''Nina, ou La folle par amour'' (''Nina, or The Woman Crazed with Love'') is an

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 ...

in one act by the French composer Nicolas Dalayrac. It was first performed on 15 May 1786 by the Comédie-Italienne at the first Salle Favart in Paris. The

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 Benoît-Joseph Marsollier des Vivetières, is based on a short story by Baculard d'Arnaud.

Background and performance history

Jean-Baptiste-Sauveur Gavaudan dans Nina ou la folle par amour

''Nina'' was Dalayrac's first collaboration with Marsollier des Vivetières, who would go on to write many more librettos for him, including '' Les deux petits savoyards''. Revived by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle Feydeau in July 1802, ''Nina'' was a popular success, which it remained until receiving its last performance by the company in 1852. It was also performed in translation in London and Hamburg in 1787 and in Italy in 1788. Its most famous aria, "Quand le bien-aimé reviendra" ("When my sweetheart returns to me"), is mentioned by

Hector Berlioz In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

in his ''Memoirs'' as his "first musical experience" (he heard an adaptation of the melody sung during his

First Communion First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin Church tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communi ...

). In 1813 Dalayrac's score for ''Nina'' was adapted as a ballet by

Louis Milon Louis-Jacques-Jessé Milon (18 April 1766 – 26 November 1849)Life dates are according to Babsky 1998, p. 422, who also says that there is some uncertainty: he may have been born in 1765 or 1769, and may have died in 1845. was a French ballet danc ...

and Louis-Luc Loiseau de Persuis with Émilie Bigottini in the title role. In the ballet version, "Quand le bien-aimé reviendra" is played as a solo for

cor anglais The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn in North America, is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially an alto ...

. It was at one of the early performances of this ballet that Berlioz remembered the melody he had heard in his childhood.Berlioz, Hector (1966)
of Hector Berlioz: From 1803 to 1865
translated and edited by Eleanor Holmes and Ernest Newman. Courier Dover Publications, p. 21. Giovanni Paisiello had also set the libretto in an Italian version adapted by Giambattista Lorenzi. Paisiello's ''

Nina Nina may refer to: * Nina (name), a feminine given name and surname Acronyms *National Iraqi News Agency, a news service in Iraq * Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, on the campus of Norwegian University of Science and Technology *No income, ...

'', which premiered in 1789 is still performed today, while Dalayrac's has fallen into obscurity.

Roles

Synopsis

Nina is in love with Germeuil but her father, Count Lindoro, favours another suitor. Germeuil and his rival fight a duel. Nina believes that Germeuil has been killed and goes mad, forgetting aspects of the traumatic incident in a manner consistent with a diagnosis of psychogenic amnesia.Goldsmith, R.E., Cheit, R.E., and Wood, M.E. (2009) Evidence of Dissociative Amnesia in Science and Literature: Culture-Bound Approaches to Trauma in Pope, Poliakoff, Parker, Boynes, and Hudson (2007). Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, Volume 10, Issue 3 July 2009, pp. 237 - 253, She only regains her reason when Germeuil reappears unharmed and her father finally allows him to marry her.

Recordings

Although there are no full-length recordings of ''Nina'', its most famous aria, "Quand le bien-aimé reviendra", can be heard on ''Serate Musicali'' (

Joan Sutherland Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano known for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s. She possessed ...

(soprano),

Richard Bonynge Richard Alan Bonynge ( ) (born 29 September 1930) is an Australian conductor and pianist. He is the widower of Australian dramatic coloratura soprano Dame Joan Sutherland. Bonynge conducted virtually all of Sutherland's operatic performances ...

(piano), Decca, 2006)

In popular culture

The opera is referenced by name and synopsis in Episode 5, Season 4 of the science fiction series

Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Prod ...

. Incongruously, this reference is accompanied by the playing of an aria, ''Il mio ben quando verrà'' (''When my beloved comes''), from Giovanni Paisiello's opera of parallel name, year, and subject.

References

;Sources *Original libretto: ''Nina, ou la Folle par amour, Comédie en un acte, en prose, mêlée d'ariettes'', Paris, Brunet, 1786 (accessible for free online as
Google ebook-gratis
*Original printed score: ''Nina, ou la Folle par amour, Comédie en un acte, en prose'', Paris, Le Duc, s.d. (accessible for free on-line a
Internet Archives
*''The Viking Opera Guide'' ed. Holden (Viking, 1993) * Campardon, Émile (ed), ''Les Comédiens du roi de la troupe italienne pendant les deux derniers siècles: documents inédits recueillis aux Archives Nationales'', Paris, Berger-Levrault, 1880 (accessible for free online at ''Internet Archive''
Volume I (A-L)Volume II (M-Z)
* Charlton, David (1992), 'Nina, ou La folle par amour' in ''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 ...

'', ed. Stanley Sadie (London) * Wild, Nicole; Charlton, David (2005). ''Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique Paris: répertoire 1762-1972''. Sprimont, Belgium: Editions Mardaga. .

External links

Libretto
in the original French. {{Authority control 1786 operas French-language operas Operas One-act operas Opera world premieres at the Opéra-Comique Operas by Nicolas Dalayrac Opéras comiques