Le testament de la tante Caroline
Encyclopedia
Le testament de la tante Caroline (Aunt Caroline's Will) is an opéra bouffe
or operetta
by composer Albert Roussel
and librettist Nino (pseudonym of Michel Veber). The original production was in the Czech language
(prepared by Julie Reisserová
) and in three acts, but the work was later revised into a one act operetta in the French language
. The operetta tells the story of a family who is caught in a difficult set of circumstances surrounding the contents of a will and the dispersal of a vast fortune. The work premiered in Olomouc
on 14 November 1936.
and Jacques Ibert
had influenced him to pursue writing a comic opera as they had been successful both critically and financially. He described the operetta as "a sort of opérette-bouffe whose characters are almost entirely grotesque and who should be played without any fear of exaggerating their effect".
The opera premiered at the opera house
in Olomouc on 14 November 1936 (as Testament Tetý Karoliny) to somewhat cool reviews. Although Roussel intended for the work to be "clear, pleasant and accessible", the critics felt he had difficulty in "adapting himself to simplicity". In reaction to this criticism, Roussel significantly revised the operetta by cutting it from three acts to just one act. This reduced version was used for the opera's French premiere at the Opéra-Comique
in Paris on 11 March 1937. The revised version was sung in French, while the original 3-act version was performed in Czech. A production in German was mounted in Prague in 1937.
. Unfortunately, both Jobard and Ferdinand are infertile and so the nieces decide to get pregnant via a fortune teller and the family's chauffeur, respectively. However, in the tradition of the French operetta, the plot ends with an unexpected ironic twist. A third niece, who is an old maid and an apparent model of respectability and virtue, reveals that she is in fact the mother of the family's chauffer, Noël. As her illegitimate son, Noël collects the money to the chagrin of the others.
Opéra bouffe
Opéra bouffe is a genre of late 19th-century French operetta, closely associated with Jacques Offenbach, who produced many of them at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens that gave its name to the form....
or operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
by composer Albert Roussel
Albert Roussel
Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period...
and librettist Nino (pseudonym of Michel Veber). The original production was in the Czech language
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
(prepared by Julie Reisserová
Julie Reisserová
Julie Reisserová née Kühnlova was a Czech poet, conductor, composer and music critic.-Biography:...
) and in three acts, but the work was later revised into a one act operetta in 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...
. The operetta tells the story of a family who is caught in a difficult set of circumstances surrounding the contents of a will and the dispersal of a vast fortune. The work premiered in Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
on 14 November 1936.
History
Le testament de la tante Caroline was composed by Roussel in 1932-1933. The comic operetta was a departure from his earlier works which were all of a serious nature. Roussel acknowledged that the works of composers Arthur HoneggerArthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger was a Swiss composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231, which is interpreted as imitating the sound of a steam locomotive.-Biography:Born...
and Jacques Ibert
Jacques Ibert
Jacques François Antoine Ibert was a French composer. Having studied music from an early age, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and won its top prize, the Prix de Rome at his first attempt, despite studies interrupted by his service in World War I.Ibert pursued a successful composing career,...
had influenced him to pursue writing a comic opera as they had been successful both critically and financially. He described the operetta as "a sort of opérette-bouffe whose characters are almost entirely grotesque and who should be played without any fear of exaggerating their effect".
The opera premiered at the opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
in Olomouc on 14 November 1936 (as Testament Tetý Karoliny) to somewhat cool reviews. Although Roussel intended for the work to be "clear, pleasant and accessible", the critics felt he had difficulty in "adapting himself to simplicity". In reaction to this criticism, Roussel significantly revised the operetta by cutting it from three acts to just one act. This reduced version was used for the opera's French premiere at 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...
in Paris on 11 March 1937. The revised version was sung in French, while the original 3-act version was performed in Czech. A production in German was mounted in Prague in 1937.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 14 November 1936 Conductor: |
Premiere cast of revised version, 11 March 1937 Conductor: Roger Désormière Roger Désormière Roger Désormière was a French conductor.Désormière was born in Vichy in 1898. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, where his professors included Philippe Gaubert , Xavier Leroux and Charles Koechlin , and Vincent d'Indy... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noémie | 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... |
Christine Liany | |
| Christine | spoken | Suzanne Dehelly | |
| Maître Corbeau | 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... |
André Balbon | |
| Jobard | baritone | Louis Guénot | |
| Noel | 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... |
Paul Derenne Paul Derenne Paul Derenne was a French tenor whose eclectic repertoire allowed him a successful career on stage and on the concert platform.-Life and career:... |
|
| Docteur Patogène | bass | Émile Rousseau | |
| Béatrice | soprano | Madeleine Sibille Madeleine Sibille Madeleine Sibille was a French operatic soprano.Sibille was born in Paris. She spent much of her career performing at the Opéra-Comique, making her debut there as Mercédès in Carmen on 11 January 1920... |
|
| Lucine | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Fanély Revoil Fanély Revoil Fanély Revoil, born Marseille 25 September 1906, died Annonay 31 January 1999, was a French singer who had a major career in opera and operetta between 1950 and 1989.-Career:... |
|
| Laguigne | tenor | René Hérent René Hérent René Hérent was a French tenor whose career was centred on the Opéra-Comique in Paris, where he played supporting roles for many years, and left several recordings.-Life and career:... |
|
| Ernestine | soprano | Rose Pocidalo | |
| Nurse | silent | Christiane Gaudel | |
| La dactylo | Morice | ||
| Quatre sage-femmes | Gallot, Lagrange, Lodève, Billon | ||
Synopsis
The operetta begins in a Paris apartment where the future heirs of Aunt Caroline’s vast wealth are waiting for the reading of her will. In attendance are Caroline’s two nieces, sisters Christine and Naomi, and their husbands Jobard and Ferdinand. The four dream about the inheritance and what they can do with all of that money. The will, however, does not meet with the expectations of the two couples. The money is left not to Caroline's nieces, but their first-born sons. Further, the will stipulates that the couples must produce a son within the next year, or the money will be given away to the Salvation ArmySalvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
. Unfortunately, both Jobard and Ferdinand are infertile and so the nieces decide to get pregnant via a fortune teller and the family's chauffeur, respectively. However, in the tradition of the French operetta, the plot ends with an unexpected ironic twist. A third niece, who is an old maid and an apparent model of respectability and virtue, reveals that she is in fact the mother of the family's chauffer, Noël. As her illegitimate son, Noël collects the money to the chagrin of the others.