Moïse et Pharaon

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Opera dates
Title: Moses and Pharaoh
Original title: Moïse et Pharaon
Title page of the libretto, Paris 1827

Title page of the libretto, Paris 1827

Shape: Grand opéra in four acts
Original language: French
Music: Gioachino Rossini
Libretto : Luigi Balocchi and Victor-Joseph-Etienne de Jouy
Literary source: Andrea Leone Tottola : Mosè in Egitto
Premiere: March 26, 1827
Place of premiere: Paris, Opéra
Playing time: about 3 hours
Place and time of the action: In the Midianite camp near Memphis and in Memphis, Biblical Period
people
  • Moïse ( Moses ), leader of the Hebrews ( Bass )
  • Pharaon , King of Egypt (Bass)
  • Aménophis, son of Pharaoh and lover of Anaï ( tenor )
  • Éliézer ( Aaron ), brother of Moïse (tenor)
  • Osiride, Egyptian priest (bass)
  • Aufide, captain of the Egyptian guard (tenor)
  • Sinaïde, wife of Pharaoh ( soprano )
  • Anaï, daughter of Marie, lover of Aménophis (soprano)
  • Marie ( Mirjam ), sister of Moïse ( mezzo-soprano )
  • Une voix mistérieuse, a mysterious voice (bass)
  • Hebrews and Egyptians ( choir )

Moïse et Pharaon, ou Le Passage de la Mer Rouge (Eng .: Moses and Pharao or The Train through the Red Sea ) is a French grand opéra in four acts by Gioachino Rossini (music) with a libretto by Luigi Balocchi and Victor-Joseph- Etienne de Jouy. It appeared at the Paris Opéra in 1827 as a revision of Rossini's Mosè in Egitto, composed in 1818 . An Italian back translation was created in the same year under the title Mosè e Faraone. It is usually listed under the short title Mosè .

action

The opera deals with the biblical story of the exodus of the Israelite people from Egypt , accompanied by a love story between Aménophis, the son of Pharaoh , and the Israelite Anaï, the daughter of Moïse's sister Marie . Moïse fled Egypt to the Midianites . His brother Éliézer ( Aaron ) succeeds in persuading Pharaon to allow the Hebrews to leave the country. He revokes this shortly afterwards. God punishes the Egyptians for breaking their word with the plague of darkness. At the urging of the Egyptian people, Pharaon again declares himself ready to let the Hebrews go. The Isis priest Osiride, however, demands that they first make an offering to the goddess Isis. There are more plagues. The waters turn to blood, locusts ravage the land, and disease spreads. Pharaon threatens to take revenge on the Israelites. Then Moïse works a miracle. The statue of Isis falls over and the Ark of the Covenant appears in its place . Now Pharaon decides on a compromise in order to obey the commands of both deities. He lets the Israelites leave the city in chains. Aménophis follows them with Anaï to the Red Sea to ask Moïse for her hand. Anaï herself refuses to stay with her people. Aménophis calls the Egyptian army to take revenge on them. After a prayer by the Hebrews, the Red Sea divides and opens up an escape route. The Egyptians who follow them are swallowed up by the floods.

The following table of contents is based on the French version from 1827.

first act

Stage design, 1827

The Midianite camp outside the walls of Memphis

You can see the tent of Moïse, in front of which there is an altar made of grass; a palm forest on the left, and at the edge of it some bushes, one of which is striking because of its shape and size.

Scene 1. Moïse fled Egypt to Midian with some other Israelites . Together with the Midianites they pray for the liberation of the Hebrew people from Egyptian slavery (chorus: “Dieu puissant”).

Scene 2. Moïse tells those present to stop complaining. He awaited the return of his brother Éliézer, who should ask Pharaon on his behalf to set the Hebrews free.

Scene 3. Éliézer appears in the camp with his sister Marie and their daughter Anaï. They bring good news. After they told Pharaon of the impending wrath of God, his wife Sinaïde persuaded him to promise freedom to the Hebrews. Marie and Anaï have already been able to return with them. A rainbow appears in the sky and a mysterious voice reaffirms the covenant between the Lord and his people. She tells Moses to take the tablets of the law that are lying on a flower-covered bush. The Israelites will be victorious if they are faithful to God. All go except Anaï.

Scene 4. Anaï feels guilty about her love for the Egyptian prince Aménophis. She prays to God for forgiveness.

Scene 5. Aménophis appears with some Egyptian soldiers. He begs Anaï to stay with him. She assures him of her love for him, but is determined to obey her mother and move on with her people (duet: "Ah! Si je perds l'objet que j'aime"). Aménophis is desperate. He decides to talk to Moïse and steps into his tent.

Scene 6. The Israelites celebrate the happy day with a hymn of praise to God (chorus: “Jour de gloire”). Only Anaï is gloomy. She confides in her mother Marie, who tries in vain to comfort her (duet: "Dieu, dans ce jour prospère").

Scene 7. Aménophis comes out of his tent with Moïse. Moïse can hardly believe what Aménophis told him: The pharaoh has revoked the permission to leave. The Hebrews are appalled at this breach of word. Moïse prophesies God's vengeance on the Egyptians with hail and fire. Aménophis considers this a threat and orders his soldiers to arrest him. The Israelites are preparing to defend Moïse.

Scene 8. Pharaon himself appears and orders a stop. Moïse confronts him for breaking his word (Finale: “Quel delire!”). But Pharaon confirms his decision and demands respect from his slaves. Moïse shakes his wand, whereupon the sun darkens. A storm with lightning and thunder is approaching. Everyone is confused in horror.

Second act

Stage design, 1827

Gallery in the palace of Pharaons

Scene 1. The Egyptians and the royal family complain about the darkness that has fallen over the country (introduction: “Désastre affreux!”). The people beg Pharaon to give in. He lets Moïse come. Sinaïde and the people find hope again. Only Aménophis fears losing his lover again.

Scene 2. Moïse appears before Pharaon. He points out to him again that he has broken his word and asks him if he wants to make false promises again. Pharaon promises to really want to let his people go this time, if Moïse takes care of an end to the darkness. Moïse says a prayer, whereupon the sky clears up (invocation: "Arbitre supreme"). Everyone cheers - only Aménophis fears the loss of Anaïs (quintet: “O toi dont la clemence”).

Scene 3. Pharaon informs his son that he has chosen the Assyrian princess Elegyne for his wife. He wanted to announce this publicly in the Isis Temple. Aménophis is appalled. He doesn't know how to reveal his love for Anaï to his father. When Pharaon asks him the reason for his grief, he answers only with dark allusions (duet: "Cruel moment! ... que faire?"). Pharaon leaves him alone.

Scene 4. Aménophis is determined to face his father. Nothing and nobody should separate him and Anaï.

Scene 5. Sinaïde appears with some courtiers. She knows about Aménophis' love, but reminds him of his duties to his country and father, as he will one day inherit power over the kingdom. Aménophis remains steadfast. He threatens to take revenge on Moïse. But when his mother begs him to give up his feelings of revenge and love (aria: "Ah! D'une tendre mère"), he promises to obey her. In the distance the people's calls of joy can be heard. Sinaïde joins in, but Aménophis secretly remains gloomy.

Third act

Édouard Desplechin: stage design of the third act

Vestibule of the Temple of Isis

Scene 1. Pharaon, the priest Osiride and other Egyptian priests and nobles praise the goddess Isis (march and choir: "Reine des cieux"). The festival begins.

Scene 2. Moïse, Éliézer, Marie, Anaï and other Hebrews interrupt the ceremony. Moïse demands that the royal promise be kept. Pharaon confirms his permission for the Israelites to leave. Osiride, however, now demands that they first make an offering to the goddess Isis. Moïse strongly rejects this.

Scene 3. The Egyptian captain Aufide reports of new plagues that have hit the country. The water has turned into blood, battle sounds can be heard, locusts have destroyed the fields, and the wind brings diseases with it. Osiride and the priests urge Pharaon to take revenge on the Hebrews. Sinaïde, Marie and the other women present ask for gentleness in return. Moïse asks Pharaon to show repentance. Finally he reaches out his arm towards the false gods. The statue of Isis falls, and in its place the Ark of the Covenant appears surrounded by gold and blue light . After a moment of general dismay, Pharaon decides to do the will of both gods. He orders the Israelites to be chained and led out of the city into the desert. While Aménophis urges Anaï to flee, Moïse and the Hebrews call on the Lord for help.

Fourth act

On the shores of the Red Sea

Scene 1. On their flight, Aménophis and Anaï followed the Israelites (recitative: “Où me conduisez-vous?”). He tells her that for her sake he wants to renounce the Egyptian throne. Anaï is confused. While Aménophis asks her for her love, she prays to God for her lost virtue (duet: “Jour funeste, loi cruelle!”). In the distance they hear the Hebrews' calls of joy.

Scene 2. Moïse assures the Hebrews that their suffering is now over. Only Marie laments the loss of her daughter Anaï. While Moïse tries to calm her down, she appears with Aménophis. He declares his love for Anaï to Moïse and asks for her hand. Anaï now has to choose between her lover and her family and her people (aria: "Quelle affreuse destinée!"). Finally she decides to follow God and stay with her people. Aménophis swears vengeance and furiously leaves to fetch the Egyptian army.

Scene 3. In anticipation of the enemy army, the Hebrews pray to God for help (Preghiera / prayer: “Des cieux où tu résides”). There doesn't seem to be an escape route. But Moïse continues to trust in God. The sea divides before them and gives way to a path. The Israelites pass through.

Scene 4. At the head of the Egyptian army, Pharaon and Aménophis arrive on the bank. Pharaoh orders the Israelites to be followed across the sea. A storm breaks out, the waves crash over them, and everyone drowns. After the storm has subsided and the sea calmed down again, the Israelites can be seen on the other bank. Marie and the others praise the Lord for their salvation.

layout

Instrumentation

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

Music numbers

The opera contains the following musical numbers:

first act

  • No. 1. Prelude (partly from Armida )
  • No. 2. Choir: "Dieu puissant" (scene 1, partly from Armida )
  • No. 3. Duet (Anaï, Aménophis): “Ah! si je perds l'objet que j'aime "(scene 5, Mosè in Egitto : " Ah se puoi così lasciarmi ", No. 3, first act, scene 4)
  • No. 4. March
    • Choir: "Jour de gloire" (scene 6, Mosè in Egitto: "All'etra, al ciel", No. 5, first act, scene 6)
  • No. 5. Duet (Anaï, Marie): "Dieu, dans ce jour prospère" (Scene 6, Mosè in Egitto: "Tutto mi ride intorno", No. 6, first act, scene 7)
  • No. 6. Finale: "Quel delire!" (Scene 8, Mosè in Egitto: "All'idea di tanto eccesso", first act, scene 8)

Second act

  • No. 7. Introduction: "Désastre affreux!" (Scene 1, Mosè in Egitto: "Ah! Chi ne aita?", No. 1, first act, scene 1)
  • No. 8. Invocation: "Arbitre supreme" (Scene 2, Mosè in Egitto: "Eterno! Immenso!", No. 2, first act, scene 2)
    • Quintet: "O toi dont la clemence" (scene 2)
  • No. 9. Duet (Aménophis, Pharaon): "Cruel moment! ... que faire?" (Scene 3, Mosè in Egitto: "Parlar, spiegar non posso", second act, scene 1)
  • No. 10. Aria (Sinaïde): “Ah! d'une tendre mère "(Scene 5, Mosè in Egitto: " Porgi la destra amata ", No. 14, second act, scene 6)

Third act

  • No. 11. March
  • No. 12. Finale (partly from Mosè in Egitto: "Mi manca la voce", No. 11, second act, scene 3)

Fourth act

  • No. 13. Recitative (Anaï, Aménophis): “Où me conduisez-vous?” (Scene 1, Mosè in Egitto: “Dove mi guidi?”, No. 10, second act, scene 3)
    • Duet (Anaï, Aménophis): "Jour funeste, loi cruelle!" (Scene 1)
  • No. 14. Aria (Anaï): "Quelle affreuse destinée!" (Scene 2)
  • No. 15. Preghiera - prayer: "Des cieux où tu résides" (Scene 3, Mosè in Egitto: "Dal tuo stellato soglio", No. 15, third act, scene 1)
  • No. 16. Finale (partly from Mosè in Egitto )
  • No. 17. Cantico finale (Marie and choir): "Chantons, bénissons le Seigneur!" (Scene 4)

Work history

In 1827 Rossini reworked his 1818 opera Mosè in Egitto for the Paris Opéra in order to turn it into a grand opéra in French style. He had already proceeded in a similar way six months earlier with Maometto II , from which the French opera Le siège de Corinthe had emerged. The libretto by Moïse et Pharaon was written by Luigi Balocchi and Victor-Joseph-Etienne de Jouy. It took Rossini less than two months to revise the music.

Musically, Rossini revised the instrumentation in particular, which was now richer and more colorful. The ballet music of the third act is a concession to the tradition of French opera.

Rossini fundamentally restructured the plant. The opening scene of the original (the plague of darkness) can now be found at the beginning of the second act. The original finale of the second act has been dismantled. The death of Faraone's son is missing, and Elcìa's “Porgi la destra amata” from the second act became the Sinaid aria “Ah! d'une tendre mère ”. Rossini only rewrote three numbers: The scene and the quartet “Dieu de la paix” (first act, scene 3), the scene and aria of Anaï “Quelle affreuse destinée” (fourth act, scene 2) and the final chorus “Chantons, bénissons le Seigneur ”. The overture, the introduction and the ballet in the third act are based on musical material from his opera Armida . In addition, the opening chorus of the first act from Bianca e Falliero (“Viva Fallier!”) Is used. The Rossini biographer Richard Osborne criticized this restructuring. He wrote: “Its form has been lost because the scenes are randomly placed one behind the other, the arias are distributed differently, and newer, more powerful ideas are generously added. With Moïse et Pharaon we are entering the age of the mine bomb in the field of opera. "

The role names have also been changed for the French version. In addition to the obvious linguistic adjustments ("Mosè" - "Moïse" or "Faraone" - "Pharaon"), the other names have also been completely redefined. It is noticeable that Osiride is the Egyptian priest originally called Mambre, while the Pharaoh's son, Osiride, is now called Aménophis. The latter should not be confused with the sister Mosès, who was originally called Amenofi. The role of Captain Aufide and the "mysterious voice" are new. In the Italian back translation, the new names were retained and only Italianized.

Italian
Naples 1818 		French
Paris 1827 		Italian
Rome 1827
Cunt Moïse Cunt
Faraone Pharaoh Faraone
Osiride Aménophis Amenofi
Aronne Éliézer Eliezer
Mambre Osiride Osiride
(is missing) Upside Upside
Amaltea Sinaïde Sinaide
Elcìa Anaï Anaide
Amenofi Marie Maria
Title page of the libretto, Rome 1827

The sopranos Louise-Zulmé Dabadie (Sinaïde) and Laure Cinti-Damoreau (Anaï), the mezzo-soprano Mlle. Mori (Marie), the tenors Adolphe Nourrit (Amenophis), and Alexis Dupont sang the premiere at the Paris Opera on March 26, 1827 (Éliézer) and Ferdinand Prévost (Aufide) as well as the basses Nicholas-Prosper Levasseur (Moïse), Henry-Bernard Dabadie (Pharaon) and M. Bonel (Osiride). The opera was received with "hysterical enthusiasm". There were a hundred performances at the Opéra by August 6, 1838. At Rossini's request, the singers used an open and sensual style of singing that was unusual at the Opéra up to this point, as it was previously more likely to be heard at the Théâtre-Italien . This style was particularly praised by contemporary critics, along with the music of the opera. Radiciotti wrote: "So Rossini did not Gallicize himself, as some claim to this day, but rather French music reacted to the attraction of his genius and Rossinized [ie, Italianized]." The Gazette de France spoke of a "lyrical revolution" and said: "From now on, French screaming has no chance of returning".

As early as December 1827, an Italian reverse translation by Calisto Bassi appeared under the title Mosè e Faraone, ossia Il passaggio del Mar Rosso (often also called Il Mosè nuovo or simply Mosè ). For the scenes from the original version, Bassi used Tottola's original text. The sopranos Caterina Barili (Sinaide), Orsola Corinaldesi (Anaide), the mezzo-soprano Carolina Brocard (Maria), the tenors Giuseppe Pinto (Amenofi), Romulado Archini (Eliezer) and Vincenzo sang at the concert premiere of this version at the Accademia Filarmonica in Rome Galletti (Aufide) and the basses Nicola Cartoni (Mosè), Luigi Sebastiani (Faraone) and Pio Cipicchia (Osiride). The first stage performance of this version took place on February 4, 1829 in the Teatro del Verzaro in Perugia. The sopranos Paolina Fanti (Sinaide), Carolina Pateri (Anaide), the mezzo-soprano Santa Coraucci (Maria), the tenors Paolo Zilioli (Amenofi), Pietro Cagianelli (Eliezer) and Pasquale Delicati (Aufide) as well as the basses Federico Crespi (Mosè) sang ), Paolo Neri (Faraone) and Timoleone Barattini (Osiride).

On April 20, 1850, the opera was performed at Covent Garden in London under the title Zora . Later, all three versions were played in the opera houses and, depending on the singer's preference, mixed up for one or the other form of the arias.

Recordings

For the recordings of the original Italian version from 1818/1819 see Mosè in Egitto .

Web links

Commons : Moïse et Pharaon  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ Information in the Italian Wikipedia, unfortunately not documented there.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Moïse et Pharaon. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater. Vol. 5. Works. Piccinni - Spontini. Piper, Munich and Zurich 1994, ISBN 3-492-02415-7 , p. 444
  2. ↑ a b c d e Herbert Weinstock : Rossini - A biography. Translated by Kurt Michaelis. Kunzelmann, Adliswil 1981 (1968), ISBN 3-85662-009-0 .
  3. ↑ a b Zoltán Hézser: CD supplement of the recording by Lamberto Gardelli. Hungaroton HCD 12290-92-2, 1996.
  4. ^ A b Richard Osborne:  Moïse et Pharaon. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  5. ^ Richard Osborne: Rossini - life and work. Translated from the English by Grete Wehmeyer. List Verlag, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-471-78305-9 .
  6. ↑ a b Record of the performance from December 1827 in Rome in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  7. ^ Record of the performance of March 26, 1827 at the Académie Royale de Musique in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  8. ^ Dataset of the 1829 performance in Perugia in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  9. ^ Charles Osborne : The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini. Amadeus Press, Portland, Oregon, 1994, ISBN 978-0-931340-71-0 .
  10. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Gioacchino Rossini. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all opera complete recordings. Zeno.org , volume 20.
  11. ↑ Inclusion by Riccardo Muti (2009) in the discography on Moïse et Pharaon at Operadis.