Le Roi et le batelier

Template:Halévy operasLe Roi et le batelier (The King and the oarsman) is a one-act opéra comique by Fromental Halévy and Victor Rifaut, to a libretto by Saint-Georges. It was first performed on 8 November 1827 at the Opéra Comique in Paris.

Background

Le roi et le batelier was the second of Halévy's operatic works to receive public performance. The music was written in collaboration with Victor Rifaut, who had won the Prix de Rome in 1821, two years after Halévy himself. The opera had thirteen performances, and has apparaently never been revived.

Synopsis

Th opera is set in 1594 in Paris. Henri IV seeks to capture Paris by peaceful means. In disguise as a Parisian soldier, he gets the oarsman Claude to ferry him across the Seine. Pretending to smuggle supplies into the besieged city, the 'soldier' leads a convoy which in fact contains his army; Paris is thus taken peacefully and the citizens rejoice at the success of the King.

Sources

• Jordan, Ruth (1994). Fromental Halévy: His Life and Music. London: Kahn and Averill ISBN 9781871082517 (p. 29)