''Ascanio'' is a grand opera in five acts and seven tableaux by composer

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano C ...

. The opera's French

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

, by Louis Gallet, is based on the 1852 play ''Benvenuto Cellini'' by French playwright Paul Meurice which was in turn based on the 1843

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

Alexandre Dumas, père Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where ''Suffix (name)#Generational titles, '' is French language, French for 'father', to distinguish him from ...

. The name was changed to ''Ascanio'' to avoid confusion with the Berlioz opera ''

Benvenuto Cellini Benvenuto Cellini (, ; 3 November 150013 February 1571) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the ''Cellini Salt Cellar'', the sculpture of ''Perseus with the Head of Medusa'', and his autobiography ...

''. The opera premiered on March 21, 1890, at the

Académie Nationale de Musique The Palais Garnier (, Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (, Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera fro ...

in Paris, in costumes designed by Charles Bianchini and sets by Jean-Baptiste Lavastre and Eugène Carpezat (acts I; II, scene 2; and III), Auguste Alfred Rubé and Philippe Chaperon and Marcel Jambon (act II, scene 1).

Composition history

''Ascanio'' was composed by Saint-Saëns during 1887–1888. Saint-Saëns chose the subject of the historical figure of

largely due to his friendship with Meurice who, in addition to writing the play about Cellini, also helped Dumas write the 1843 novel. The subject also appealed to Saint-Saëns' long-term desire to base his operas in French history. The opera's libretto largely follows Meurice's play, although it does not include a scene where Cellini runs out of metal while casting a statue. The only notable departure from the play is the third act which is set at a

fête In Britain and some of its former colonies, fêtes are traditional public festivals, held outdoors and organised to raise funds for a charity. They typically include entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments. Village fêtes Village f� ...

Fontainebleau Fontainebleau (; ) is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the ''arrondissement ...

. The music for this act includes a lengthy divertissement of 12 dances which is highly reminiscent of French Baroque opera. Saint-Saëns dedicated the finished opera to Pauline Viardot, the French

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...

and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

.Studd, (1999) The opera premiered at the

Palais Garnier The Palais Garnier (, Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (, Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from ...

in Paris in 1890 to a poor reception. George Bernard Shaw, after attending the premiere, remarked "I need not waste my words on the music of it. There is not an original phrase in it from beginning to end." The work did not see a revival until 1921, the year of Saint-Saëns' death; however, a section of the ballet music is a popular excerpt for flute players.

Synopsis

:Place: Paris :Time: 1539 This opera concerns the historical figure of 16th-century Italian sculptor

during the time he spent at the court of François I in

and Paris. Cellini and apprentice Ascanio are both madly in love with Colombe, daughter of the Provost of Paris. This arouses the jealousies of two women: Scozzone, who herself is in love with Cellini, and the Duchess who is an admirer of Ascanio. Cellini steps aside to let Ascanio pursue Colombe, but when he realises that the jealousy of the two spurned women may prove dangerous to the girl, he hides her in a

reliquary A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', by the French term ''châsse'', and historically including ''wikt:phylactery, phylacteries'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary may be called a ''fereter'', and a chapel in which it i ...

he has designed for a local convent, and plans on having her taken there for safety. However, the Duchess uncovers this plan and has the reliquary diverted to her own estate, planning on letting the girl suffocate in it. However, Scozzone secretly took the place of Colombe when she regretted having been originally a part of the Duchess's plot. Meanwhile, Cellini has asked the King to allow the wedding of Ascanio and Colombe as a reward for his latest artistic masterpiece. The King has agreed. This happy news, however, is overshadowed by the sad discovery that Scozzone has suffocated and died in Colombe's place.

Roles

Recordings

* Saint-Saëns: ''Ascanio'' - ''La Chanson de Scozzone'', aria on recital by

Régine Crespin Régine Crespin (23 February 1927 – 5 July 2007) was a French singer who had a major international career in opera and on the concert stage between 1950 and 1989. She started her career singing roles in the dramatic soprano and spinto soprano ...

with Alain Lombard & L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande * Saint-Saëns: ''Ascanio'' - (complete) Jean-Francois Lapointe, Bernard Richter, Eve-Maud Hubeaux, Jean Teitgen,

Karina Gauvin Karina Gauvin is a Canadian soprano who has made several recordings and is especially recognised for her interpretation of Baroque music. ''Opera News'' stated that, "Gauvin knows how to rivet an audience in opera and concert. She has been a queen ...

, Clemence Tilquin. Chœur et Orchestre de la Haute École de Musique de Genève, Chœur du Grand Théâtre de Genève. Guillaume Tourniaire. B Records 2018Forum Opera - Laurent Bury 20 Novembre 2017
Ascanio, un dernier Saint-Saëns pour la route
" Bernard Richter dans le rôle-titre, Jean-François Lapointe en Cellini, Jean Teitgen en François Ier, et du côté des dames, Karina Gauvin en duchesse d’Etampes et Eve-Maud Hubeaux dans le rôle de Scozzone"

References

Notes Sources *Dubal, David (2001). ''The Essential Canon of Classical Music''. North Point Press. *Studd, Stephen (1999). ''Saint-Saëns: a Critical Biography''. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.

External links

*
Ascanio
visual documentation of the premiere o
Gallica
{{authority control Operas by Camille Saint-Saëns Operas 1890 operas French-language operas Opera world premieres at the Paris Opera Operas set in France Operas based on novels Operas based on plays Operas based on works by Alexandre Dumas Operas based on real people Cultural depictions of Francis I of France Cultural depictions of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Cultural depictions of Benvenuto Cellini