Hidden treasures - François Boieldieu - Aurore, Les voitures versées & Jean de Paris (1803-12)

History: The three presented works, written by the estimable Francois-Adrien Boieldieu (1775-1834), have proven to be crucial milestones in the composer's career. "Ma tante Aurore", premièred in the Parisian Opera-Comique on the 13th of January, 1803, was Boieldieu's first creation after a long period of music studies with Cherubini who offered the young composer guidance after the success of "Le calife de Bagdad" (1800). The first performance of the new work was a failure but, as it often happens, afterwards the opera would be received with great enthusiasm. This triumph (and a rather unsavoury divorce) led Boieldieu to accept an invitation to join the Russian court as director of the French opera for Tsar Alexander I. Boieldieu's contract called for him to write three operas a year, though in the end he produced just ten works during his seven years in Russia, the highpoint being a charming mélange of operatic satire, "Les voitures versees", premièred on the 18th of April, 1808, at the Hermitage Theatre before an appreciative audience. Boieldieu returned to Paris in 1811, and after long deliberations he decided to submit his formal resignation in February 1812. By that time he was already preparing his first Parisian opera in almost a decade, "Jean de Paris", which was promptly produced at the Opera-Comique on the 4th of April, 1812, before an overjoyed audience. Three years later Boieldieu was appointed court composer and accompanist, and in 1817 he took over Etienne Mehul's position as professor of composition at the Paris Conservatoire, a post he held until 1826.

Narrative: French light opera is rarely characterized by the strength of its drama, and, indeed, all three presented works are old-fashioned, predictable comedies of little bite or innovation: a typical Molierian conflict between an aunt who has read one too many romantic novels and her niece who has to pass off her lover as a Byronesque hero to secure their union; a series of operatic parodies and romantic entanglements that occur due to some broken carriage wheels in the style of "Il viaggio a Reims"; finally, a sentimental account of a meeting between the Princess of Navarre and the French Dauphine who, in order to see his bride-to-be, disguises himself as a rich merchant. There is little dramatic interest in the confines of the librettos but all three are perfectly innocent, genuinely likeable entertainments, reminding one of a Woodhouse novel in their polite but natural humor.

P.S. Full librettos and scores of the three operas can be found here:
http://livretpartition.com/index.php/recherche-par-titre/boieldieu?ordering=&...

Music: While most of the musical numbers in the three operas have little to do with the development of the plot, Boieldieu, through the sheer charm and freshness of his melodies, the clarity and effectiveness of his accompaniments, as well as the controlled development of large forms constantly keeps the listener engaged. Indeed, one would be hard-pressed not to leave the theatre with a few tunes completely stuck inside one's head: thus, "Aurore", though musically less ambitious than either of the later works, is home to a charming double serenade for Valsain and Frontain with a playful string accompaniment and a joyful rondo for Julie, filled with enchanting clarinet/horn details and enchanting colourations; "Les voitures" is, in essence, one long operatic parody with set pieces ranging from a mock romantic aria for Madame de Melval who effectively plays out a scene between two lovers, culminating in a cantabile of Bellinian sensibility and a coloratura-laden allegro, as the lady laughs away the man's pretensions (the same section is used in the heroine's real encounter with Florville), an elaborate septet which Dormeuil improvises on the spot and has his guests sing in perfect harmony and an entertaining set of variations on "Au clair de la lune" (which will be posted separately); finally, "Jean", the grandest work of the three, incorporates a "medieval" romanza that is sung to entertain the Princess by Olivier, complete with fresh ornamentation and the pizzicattos of the strings in the place of a mandolin, a long, buffonish entrance for the Princess' Senechal, a show-piece for a talented lyric bass, one of those traditional "The birds are singing in their cages" cavatinas for the heroine herself, as she moves through an array of showy coloratura passages, and, last but not least, the charming overture which effectively contrasts a march in the bass line and the winds' fanciful motives. If anything, Boieldieu makes a strong statement that in opera the success rests solely on the quality of the music.

Recordings: All three recordings - the 1963 Philips, the 1971 Musicdisk and the 1966 Musicdisc - are wonderfully Gallic in character and execution, boasting fine conducting, vital playing and committed singing.

Hope you'll enjoy =).

Category:

Music

Tags:

• boieldieu
• belcanto
• classic
• opera
• music

[HM0880]

I throughly enjoyed this, Lindoro! You selected some really fantastic highlights for us YouTube aficionados. Thanks so much for posting this delightful treat. :)