La favorite (opera)

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Work data
Title: The favorite
Original title: La favorite
Gilbert Duprez and Rosine Stoltz as Fernando and Léonor (1849)

Gilbert Duprez and Rosine Stoltz as Fernando and Léonor (1849)

Shape: Grand opéra in four acts
Original language: French
Music: Gaetano Donizetti
Libretto : Alphonse Royer , Eugène Scribe and Gustave Vaëz
Literary source: François-Thomas-Marie de Baculard d'Arnaud : Les amants malheureux ou Le comte de Comminges
Premiere: December 2, 1840
Place of premiere: Paris Opera
Playing time: approx. 2 ¾ hours
Place and time of the action: Castile, around 1340
people

La favorite ( The Favorite , Italian version: La favorita ) is a grand opéra in four acts by the composer Gaetano Donizetti ; The libretto was created by Alphonse Royer , Eugène Scribe and Gustave Vaëz on the basis of the story Les amants malheureux ou Le comte de Comminges by François-Thomas-Marie de Baculard d'Arnaud . It premiered on December 2, 1840 at the Paris Opera .

action

first act

In the monastery of Santiago de Compostela

Fernand is a novice in the monastery and after his training is to be the successor of Prior Balthazar (choir of monks). Fernand met Leonor by chance in the cloister garden and fell in love with her (romance "Never seen an angelic woman"). His love is reciprocated and he decides to leave the monastery. Fernand talks to Prior Balthazar and wants to report to the army ( duet Fernand / Balthazar “You my son, my only hope”).

Second act

In the palace of King Alphonse XI.

Fernand excels in the fight against the Moors and is promoted to officer. When Pope John XXII. King Alphonse XI. Threatened with excommunication, the latter turns away from his mistress Léonor and gives her to Fernand as his wife. Léonor wants to inform Fernand by letter that she was the favorite (mistress) of his king, but Don Gasparo arrests her messenger Ines so that the news cannot endanger the wedding. Thus Fernand only learns of Léonor's role after his marriage, through the other officers, who now regard him as dishonored.

Third act

In the palace of King Alphonse XI.

Fernand and King Alphonse XI meet in the audience hall. on each other. Fernand breaks his sword and throws it at the king's feet. Now Léonor joins them ( trio “Fernand? Covered with shame in front of him”). The king withdraws and Fernand also leaves the room. Léonor stands sad at the window ( aria “O my Fernando, I would give all treasures there, may I be yours”).

Fourth act

In the monastery of Santiago de Compostela

Fernand arrives at the monastery and has himself reported to the prior (aria "When I once left you in the wilderness"). He re-enters the monastery and wants to take his vows as soon as possible. Léonor has followed her husband, but is late. She arrives at the monastery when mass is being celebrated in the church. She has to wait until the Mass is over; but Fernand had already taken his religious vows during this holy mass.

layout

orchestra

The orchestral line-up for the opera includes the following instruments:

Music numbers

(Italian version)

first act

  • No. 1 - Introduzione: Bell'alba foriera (choir, Fernando, Baldassarre)
  • No. 2 - Choir and Duet Leonora and Fernando: With raggi lucenti - Ah mio ben! un dio ti invia (choir, Ines, Leonora, Alfonso)
  • No. 3 - Fernando's aria: Sì, che un tuo solo accento.

Second act

  • No. 4 - Cavatine des Alfonso: Vien, Leonora, a 'piedi tuoi
  • No. 5 - Duet Leonora and Alfonso: Sì, Alfonso, me traviata, avvilita
  • No. 6 - Finale II: Paventa del furor (Baldassarre, Leonora, Alfonso, Gasparo, Coro, Ines)

Third act

  • No. 7 - Aria of Leonora: Oh mio Fernando! della terra il trono
  • No. 8 - Finale III: Già nell'augusta cella (Choir, Fernando, Alfonso, Gasparo, Leonora, Baldassarre)

Fourth act

  • No. 9 - Baldassarre's aria: Splendon più belle (Baldassarre, choir)
  • No. 10 - Fernando's aria: Spirto gentil ne 'sogni miei
  • No. 11 - Duet Fernando and Leonora and Finale: Ah! va ', t'invola; ea questa terra - Ah padre, è dessa! (Fernando, Leonora, Baldassarre, choir)

Work history

This work was originally laid out in three acts and was created under the title L'ange de Nisida in autumn 1839 for the Théâtre de la Renaissance . This project was dropped by Donizetti, however, and he used a large part of his compositions for the opera La favorite, which was now conceived in the style of the grand opéra . The premiere took place on December 2, 1840 at the Paris Opera under the musical direction of François-Antoine habeneck . The singers were Paul Barroilhet (Alphonse XI), Rosine Stoltz (Léonor), Gilbert Duprez (Fernand), Nicolas-Prosper Levasseur (Balthazar), Pierre-François Wartel (Don Gaspar) and Élian (Inès). La favorite was very successful here and was performed there about 650 times by 1904. Around 1840 Richard Wagner arranged the music for the piano.

The writer Richard Ottowalk translated the libretto, and as early as 1841 the opera in German was staged in Kassel . In 1841 the work was shown under the title Richard and Mathilde at the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna , and in 1853 an adaptation of the work was staged under the title Leonore .

Discography (selection)

literature

  • William Ashbrook: Donizetti and his Operas . University Press, Cambridge 1983, ISBN 0-521-27663-2 .
  • Leo Melitz: Guide through the operas . Globus-Verlag, Berlin 1914, p. 84.
  • Horst Seeger : Opera Lexicon . Heinrichshofens Verlag, Wilhelmshaven, 1978, ISBN 3-7959-0271-1 , p. 189.

Web links

Commons : La Favorite  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Norbert Miller : La Favorite. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater . Volume 2: Works. Donizetti - Henze. Piper, Munich / Zurich 1987, ISBN 3-492-02412-2 , pp. 29-33.
  2. ↑ December 2, 1840: “La favorite”. In: L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia ., Accessed on August 7, 2019.