Le congrès des rois

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Le congrès des rois
Opéra comique by Antoine-François Ève
DescriptionCongress of the Allied Kings, or the Tyrants (uncrowned), print of Barnabé-Augustin de Mailly, 1794[1][a].
Native title
Le congrès des rois
TranslationCongress of the Allied Kings
Other titleThe Tyrants (uncrowned)
LibrettistHenri-Montan Berton
LanguageFrench
Premiere
26 February 1794 (1794-02-26)
Opéra-Comique, Paris, France

Le congrès des rois (The Congress of the Kings) was a 3-act French Revolutionary opera of the genre comédie mêlée d'ariettes with a libretto by De Maillot, a stage name used by Antoine-François Ève early in his career, and music by a collaborative of twelve composers (see below). It was a satire directed against the "enemies of France". The libretto and most of the music (except for that by Henri-Montan Berton) has been lost.[2][3]

The composition of the opera was ordered by the Comité du Salut public (

[8 vent II] by the Opéra-Comique in the first Salle Favart and was presented a total of 2 times. At the premiere, "the length of the work and its couplets' lack of charm tired the audience, which took out its bad feelings on the ballet. Sharp whistles grew louder still, and the authors were not acknowledged." When the second performance met a similar reception, the management ended its run.[4]

The opera tells the story of an imagined meeting of monarchs at the court of Prussia to discuss the partition of France. Participants include the kings of England, Spain,

Ancien Régime, dance and sing in praise of the awakening of the people and the downfall of tyranny.[5]

The opera was later denounced in the Conseil général of the

Commune de Paris on the grounds that it espoused anti-revolutionary ideas. Its representation of Cagliostro as a virtuous republican was thought scandalous, and the presentation of "the immortal Marat" in the procession of ghosts was deemed disrespectful. Aristocrats had been seen applauding. A police report was ordered and it confirmed the charges. Further performances were banned on 17 March 1794.[6]

The libretto has not been found. A piano–vocal score in manuscript form of the music by Henri-Montan Berton is located at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (Département de la Musique, Ms. 3649).[2]

Composers

References

Notes

  1. ^ The names of the characters, with the nicknames given by the artist, are shown as image annotations on the file on Wikimedia Commons.

Citations

  1. ISBN 978-2-85944-161-6
    .
  2. ^ a b Wild and Charlton (2005), pp. 56, 200.
  3. ^ Pougin (1891), p. 107.
  4. ^ Pougin (1891), p. 108.
  5. ^ Pougin (1891), pp. 107–108.
  6. ^ Pougin (1891), p. 108n.

Sources

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