Padmâvatî

Cover of French Opera Padmâvatî. c.1923

Padmâvatî is an

) and he incorporated many features of Indian music into the score.

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere cast, 1 June 1923 Conductor: Philippe Gaubert
Padmâvatî, Queen of Chittor	mezzo-soprano	Ketty Lapeyrette
Ratan-Sen, her husband, King of Chittor	tenor	Paul Franz
Alaouddin, Sultan of the Mughals	baritone	Édouard Roux
Nakamti, a young woman	soprano	Jeanne Laval
Brahmin	tenor	Henri Fabert
Badal, Ratan-Sen's enemy	tenor	Mario Podestà
Gora, official of the palace	tenor	Dalerant
Priest	bass	Armand-Émile Narçon

Synopsis

Place: Chittor, India
Time: around 1300

Act One

The sultan of

Alaouddin is besieging the city of Chittor. He comes to its ruler, Ratan-Sen, asking for peace negotiations. Ratan-Sen shows him around the city. Alaouddin also asks to be granted a glimpse of Ratan-Sen's wife, Padmâvatî, who is legendary for her beauty. Ratan-Sen reluctantly agrees. Alaouddin refuses to make peace unless Padmâvatî is handed over to him.

Act Two

The Khilji army attack the city and Padmâvatî and the wounded Ratan-Sen take refuge in the temple of Siva. Ratan-Sen tells his wife that the people will be massacred unless she gives herself to Alaouddin. Ratan-Sen is stoned to death, and Padmâvatî joins him on his funeral pyre rather than giving herself to Alaouddin.

Recordings

• Padmâvatî, Marilyn Horne, Nicolai Gedda, Jane Berbié, José van Dam, Marc Vento, Toulouse Capitole Orchestra, conducted by Michel Plasson (EMI)
• Padmâvatî, Rita Gorr (Padmâvatî), Albert Lance (Ratan-Sen), Gérard Souzay (Alaouddin). London Symphony Orchestra and BBC Chorus, conducted by Jean Martinon (Gala)

Sources

• The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
• Del Teatro (in Italian)
• Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Padmâvatî, 1 June 1923". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
• The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera ed. Parker (OUP, 1994)
• Smith, Richard Langham (1992), 'Padmâvatî' in The
  ISBN 0-333-73432-7