''L'Aiglon'' is a play in six acts by
Edmond Rostand
Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with t ...
based on the life of
Napoleon II
, house = Bonaparte
, father = Napoleon I, Emperor of the French
, mother = Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Tuileries Palace, Paris, French Empire
...
, who was the son of Emperor
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and his second wife, Empress
Marie Louise Marie Louise or Marie-Louise may refer to:
People
* Marie Louise of Orléans (1662–1689), daughter of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, queen consort of Charles II of Spain
* Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel (1688–1765), daughter of Charles I, Landgrav ...
. The title of the play comes from a nickname for Napoleon II, the
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 ...
word for "eaglet" (a young
eagle
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
).
The title role was created by
Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 or 23 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including '' La Dame Aux Camel ...
in the play's premiere on 15 March 1900 at the
Théàtre Sarah Bernhardt.
Fashion designer
Jacques Doucet designed her famous white costume.
In October of the same year, the play (in an English translation by
Louis N. Parker
Louis Napoleon Parker (21 October 1852 – 21 September 1944) was an English dramatist, composer and translator. Parker wrote many plays, developing a reputation for historical works. His 1911 play ''Disraeli'' is one of his best known, written a ...
) premiered at New York's
Knickerbocker Theatre, with
Maude Adams in the title role.
Its first performance in London was at
His Majesty's Theatre His Majesty's Theatre may refer to:
*Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Australia, known as His Majesty's Theatre 1901–1952, demolished 1983
* His Majesty's Theatre, London, England, known as Her Majesty's Theatre 1952–2023
*His Majesty's Theatre, ...
in 1901, with Bernhardt again playing the leading role. Rostand had written ''L'Aiglon'' specifically for Bernhardt, and it became one of her signature roles.
Clemence Dane made an English translation which was broadcast by the BBC on National Radio in 15 November 1936 and regionally the following day.
performed the leading role in this production.
Arthur Honegger and
Jacques Ibert composed an
opera in five acts, also with the title ''
L'Aiglon
''L'Aiglon'' is a play in six acts by Edmond Rostand based on the life of Napoleon II, who was the son of Emperor Napoleon I and his second wife, Empress Marie Louise. The title of the play comes from a nickname for Napoleon II, the French wor ...
'', to a libretto by
Henri Cain, based on Rostand's play. It was first performed at the
Opéra de Monte-Carlo in
1937
Events
January
* January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua.
* January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Fe ...
.
References
*''
New York Times''
"Rostand's New Play a Success" 16 March 1900
*''New York Times''
"Maude Adams as the Stricken Eaglet" 23 October 1900
*Spratt, Geoffrey K.
''The music of Arthur Honegger'' Cork University Press, 1987, p. 544.
*V&A Archive L'Aiglon radio scrip
External links
''L'Aiglon'' – complete text in the original French''L'Aiglon'' – complete text of the English translation by Louis N. ParkerRecording of Sarah Bernhardt in a 4 minute excerpt from ''L'Aiglon''
Vincent Voice Library, Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...
Aiglon
Aiglon
Cultural depictions of Napoleon II
{{1900s-play-stub