''Ghiselle'' is an opera by César Franck to a Merovingian-themed

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

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 the novelist Gilbert-Augustin Thierry, son of Amédée Thierry. The plot, set in the sixth century, while not keeping up with the "one assassination per act" of its predecessor '' Hulda'' (1886), is nonetheless rich in violent incident and ends with a double suicide. Composition began in the fall of 1888 and the last page of the piano score bears the date 21 September 1889. Franck orchestrated the first act himself; the remainder were prepared for the posthumous premiere (in Monte Carlo) by his pupils

Pierre de Bréville Pierre Eugène Onfroy de Bréville (21 February 1861 – 24 September 1949) was a French composer. Biography Pierre de Bréville was born in Bar-le-Duc, Meuse (department), Meuse. Following the wishes of his parents, he studied law with the goal ...

Ernest Chausson Amédée-Ernest Chausson (; 20 January 1855 – 10 June 1899) was a French Romantic composer who died just as his career was beginning to flourish. Life Born in Paris into an affluent bourgeois family, Chausson was the sole surviving child of a ...

, Vincent d'Indy,

Samuel Rousseau Samuel Rousseau (1763–1820) was a British Oriental scholar and printer. He compiled the first Arabic-English dictionary and translated and printed the first English language editions of several important Arabic works. He was related to Jean ...

and

Arthur Coquard Arthur Coquard (26 May 1846 – 20 August 1910)Baker, Theodore; rev. by Nicolas Slonimsky (1978) ''Baker's Biographical dictionary of musicians - 6th ed.'' New York: Schirmer Books, 348. was a French composer and music critic. He studied comp ...

Roles

Sources

Léon Vallas: ''César Franck'', translated by Hubert Foss (London 1951)

External links

* {{Authority control Operas French-language operas Operas by César Franck 1889 operas Opera world premieres at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo Operas completed by others