L'irato
L'irato | |
---|---|
Théâtre Favart ), Paris |
L'irato, ou L'emporté (The Angry Man) is an
Background and performance history
Méhul had been introduced to Napoleon by his wife
L'irato was revived at the Opéra-Comique in 1852 and at the Théâtre-Lyrique in 1868. A performance at the Opéra-Comique on 17 October 1917 marked the centenary of Méhul's death.[3]
Roles
Role | Voice type | Premiere cast,[4] 17 February 1801 |
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Pandolphe, a bad-tempered old man | bass | Jean-Pierre Solié |
Lysandre, Pandolphe's nephew | tenor | Jean Elleviou |
Scapin, Lysandre's servant | bass
|
Marzen |
Isabelle, the niece of Pandolphe's dead wife | soprano | Philis |
Nérine, Isabelle's maid | soprano | Pingenet, ainée |
Balouard, Lysandre's former tutor | tenor | Baptiste-Pierre Dardel, called Dozainville |
Synopsis
- Scene: The garden of Pandolphe's country house near Florence
Pandolphe is a rich but grumpy old man who becomes angry at the slightest thing. He has threatened to disinherit his young nephew Lysandre. As the opera opens, Lysandre is pacing the garden with his servant Scapin, awaiting a meeting with Pandolphe (Aria for Scapin: Promenerons-nous bien longtemps?). Lysandre is in love with Isabelle, but has not heard from her for a month, and Scapin has likewise lost contact with his beloved, Isabelle's maid Nérine. Nevertheless, the two men swear to be faithful forever (Duet:Jurons! Jurons de les aimer toujours!). Lysandre is enraged at Pandolphe's plans to marry Isabelle to Balouard, his pedantic and ridiculous former tutor. Scapin vows to do everything he can to help his master (Aria: Mais que dis-je?), but he runs off when Pandolphe emerges from the house in a foul temper (Aria for Pandolphe: Ah, les maudites gens!). Pandolphe tells Lysandre he intends to cut him out of his will and throw him out of the house as Lysandre's studied composure irritates him. Lysandre still refuses to become angry. Once Pandolphe has left, Scapin re-enters bringing Isabelle and Nérine with him. Lysandre tells Isabelle of his uncle's plan to marry her off to Balouard. Isabelle is horrified but Scapin says he has a plot to make Pandolphe angry with Balouard (Quartet: O ciel, que faire?). Isabelle hopes that by pretending to be vain and fickle she will put Balouard off (Aria: J'ai de la raison). Pandolphe introduces Isabelle to Balouard. Isabelle hints she already has a lover, which makes Balouard decline the marriage offer, much to Pandolphe's chagrin. Lysandre, who does not yet know the good news, is in a desperate state (Couplets: Si je perdais mon Isabelle). Scapin encourages Lysandre to drown his sorrows with the equally sad Balouard and the three sing in praise of wine and woman (Trio: Femme jolie et du bon vin). As Balouard becomes ever more drunk, the chorus mock him by comparing him to the god
Recording
- L'irato, Miljenko Turk (Scapin), Cyril Auvity (Lysandre), Pauline Courtin (Isabelle), Alain Buet (Pandolphe), Svenja Hempel (Nérine), Georg Poplutz (Balouard), Bonner Kammerchor, L'Arte del Mondo, conducted by Werner Ehrhardt (Capriccio, 2006)
References
- ^ Stegemann p.11-12
- ^ Adélaïde de Place pp.125-126
- ^ Adélaïde de Place p.124 and p.127
- ^ 1801 libretto
Sources
- Adélaïde de Place Étienne Nicolas Méhul (Bleu Nuit Éditeur, 2005)
- Booklet notes to the Capriccio recording by Michael Stegemann
- Elizabeth Bartlet, entry on Méhul in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
- Hector Berlioz, Evenings with the Orchestra, translated by Jacques Barzun (University of Chicago Press, 1973; 1999 reprint)