThe Opéra-Comique is a Parisian opera company, which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with, and for a time took the name of its chief rival the Comédie-Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was also called the...
in the Salle Favart on 26 February 1794 [8 vent II]. The full score and the libretto have not been found. A manuscript vocal score with music by Henri Montan BertonHenri Montan BertonHenri Montan Berton was a French composer, teacher, and writer, and the son of Pierre Montan Berton.-Career:...
(BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Ms. 3649) has been located. - L'entreprise folle, a 1-act comic opera, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart in 1795.
- La soubrette, ou L'étui de harpe, a 1-act comédie with a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 3 December 1795, with further performances in 1796. The libretto and score have not been found.
- Le jockei (also written Le jockey), a 1-act opéra with a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 6 January 1796, and was revived at the Salle Feydeau on 7 October 1801, with further performances up to 1807. The libretto (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Thb. 4150) and full score (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: L. 1902) were published. The libretto gives the genre as comédie mêlée d'ariettes. - Le secret, a 1-act opéra with a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 20 April 1796. It was revived in the Salle Feydeau on 21 September 1801, with further performances up to 1824. The libretto (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Thb. 4152; an IV [1797] edition) and the full score (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: D. 14020; 1796 edition) were published. The libretto gives the genre as comédie mêlée de musique. It is based on the comedy La femme jalouse by François-Antoine Jolly. - Les trois tantes with a libretto by René Charles Guilbert de PixérécourtRené Charles Guilbert de PixérécourtRené Charles Guilbert de Pixerécourt was a French theatre director and playwright, active at the Théâtre de la Gaîté and best known for his modern melodramas such as The Dog of Montarges, the performance of which at Weimar roused the indignation of Goethe.-Life:He was born at Nancy into a Lorraine...
was accepted by the Théâtre FeydeauThéâtre FeydeauThe Théâtre Feydeau, , a former Parisian theatre company, was founded in 1789 with the patronage of Monsieur, Comte de Provence , and was therefore initially named the Théâtre de Monsieur...
in 1797 but never performed. - Azeline, a 3-act comédie mêlée de musique with a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman after Les Ruses innocentes by the Count of Barthélémy Imbert, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 5 December 1796, with further performances up to 1799. The libretto (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Th. 376) and the score of one musical number (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: 4º Y. 317 (1)) were published. The work was later reduced to 2 acts (date unknown), and the libretto of that version (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: series X. 1282, t. 28) was also published in "an VFrench Republican CalendarThe French Republican Calendar or French Revolutionary Calendar was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805, and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871...
" according to a handwritten note. - Victor, a drame lyrique with a libretto by René Charles Guilbert de PixérécourtRené Charles Guilbert de PixérécourtRené Charles Guilbert de Pixerécourt was a French theatre director and playwright, active at the Théâtre de la Gaîté and best known for his modern melodramas such as The Dog of Montarges, the performance of which at Weimar roused the indignation of Goethe.-Life:He was born at Nancy into a Lorraine...
was accepted by the Théâtre Feydeau in 1797 but never performed. - La femme de quarante-cinq ans, a 1-act comédie mêlée de musique with a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman, was performed for the first and last time by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 19 November 1798. The libretto (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Thb. 3210) was published, but the score has not been found. The following is noted on the libretto: "Sifflée, pour la premiere et dernière fois, sur le Théâtre Favart, le 29 brumaire an 7. Dédiée aux siffleurs et enrichie de notes, à l'usage des jeunes auteurs". ("Booed, for the first and last time, at the Théâtre Favart, 29 Brumaire, year 7. Dedicated to the booers and with added notes for the use of young writers".) - Le chapitre second, a 1-act comic opera with a libretto (comédie mêlée d'ariettes) by Emmanuel Dupaty, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 17 June 1799. It was revived at the Salle Feydeau on 8 August 1803, with further performances up to 1810. The libretto (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Thb. 2538) and full score (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: D. 14007) were published. A libretto with handwritten corrections (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: series X. 1282, t. 28, an VFrench Republican CalendarThe French Republican Calendar or French Revolutionary Calendar was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805, and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871...
edition) also exists. - Une matinée de Voltaire, ou La famille Calas à Paris, a 1-act drame lyrique (according to Magasin encyclopédique, an VI (1), pp. 555–556) with a libretto by Jean-Baptiste Pujoulx, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 22 May 1800. It was presented a total of 4 times. The libretto and score have not been located.
- The libretto was based on the play La Veuve Calas à Paris by Pujoulx, first performed by the Comédiens Italiens on 31 July 1791.
- Une nuit d'été, ou Un peu d'aide fait grand bien, a 1-act comic opera with a libretto by N. Gersin, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 7 June 1800.
- Oui, ou Le double rendez-vous, a 1-act opéra with a libretto by J.F.-T. Goulard, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 29 August 1800.
- La rivale d'elle-même, a 1-act comic opera with a libretto by P.-J.-R. Bins de Saint-Victor, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 3 October 1800.
- La pluie et le beau temps, ou L'été de l'an VIII, a 1-act vaudeville with a libretto by Dupaty, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 17 November 1800.
- Le petit Jacquot, a 1-act comic opera with a libretto by Alexandre, was first performed by the Théâtre des Jeunes Artistes (in the rue de Bondy) on 27 April 1801.
- Quatre maris pour un a 1-act comic opera with a libretto by René Charles Guilbert de PixérécourtRené Charles Guilbert de PixérécourtRené Charles Guilbert de Pixerécourt was a French theatre director and playwright, active at the Théâtre de la Gaîté and best known for his modern melodramas such as The Dog of Montarges, the performance of which at Weimar roused the indignation of Goethe.-Life:He was born at Nancy into a Lorraine...
, was first performed by the Théâtre des Jeunes Artistes (in the rue de Bondy) on 27 April 1801. - Lisistrata, ou Les athéniennes. a 1-act comédie mêlée de vaudevilles imitée d'Aristophane with a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman. The story is based on the play LysistrataLysistrataLysistrata is one of eleven surviving plays written by Aristophanes. Originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC, it is a comic account of one woman's extraordinary mission to end The Peloponnesian War...
by AristophanesAristophanesAristophanes , son of Philippus, of the deme Cydathenaus, was a comic playwright of ancient Athens. Eleven of his forty plays survive virtually complete...
. It was performed for the first and last time by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 15 January 1802. The libretto was published, but the score has not been found.- The production was closed by order of the authorities. The author included the following statement with the libretto: "Je déclare donc que je ne songerai à remettre cette pièce au théâtre, que quand je saurai combien de censures un autour doit subir, combien de fois il doit faire des corrections par ordre, combien de personnes ont le droit de lui en prescrire, et quel'âge doit avoir une comédie pour être assimilée à l'ancien répertoire qu'on ne corrige plus". ("I therefore declare that I will not think of staging this piece again until I know how many drafts an author must submit to the censor, how many times he must make corrections to order, how many persons have the right to require them of him, and how old a comedy must be to be adopted into the existing repertoire which is no longer corrected".)
- Plutarque, a 1-act comic opera with a libretto by F.-P.-A. Leger and Alissan de Chazet, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 20 January 1802.
- Le séducteur amoureux, a 3-act comédie with a libretto by C. de Longchamp, was first performed at the Théâtre-Français on 25 January 1803 and published in 1803.
- Henriette et Verseuil, a 1-act comédie mêlée de chant with a libretto by P. Guillet and Eugéne Hus, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 30 July 1803. It was performed a total of 5 times. The libretto was published, and the score has not been found. Eugéne Hus is only mentioned in the libretto for providing the words for three of the songs.
- L'incertitude maternelle, ou Le choix impossible, a 1-act comic opera with music by Solié and André Grétry and a libretto by Jean-Claude Dejaure, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 6 August 1803 with further performances up to 1810. The libretto and vocal score were published. The libretto was adapted from a play of the same name by Dejaure's father which was given by the Comédiens Italiens on 5 June 1790. The text of the play was published in 1790, and there is a prompter's manuscript as well.
- L'oncle etle neveu, a 1-act comic opera with a libretto by A.-J. Grétry, was first performed at the Théâtre des Variétés-Montansier on 26 November 1803.
- L'époux généroux, ou Le pouvoir des procédés, a 1-act comédie which was a lyric adaption of a play by Jean-Claude Dejaure, which was first performed by the Comédiens Italiens on 15 February 1790. There is an indication on the manuscript of the libretto: "Remise en opéra-comique par Grétry neveu". The opera was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 7 February 1804. Additional performances were given into 1805. The libretto and vocal score were published.
- Louise, ou La malade par amour, a 1-act comic opera with a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 16 April 1804 and was given a total of 7 times. The libretto has not been found, but the vocal score was published.
- The libretto is adapted from the same author's StratoniceStratonice (opera)Stratonice is a one-act opéra comique by Étienne Méhul to a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman, first performed at the Théâtre Favart, Paris, on 3 May 1792...
with music by Étienne MéhulÉtienne MéhulEtienne Nicolas Méhul was a French composer, "the most important opera composer in France during the Revolution." He was also the first composer to be called a "Romantic".-Life:...
, first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 3 May 1792, which was based on De Dea Syria [On the Syrian Goddess] attributed to LucianLucianLucian of Samosata was a rhetorician and satirist who wrote in the Greek language. He is noted for his witty and scoffing nature.His ethnicity is disputed and is attributed as Assyrian according to Frye and Parpola, and Syrian according to Joseph....
and Antiochus, a tragicomedyTragicomedyTragicomedy is fictional work that blends aspects of the genres of tragedy and comedy. In English literature, from Shakespeare's time to the nineteenth century, tragicomedy referred to a serious play with either a happy ending or enough jokes throughout the play to lighten the mood.-Classical...
by Thomas CorneilleThomas CorneilleThomas Corneille was a French dramatist.- Personal life :Born in Rouen nearly twenty years after his brother Pierre, the "great Corneille", Thomas's skill as a poet seems to have shown itself early. At the age of fifteen he composed a play in Latin which was performed by his fellow-pupils at the...
.
- The libretto is adapted from the same author's Stratonice
- Les deux oncles is a 1-act comédie with a libretto by André-Joseph Grétry, which was a lyric adaptation of a comedy by Nicholas-Julien Forgeot that was first performed by the Comédiens Italiens on 29 September 1780. The opera, which was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Favart on 3 January 1805, was given a total of 10 times. The libretto exists in manuscript form, and the score has not been found.
- Chacun son tour, a 1-act opera with a libretto by Justin Gensoul, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 26 October 1805. It was performed into 1806. The libretto was published (no date), and the score has not been found. It was described in Décade philosophique as: "A bad copy of Rivaux d'eux-mêmes, a pretty little piece by Pigault-Lebrun".
- L'opéra au village, a 1-act divertissement with a libretto by Charles Augustin de Bassompierre Sewrin, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 30 July 1807 and published (no date).
- L'amante sans le savoir, a 1-act comédie mêlée d'ariettes with a libretto by Auguste Creuzé de Lesser, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 10 August 1807. The title is taken from the register; on the manuscript of the libretto it is given as La leçon de père. It was performed a total of 5 times. The libretto was printed; the full score has not been found.
- Anna, ou Les deux chaumières, a 1-act comédie mêlée d'ariettes with a libretto by Charles Augustin de Bassompierre Sewrin, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 20 February 1808. It was performed a total of 9 times. The vocal score and libretto were published (no date).
- Mademoiselle de Guise, a 3-act comic opera with a libretto by Emmanuel Dupaty, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 17 March 1808 with further performances up to 1811. The libretto (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Thb. 1665) and full score (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: D. 14037) were published. - Le hussard noir, a 1-act comic opera with a libretto by Emmanuel Dupaty, was performed for the first and last time by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 10 December 1808. The libretto was published, and the score has not been found. The manuscript of the libretto gives the alternate title: Le Hussard noir ou le Sergent de Neiss – libretto after "un trait mis dans les journaux l'été dernier".
- Le diable à quatre, ou La femme acariâtre, a 3-act comic opera with a libretto by Michel-Jean SedaineMichel-Jean SedaineMichel-Jean Sedaine was a French dramatist, was born in Paris.- Biography :His father, who was an architect, died when Sedaine was quite young, leaving no fortune, and the boy began life as a mason's labourer...
revised by Auguste Creuzé de Lesser, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 30 November 1809. It was revived by the Théâtre LyriqueThéâtre LyriqueThe Théâtre Lyrique was one of four opera companies performing in Paris during the middle of the 19th century . The company was founded in 1847 as the Opéra-National by the French composer Adolphe Adam and renamed Théâtre Lyrique in 1852...
on 15 October 1853 in an orchestration by Adolphe Adam. The libretto exists both in manuscript (AN: AJ13 1090) and printed form (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Thb. 2891, 1809 edition), and the full score (BMO: F. 1667 (2); 1809 edition, indicated by a handwritten note) was also printed.- The libretto is based on an English ballad operaBallad operaThe term ballad opera is used to refer to a genre of English stage entertainment originating in the 18th century and continuing to develop in the following century and later. There are many types of ballad opera...
, The Devil to Pay, or The Wives Metamorphosed, by Charles CoffeyCharles CoffeyCharles Coffey was an Irish playwright and composer.His best known opera is probably The Beggar’s Wedding , which capitalizes on the success of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera...
. There were several prior comic opera versions of Sedaine's libretto, all with the title Le diable à quatre, ou La double métamorphose:- The first had music by diverse composers which was premiered by the Opéra-Comique at the Foire Saint-LaurentThéâtre de la foireThéâtre de la foire is the collective name given to the theatre put on at the annual fairs at Saint-Germain and Saint-Laurent in Paris.-Foire Saint-Germain:The earliest references to the annual fair date to 1176...
on 19 August 1756 and later performed at the Hôtel de Bourgogne on 30 January 1764 with further performances up to 1776. The libretto (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: Thb. 1826 A) and vocal score (BNFBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
: L. 2850) were published. The composers of various parodied musical numberNumber (music)A number in music is a self-contained piece that is combined with other such pieces in a performance. In a concert of popular music, for example, the individual songs or pieces performed are often referred to as "numbers." The term is applied also to sections of large vocal works when the...
s are identified as Ciampi, Duni, Galuppi, and G. Scarlatti (Pietro Alessandro Gaspare ScarlattiAlessandro ScarlattiAlessandro Scarlatti was an Italian Baroque composer especially famous for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the founder of the Neapolitan school of opera. He was the father of two other composers, Domenico Scarlatti and Pietro Filippo Scarlatti.-Life:Scarlatti was born in...
). Other pieces have been attributed to Jean-Louis Laruette and François-André Danican PhilidorFrançois-André Danican PhilidorFrançois-André Danican Philidor , often referred to as André Danican Philidor during his lifetime, was a French composer and chess player. He contributed to the early development of the opéra comique...
. - Christoph Willibald GluckChristoph Willibald GluckChristoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck was an opera composer of the early classical period. After many years at the Habsburg court at Vienna, Gluck brought about the practical reform of opera's dramaturgical practices that many intellectuals had been campaigning for over the years...
prepared his own version for Vienna, altering music by the other composers and adding music of his own. This version was first performed in LaxenburgLaxenburgLaxenburg is a town in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, near Vienna.- History :The place is well-known for its castle, Schloss Laxenburg, which, beside Schönbrunn, was the most important summer seat of the Habsburg dynasty....
on 28 May 1759. - A third had music by Bernardo Porto which was performed in the first Salle Favart on 14 February 1790 with further performances up to 1793. The libretto and vocal score have not been found.
- The first had music by diverse composers which was premiered by the Opéra-Comique at the Foire Saint-Laurent
- The libretto is based on an English ballad opera
- La victime des arts, a 2-act comic opera composed in collaboration with Isouard and Henri Montan BertonHenri Montan BertonHenri Montan Berton was a French composer, teacher, and writer, and the son of Pierre Montan Berton.-Career:...
with a libretto by L.-M. d'Estournel. was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 27 February 1811. - Les ménestrels, a 3-act comic opera with a libretto by J. M. de Reveroni Saint-Cyr, was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in the Salle Feydeau on 27 April 1811.
Sources
Cited sources- Grétry, André (1812). Mémoires ou essais sur la musique (reprint of the 1st edition, 1789; revised and expanded with two additional volumes, an V [1797]). Paris: Verdière. Search results at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
. . (1797 edition). - Pougin, Arthur (1891). L'Opéra-Comique pendant la Révolution de 1788 à 1801: d'après des documents inédits et les sources les plus authentiques. Paris: Albert Savine. View at Google Books.
- Sadie, Stanley, ed. (1992). The new Grove dictionary of operaNew Grove Dictionary of OperaThe New Grove Dictionary of Opera is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volumes....
(4 volumes). London: Macmillan. ISBN 9781561592289. - Sadie, Stanley, ed.; John Tyrell; exec. ed. (2001). The new Grove dictionary of music and musiciansGrove Dictionary of Music and MusiciansThe New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, it is the largest single reference work on Western music. The dictionary has gone through several editions since the 19th century...
, 2nd ed. London: Macmillan. ISBN 9781561592395 (hardcover). (eBook). - Walsh, T. J. (1981). Second Empire Opera: The Théâtre Lyrique Paris 1851–1870. New York: Riverrun Press. ISBN 9780714536590.
- Wild, Nicole; Charlton, David (2005). Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique Paris: répertoire 1762-1972. Sprimont, Belgium: Editions Mardaga. ISBN 9782870098981.
Other sources
- Campardon, Emile (1880). Les comédiens du roi de la troupe italienne pendant les deux derniers siècles. Paris: Berger-Levrault. View at Google Books.
- Pierre, Constant (1899). Musique des fetes et céremonies de la Révolution française. Paris: Imprimerie nationale. View at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
. - Pougin, Arthur (1891). L'Opéra-Comique pendant la Révolution de 1788 à 1801: d'après des documents inédits et les sources les plus authentiques. Paris: Albert Savine. View at Google Books.
- Solié, Emile (1847). Histoire du théâtre royal de l'Opéra-Comique. Paris: J. Frey. .
- Solié, Emile (1847). Notice sur l'Opéra-National. Paris: J. Frey. Listing at Google Books.