Philémon et Baucis (Gounod)

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Opera dates
Title: Philemon and Baucis
Original title: Philémon et Baucis
Title page of the piano reduction

Title page of the piano reduction

Shape: Opéra-comique
Original language: French
Music: Charles Gounod
Libretto : Jules Barbier and Michel Carré
Literary source: Jean de La Fontaine : Philémon et Baucis after Ovid : Metamorphoses
Premiere: 1) February 18, 1860
2) May 16, 1876
Place of premiere: 1) Théâtre-Lyrique , Paris
2) Opéra-Comique , Paris
Playing time: about 2 hours
Place and time of the action: Phrygia , mythical time
people

Philémon et Baucis (German: Philemon und Baucis ) is an opéra-comique by Charles Gounod (music) with a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré . The text is based on Jean de La Fontaine's fable Philémon et Baucis, which processes an episode from Ovid's Metamorphoses . The first version in three acts was premiered on February 18, 1860 at the Théâtre-Lyrique in Paris. The two-act second version had its world premiere on May 16, 1876 in the Opéra-Comique there .

action

The following table of contents is based on the libretto of the three-act original version from 1860.

The opera takes place in mythical times. The god Jupiter , together with the blacksmith god Vulcain, went to Phrygia on earth to punish the godless behavior of the people there. In a hut they meet the old married couple Philémon and Baucis , who give them friendly hospitality and tell of their happiness in still loving each other as they did in their youth. Jupiter promises to spare her in his punitive action and puts her into a deep sleep. In the second act, which was deleted later, young people celebrate a blasphemous orgy in the Temple of Jupiter, in which a bacchante heats up the atmosphere. They ignore a warning from Vulcain before they are condemned into eternal night by Jupiter. When Philémon and Baucis awaken at the beginning of the third act, they discover that Jupiter has turned their hut into a palace and rejuvenated it himself. However, Jupiter is so intrigued by Bauci's regained beauty that it tries to seduce her. When Philémon becomes jealous, the spouses quarrel. Baucis can save the situation by promising Jupiter a love adventure, provided that he fulfills one last wish: he should first turn her back into an old woman. Jupiter gives in and the couple make up again.

first act

In the hut of Philémon and Baucis

First act, Philémon and Baucis's hut, Théatre-Lyrique 1861

Scene 1. After a long life without wealth, the spouses Philémon and Baucis are happy despite all their age-related ailments and, like on the first day, in love with each other (duet: “Du repos voici l'heure”). They like to think back to their youth. What worries them, however, is the hustle and bustle of today's young people, who gossip about the gods in the temples and recently mocked the messenger of the gods, Mercure . At this moment, as if to confirm, a group of bacchantes passed the hut (chorus: “Filles d'Athor, folles Bacchantes”). Then Baucis goes out to prepare dinner.

Scene 2. Alone in the hut, Philémon lights a lamp and takes care of the fireplace. A thunderstorm is approaching. Someone's knocking at the door. Philémon opens, and the gods Jupiter and Vulcain appear incognito in simple clothes on the threshold.

Scene 3. As Jupiter asks Philémon for hospitality and protection from the storm, the old man welcomes the two of them (trio: “Étrangers sur ces bords”). Vulcain complains in a bad mood about the wind gods Borée and Éole . Philémon admonishes him not to offend the gods. He leaves to get Baucis.

Scene 4. A conversation between Jupiter and Vulcain illuminates the background to their visit to Phrygia: The messenger of the gods Mercure has reported the godlessness of the inhabitants, and Jupiter wants to check whether this is true and punish the guilty. Vulcain had got into an argument with Mars , as Venus, whom they both adored, preferred the latter. Since then he felt mocked by the other gods and no longer took part in the gods' meal. Instead, he stayed in his forge, where he can rule like a king (Couplets: "Au bruit des lourds marteaux"). Since Mercure is still recovering from the last trip and Vulcain has other thoughts, Jupiter ordered him to accompany him to earth. He warns him not to take the matter with Mercure and Venus too seriously, since Venus is “of the light mind” (Ariette: “Hé quoi? Parce que Mercure”).

Scene 5. Baucis brings the guests fresh goat's milk and tells them that Philémon is still collecting fruit. She explains that thanks to the goodness of Cupid , she is perfectly happy despite her poverty ( Mélodrame ). She only regrets that she cannot start her life again with the same husband again (romance: "Ah! Si je redevenais belle").

Scene 6. Now Philémon comes in with the fruit and a jug of water, and the banquet begins (Quartettino: “Prenez place à la table”). To illustrate her happiness, Baucis tells the fable of the town mouse and the country mouse. When she tries to pour water for Jupiter, she discovers that the jug is empty. Then Jupiter fills him with wine through his magic power. The old people now realize who they are dealing with. They throw themselves at the feet of the gods. Jupiter promises them that they have nothing to fear and that he will spare them in his punitive action. So that they do not notice it, he puts them in a deep sleep (finale: "Allons! Triste buveur", missing in the libretto from 1860).

Second act

A moonlit temple of Jupiter

Second act, Temple of Jupiter, Théatre-Lyrique 1860

Scene 1. Young people celebrate a wild orgy in the temple and sing about love (chorus: “Dans l'ombre de la nuit”)

Scene 2. Bacchants mingle with those present. A bacchante incites the participants to chase away tiredness, continue celebrating and mock the gods (stanzas: “Place au chœur des bacchantes”). They dance (chorus of the bacchants: "Filles d'Athor", missing in the libretto from 1860).

Scene 3. The appearance of Vulcain interrupts the celebration (scene and chorus: “Arrêtez!”). He threatens Jupiter's revenge. However, the celebrants do not take him seriously, mock him and throw him out.

Scene 4. The celebration continues. Again the gods are blasphemed (chorus: “Nous chantons aux lueurs”).

Scene 5. Jupiter angrily condemns the blasphemers into eternal night (finale: “Jupiter !!!”).

Third act

A palace

Third act, Palace of Philémon and Baucis, Théatre-Lyrique 1861

Scene 1. While Philémon and Baucis slept, Jupiter has turned their poor hut into a splendid palace. Baucis is the first to wake up and is amazed at this change (Ariette: “Philémon m'aimerait encore”). Her astonishment is even greater when she discovers the young man next to her in bed and realizes that it is the rejuvenated Philémon. In a mirror she realizes that she, too, is young and beautiful again. Overjoyed, she wakes her husband (duet: "Philémon! Philémon!"). After he has overcome his confusion, the two embrace. They know that they owe this miracle to Jupiter. However, Baucis worries about the other Phrygians whom he wanted to punish for their godlessness. But now she wants to use her newly won youth. She runs out and tells Philémon to catch her if he wants to kiss her.

Scene 2. When Philémon tries to follow Baucis, he is stopped on the doorstep of Vulcain. He distrusts all women and advises Philémon to wait until Baucis is old again before giving his thanks. Philémon assures him that she still loves him unchanged. He wishes Vulcain to experience the same happiness one day. Philémon goes out.

Scene 3. Jupiter asks Vulcain how the couple received the transformation. He is particularly interested in Baucis' regained beauty. The two look at the young woman from a distance, and Jupiter is enthusiastic (Couplets: “Vénus même n'est pas plus belle!”). Since he wants to seduce her immediately, he asks Vulcain to distract Philémon as long as possible. Vulcain is reluctant to obey.

Scene 4. Baucis realizes that Philémon couldn't follow her (aria: “Il a perdu ma trace”). She sits down for a while to enjoy nature ("O riante nature").

Scene 5. Jupiter tries to ensnare Baucis with flattery (duet: “Relevez-vous jeune mortelle”). Since she does not dare to defend herself against a god, she allows a hug, but only thinks of her love for Philémon.

Scene 6. Philémon surprises the two of them and is extremely jealous. Jupiter insults him as a vile farmer and withdraws.

Scene 7. Baucis cannot appease Philémon. They get into an argument.

Scene 8. Vulcain tries in vain to restore peace between the two by pointing out that there are fleeting love adventures in heaven (trio: "Qu'est-ce donc? Qu'avez vous"). Philémon throws a statuette of Jupiter at Vulcain's feet and leaves Baucis with the words that he will leave it to him.

Scene 9. Baucis is desperate about this development. She explains to Vulcain that Jupiter could never comfort her for the loss of Philémon. Vulcain notes that her tears are real. Venus would never speak like them. He promises Baucis to bring Philémon back.

Scene 10. Jupiter is courting Baucis again. This time she promises him a kiss if he promises to grant her one more wish. He swears by the Styx . She then demands to be turned back into an old woman (romance and finale: “Sous le poids de l'âge”).

Scene 11. While Baucis is still expressing her wish, Vulcain and Philémon appear in the background and watch what is happening. Jupiter now knows that he has lost. He renounces the love adventure with Baucis and leaves her youth too. He also swears by the Styx that he will never again swear lightly by the Styx. The reunited couple fall gratefully to their knees and the two gods say goodbye.

layout

orchestra

The orchestral line-up of the opera in the first version contains the following instruments:

Music numbers

The printed contemporary piano reduction contains the following music numbers (the position in the libretto from 1860 in brackets, if available):

first act

  • Introduction pastorale
  • No. 1. Duet (Baucis, Philémon): "Du repos voici l'heure" (I.1)
  • No. 2. Choir: "Filles d'Athor, folles Bacchantes" (I.1)
    • Orage (thunderstorm, I.2)
  • No. 3. Trio (Philémon, Jupiter, Vulcain): "Étrangers sur ces bords" (I.3)
  • No. 4. Couplets (Vulcain): "Au bruit des lourds marteaux" (I.4)
  • No. 5. Ariette (Jupiter): “Hé quoi? parce que Mercure "(I.4)
  • No. 5. to Mélodrame (I.5)
  • No. 6. Romance (Baucis): “Ah! si je redevenais belle "(I.5)
  • No. 7. Quartettino (Baucis): "Prenez place à la table" (I.6)
  • No. 8. Finale (Baucis, Philémon, Jupiter, Vulcain): “Allons! triste buveur "(missing)

Second act

  • No. 9. Between act music and dance of the bacchants (II.2)
  • No. 10. Ariette (Baucis): "Philémon m'aimerait encore" (III.1)
  • No. 11. Duet (Baucis, Philémon): “Philémon! Philémon! "(III.1)
  • No. 12. Couplets (Jupiter): "Vénus même n'est pas plus belle!" (III.3)
  • No. 13. Aria (Baucis): "Il a perdu ma trace" (III.4)
  • No. 14. Duet (Baucis, Jupiter): "Relevez-vous jeune mortelle" (III.5)
  • No. 15. Trio (Baucis, Philémon, Vulcain): “Qu'est-ce donc? qu'avez vous "(III.8)
  • No. 16. Romance (Baucis) and Finale: "Sous le poids de l'âge" (III.10)

attachment

  • A. Drinking choir: "Dans l'ombre de la nuit" (II.1)
  • B. Stanzas: "Place au chœur des bacchantes" (II.2)
  • C. Chorus of the Bacchantes: "Filles d'Athor" (missing)
  • D. Scene and choir: "Arrêtez!" (II.3)
  • E. Choir of Blasphemy: "Nous chantons aux lueurs" (II.4)
  • F. Finale: "Jupiter !!!" (II.5)

libretto

Title page of the libretto, Paris 1860

The text of the opera differs in some respects from La Fontaine and Ovid's models. For example, instead of Jupiter's usual companion Mercury, Vulcain appears here, which better suited the light style of the opéra-comique. While the couple are named guardians of the temple in the legend and are transformed into sacred trees after their death, there is a very worldly happy ending here. An additional tribute to La Fontaine is probably the use of his fable Die Stadtmaus und die Landmaus, which Baucis tells in the first act of the original version after the quartet. The text has a lot of funny and ironic elements. But there are also some discrepancies that were already noticed at the premiere. Jupiter first appears as the god of vengeance, but in the third act develops into a lustful person.

music

There are few references to the ancient subject in music. The exotic choirs are more reminiscent of Provencal music, which also includes the frequent musette and tambourine sounds. The melodies often seem simple, but on closer inspection they turn out to be carefully and variedly composed. Just as there is hardly any dramatic development in the plot, most of the music numbers also appear purely decorative and not very dramatic.

Vocal highlights are the couplets “Au bruit des lourds marteaux” by Vulcain (I.4), the romance “Ah! si je redevenais belle! ”by Baucis (I.5) and the aria“ O riante nature ”(III.4), which was added late for the singer Caroline Miolan-Carvalho .

In the orchestral introduction there is a pretty oboe motif, which is then taken over by the strings. A special feature is the accompaniment of the bacchante choir by a four-hand piano. The storm music needs some additional musicians.

Work history

Charles Gounod and his librettists Jules Barbier and Michel Carré received the commission for Philémon et Baucis from Edouard Bénazet, Baden-Baden's spa director . An opéra-comique in two acts was planned for the summer season of 1859. For political reasons that had to do with the Sardinian War to liberate Italy from Austrian rule and the resulting tensions between Germany and France, the performance was initially canceled postponed a year. In Paris, meanwhile, the extremely successful first series of performances of Jacques Offenbach's Opéra bouffe Orphée aux Enfers at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens had come to an end. Perhaps the director of the Théâtre-Lyrique, Léon Carvalho , wanted to build on this success with thematically appropriate works. Gluck's Orphée et Euridice was played there as early as 1859 . Now he swapped the mythological comedy Philémon et Baucis with Baden-Baden for the Opéra-comique La Colombe by the same authors, commissioned by the Théâtre-Lyrique . According to Letellier, a greatly reduced one-act version of the opera was played in Baden-Baden before the work came to the Théatre-Lyrique.

Presumably at Carvalho's request, the opera was redesigned and a new middle act was added. The outer acts were given additional solo numbers, with which the singer of the Baucis, Caroline Miolan-Carvalho , to whom the work was also dedicated, could shine. At the Théâtre-Lyrique, operas were usually played with recitatives instead of dialogue. It is uncertain whether this also happened with this work. However, the extensions did not affect the actual plot of the opera. Although there is virtually no dramatic development between the appearance of the gods in the first act and the moment the couple is put to sleep, this section contains several musical numbers. The second act consists almost exclusively of choral scenes in which the two main characters do not even appear. Moreover, the orgiastic celebration has only marginally to do with the original fable. It is possible that these structural problems were one of the reasons for the failure of this version.

Thomas Couture : The Romans of Decay

The first performance took place on February 18, 1860 under the musical direction of Alphonse Deloffre. Directed by Léon Carvalho. M. Fromant (Philémon), Caroline Miolan-Carvalho (Baucis), Charles-Amable Battaille (Jupiter), Mathieu-Émile Balanqué (Vulcain) and Marie Constance Sass (Bacchante) sang. The stage was from Charles-Antoine Cambon and Joseph-François-Désiré Thierry . The set of the second act was modeled on Thomas Couture's painting The Romans of the Decay , which in turn was inspired by Paolo Veronese . Despite the extensive equipment and the excellent soloists, the production was only played 13 times.

This was followed by performances in Brussels (1862) and Antwerp (1863), which were also not very effective. A resumption at the Théâtre-Lyrique in 1866 was canceled. There the opera was not played again until 1931.

However, a two-act new version, which was first released on May 16, 1876 in the Paris Opéra-Comique and was played there 240 times up to the Second World War , had great success . Charles-Auguste Nicot (Philémon), Marguerite Chapuy (Baucis), Jacques Bouhy (Jupiter) and Alfred Auguste Giraudet (Vulcain) sang at the premiere under the direction of Charles Constantin . The bass Hippolyte Belhomme sang the part of Vulcain more than 100 times. In the last performance in 1940, Odette Turba-Rabier and Mario Altéry sang under the direction of Roger Désormière .

A German version by Julius Hopp was played at the Vienna Court Opera in 1878 . It was based on the original three-act version, but was shortened in the third act. There were further performances in Stockholm in 1879 (Swedish), in Budapest in 1880 (in Hungarian), in Prague in 1882 (in German, in 1892 in Czech), in Madrid in 1883 (in Spanish), in Liverpool in 1888 (in English), in New York in 1893 and in London in 1894 (English). In the 1920s and 1930s, its popularity rose in France as Gounod was appreciated by the neoclassicalists . In 1924 a production by Sergei Diaghilew was played in Monte Carlo , for which the composer Georges Auric created recitatives. In 1930 there was a production in Aix-les-Bains . A slightly shortened three-act Italian version with recitatives was recorded by RAI Milan. Renata Scotto and Alvinio Misciano sang under the direction of Nino Sanzogno .

Recordings

  • 1950 - Samuil Samossud (conductor), Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra.
    Georgi Winogradow (Philémon), K. Rachevskaya (Baucis), A. Korolev (Jupiter), Vsevolod Tyutyunnik (Vulcain).
    Melodiya M10 35755-56 (1 LP).
  • 1951 - Isidore Karr (conductor), Orchester de la Suisse Romande , Chœurs du Radio Suisse Romande.
    Pierre Giannotti (Philémon), Claudine Collart (Baucis), Heinz Rehfuss (Jupiter), Diego Ochsenbein (Vulcain).
    Studio shot; Short version.
    Malibran MR 508 (2 CDs).
  • Oct. 04 , 1960 - Nino Sanzogno (conductor).
    Alvinio Misciano (Philémon), Renata Scotto (Baucis), Rolando Panerai (Jupiter), Paolo Montarsolo (Vulcain), Jolanda Torriani (Bacchante).
    Live, in concert from Milan; three-act Italian version; shortened.
    Myto Historical Line 00254 (2 CDs).
  • May 7, 1961 - Instrumentation and version as on October 4, 1960.
    Foyer CD: 2-CF 2016 (2 CDs), Foyer mono LP: FO 1027 (2).
  • 1975 - Henri Gallois (conductor), Orchester National de France .
    Jean-Claude Orliac (Philémon), Anne-Marie Rodde (Baucis), Pierre Néquecaur (Jupiter), Felix Giband (Vulcain).
    Live, in concert from Paris; without dialogues.
    Musidisc CD: 202342.
  • February 16, 2018 - Benjamin Pionnier (conductor), Julien Ostini (production), Bruno de Lavenère (equipment), Julien Ostini and Bruno de Lavenère (costumes), Élodie Vella (choreography), Simon Trottet (lighting design), Orchester symphonique Région Center -Val de Loire / Tours, Chœurs de l'Opéra de Tours.
    Sébastien Droy (Philémon), Norma Nahoun (Baucis), Alexandre Duhamel (Jupiter), Éric Martin-Bonnet (Vulcain), Marion Grange (Bacchante).
    Video; live from the Opéra de Tours.
    Video stream at Culturebox; complete three-act version with dialogues.

Digital copies

Web links

Commons : Philémon et Baucis  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Josef Heinzelmann : Philémon et Baucis. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater . Volume 2: Works. Donizetti - Henze. Piper, Munich / Zurich 1987, ISBN 3-492-02412-2 , pp. 525-526.
  2. ^ A b c Steven Huebner: The Operas of Charles Gounod. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1990, ISBN 0-19-816348-7 .
  3. ^ A b Steven Huebner:  Philémon et Baucis. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  4. ^ A b c Robert Ignatius Letellier: Opéra-Comique. A sourcebook. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne 2010, ISBN 978-1-4438-2140-7 , pp. 363-364.
  5. ↑ February 18, 1860: "Baucis". In: L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia ..
  6. ↑ May 16, 1876: "Baucis". In: L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia ..
  7. ^ Spire Pitou: The Paris Opéra. An Encyclopedia of Operas, Ballets, Composers, and Performers - Growth and Grandeur, 1815-1914 M-Z. Greenwood Press: Westport / London 1990 ISBN 0-313-27783-4 , pp. 1049-1051.
  8. ^ Philémon et Baucis . In: Amanda Holden (Ed.): The Viking Opera Guide. Viking, London / New York 1993, ISBN 0-670-81292-7 , p. 397.
  9. ↑ Inclusion of Samuil A Samosud (1950) in the discography of Philémon et Baucis at Operadis.
  10. ↑ a b c Félicien Charles Gounod. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all complete opera recordings (= Zeno.org . Volume 20). Directmedia, Berlin 2005.
  11. ↑ Booklet of the CD Myto 00254.
  12. ↑ Philémon et Baucis de Gounod à l'Opéra de Tours at Culturebox, accessed on November 1, 2018.