''Mireille'' is an 1864

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 five acts by

Charles Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...

to a French libretto by

Michel Carré Michel Carré (20 October 1821, Besançon – 27 June 1872, Argenteuil) was a prolific French librettist. He went to Paris in 1840 intending to become a painter but took up writing instead. He wrote verse and plays before turning to writing libre ...

after

Frédéric Mistral Joseph Étienne Frédéric Mistral (; oc, Josèp Estève Frederic Mistral, 8 September 1830 – 25 March 1914) was a French writer of Occitan literature and lexicographer of the Provençal form of the language. He received the 1904 Nobel P ...

's poem

Mirèio ''Mirèio'' (; ''Mirèlha'' in classical norm, ) is a poem in Occitan by French writer Frédéric Mistral. It was written in 1859, after eight years of effort. Mirèio, a long poem in Provençal consisting of twelve songs, tells of the thwarted lo ...

. The vocal score is dedicated to George V of Hanover.

Composition history

Mistral had become well known in Paris with the publication of the French prose translation of ''Mireio'' in 1859, and Gounod probably knew the work by 1861.Huebner 1992. He was charmed by its originality, the story being much less contrived than many of those on the operatic stage at the time.Condé G. Mireille (notes for the 1979 EMI recording). The action of the opera is quite faithful to Mistral, although the sequence of events of the Val d’Enfer (Act 3, Scene 1) and Mireille's avowal of her love of Vincent to her father (Act 2 finale) are reversed in the opera. Gounod's biographer James Harding has argued that "what matters in this extended lyric poem is not the story but the rich tapestry of Provençal traditions, beliefs and customs that Mistral unfolds." During the course of composition Gounod spent much time in

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...

(12 March to the end of May 1863), visiting the sites of the action in the poem/opera, and met Mistral on several occasions at his home in

Maillane Maillane (; oc, Malhana) is a Communes of France, commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department in southern France in the former Provinces of France, province of Provence. Geography Maillane is located north-west of Sain ...

. Gounod stayed at the Hôtel de la Ville Vert in

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (; Provençal Occitan: ''Sant Romieg de Provença'' in classical and ''Sant Roumié de Prouvènço'' in Mistralian norms) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Southern France. L ...

, and was treated to a banquet by the townspeople on 26 May. Presenting class differences in a rural setting was not usual at the time, and as the musicologist Steven Huebner comments "some early reviewers had difficulty accepting that a 'mere' country girl could sing an aria with heroic cut such as 'En marche'."

Performance history

A pre-performance run-through of the work at Gounod's house included

Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', whi ...

on the piano and

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 ...

on the

harmonium The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...

. Gounod and the Vicomtesse de Grandval (a composer herself) sang the solo parts.

Théâtre Lyrique

The opera premiered at the

Théâtre Lyrique The Théâtre Lyrique was one of four opera companies performing in Paris during the middle of the 19th century (the other three being the Opéra, the Opéra-Comique, and the Théâtre-Italien). The company was founded in 1847 as the Opéra-N ...

in Paris on 19 March 1864; the first night was attended by

Ivan Turgenev Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (; rus, links=no, Ива́н Серге́евич Турге́невIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; 9 November 1818 – 3 September 1883 (Old Style dat ...

, who in a letter to

Pauline Viardot Pauline Viardot (; 18 July 1821 – 18 May 1910) was a nineteenth-century French mezzo-soprano, pedagogue and composer of Spanish descent. Born Michelle Ferdinande Pauline García, her name appears in various forms. When it is not simply "Pauli ...

, ridicules part of Act 3. As with the role of Marguerite in ''

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...

'', Gounod's demands on his principal soprano are particularly onerous – from light soprano in Act I to more dramatic singing in Act IV. Even before the premiere Gounod had been forced by his

prima donna In opera or commedia dell'arte, a prima donna (; Italian for "first lady"; plural: ''prime donne'') is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. ''Prime donne'' often had grand off-stage pers ...

to make many changes to the form and content of his opera. This caused vocal problems for Miolan-Carvalho - wife of the theatre director - who got Gounod to make the role easier for her and particularly more 'brilliant'. Gounod even marked in the manuscript that the roulades at the end of her Act 2 air were demanded by her.Ferrant 1942, p. Critical reaction to the first performances was negative with accusations of Wagnerism. The criticisms led to a revised version first presented on 15 December 1864, in three acts with a happy ending. However, this version also failed to find an audience.Huebner 1990, p. 141. The December performances of ''Mireille'' also included a revised ending to the overture (which has been used ever since, although the original slower coda is printed in the 1970 vocal score) and the 'valse-ariette' "O légère hirondelle" for Mireille in Act I.

Opéra-Comique

After Carvalho's company went bankrupt in 1868, the opera transferred to 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 ...

, where it has had a long and varied career. The first production at the Salle Favart was on 10 November 1874, in four acts, but was poorly received. This production featured Miolan-Carvalho again in the title role, Galli-Marié as Taven and Andreloun, and Ismael appeared this time as Ramon, while

Léon Melchissédec Léon Melchissédec (born Clermont Ferrand, 7 May 1843, died Neuilly-sur-Seine 23 March 1925) was a French baritone who enjoyed a long career in the French capital across a broad range of operatic genres, and later made some recordings and also ...

sang Ourrias; Deloffre conducted, as in the premiere run. A revival on 29 November 1889, presented by the Opéra-Comique at the Théâtre Lyrique on the Place du Chatelet, with Cécile Simonnet as Mireille and

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 Vincent, was in three acts with a happy ending in which Mireille and Vincent marry. This version did much better, and the opera became a repertory piece, receiving 226 performances by the end of 1894. The three-act version pleased some later writers, who admired "warmth and colour" and found it "glows with the life and sunlight of the south". A new production at the Opéra-Comique, which opened on 13 March 1901, was again in five acts (although acts 4 and 5 were both abridged), used spoken dialogue, and reinstated the tragic ending. The 500th performance at the Opéra-Comique took place on 19 December 1920.Wolff 1953, p. 123–124. On 6 June 1939

Reynaldo Hahn Reynaldo Hahn (; 9 August 1874 – 28 January 1947) was a Venezuelan-born French composer, conductor, music critic, and singer. He is best known for his songs – ''mélodies'' – of which he wrote more than 100. Hahn was born in Caracas b ...

and

Henri Büsser Paul Henri Büsser (16 January 1872 – 30 December 1973) was a French classical composer, organist, and conductor. Biography Büsser was born in Toulouse of partly German ancestry. He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1889, where he studied ...

mounted a new production at the Opéra-Comique (revived in Arles on 28 June 1941), in which an attempt was made to revert to Gounod's original thoughts.Hahn R. La version originale de Mireille. La Revue d'Arles, June 1941. Büsser edited the music and provided orchestrations for some passages for which Gounod's full scoring had been lost (most notably, much of the aria in the Crau scene, and Mireille's death in the finale). Subsequent productions have generally followed Büsser's edition. Whether it is a true reflection of the original score is doubtful: spoken dialogue was probably used at the première rather than recitatives, and the end of Act II was originally a repeat of the concertato, not a recollection of the Chanson de Magali. However, the work continued to be successful and by 1950 over 800 performances of ''Mireille'' had been given at the Opéra-Comique.

Other productions in France

Mireille was produced at the Gaîté-Lyrique on 11 May 1930.Loewenberg 1978, column 967. A notable production was given on 24 July 1954 at the Baux de Provence with five thousand seats borrowed from the

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

s in

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; oc, Nimes ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of 148,5 ...

and

Arles Arles (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Arle ; Classical la, Arelate) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province of ...

, as part of the

Aix-en-Provence Festival The Festival d'Aix-en-Provence is an annual international music festival which takes place each summer in Aix-en-Provence, principally in July. Devoted mainly to opera, it also includes concerts of orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo instrumenta ...

; the same cast and orchestra recorded the work under Cluytens a few days later in Aix. ''Mireille'' was given its

Paris Opera The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...

premiere in September 2009 in a production by the company's new director and was released on DVD.

Productions outside France

The opera was never as popular outside France.

James Henry Mapleson James Henry Mapleson (Colonel Mapleson) (4 May 1830 – 14 November 1901) was an English opera impresario, a leading figure in the development of opera production, and of the careers of singers, in London and New York in the mid-19th century. Born ...

produced the London premiere on 5 July 1864 at

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, ...

(in Italian as ''Mirella''). It was presented in five acts but with a new happy ending that Gounod later incorporated into the 3-act version at the Théâtre Lyrique in December. It was also likely the first version of the opera to include the recitatives (which Gounod originally intended for use in foreign productions). The cast included

Thérèse Tietjens Thérèse Carolina Johanne Alexandra Tietjens (17 July 1831, Hamburg3 October 1877, London) was a leading opera and oratorio soprano. She made her career chiefly in London during the 1860s and 1870s, but her sequence of musical triumphs in th ...

as Mireille (Mirella),

Antonio Giuglini Antonio Giuglini (16 or 17 January 1825 – 12 October 1865) was an Italian operatic tenor. During the last eight years of his life, before he developed signs of mental instability, he earned renown as one of the leading stars of the operatic ...

as Vincent (Vicenzo), Zelia Trebelli-Bettini as Taven (Tavena),

Charles Santley Sir Charles Santley (28 February 1834 – 22 September 1922) was an English opera and oratorio singer with a ''bravura''From the Italian verb ''bravare'', to show off. A florid, ostentatious style or a passage of music requiring technical skill ...

as Ourrias (Urias), Mélanie-Charlotte Reboux as Vincennette (Vincenzina), Elisa Volpini as Andreloun (Andreluno), Marcel Junca as Ramon (Raimondo), and Édouard Gassier as Ambroise (Ambrogio), with

Luigi Arditi Luigi Arditi (16 July 1822 – 1 May 1903) was an Italian violinist, composer and conductor. Life Arditi was born in Crescentino, Piemonte (Italy). He began his musical career as a violinist, and studied music at the Milan Conservatory under ...

as the conductor, but it was only a ''succès d'estime''. On 29 April 1887 Mapleson revived the opera with

Emma Nevada Emma Nevada (née Wixom) (7 February 1859 – 20 June 1940) was an American operatic soprano particularly known for her performances in operas by Bellini and Donizetti and the French composers Ambroise Thomas, Charles Gounod, and Léo Del ...

as Mireille at the

Covent Garden theatre The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...

, where it was also given in Italian with the happy ending, but in the compressed 3-act form. On 10 June 1891 it was sung at the same theatre in French, and on 4 December 1899 at the

Guildhall School of Music The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

(in an English translation by

Henry Fothergill Chorley Henry Fothergill Chorley (15 December 1808 – 16 February 1872) was an English literary, art and music critic, writer and editor. He was also an author of novels, drama, poetry and lyrics. Chorley was a prolific and important music and litera ...

). It was seen in Dublin on 29 September 1864 (in Italian). ''Mireille'' was presented in French in Belgium: in Antwerp on 10 March 1865 and Brussels on 12 May, with further performances in later years.

Adelina Patti Adelina Patti (19 February 184327 September 1919) was an Italian 19th-century opera singer, earning huge fees at the height of her career in the music capitals of Europe and America. She first sang in public as a child in 1851, and gave her la ...

sang the title role in an Italian production in St Petersburg on 9 February 1874, with her husband Nicolini as Vincent. The opera was first seen in the United States at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia on 17 November 1864 (in German). It was first given in Chicago on 13 September 1880 (in English), and in New York on 18 December 1884 (in Italian). It was performed in the original French at the

French Opera House The French Opera House, or ''Théâtre de l'Opéra'', was an opera house in New Orleans. It was one of the city's landmarks from its opening in 1859 until it was destroyed by fire in 1919. It stood in the French Quarter at the uptown lake corner o ...

in New Orleans on 29 January 1885. The

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

presented the opera on 28 February 1919, with

Maria Barrientos María Alejandra Barrientos Llopis (4 March 1884 - 8 August 1946) was a Spanish opera singer, a light coloratura soprano. Biography Barrientos was born in Barcelona on 4 March 1884. She received a thorough musical education (piano and violin ...

as Mireille,

Charles Hackett Charles Hackett (November 4, 1889 – January 1, 1942) sometimes referred to as Carlo Hackett, was an American lyric tenor. Biography He was born on November 4, 1889 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Hackett studied first at the New England Cons ...

as Vincent,

Kathleen Howard Kathleen Howard (July 27, 1884 – April 15, 1956) was a Canadian-born American opera singer, magazine editor, and character actress from the mid-1930s through the 1940s. Biography Howard was born in Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Cana ...

as Taven, and

Clarence Whitehill Clarence Eugene Whitehill (November 5, 1871 - December 19, 1932) was a leading American bass-baritone who sang at the Metropolitan Opera from 1915 to 1932. He sang on both sides of the Atlantic and is remembered for his association with the mus ...

as Ourrias and

Pierre Monteux Pierre Benjamin Monteux (; 4 April 18751 July 1964) was a French (later American) conductor. After violin and viola studies, and a decade as an orchestral player and occasional conductor, he began to receive regular conducting engagements in ...

conducting. Despite the line-up, the production was only given four times, and the opera was never revived.

Roles

Synopsis

:Place:

:Time: 19th Century

Act 1

''A

mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of diverse species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 identif ...

grove on Midsummer night (Fête de la Saint-Jean).'' Girls sing as they pick the leaves to feed to

silkworm The domestic silk moth (''Bombyx mori''), is an insect from the moth family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of ''Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth. It is an economically imp ...

s. Taven, an old woman who lives in nearby caves, joins them and comments on their jollity, but they laugh at "the witch" and Clemence voices her wish for a rich husband. Mireille however wants to marry for love, even if her husband be poor and shy, but is teased by the other girls who know that she has set her heart on a poor basket-weaver, Vincent. Taven shares her forebodings with Mireille. Vincent passes by and Mireille gets him to confess his love. As they part, they swear to meet in the church of

Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (, lit.: "Saint Marys of the Sea"; Provençal Occitan: ''Li Santi Mario de la Mar'') is the capital of the Camargue ( Provençal Occitan ''Camarga'') in the south of France. It is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône ...

if anything befalls one of them. The girls are heard singing the opening chorus in the distance. Mireille 1864 Act2 finale - Gallica

Act 2

''In front of the

Arles Amphitheatre The Arles Amphitheatre (French: ') is a Roman amphitheatre in the southern French town of Arles. Two-tiered, it is probably the most prominent tourist attraction in the city which thrived in Ancient Rome. The towers jutting out from the top are m ...

the same afternoon.'' The crowd is singing and dancing a

farandole The Farandole is an open-chain community dance popular in Provence, France. The Farandole bears similarities to the gavotte, jig, and tarantella. The carmagnole of the French Revolution is a derivative. Traditional dance The farandole is consi ...

as it waits for the start of a race. Mireille and Vincent arrive separately but they are greeted joyfully and sing the ''Song of Magali''. After the race, Taven takes Mireille aside and tells her that she has just seen three young men, Ourrias, Alari and Pascoul arguing who should claim Mireille's hand. Alone, Mireille swears that nothing will part her from Vincent. Ourrias enters and forces his boastful attentions on her but Mireille politely rejects his advances. Mireille's father Ramon enters, followed shortly by Ambroise, the father of Vincent. Ambroise asks for advice on what to do about his son who is in love with a rich heiress; Ramon suggests beating the boy to cure him. Shocked, Ambroise is reminded by Ramon of a father's prerogative which used to extend even to life and death over his children. At this, Mireille comes forward crying "Kill me!" - she is the one Vincent loves. Ramon is outraged, orders Mireille to go home then turns on Vincent and Ambroise.

Act 3

''First Tableau: The Val d'Enfer in the country outside Arles. Night'' Mireille 1864 Act3 sc2 - Gallica

Ourrias and some friends are in the wild spot, supposedly peopled by spirits. Ourrias wants to buy a potion from Taven. Alone, Ourrias vents his fury and jealousy and lies in wait for Vincent, who soon appears. Ourrias insults him but although Vincent tries to calm him down, Ourrias strikes him with his trident, and thinking he has killed him, runs off. Taven hears cries and curses Ourrias as he rushes off, then tends to the unconscious Vincent. ''Second Tableau: The banks of the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

'' Full of remorse, Ourrias hurries to the river bank and calls the ferryman. An echo greets his call and moans sound with ghosts floating above the water. The ferryman (Passeur) arrives and Ourrias impatiently gets aboard. The waters swell, and as the boatman reminds Ourrias of his crime, the boat sinks beneath the waves.

Act 4

''First Tableau: Ramon's farm late the same night'' While the harvesters celebrate, Ramon is sad and knows that by denying Mireille's love he has destroyed his dream of a happy old age. From her window Mireille sees a young shepherd singing, and envies his carefree life. Unseen, Vincenette, Vincent's sister, comes to tell her that Vincent is wounded: Mireille resolves to set off at once to Saintes-Maries. ''Second Tableau: The

Crau The Crau is the ancient confluence of the Durance and Rhône, and constitutes their vast flat alluvial fan. Agriculture The Crau is composed of two different parts: The dry Crau is in the south, and has been used as pasture from Roman times. Th ...

desert'' Mireille, staggers in already tired, and dazzled by the sun, faints as she hears shepherd's pipes in the distance. She makes a last effort to continue her journey.

Act 5

''In front of the chapel of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Midday'' Pilgrims are singing. Vincent is there, looking for Mireille, and she arrives, exhausted and collapses in his arms. Ramon arrives with Vincenette, and forgives her, but Mireille dies and is called to heaven by a celestial voice.

Musical form and style

The ''overture'', the most extended to any stage work by Gounod, opens with a passage which later serves as the ''introduction to the tableau in the Crau'', and with its horn calls and shimmering harmony is evocative of hot open spaces. There follows a theme associated with Vincent and a

-like allegretto.
According to

Canteloube Marie-Joseph Canteloube de Malaret (; 21 October 18794 November 1957) was a French composer, musicologist, and author best known for his collections of orchestrated folksongs from the Auvergne region, ''Chants d'Auvergne''. Biography Canteloube ...

, the text of the Provençal folk-song 'Margarido, ma mio', found extensively in Provence, inspired Mistral's chanson Magali, while the music of the ''Chanson de Magali'' is based on the folksong 'Bouenjour, lou roussignou'. The alternating 9/8 6/8 time helps give the illusion of the fluidity of folk music.
The ''farandole'' which opens Act 2 is more in the character of a

rigaudon The rigaudon (also spelled rigadon, rigadoon) is a French baroque dance with a lively duple metre. The music is similar to that of a bourrée, but the rigaudon is rhythmically simpler with regular phrases (eight measure phrases are most common) ...

bourrée The bourrée ( oc, borrèia; also in England, borry or bore) is a dance of French origin and the words and music that accompany it. The bourrée resembles the gavotte in that it is in double time and often has a dactylic rhythm. However, it i ...

, and the grand ''finale to Act 2'' is rather conventional operatic style.
By contrast, the supernatural scenes are not meant to frighten – they are more examples of Gounod the tone-painter. Act 3 allows Gounod to write "a Mendelssohnian scherzo with a dash of Berlioz and creates a frisson by means of chromatic harmony in the manner of Weber's Freischutz.Macdonald H. The Score in English National Opera programme, London, 1983.
The ''Chanson d’Andreloun'' was originally written for a projected opera 'Ivan IV'.Dean W. Bizet's Ivan IV from ''Fanfare for Ernest Newman'', ed van Thal H, 1955. The ''musette'' in Act IV Sc 1 has the oboe and clarinet imitating a bagpipe, while in the final act the off-stage hymn ''Le voile enfin'' is an adaptation of the Latin sequence ‘Lauda Sion Salvatorem’.
Overall the score "reminds us of the abundance and variety of Gounod's gifts and of his unfailing imaginative grasp of the lyric stage."

Recordings

;Audio * 1954 - Janette Vivalda (Mireille),

Nicolai Gedda Harry Gustaf Nikolai Gädda, known professionally as Nicolai Gedda (11 July 1925 – 8 January 2017), was a Swedish operatic tenor. Debuting in 1951, Gedda had a long and successful career in opera until the age of 77 in June 2003, when he made h ...

(Vincent),

Michel Dens Michel Dens (22 June 1911 in Roubaix – 19 December 2000 in Paris) was a French baritone, particularly associated with the French repertory, both opera and operetta. Born Maurice Marcel, the son of a journalist, he studied at the Academy of ...

(Ourrias), Christine Gayraud (Taven), André Vessières (Ramon) -

Chorus, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra,

André Cluytens André Cluytens (, ; born Augustin Zulma Alphonse Cluytens; 26 March 19053 June 1967)Baeck E. ''André Cluytens: Itinéraire d’un chef d’orchestre.'' Editions Mardaga, Wavre, 2009. was a Belgian-born French conductor who was active in the con ...

(Voix de son Maitre). This studio recording was made in Aix some days after a live performance, which had been recorded for radio broadcast on 15 August. This radio recording was issued by INA mémoire vive in 2008. * 1962 -

Renée Doria Renée Doria (13 February 1921 – 6 March 2021) was a French opera singer, one of the leading lyric coloratura sopranos of her era in France. Biography Born Renée Dumazert in Perpignan, France, after a thorough musical training (piano, solfeg ...

(Mireille), Michel Sénéchal (Vincent), Robert Massard (Ourrias),

Solange Michel Solange Michel (27 November 1912 – 15 December 2010) was a French classical mezzo-soprano who sang in concerts, recitals, and operas from the 1930s to the 1970s. She was particularly associated with the French opera repertory and was one of th ...

(Taven), Adrien Legros (Ramon) - Orchestre symphonique et Choeur de Paris, Jésus Etcheverry - (Accord) * 1979 -

Mirella Freni Mirella Freni, OMRI (, born Mirella Fregni, 27 February 1935 – 9 February 2020) was an Italian operatic soprano who had a career of 50 years and appeared at major international opera houses. She received international attention at the Gl ...

(Mireille),

Alain Vanzo Alain Vanzo (April 2, 1928 – January 27, 2002) was a French opera singer and composer, one of few French tenors of international standing in the postwar era. He, along with such singers as Henri Legay and the Canadian Léopold Simoneau, repres ...

(Vincent),

José van Dam Joseph, Baron Van Damme (born 27 August 1940 in Brussels), known as José van Dam, is a Belgian bass-baritone. At the age of 17, he entered the Brussels Royal Conservatory and studied with Frederic Anspach. A year later, he graduated with diplo ...

(Ourrias),

Jane Rhodes Jane Marie Andrée Rhodes (March 13, 1929 – May 7, 2011) was a French opera singer whose voice encompassed both the soprano and high mezzo-soprano ranges. Her most celebrated role was Carmen, which she sang in the opera's first ever staging ...

(Taven),

Gabriel Bacquier Gabriel Bacquier (; 17 May 1924 – 13 May 2020) was a French operatic baritone. One of the leading baritones of the 20th century and particularly associated with the French and Italian repertoires, he was considered a fine singing actor equ ...

(Ramon) - Chœur et Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse -

Michel Plasson Michel Plasson (born 2 October 1933, Paris, France) is a French conductor. Plasson was a student of Lazare Lévy at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1962, he was a prize-winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors. ...

- (EMI) * 1981 (Live) -

Valerie Masterson Margaret Valerie Masterson (born 3 June 1937), is a retired English opera singer, a lecturer and Vice-President of British Youth Opera. After study in Italy, she began to sing opera in Europe. Returning to England, Masterson performed as princ ...

(Mireille),

Luis Lima Luis Lima (born 12 September 1948 in Córdoba, Argentina) is an Argentine operatic tenor, who studied in Buenos Aires under Carlos Guichandut and in Sicily under Gina Cigna. He made his opera debut in 1974, in Lisbon, in ''Cavalleria rusticana ...

(Vincent), Jean-Philippe Lafont (Ourrias), Jane Berbié (Taven),

Jules Bastin Jules Bastin (18 August 1933 – 2 December 1996, in Waterloo) was a Belgian operatic bass. Born in , he made his debut in 1960 at La Monnaie, singing Charon in ''L'Orfeo''. He appeared at major opera houses throughout Europe, including the Royal ...

(Ramon) - Suisse Romande Chorus and Orchestra -

Sylvain Cambreling Sylvain Cambreling (born 2 July 1948 in Amiens, France) is a French conductor. Biography Trained as a trombone player, Cambreling studied at the Paris Conservatoire. He joined l' Orchestre Symphonique de Lyon (OSL) as a trombonist in 1971. In 19 ...

(Ponto) * 1993 (Live) – Danielle Borst (Mireille), Christian Papis (Vincent), Marcel Vanaud (Ourrias), Bernadette Antoine (Taven), Jean-Philippe Courtis (Ramon) – Orchestre de Recontres Musicales of Lausanne; Municipal Theatre Opera Chorus, Lausanne; Epallinges Children’s Chorus –

Cyril Diederich Cyril Diederich (born 2 October 1945) is a French conductor. Career Born in Aix-en-Provence, after studying piano, horn and timpani, Diederich studied writing at the conservatories of Toulouse and Rennes, and studied conducting with Louis Four ...

(Cascavelle), recorded live in November. ;Video * 2009 –

Inva Mula Inva Mula (born 27 June 1963) is an Albanian opera lyric soprano. She began her soprano career at a very early age. Her father (Avni Mula) and mother () were also opera singers. She is also known for providing the voice of the diva Plavalaguna in ...

(Mireille),

Charles Castronovo Charles Castronovo (born June 19, 1975) is an American operatic tenor. Castronovo was born to a Sicilian father and an Ecuadorian mother in Queens, New York, but grew up in Southern California. He attended California State University, Fullerton, f ...

(Vincent),

Franck Ferrari Franck Ferrari (12 January 1963 – 18 June 2015) was a French baritone. Biography Born in Nice, in a family of Italian origin, of a boxer father and a basketball mother and captain of the Cavigal Nice Basket, Ferrari studied at the Conser ...

(Ourrias), Alain Vernhes (Ramon),

Sylvie Brunet Sylvie Brunet, known as Sylvie Brunet-Grupposo, is a contemporary French opera singer ( mezzo-soprano). Biography Born to a Sicilian father and a French mother, Brunet was hired to sing the title role of Verdi's ''Aida'' in Bercy, one of her f ...

(Taven), Anne-Catherine Gillet (Vincenette), Sébastien Droy (Andreloun); Orchestra and Chorus of the

Opéra national de Paris The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...

, Marc Minkowski (conductor); (production), Ezio Frigerio (sets), Franca Squarciapino (costumes), Vinicio Cheli (lighting). Label: FRA Musica, cat. no. 502 (2 DVDs: 152:00), recorded live in September 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. .

References

Sources

* Curtiss, Mina (1958). ''Bizet and His World''. New York: Knopf. . * Ferrant, Guy (1942). ''La Vraie Mireille de Gounod.'' Avignon: Aubanel
Listings
at

WorldCat WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the OCL ...

. * Gounod, Charles (n.d. . 1880. ''Mireille'' (piano-vocal score of the 3-act version, edited by

Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...

and J. Pittman, in Italian with Henry F. Chorley's English translation). London: Boosey
File #140315
at

IMSLP The International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP), also known as the Petrucci Music Library after publisher Ottaviano Petrucci, is a subscription-based digital library of public-domain music scores. The project, which uses MediaWiki software ...

. * Gounod, Charles (1901). ''Mireille'' (piano-vocal score for the 5-act Opéra-Comique production of 1901). Paris: Choudens
File #21545
at

. * Harding, James (1973). ''Gounod''. New York: Stein & Day. . * Holden, Amanda, editor (2001). ''The New Penguin Opera Guide''. London: Penguin Books. (paperback). * Huebner Steven (1990). ''The Operas of Charles Gounod.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press. . * Huebner, Steven (1992). "''Mireille''" in Sadie 1992, vol. 3, pp. 408–410. * Huebner, Steven (2001). "Charles Gounod" in Holden 2001, pp. 334–340. * Kobbé, Gustav (1997). '' The New Kobbé's Opera Book'', edited by The Earl of Harewood and

Antony Peattie Antony Peattie is a British music writer. He co-edited the 1997 revision of ''The New Kobbé's Opera Book'', with Lord Harewood. Career Peattie was publications editor at Welsh National Opera, before leaving to help launch '' Opera Now'' magazine ...

. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. . * Letellier, Robert Ignatius (2010). ''Opéra-Comique: A Sourcebook''. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars. . * Loewenberg, Alfred (1978). ''Annals of Opera 1597–1940'' (third edition, revised). Totowa, New Jersey: Rowman and Littlefield. . * Rosenthal, Harold (1958). ''Two Centuries of Opera at Covent Garden''. London: Putnam. . *

Sadie, Stanley Stanley John Sadie (; 30 October 1930 – 21 March 2005) was an influential and prolific British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1980), which was publ ...

, editor (1992). ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volu ...

'' (4 volumes). London: Macmillan. . * Walsh, T. J. (1981). ''Second Empire Opera: The Théâtre Lyrique Paris 1851–1870''. New York: Riverrun Press. . * Wild, Nicole; Charlton, David (2005). ''Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique Paris: répertoire 1762-1972''. Sprimont, Belgium: Editions Mardaga. . * Wolff, Stéphane (1953). ''Un demi-siècle d'Opéra-Comique (1900-1950).'' Paris: André Bonne.

External links

* {{Authority control Operas by Charles Gounod French-language operas Operas 1864 operas Libretti by Michel Carré Frédéric Mistral