''Jean de Nivelle'' is an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

in three acts by

Léo Delibes Clément Philibert Léo Delibes (; 21 February 1836 – 16 January 1891) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer, best known for his ballets and French opera, operas. His works include the ballets ''Coppélia'' (1870) and ''Sylvia (ba ...

to a French libretto by

Edmond Gondinet Edmond Gondinet (7 March 1828 – 19 November 1888) was a French playwright and librettist. This author, nearly forgotten today, produced forty plays of which several were successful. He collaborated with Alphonse Daudet and Eugène Labiche, ...

and

Philippe Gille Philippe Emile François Gille (10 December 1831 – 19 March 1901) was a French dramatist and opera librettist, who was born and died in Paris. He wrote over twenty librettos between 1857 and 1893, the most famous of which are Massenet's '' Mano ...

. It premiered on 6 March 1880 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, with Jean-Alexandre Talazac, a French

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

, in the title role. The story is based on the historical figure Jean de Nivelle, a member of the

House of Montmorency The House of Montmorency, pronounced , was one of the oldest and most distinguished noble families in France. Origins The family name Montmorency derived from their castle in the ''pays de France'', recorded in Latin as ''Mons Maurentiacus'', i ...

who refused to join with his father, Jean II de Montmorency, in supporting

Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revol ...

in his war against

Charles the Bold Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. ...

. Although originally described as an '' opéra comique'', in many respects it is close to the

grand opera Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and orchestras, and (in their original productions) lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on o ...

tradition typified by

Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (born Jakob Liebmann Beer; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864) was a German opera composer, "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Mozart and Wagner". With his 1831 opera ''Robert le d ...

. The opera proved popular in its day, with 100 performances in the year following its premiere. Between 1881 and 1882, it was also performed at

La Monnaie The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie (french: Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, italic=no, ; nl, Koninklijke Muntschouwburg, italic=no; both translating as the "Royal Theatre of the Mint") is an opera house in central Brussels, Belgium. The National O ...

in Brussels, Saint Petersburg, Copenhagen, Budapest, Vienna, and Stockholm. Then, it disappeared from the repertoire and was only revived in Paris in 1908, at the Théâtre Municipal de la Gaîté-Lyrique. In the 1908 revival the role of Arlette was sung by Marianne Nicot, the daughter of the creator of the role, while the title role was sung by David Devriès. Franz Liszt in 1881, in his late sparse style, began to compose a free fantasy on the orchestral introduction to the opera, followed by the introduction to the ballad itself. But the manuscript is incomplete and unfinished. It is numbered S698 in Liszt's catalogue of works, and is the only operatic fantasy Liszt contemplated on themes by Delibes.

Roles

Synopsis

After an orchestral prelude the action opens in the Burgundian country, early in the reign of

. The curtain rises on grape-pickers who look vexedly after a young shepherd who goes away without replying to their calls: it is Jean de Nivelle – not long in the region having come from an unknown place. Wild and mysterious, he slips away as soon as someone thinks they know who he is. This excites the curiosity of the old hag Simone. She is consumed with jealousy and anger for her son Thibaut, a bad lad in prison for theft, whom she wants to marry her niece Arlette, but the latter hates Thibaut, and has fallen in love with Jean. Arlette herself suspects that the handsome shepherd might be the Duke Jean de Montmorency, who fled the royal court to avoid a futile marriage and who is hiding himself from the king in the depths of the countryside. When the Count de Charolais and Diane de Beautreillis pass on a hunt they fail to recognize Jean. Sire Malicorne (a comic character) has also been sent from court to find and drag back the missing son-in-law. The Baron Beautreillis, another comic role, the duke’s minister, uses the presence of the king's envoy to advance his own interests, while Saladin, a friend of Count Charolais is angry with Jean for stealing his riding-crop. In the second act, at the court of

Philippe le Bon Philippe le Bon (or Lebon) (D'Humbersin) (May 29, 1767 – December 1, 1804) was a French engineer, born in Brachay, France. There is much confusion about his life and accomplishments. His main contributions were improvements to steam engine ...

, Isolin leads the festivities. Diane presents Arlette, who pleases the old duke and has managed to reconcile him with his son. Arlette sings a florid fabliau. Saladin lays a trap for Arlette to seduce her and destroy her good favour when she tries to meet Jean. Jean appears just as Saladin lays in wait for her and the two draw swords. Jean later accuses Arlette of having an assignation with Saladin and admits that he has killed him. Denounced and revealed as his real self by Simone, when Charolais condemns him, Malicorne intervenes that the king has already sentenced Jean for rebellion. At this Charolais frees Jean and asks him to command the Burgundian troops against the king. For the third act it is daybreak on the

Montlhéry Montlhéry () is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located from Paris. History Montlhéry lay on the strategically important road from Paris to Orléans. Under the Merovingians, it was owned by the ...

plain with the battle in the distance. Arlette is looking for Jean, while Charolais, injured, says that he was rescued from a fatal ambush by an unknown soldier (who we know was Jean). Then Jean enters, pale, and without his arms: before the flag of France he had lost his courage. However, Arlette comes to him and tells him that Simone is still, along with Malicorne, plotting to ruin him. Jean does not listen to her, but then Charolais returns having parleyed with the king who has pardoned Jean, who decides that rather than face the French forces again, he will go away, but with Arlette.Translated from Henri de Curzon 'Delibes', 1926, p159-162.

References

Sources

*Decé, H., Review: "Théâtre Lyrique Municipal de la Gaité: Jean de Nivelle", ''Le théâtre'' Vol. 1908/II, No. 239, 1908, pp. 18–22 *Forbes, Elizabeth
"Talazac, Jean-Alexandre"
in L. Macy (ed.), ''The Grove Book of Opera Singers'', Oxford University Press US, 2008, p. 483. *Pottinger, Mark A.,
Review: ''Léo Delibes, Jean de Nivelle: Dossier de presse parisienne (1880)''
''Music and Letters'' Vol. 89, No. 3, 2008, pp. 434–435 {{Authority control Operas Operas by Léo Delibes Opéras comiques French-language operas 1880 operas Opera world premieres at the Opéra-Comique