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Eugène Scribe (1791–1861) began his career as a dramatist for the Parisian popular stage, writing vaudevilles and comedies. This experience was crucial to his development of the French opera libretto, as he injected a new realism, pace and drama into serious and comic opera, and brought the two genres closer together. During his lifetime he wrote librettos ...

Source: Classical Music Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

1791–1861, French Eugène Scribe, the French librettist, scored his first success with Auber’s opéra comique La dame blanche (‘The White Lady’, 1825). However, Scribe concentrated mainly on French grand opéra, with libretti that matched the genre’s visual and musical grandeur and the dramatic on-stage action. Scribe formed a partnership with Auber, who set no less ...

Source: Definitive Opera Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

Composed: 1902 Premiered: 1902, Milan Libretto by Arturo Colautti, after Eugène Scribe and Ernest Legouvé’s play Adrienne Lecouvreur Act I Backstage at the Comédie-Française, the stage manager Michonnet tries to propose to the actress Adriana Lecouvreur, but she loves Maurizio, who is the Count of Saxony in disguise. She gives Maurizio some violets. An intercepted letter ...

Source: Definitive Opera Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

leader of the strel’tsï (musketeers), and his son Andrey. Act I Strel’tsï are on guard in Red Square. Boyar Shaklovity, the regent’s agent, dictates a letter to a scribe denouncing the Khovansky faction. Ivan Khovansky enters and vows to crush opposition to the royal family. Emma, a German girl, enters, trying to escape from Andrey Khovansky ...

Source: Definitive Opera Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

Furtive Tear’), the exceptionally beautiful tenor aria in Act II sung by the opera’s hero, Nemorino. Composed: 1832 Premiered: 1832, Milan Libretto by Felice Romani, after Eugène Scribe Act I The wealthy Adina relaxes with her friend Giannetta and peasants, while Nemorino, her admirer, looks on. He is a poor villager and laments that he ...

Source: Definitive Opera Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

singer, but one who acted her parts ‘like an inspired idiot’, as one observer put it. Composed: 1831 Premiered: 1831, Milan Libretto by Felice Romani, after Eugène Scribe Act I The villagers celebrate the approaching wedding of Amina and Elvino, with the exception of Lisa, the innkeeper and Elvino’s former lover. Consumed by jealousy, she ...

Source: Definitive Opera Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

used much of the music, including the overture, in his Il viaggo a Reims (‘A Journey to Rheims’, 1825). Composed: 1828 Premiered: 1828, Paris Libretto by Eugène Scribe and Charles Gaspard Delestre-Poirson Act I While the men are away on a crusade, Countess Adèle renounces love. Count Ory has disguised himself as a hermit who gives the ...

Source: Definitive Opera Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

‘The Huguenots’ Composed: 1836 Premiered: 1836, Paris Libretto by Eugène Scribe, Emile Deschamps and Gaetano Rossi Act I Nevers, a Catholic, has invited the Huguenot Raoul to a feast, as the king desires peace between the two factions. The guests describe their experiences of love. Raoul has fallen for a lady whom he saved from some ...

Source: Definitive Opera Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

replaced by Giovanna di Braganza, Giovanna de Guzman and Batilde di Turenna before its rightful name was reinstated in 1857. Composed: 1854 Premiered: 1855, Paris Libretto by Eugène Scribe and Charles Duveyrier Act I The Duchesse Hélène laments the execution of her brother, encouraged by Robert, a French soldier, and stirs emotions amongst the crowd. A ...

Source: Definitive Opera Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

, while a stately court dance is played, combined to make the opera an enduring success. Composed: 1857 Premiered: 1859, Rome Libretto by Antonio Somma, after Eugène Scribe This synopsis uses the Swedish character names from the original Scribe libretto. Where necessary, the names used in the revised US version are shown in brackets. Act I Courtiers ...

Source: Definitive Opera Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

, writing concertos and vocal music before turning his attention to operas. His most important work is La muette de Portici (1828), one of many collaborations with the librettist Eugène Scribe, which deals with the Neapolitan insurrection under Masaniello in 1647 and which proved influential to other composers of the era. Auber became director of the Paris Conservatoire in 1842 ...

Source: Classical Music Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

popular appreciation until he established himself with two works: La bergère châtelaine (‘The Lady Shepherdess’, 1820) and Emma (1821). In 1823, Auber teamed up with the French playwright Eugène Scribe, his librettist for the Italian-style operas Leicester (1823) and La neige (‘The Snow’, 1823) and then the French-style Léocadie (1824). Auber was soon establishing himself as a master of ...

Source: Definitive Opera Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

successful opera in the theatre is the ebullient one-act comedy Die Verschworenen (‘The Conspirators’, 1823), a nineteenth-century take on Aristophanes’ Lysistrata. Introduction | Early Romantic | Opera Personalities | Eugène Scribe | Early Romantic | Opera Techniques | Operetta | Turn of the Century | Opera ...

Source: Definitive Opera Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

(Ja’-ko-mo Mi’-er-bâr) 1791–1864 German composer Meyerbeer (like Mendelssohn) came from a wealthy German-Jewish family. He studied composition with Carl Friedrich Zelter and later with the renowned music theorist Georg Joseph Vogler. In 1831 he had a phenomenal success at the Paris Opéra with Robert le diable (‘Robert the Devil’), which within three years was performed in 77 theatres in 10 countries, ...

Source: Classical Music Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

his ability. He wrote Ernani, I due Foscari, Macbeth, Il corsaro, Stiffelio, Rigoletto, La traviata, Simon Boccanegra and La forza del destino. Eugène Scribe did not respond to bullying, and Verdi complained bitterly, but to no avail, about the text of Les vêpres siciliennes. Scribe also wrote Gustave III, ou ...

Source: Classical Music Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie
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