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Added line about Zarah's aria to Guitarréro.
[td]The opera takes place in 17th-century Portugal during the Spanish occupation. The scheming Spanish lord Zuniga tricks the wandering troubadour Riccardo, secretly in love with the noble heiress Zarah, into impersonating her recently slain betrothed and marrying her. The impersonation unwittingly advances a plot to overthrow Spanish rule; Portugal is liberated and Riccardo ennobled.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]Despite criticism that Eugène Scribe's libretto was derivative, drawing on [[Victor Hugo]]’s ''[[Ruy Blas]]'' and ''[[Hernani (drama)|Hernani]]'' among other plays<ref>De Saint-Géniès, ''L’Indépendant,'' 28 January 1841. ''Le Charivari'', 24 January 1841. Hector Berlioz, ''Journal des débats,'' 24 January 1841.</ref>, most admired its dexterous construction and dramatic flair<ref>''Le Charivari,'' 24 January 1841. A., ''Le Constitutionnel,'' 25 January 1841. ''Le Courrier,'' 25 January 1841. De Saint-Géniès, ''L’Indépendant,'' 28 January 1841. </ref>.[/td]
[td]Although critics thought Eugène Scribe's libretto was derivative, drawing on [[Victor Hugo]]’s ''[[Ruy Blas]]'' and ''[[Hernani (drama)|Hernani]]'' among other plays<ref>De Saint-Géniès, ''L’Indépendant,'' 28 January 1841. ''Le Charivari'', 24 January 1841. Hector Berlioz, ''Journal des débats,'' 24 January 1841.</ref>, most admired its dexterous construction and dramatic flair<ref>''Le Charivari,'' 24 January 1841. A., ''Le Constitutionnel,'' 25 January 1841. ''Le Courrier,'' 25 January 1841. De Saint-Géniès, ''L’Indépendant,'' 28 January 1841. </ref>.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]Halévy's brother Léon hailed the opera as a return to the composer's natural mode: expressing chivalric feeling with moving passion within a richly coloured score.<ref>Léon Halévy, ''F. Halévy, sa vie et œuvres'', Paris: Heugel, 1863, pp. 35–36.</ref> Likewise, Richard Wagner considered ''Le Guitarrero'' “a brilliant comeback” for Halévy after “a string of worthless works”.<ref>Quoted in Ruth Jordan, ''Fromental Halévy'', p. 105.</ref>[/td]
[td]Halévy's brother Léon hailed the opera as a return to the composer's natural mode: expressing chivalric feeling with moving passion within a richly coloured score.<ref>Léon Halévy, ''F. Halévy, sa vie et œuvres'', Paris: Heugel, 1863, pp. 35–36.</ref> Likewise, Richard Wagner considered ''Le Guitarrero'' “a brilliant comeback” for Halévy after “a string of worthless works”.<ref>Quoted in Ruth Jordan, ''Fromental Halévy'', p. 105.</ref>[/td] [td]Berlioz acknowledged Halévy’s elegant style and rhythmic originality, but noted that too much plot exposition took place during musical numbers.<ref>Hector Berlioz, ''Journal des débats'', 24 January 1841.</ref>[/td]
[td]Berlioz acknowledged Halévy’s elegant style and rhythmic originality, but noted that too much plot exposition took place during musical numbers.<ref>Hector Berlioz, ''Journal des débats'', 24 January 1841.</ref>[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]The most striking number in the score seems to be Zarah's Act III romance "Je connais mes devoirs''…'' Partez, monsieur, partez”, which Henri Blanchard considered equal in dramatic power to the celebrated tenor romance from ''Guido et Ginevra''.<ref>Henri Blanchard, ''Revue et Gazette musicale'', 24 January 1841.</ref>[/td] [td]Meyerbeer, who saw the opera performed in Berlin, found the orchestration “very interesting,” though somewhat fragmented, and observed that while there were many melodious phrases, they often derived from rhythmic combinations.<ref>Robert Ignatius Letellier (ed.), ''The Diaries of Giacomo Meyerbeer: 1840-1849'', Associated University Press, 1999.</ref> He praised Halévy’s sensitivity to the text and skill in the ''parlante'' style, but felt the score as a whole contained “too much marquetry,” pieced together from small fragments.[/td] [td][/td] [td]Meyerbeer, who saw the opera performed in Berlin, described the orchestration as “very interesting,” though somewhat fragmented, and observed that while there were many melodious phrases, they often derived from rhythmic combinations.<ref>Robert Ignatius Letellier (ed.), ''The Diaries of Giacomo Meyerbeer: 1840-1849'', Associated University Press, 1999.</ref> He praised Halévy’s sensitivity to the text, but felt the score as a whole contained “too much marquetry,” pieced together from small fragments.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]The opera was performed widely across Europe in 1841–42: in French in Brussels and The Hague, and in German in Kassel, Berlin, and Leipzig. Its last-known 19th-century performance was in Italian translation in Malta in 1890.[/td]
[td]The opera was performed widely across Europe in 1841–42: in French in Brussels and The Hague, and in German in Kassel, Berlin, and Leipzig. Its last-known 19th-century performance was in Italian translation in Malta in 1890.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]''Le Guitarrero'' was revived by Les Frivolités Parisiennes in 2015 at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, Paris, in 2015.[/td]
[td]''Le Guitarrero'' was revived by Les Frivolités Parisiennes in 2015 at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, Paris.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]Wagner arranged several of the arias for flute, violin, viola, and cello.[/td]
[td]Wagner arranged several of the arias for flute, violin, viola, and cello.[/td]
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[td]The opera takes place in 17th-century Portugal during the Spanish occupation. The scheming Spanish lord Zuniga tricks the wandering troubadour Riccardo, secretly in love with the noble heiress Zarah, into impersonating her recently slain betrothed and marrying her. The impersonation unwittingly advances a plot to overthrow Spanish rule; Portugal is liberated and Riccardo ennobled.[/td]Revision as of 11:24, 30 August 2025
[/td][td]The opera takes place in 17th-century Portugal during the Spanish occupation. The scheming Spanish lord Zuniga tricks the wandering troubadour Riccardo, secretly in love with the noble heiress Zarah, into impersonating her recently slain betrothed and marrying her. The impersonation unwittingly advances a plot to overthrow Spanish rule; Portugal is liberated and Riccardo ennobled.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]Despite criticism that Eugène Scribe's libretto was derivative, drawing on [[Victor Hugo]]’s ''[[Ruy Blas]]'' and ''[[Hernani (drama)|Hernani]]'' among other plays<ref>De Saint-Géniès, ''L’Indépendant,'' 28 January 1841. ''Le Charivari'', 24 January 1841. Hector Berlioz, ''Journal des débats,'' 24 January 1841.</ref>, most admired its dexterous construction and dramatic flair<ref>''Le Charivari,'' 24 January 1841. A., ''Le Constitutionnel,'' 25 January 1841. ''Le Courrier,'' 25 January 1841. De Saint-Géniès, ''L’Indépendant,'' 28 January 1841. </ref>.[/td]
[td]Although critics thought Eugène Scribe's libretto was derivative, drawing on [[Victor Hugo]]’s ''[[Ruy Blas]]'' and ''[[Hernani (drama)|Hernani]]'' among other plays<ref>De Saint-Géniès, ''L’Indépendant,'' 28 January 1841. ''Le Charivari'', 24 January 1841. Hector Berlioz, ''Journal des débats,'' 24 January 1841.</ref>, most admired its dexterous construction and dramatic flair<ref>''Le Charivari,'' 24 January 1841. A., ''Le Constitutionnel,'' 25 January 1841. ''Le Courrier,'' 25 January 1841. De Saint-Géniès, ''L’Indépendant,'' 28 January 1841. </ref>.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]Halévy's brother Léon hailed the opera as a return to the composer's natural mode: expressing chivalric feeling with moving passion within a richly coloured score.<ref>Léon Halévy, ''F. Halévy, sa vie et œuvres'', Paris: Heugel, 1863, pp. 35–36.</ref> Likewise, Richard Wagner considered ''Le Guitarrero'' “a brilliant comeback” for Halévy after “a string of worthless works”.<ref>Quoted in Ruth Jordan, ''Fromental Halévy'', p. 105.</ref>[/td]
[td]Halévy's brother Léon hailed the opera as a return to the composer's natural mode: expressing chivalric feeling with moving passion within a richly coloured score.<ref>Léon Halévy, ''F. Halévy, sa vie et œuvres'', Paris: Heugel, 1863, pp. 35–36.</ref> Likewise, Richard Wagner considered ''Le Guitarrero'' “a brilliant comeback” for Halévy after “a string of worthless works”.<ref>Quoted in Ruth Jordan, ''Fromental Halévy'', p. 105.</ref>[/td] [td]Berlioz acknowledged Halévy’s elegant style and rhythmic originality, but noted that too much plot exposition took place during musical numbers.<ref>Hector Berlioz, ''Journal des débats'', 24 January 1841.</ref>[/td]
[td]Berlioz acknowledged Halévy’s elegant style and rhythmic originality, but noted that too much plot exposition took place during musical numbers.<ref>Hector Berlioz, ''Journal des débats'', 24 January 1841.</ref>[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]The most striking number in the score seems to be Zarah's Act III romance "Je connais mes devoirs''…'' Partez, monsieur, partez”, which Henri Blanchard considered equal in dramatic power to the celebrated tenor romance from ''Guido et Ginevra''.<ref>Henri Blanchard, ''Revue et Gazette musicale'', 24 January 1841.</ref>[/td] [td]Meyerbeer, who saw the opera performed in Berlin, found the orchestration “very interesting,” though somewhat fragmented, and observed that while there were many melodious phrases, they often derived from rhythmic combinations.<ref>Robert Ignatius Letellier (ed.), ''The Diaries of Giacomo Meyerbeer: 1840-1849'', Associated University Press, 1999.</ref> He praised Halévy’s sensitivity to the text and skill in the ''parlante'' style, but felt the score as a whole contained “too much marquetry,” pieced together from small fragments.[/td] [td][/td] [td]Meyerbeer, who saw the opera performed in Berlin, described the orchestration as “very interesting,” though somewhat fragmented, and observed that while there were many melodious phrases, they often derived from rhythmic combinations.<ref>Robert Ignatius Letellier (ed.), ''The Diaries of Giacomo Meyerbeer: 1840-1849'', Associated University Press, 1999.</ref> He praised Halévy’s sensitivity to the text, but felt the score as a whole contained “too much marquetry,” pieced together from small fragments.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]The opera was performed widely across Europe in 1841–42: in French in Brussels and The Hague, and in German in Kassel, Berlin, and Leipzig. Its last-known 19th-century performance was in Italian translation in Malta in 1890.[/td]
[td]The opera was performed widely across Europe in 1841–42: in French in Brussels and The Hague, and in German in Kassel, Berlin, and Leipzig. Its last-known 19th-century performance was in Italian translation in Malta in 1890.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]''Le Guitarrero'' was revived by Les Frivolités Parisiennes in 2015 at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, Paris, in 2015.[/td]
[td]''Le Guitarrero'' was revived by Les Frivolités Parisiennes in 2015 at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, Paris.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]Wagner arranged several of the arias for flute, violin, viola, and cello.[/td]
[td]Wagner arranged several of the arias for flute, violin, viola, and cello.[/td]
Continue reading...
