''Le Juif polonais'' (''The Polish Jew'') is a 1900

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 librett ...

in three acts by

Camille Erlanger Camille Erlanger (25 May 186324 April 1919) was a French opera composer. He studied at the Paris Conservatory under Léo Delibes (composition), Georges Mathias (piano), as well as Émile Durand and Antoine Taubon (harmony).Jacobshagen, Arnold: " ...

composed to a

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 ...

Henri Caïn Henri Cain (11 October 1857 – 21 November 1937) was a French dramatist, opera and ballet librettist. He wrote over forty librettos from 1893 to his death, for many of the most prominent composers of the Parisian Belle Epoque. Cain was born in ...

. It was adapted from the 1867 stage play ''Le Juif polonais'' by

Erckmann-Chatrian Erckmann-Chatrian was the name used by French authors Émile Erckmann (1822–1899) and Alexandre Chatrian (1826–1890), nearly all of whose works were jointly written.Mary Ellen Snodgrass, ''Encyclopedia of Gothic Literature''. New York, Facts ...

. The play was translated into English in 1871 as '' The Bells'' by Leopold Lewis. The same material was used by Karel Weis for his 1901 opera, ''Der polnische Jude''.

Plot

A melodramatic climax occurs in act 2 when the sound of

sleigh bell A jingle bell or sleigh bell is a type of bell which produces a distinctive 'jingle' sound, especially in large numbers. They find use in many areas as a percussion instrument, including the classic sleigh bell sound and morris dancing. The ...

s at his daughter's wedding reminds the innkeeper Mathias of the Jew he had murdered 15 years previously. Dreaming, in act 3, that he is being tried for the murder, he confesses the details of the attack and his disposal of the body, and dies of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

Performances

The opera was first performed in Paris at the

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief rival, the Comédie-Italienne ...

on 11 April 1900, when the cast included

Gustave Huberdeau Gustave Huberdeau (10 May 1874 – 31 May 1945) was a French operatic bass-baritone who had a prolific career in Europe and the United States during the first quarter of the twentieth century. He sang a wide repertoire encompassing material from ...

, the

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typically b ...

Jeanne Gerville-Réache Jeanne Gerville-Réache (26 March 1882 – 5 January 1915) was a French operatic contralto from the Belle Époque. She possessed a remarkably beautiful voice, an excellent singing technique, and wide vocal range which enabled her to perform seve ...

as Catherine, the bass André Gresse as the President, the tenor

Edmond Clément Edmond Clément (28 March 1867, Paris - 24 February 1928, Nice) was a French lyric tenor who earned an international reputation due to the polished artistry of his singing. During his career he also held a private studio, one of his students being ...

as Christian and

Victor Maurel Victor Maurel (17 June 184822 October 1923) was a French operatic baritone who enjoyed an international reputation as a great singing actor. Biography Maurel was born in Marseille. Educated in music and stagecraft at the Paris Conservatory, ...

as Mathias. The role of Mathias's daughter Suzelle was created by ."''Le Juif polonais'' – A New Opera, on the Subject of Irving's Play"
April 29, 1900, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', p. 20, review of the premiere Unlike Erlanger's first opera, ''Karmaria'', it was a great success and was performed in France until the 1930s.

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

presented the work in Vienna in 1906, where it proved a dismal failure. The plot was found to be thin, and the music insufficient to support interest. According to

Alma Mahler Alma Maria Mahler Gropius Werfel (born Alma Margaretha Maria Schindler; 31 August 1879 – 11 December 1964) was an Austrian composer, author, editor, and socialite. At 15, she was mentored by Max Burckhard. Musically active from her early yea ...

, her husband had been reminded, when he heard the work in Paris, of his own Fourth Symphony by the sleighbells. Viennese critics rated the work as inferior to another on the same theme by Karel Weis, produced in Vienna in 1902. Nevertheless the opera remained in the repertory in France until the 1930s.

References

Sources * * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Juif polonais, Le Operas 1900 operas French-language operas Jews and Judaism in France Operas based on plays Opera world premieres at the Opéra-Comique