Le premier jour de bonheur
Encyclopedia
Le premier jour de bonheur is an opera
or opéra comique
in 3 acts by composer
Daniel Auber
. The French language
libretto
by Adolphe d'Ennery
and Eugène Cormon
is based on Joseph François Souque's Le chevalier de Canolle. The work's premiere was staged by the Opéra-Comique
at the Salle Favart theatre on 15 February 1868.
The opera is set in Madras at the end of the 18th century, with a mixture of sentimental elegance and precious sensibility amid a picturesque story bearing resemblances to Léo Delibes
’s Lakmé
: the Indian setting, a military officer – one French, the other English – and a priestess – Djelma, Lakmé.
The scenario was proposed to Auber around 1865 by Victorien Sardou, and was first announced for production in September 1866 under another title. The rôle of Hélène was intended as the debut of a brilliant student of Eugénie Garcia, but a court ruling in January 1868 following a case brought by her parents delayed her debut until the following year. In view of this cast change, the role of Hélène was modified. A highpoint of the work is the 'song of the Djinns' for Djelma which became immediately popular, although it was only inserted by the composer at the last minute (possibly a rejected number from Le cheval de bronze
of thirty years previously).
It was hoped to premiere the piece on 27 January (to celebrate the composer’s birthday) but as there was some orchestration outstanding, it was delayed.
Le premier jour de bonheur was at first a good financial success for the Salle Favart, achieving 175 performances before dropping out of the repertoire by the end of the century.
Johann Strauss II
wrote a quadrille on themes from the opera as his opus 327.
The adventurous Maillepré is captured by the British during a skirmish, but on parole is able to attend a grand ball where he sees Hélène. While the festivities are in full swing a dispatch arrives from the general, which is to condemn Maillepré to death in reprisal for the (supposed) death of an English officer sir John Littlepool – the fiancé of the governor’s niece - at the hands of the French.
In the end the French release Littlepool (who had only been captured by them) in exchange for Maillepré; but this means that the French colonel has no hope of marrying his love and so demands that his execution go ahead. This in turn would mean that Littlepool would by his honour have to return to French captivity and execution. To resolve the situation Littlepool forsakes Hélène, - which results in Maillepré's 'premier jour de bonheur'.
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...
or opéra comique
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...
in 3 acts by 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...
Daniel Auber
Daniel Auber
Daniel François Esprit Auber was a French composer.-Biography:The son of a Paris print-seller, Auber was born in Caen in Normandy. Though his father expected him to continue in the print-selling business, he also allowed his son to learn how to play several musical instruments...
. The French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Adolphe d'Ennery
Adolphe d'Ennery
Adolphe Philippe d'Ennery or Dennery was a French Jewish dramatist and novelist.Born in Paris, his real surname was Philippe...
and Eugène Cormon
Eugène Cormon
Pierre-Etienne Piestre, known as Eugène Cormon , was a French dramatist and librettist. He used his mother’s name, Cormon, during his career....
is based on Joseph François Souque's Le chevalier de Canolle. The work's premiere was staged by 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...
at the Salle Favart theatre on 15 February 1868.
The opera is set in Madras at the end of the 18th century, with a mixture of sentimental elegance and precious sensibility amid a picturesque story bearing resemblances to Léo Delibes
Léo Delibes
Clément Philibert Léo Delibes was a French composer of ballets, operas, and other works for the stage...
’s Lakmé
Lakmé
Lakmé is an opera in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille. Delibes wrote the score during 1881–82 with its first performance on 14 April 1883 at the Opéra Comique in Paris. Set in British India in the mid 19th century, Lakmé is based on the 1880 novel...
: the Indian setting, a military officer – one French, the other English – and a priestess – Djelma, Lakmé.
The scenario was proposed to Auber around 1865 by Victorien Sardou, and was first announced for production in September 1866 under another title. The rôle of Hélène was intended as the debut of a brilliant student of Eugénie Garcia, but a court ruling in January 1868 following a case brought by her parents delayed her debut until the following year. In view of this cast change, the role of Hélène was modified. A highpoint of the work is the 'song of the Djinns' for Djelma which became immediately popular, although it was only inserted by the composer at the last minute (possibly a rejected number from Le cheval de bronze
Le cheval de bronze
Le cheval de bronze is an opéra comique by the French composer Daniel Auber, first performed at the Opéra-Comique, Paris on 23 March 1835. The libretto is by Auber's regular collaborator, Eugène Scribe and the piece was a great success in its day. In 1837, it was transformed into an opera-ballet,...
of thirty years previously).
It was hoped to premiere the piece on 27 January (to celebrate the composer’s birthday) but as there was some orchestration outstanding, it was delayed.
Le premier jour de bonheur was at first a good financial success for the Salle Favart, achieving 175 performances before dropping out of the repertoire by the end of the century.
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
wrote a quadrille on themes from the opera as his opus 327.
Roles
| Role | Voice type Voice type A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types... |
Premiere cast, 15 February 1868 (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... : –) |
|---|---|---|
| Gaston de Maillepré | 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... |
Victor Capoul Victor Capoul Joseph Victor Amédée Capoul, born in Toulouse on 27 February 1839 and died in Pujaudran on 18 February 1924, was a French operatic tenor with a lyric voice and a graceful singing style.-Career:Victor Capoul began his studies in Toulouse... |
| Hélène | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Marie Cabel Marie Cabel Marie Cabel was a Belgian coloratura soprano. She is probably best remembered for having created the role of Philine in Ambroise Thomas' opera Mignon.-Early life and career:... |
| Duke de Mailly | 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... |
Léon Melchissédec Léon Melchissédec Léon Melchissédec was a French baritone who enjoyed a long career in the French capital across a broad range of operatic genres, and later made some recordings and also taught at the Paris Conservatoire.-Life and Career:He played second violin in the Théâtre de Saint-Étienne before coming to Paris... |
| Sir John | tenor | Charles-Louis Sainte-Foy |
| Djelma | soprano | Marie Roze Marie Roze Marie Rôze , , was a French operatic soprano.She was born in Paris. At the age of 12, she was sent to be educated in England for two years. She then studied with Mocker and Auber at the Paris Conservatoire, where she received the first prize in singing in 1865... |
| Bergerac | bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C... |
Prilleux |
| The Governor | bass | Bernard |
Synopsis
Gaston de Maillepré, the hero of the opera, is a repeated victim of fate – whether through bad luck after inheriting a fortune, or the rejection of his best friend when he receives promotion…. He ends up in India where he finds the woman of his dreams whom he had briefly met in Scotland, only to discover that she (Hélène) is the niece of the governor of Madras.The adventurous Maillepré is captured by the British during a skirmish, but on parole is able to attend a grand ball where he sees Hélène. While the festivities are in full swing a dispatch arrives from the general, which is to condemn Maillepré to death in reprisal for the (supposed) death of an English officer sir John Littlepool – the fiancé of the governor’s niece - at the hands of the French.
In the end the French release Littlepool (who had only been captured by them) in exchange for Maillepré; but this means that the French colonel has no hope of marrying his love and so demands that his execution go ahead. This in turn would mean that Littlepool would by his honour have to return to French captivity and execution. To resolve the situation Littlepool forsakes Hélène, - which results in Maillepré's 'premier jour de bonheur'.