Louise (opera)
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| Title: | Louise |
Premiere poster by Georges-Antoine Rochegrosse , 1900 |
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| Shape: | Opera in four acts and five pictures |
| Original language: | French |
| Music: | Gustave Charpentier |
| Libretto : | Gustave Charpentier |
| Premiere: | February 2, 1900 |
| Place of premiere: | Paris, Opéra-Comique , Salle Favart |
| Playing time: | approx. 2 ¾ hours |
| Place and time of the action: | Paris, around 1900 |
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Louise is an opera (original name: "Roman musical") in four acts and five pictures by Gustave Charpentier (music) with a libretto by the composer. The premiere took place on February 2, 1900 in the Salle Favart of the Opéra-Comique in Paris. The opera is considered the French answer to verism and pays homage to the city of Paris and Montmartre .
action
The opera is about the love of the working girl Louise for the bohemian Julien. Although her father shows understanding, her mother forbids her to deal with the young good-for-nothing. After a few setbacks, Julien succeeds in persuading Louise to flee her parents' house. They move into a small hut on Montmartre, where Louise is crowned their muse by the Bohèmiens. When the father becomes seriously ill, the mother persuades Louise to live with them again for a short time. After his recovery, however, they forbid her to return to Julien. The argument escalates and Louise leaves the apartment in anger.
first act
foreplay
Attic room in a workers' apartment
In the background the entrance door; the kitchen to the right; further to the right on the same side towards the front is the door to the parents' room. On the left a glass door to Louise's room; further left a large open window to the balcony; behind the balcony roofs and a section of the Parisian sky. Opposite the balcony is a raised terrace in front of a small artist's studio. Six in the evening in April.
Scene 1. Louise anxiously awaits her fiancé, the young painter Julien, who is late. Her strict parents have so far disagreed with their connection. Now, at her request, he has written a final letter to her father. If he still doesn't give in, he wants to escape with her. But Louise wants to save the parents from disappointment. She loves Julien, but also her parents. She asks Julien to tell her how he fell in love with her. He had lived in the neighboring apartment for a long time without noticing her, as she was hardly allowed to leave the apartment. After glancing at her one day, he watched her at her window on Easter Day and was immediately fascinated by her smile. Unnoticed by the two of them, Louise's mother enters, leans briefly on the armchair and then approaches the window.
Scene 2. Louise tells Julien that she noticed him some time ago. There had already been a few brief encounters, but the mother interrupted them. Then one evening they secretly got engaged while their parents slept. Only now does Louise notice her mother, who has listened to everything and refers Louise to the kitchen. Surprised by Louise's sudden silence, Julien jokes about her mother's strictness. This shows itself to him, insults him and then steps into the next room. Confused, Julien goes to the balcony, from where he shows Louise his letter to her father through the window. He withdraws with a warble. The mother closes the window.
Scene 3. Louise comes out of the kitchen, trembling. Her mother quotes Julien's vows of love she overheard and reproaches her. She calls Julien a useless parasite and womanizer who spends his life in the pub. Louise vehemently defends Julien. Her mother could prevent her happiness, but she could never destroy her love. The two interrupt their argument when they hear footsteps from the stairs.
Scene 4. The father returns home from work exhausted. He is holding a letter in his hand. The mother hurries into the kitchen. While Louise is preparing dinner, completely confused from the argument, her father reads Julien's letter. Meanwhile, the mother is blaspheming the many idlers. The Father thinks righteousness is a “big word”. If you don't have money yourself, you should be content to earn it for others. Everyone is responsible for their own happiness and can achieve it without a fortune. To confirm this, he waltzes with his mother. Then he reads the letter with Julien's proposal. He says that it was written nicely and that the two really seem to love each other. He wants to invite Julien to get to know him better. The mother, however, firmly rejects Julien. You've heard bad things about him before. Louise disagrees and receives a slap in the face from her mother. She bursts into tears. The father comforts her, but also thinks that love is blind. Experience helps when choosing a partner, and one can learn something about the future from the past of the beloved. The mother goes into the next room, warbling. The father asks Louise to trust his judgment and forget Julien if he should refuse it. Louise says she will always love him (her father). To divert attention from the subject, the father asks Louise to read to him from the newspaper. The article is about the festive Parisian spring season. Emotions overwhelmed Louise again.
Second act
Foreplay. "Paris s'éveille"
First picture. Intersection
The scene represents a crossroads at the lower edge of Montmartre . On the left, in the background of the stage, a descending staircase; on the far left a shed; On the right a house and a tavern; in the background on the right an ascending staircase, on the far right an alley; in the distance on the right the flounder; left the suburb. Sellers display their goods. Workers prepare for the day. It's five in the morning in April. Fog surrounds the city.
Scene 1. A little rag picker, a coal collector, a night owl, a newspaper girl, a junk dealer and a milkwoman talk and tease each other at work. The night owl is looking for more amusements in the city and runs into a rag collector on the street corner. He scolds the night owl who recently seduced his daughter. The second-hand dealer tells of similar experiences with his three daughters, who prefer paradise over there to life here.
Scene 2. The intersection comes to life. Two policemen are added. An old woman praises clothes. A street sweeper remembers her happy youth as "Queen of Paris". A street boy tries to find out the address of her "job" at the time. It refers to the city.
Scene 3. Julien appears with his bohemian friends: a painter, a sculptor, a song writer, a young poet, a student and two philosophers. He intends to intercept Louise on her way to her work place in the tailoring studio and to flee with her as soon as her mother is out of sight. The Bohèmiens want to crown Louise their muse. A passing apprentice tells them to go to work. The Bohemians are withdrawing.
Scene 4. On the background of the calls from various traders, including a chair weaver, a junk dealer, a carrot dealer, an artichoke dealer and a birdseed seller, Julien raves about morning Parisian city life. Workers appear and he hides in the shed.
Scene 5. The seamstresses Blanche, Marguerite, Susanne, Gertrud, Camille and Irma enter the house, chatting. Julien steps out of the shed impatiently. An apprentice girl and the workers Élise and Madeleine make fun of him and run into the house laughing. He steps back into the shed when he sees Louise coming with her mother.
Scene 6. The mother tells Louise to get the nonsense out of her head. To ensure her honesty, Louise will work in the apartment in the future. The mother says goodbye tenderly and leaves.
Scene 7. Julien comes out of hiding and asks Louise how her parents received his letter. Louise reacts with fear and reluctance. Julien reminds her of her promise and urges her to flee with him. Louise assures him of her love, but asks for a delay. In the distance the flute of a goatherd can be heard. Louise says goodbye and leaves Julien sad.
Scene 8. The curtain falls on the calls of a clothes dealer, the birdseed seller and the artichoke seller.
Interlude
Second picture. A tailoring studio
The seamstresses work chatting and singing at their tables. Two workers are pleating a petticoat on a dressmaker's dummy; the apprentice collects needles; a seamstress works on the sewing machine.
Scene 1. Louise sits to the side in silence. When her colleagues notice this, they first suspect trouble with their mother. Then they tease her about being in love. Louise denies this. The girls, on the other hand, rave about the feeling of love. The guard pushes to work. Suddenly you can hear music from outside.
Scene 2. Irma, Camille, Marguerite, Élise, Madeleine and the apprentice go to the windows to look into the courtyard. Accompanied by his friends, Julien serenades Louise. The girls throw him money and kiss hands. Only Louise cannot be seen. Julien sings impatiently of unrequited love. Gradually the girls get bored. Julien is also unstoppable when the apprentice throws rags into the yard. Finally, the girls ask the musicians to play to dance. Everyone romp and dance. Louise explains to the others that she is not feeling well and leaves the studio. The music moves away. The seamstresses look at each other in amazement.
Scene 3. The apprentice believes the singer is responsible for Louise's behavior. Everyone rushes to the window and sees Julien and Louise together.
Third act
Foreplay. "Vers la cité lointaine"
A small garden at the foot of Montmarte
On the left is a small one-story house with a porch and an open porch. Next to the house in the foreground is a wall with a small gate. Right scaffolding. In the background a hedge; an open door between the hedge and the scaffolding. A path leads along the hedge; behind it the roofs of the neighboring houses and the panorama of Paris. Dawn is at hand.
Scene 1. Julien is sitting near the house with a book in hand, apparently lost in happy thoughts. Louise smiles at him from the porch. Then she approaches him and raves about her new happiness (“Depuis le jour”). She has no regrets: in the sewing shop she was considered an outsider, her father thought she was immature, and her mother beat her. She tells Julien about the conversation with her father (first act, scene 4). Julien thinks her father is wrong. He ignores the commandment to love. Everyone has the right to freedom and the duty to love. Her parents' love is nothing but egoism. In contrast, Louise has now become the symbol of Paris that they will conquer together. Both look enthusiastically at the city, where the lights are gradually being lit, and sing about freedom and love. Trumpets can be heard in the distance. Fireworks are shining over Paris. Louise leads Julien into the house with a passionate gesture. Drums sound in the distance.
Scene 2. A bohemian appears, jumps over the hedge, notices the lighted window, makes a gesture in the direction of the city and gives a signal. A second appears in the same way. The light in the window goes out. Three comrades carry a bulky package into the house. They decorate the facade, the veranda and the porch with banners, fabrics and lanterns. In the distance screams, chants and festive fanfares can be heard. The lights of the city seem to be moving towards the flood. Drum rolls and joyful calls resound. Passers-by come over to see why. Street boys climb onto the surrounding houses. Disguised grisettes and bohemians swarm around the house. The festival begins.
Divertissement
Scene 3. Coronation of the Muse of Montmartre. The King of Fools (the night owl in the first scene of act two) gives an opening speech, bows and introduces Louise to a dancer as a “living flower”. Everyone cheers. The dancer collects flowers from the surrounding grisettes and weaves them into a diadem, with which she crowns Louise. The grisettes drape a silver-interwoven scarf around Louise's shoulders as a symbol of her royal dignity. When asked by the grisettes and bohemians whether she wants to become their muse, Louise agrees. Julien and Louise ensure their love for each other. While those present are cheering, Louise's mother suddenly appears. The King of Fools, the standard bearers, musicians and dancers move away. Louise throws herself into Julien's arms, startled. At a sign from Julien, the crowd withdraws. Louise escapes into the house. Julien resolutely opposes the mother. In the distance drum rolls can be heard.
Scene 4. The mother tells Julien that Louise's father is seriously ill. He had not got over Louise's escape, could no longer sleep and wandered around for hours in the dark. Since yesterday his condition has worsened. The mother believes that only a reconciliation with Louise could save him and asks her to come home. Julien makes the mother promise that Louise can return to him. Louise gives Julien her scarf and follows her mother.
Fourth act
The attic room as in the first act
Julien's house and terrace have disappeared; Paris can be seen in the distance. Nine o'clock in the evening. Summer.
Scene 1. The father is sitting near the table. The mother does the dishes in the kitchen. Through the glass door, Louise can be seen working in her room near the open window from which she looks longingly. The mother brings the father a bowl of tea and hesitantly invites him to drink; then she opens the window. She tries to cheer up her father by pointing out that the view of Paris was unobstructed after the old houses were torn down. The father has recovered from his illness in the last twenty days but is still bitter. He complains about the selfishness of the younger generation. After all the love he put into bringing up his daughter, he now has to leave her to a thief. Louise is sulking too, because her parents did not let her go after her father had recovered. When the mother asks her to bid her father good night, she emerges slowly from her room.
Scene 2. Louise bends down to her father and presents her forehead to him. The father seizes her by force, hugs her and hugs her for a long time. But she breaks free without giving him his kiss. Her father misses the familiarity they used to be. Louise, on the other hand, feels like a bird locked in a cage. She reminds the mother of her promise to give her her freedom. The mother claims that they only gave consent to marriage, but not to free love. The father wishes everything to be the same as it used to be when she was a child. But Louise has heard the call of the big city and can no longer avoid it. The dispute escalates. In a touch of anger, the father throws Louise out. She flees the apartment with an outcry.
Scene 3. The city lights suddenly go out. After Luise's departure, the father's anger fades. He runs down the stairs and calls for her. The mother looks out the window into the night. After the father returns, the city lights gradually become visible again. The father clenches his fist and curses Paris.
layout
Instrumentation
The orchestral line-up for the opera includes the following instruments:
- Woodwinds : three flutes (3rd also piccolo ), two oboes (2nd also English horn ), three clarinets (3rd also bass clarinet ), two bassoons
- Brass : four horns , three trumpets , three trombones , bass tuba
- Timpani , percussion : triangle , snare drum , tambourine , bass drum , cymbals
- Celesta
- two harps
- Strings
- Stage music: flute (also piccolo), clarinet, three trumpets, two trombones, bass tuba, drums (bass drum, snare drum, tambourine, cymbal), guitar , bells, sewing machine
libretto
Louise is considered the "most important French opera of the veristic direction". The libretto of the opera, which Charpentier explicitly referred to as a "roman musical", shows clear parallels to the novels of Émile Zola , which he transferred to the opera. The morning scene in the first picture of the second part is a musical counterpart to his Paris painting in Ein Blatt Liebe . Charpentier, like Zola, was concerned with depicting the reality of life for the “little people” and the bohemians. In contrast to Puccini in his Bohème , Charpentier made no attempt at romantic transfiguration. In order to accentuate the atmosphere, like Zola, he introduced a large number of characteristic secondary characters. However, a performance gets by with significantly fewer singers, since they can each take on several roles.
The people speak in the street dialect, which was also taken into account in the setting. The language, which was felt to be immoral at the time, occasionally attracted criticism and made translation difficult. At that time it was completely new in the higher opera. In addition, swallowed syllables, alliterations and internal rhymes are used as means of expression .
music
Despite the naturalistic text, the music is always lyrically melodic. For the declamatory passages, Charpentier uses different methods between singing, half-spoken tone, laughing and screaming. The sung passages of the lovers, the bohemians and the grisettes, on the other hand, are reminiscent of the music of his teacher Jules Massenet , who admired the work. Even Charles Gounod to be mentioned as an example.
The main roles have been carefully characterized musically by Charpentier: Julien is passionate and reckless, Louise is reserved and timid. He dedicated particularly melodic passages to his father. In the silent scenes, such as the father's return home, described exactly in the libretto (first act, scene 4), Charpentier uses leitmotifs in preparation for the musical and dramatic development. Unlike z. B. with Richard Wagner, however, these do not have a supporting function that would be essential for an understanding of the work. They work more like Puccini's memory motifs. Wagner is also directly quoted by the first philosopher (second act, first image, scene 3). The choir of the seamstresses (second act, second picture) is reminiscent of the chorus of the spinners in the second act of the Flying Dutchman .
The orchestra is extremely colorful and original. Charpentier also used unusual instruments such as a viola da gamba or a sewing machine.
The opera begins with a festive fanfare, on the motif of which the subsequent prelude is based. In the course of the opera it appears again and again in different forms as an expression of passionate joie de vivre.
The orchestral prelude to the second act, entitled “Paris s'éveille”, depicts precisely this in a colorful way: the awakening of the city of Paris.
Louise's aria “Depuis le jour” was best known in the first scene of the third act.
Work history
Louise is Gustave Charpentier's first opera. He got the idea for it at a dinner with the poet Saint-Pol-Roux and others. He began work in 1887 during his stay in the Villa Medici in Rome, where he had to deliver a compulsory piece as the winner of the Prix de Rome . The opera has an autobiographical background insofar as Charpentier could not gain anything from the city of Rome and longed for Paris and the local bohemian scene, which he knew from personal experience. The libretto was originally supposed to be provided by the music publisher Georges Hartmann - but Charpentier did not want to wait and wrote it himself. The libretto does not mention a second librettist, and Charpentier always assured me that he had written it alone. But there is evidence that he paid Saint-Pol-Roux to complete it.
Charpentier interrupted Louise's employment to compose his symphonic drama La vie du poète and did not take it up again until 1893. In 1896 the work was largely completed. At the suggestion of writers to whom he had submitted the libretto, he subsequently added a few lyrical parts. In 1898 he integrated the separately composed folk scene La fête du couronnement into the third act.
Charpentier made several attempts to accommodate the opera at an opera house. Léon Carvalho , the head of the Paris Opéra-Comique , criticized the "shabby realism" and suggested the plot in the time of Louis XV. to relocate and make the end more conciliatory - Louise and Julien were to find each other with the blessing of their father. However, Charpentier did not agree to these changes. In 1898, Carvalho's successor Albert Carré accepted the work in its original form.
The premiere took place on February 2, 1900 in the Salle Favart of the Opéra-Comique. André Messager was the musical director of the premiere . The production was done by Albert Carré himself. Lucien Jusseaume designed the sets. Marthe Rioton (Louise), Adolphe Maréchal (Julien), Lucien Fugère (father) and Blanche Deschamps-Jéhin (mother) sang the leading roles . The performance was a great success, which was favored by the world exhibition that took place in the same year . All critics saw opera as a milestone in the development of French opera. However, the praise to free love and the Montmartre dialect were criticized. The management team Carré, Messager and Jusseaume also produced the world premiere of Claude Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande two years later .
Thirteen years later, Charpentier wrote a sequel to the opera called Julien . In it he processed his drama La vie de poète, which was also composed in Rome . Their success, however, cannot be compared with that of Louise .
Louise was played at the Opéra-Comique 100 times in the first season and almost 1,000 times by 1935. From the eighth performance on April 10th, the understudy Mary Garden took over the leading role, initially in the third act and from April 25th completely. She had a huge success with it and was considered the ideal cast.
Shortly after the premiere, it was also performed outside of Europe, for example in New York in 1900 (1921 at the Metropolitan Opera with Geraldine Farrar , later Lucrezia Bori and Grace Moore ) or in Buenos Aires in 1918. The first German production was in Frankfurt am Main in 1902 in a translation by Otto Neitzel . In the same year it was also played in Hamburg, Leipzig and Cologne - in Hamburg 23 times until 1929. In Berlin Emmy Destinn sang the title role in 1903 , in Vienna in the same year Marie Gutheil-Schoder under the direction of Gustav Mahler . In 1908 Arturo Toscanini conducted a production at La Scala in Milan with Fanny Heldy and Aureliano Pertile . In 1909 Louise Edvina sang the leading role at Covent Garden in London.
There were later performances in Graz in 1979 (concert version), 1981 by the English National Opera in the London Coliseum , 1983 in Brussels and Frankfurt, 1984 in Augsburg, 1986 in Strasbourg and 1996 in Toulouse (conductor: Michel Plasson , staging: Nicolas Joel , 2000 also performed in Paris). At Theater Dortmund , the opera was combined with its sequel Julien in 2000 (production: John Dew ). Both operas of the Dortmund production were broadcast on the radio by WDR .
Recordings
- 1935 (studio; short version; first known recording; Opernwelt CD tip: “Historical significance”): Eugène Bigot (conductor), Orchester Raugel Paris, Les Choeurs Raugel Paris. Ninon Vallin (Louise), Georges Thill (Julien), André Pernet (father), Aimée Lecouvreur (mother). Music Memoria CD: 30223, Nimbus: NI 7829, Naxos historical 8.110225 (1 CD).
- 1939 (film adaptation): Eugène Bigot (conductor), Abel Gance (director). Grace Moore (Louise), Georges Thill (Julien), André Pernet (father), Suzanne Desprès (mother).
- February 20, 1943 (live from New York): Thomas Beecham (conductor), Orchestra and Choir of the Metropolitan Opera . Grace Moore (Louise), Raoul Jobin (Julien), Ezio Pinza (father), Doris Doe (mother). Naxos historical 8.110102-.04 (2 CD), Eclipse CD: WHL 9, Cantus Classics 500293 (2 CD).
- May 1956 (Studio; Opernwelt CD tip: “Reference recording”): Jean Fournet (conductor), orchestra and choir of the Opéra-Comique Paris. Berthe Monmart (Louise), André Laroze (Julien), Louis Musy (father), Solange Michel (mother). Philips CD: 442 082 2.
- January 1976 (studio; first scene of the third act slightly shortened): Georges Prêtre (conductor), New Philharmonia Orchestra London , Ambrosian Opera Chorus. Ileana Cotrubaș (Louise), Plácido Domingo (Julien), Gabriel Bacquier (father), Jane Berbié (mother). Sony CD: 46 429, CBS LP: 79302 (3 LP).
- February 6, 1977 (live from New York; abridged): Julius Rudel (conductor), orchestra and choir of the New York City Opera . Beverly Sills (Louise), John Alexander (Julien), Robert Hale (father), Frances Bible (mother). Premiere Opera 1224-2 (2 CD).
- June 1977 (studio; first scene of the third act slightly shortened): Julius Rudel (conductor), orchestra and choir of the Opéra National de Paris . Beverly Sills (Louise), Nicolai Gedda (Julien), José van Dam (father), Mignon Dunn (mother). EMI CD: 5 65299 2 (3 CD).
- January 1983 (live from Brussels; abridged): Sylvain Cambreling (conductor), orchestra and choir of the Théâtre de la Monnaie Brussels. Felicity Lott (Louise), Jerôme Pruett (Julien), Ernest Blanc (father), Rita Gorr (mother). Teldec CD: 0630 157292.
- 1999 (live from San Francisco; abridged): Patrick Summers (conductor), orchestra and choir of the San Francisco Opera . Renée Fleming (Louise), Jerry Hadley (Julien), Samuel Ramey (father), Felicity Palmer (mother). Lyric Distribution NO 936-2 (2 CD).
- May 9 and June 12, 2001 (live from Dortmund; third act shortened; the fourth act was also shortened on the following WDR radio show): Axel Kober (conductor), Philharmonic Orchestra Dortmund , choir and extra choir of the Dortmund Theater . Barbara Dobrzanska (Louise), Brian Nedvin (Julien), Karl-Heinz Lehner (father), Sonja Borowski-Tudor (mother).
literature
- Steven Huebner: Louise. In: French Opera at the Fin De Siecle. Oxford University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-19-816280-4 , pp. 436-467.
Web links
- Louise (Charpentier, Gustave) : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
- Plot and libretto by Louise (Opera) on Opera-Guide landing page due to URL change currently not available
- Work data on Louise based on MGG with discography at Operone
- Libretto (French) as full text at OperaGlass
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Richard Langham Smith: Louise. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Theo Hirsbrunner : Gustave Charpentier. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater. Volume 1: Works. Abbatini - Donizetti. Piper, Munich / Zurich 1986, ISBN 3-492-02411-4 , pp. 544-547.
- ^ A b c d e Gerhart von Westerman , Karl Schumann: Knaurs Opernführer. Droemersche Verlagsanstalt Th. Knaur Nachf., Munich 1957, 1969, ISBN 3-426-07216-5 , pp. 307-309.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Louise. In: Harenberg opera guide. 4th edition. Meyers Lexikonverlag, 2003, ISBN 3-411-76107-5 , p. 154 f.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Louise. In: Reclam's Opernlexikon. Philipp Reclam jun., 2001. Digital Library, Volume 52, p. 1511.
- ↑ a b Tully Potter: Information on recording Naxos 8.110225 (English) , accessed on October 14, 2016.
- ^ Kurt Pahlen : The new opera lexicon. Seehamer, Weyarn 2000, ISBN 3-934058-58-2 , p. 133 f.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Gustave Charpentier. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all opera complete recordings. Zeno.org , volume 20.
- ↑ Louise in the Internet Movie Database (English)