Les Paladins
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''Les Paladins'' 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 librett ...
by
Jean-Philippe Rameau Jean-Philippe Rameau (; – ) was a French composer and music theory, music theorist. Regarded as one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the 18th century, he replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of Fr ...
first performed on 12 February 1760 at the
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 ...
. The author of 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 ...
is not known for sure but was probably one of the Duplat de Monticourt brothers. Rameau called ''Les Paladins'' a ''comédie lyrique'', putting it in the same category as his earlier work ''
Platée ''Platée'' is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Jean-Philippe Rameau with a libretto by Adrien-Joseph Le Valois d'Orville. Rameau bought the rights to the libretto ''Platée ou Junon jalouse'' (''Plataea, or Juno Jealous'') by Jacques Autr ...
''.


Authorship of the libretto

The identity of the librettist is uncertain. In the 18th century,
Charles Collé Charles Collé (14 April 1709 – 3 November 1783) was a French dramatist and songwriter. Biography The son of a notary, he was born in Paris. He became interested in the rhymes of Jean Heguanier, the most famous writer of couplets in Paris. Fr ...
relayed the rumour that the author was Gentil-Bernard. However, ''Les spectacles de Paris'' of 1770 and, later,
Louis-François Beffara Louis-François Beffara (23 August 1751 – 2 February 1838) was a French writer. A commissaire de police ''Commissaire de police'' is a rank or group of ranks in the French National Police. It should not be confused with the French appointme ...
claimed the text was by Duplat de Monticourt, without specifying whether this meant Jean-François Duplat de Monticourt or his brother Pierre-Jacques. In her 2014 biography of the composer, the Rameau specialist Sylvie Bouissou inclines slightly to the belief it was Pierre-Jacques, given his greater experience of writing for the theatre. The plot is based on a verse tale by
La Fontaine Jean de La Fontaine (, , ; 8 July 162113 April 1695) was a French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his '' Fables'', which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Eu ...
, ''Le petit chien qui secoue de l'argent et des pierreries'', itself derived from an episode in
Ludovico Ariosto Ludovico Ariosto (; 8 September 1474 – 6 July 1533) was an Italian poet. He is best known as the author of the romance epic ''Orlando Furioso'' (1516). The poem, a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's ''Orlando Innamorato'', describes the ...
's ''
Orlando Furioso ''Orlando furioso'' (; ''The Frenzy of Orlando'', more loosely ''Raging Roland'') is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was no ...
''.Sylvie Bouissou, ''Jean-Philippe Rameau'' (Fayard, 2014), p. 817


Roles


Synopsis


Act 1

''Scene: An old castle near a forest''
Argie is in love with the
paladin The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, where ...
Atis. But her guardian, Anselme, wants to marry her himself and is holding Argie captive along with her friend Nérine. Nérine tries to charm their jailor, Orcan, into releasing them. Atis and his fellow paladins arrive disguised as pilgrims; he intends to carry Argie away with him on a pilgrimage of love. He easily overcomes Orcan, but at this moment, Anselme returns.


Act 2

''Scene: A hamlet near Anselme's castle''
Orcan warns Anselme about the pilgrims. Argie confesses her love for Atis to Anselme. Anselme pretends that he will give her his blessing, but once she has left, he tells Orcan to kill her. Orcan is reluctant and Nérine, realising Anselme's plan, again distracts him by pretending she is in love with him. The band of paladins, disguised as demons, give Orcan a beating.


Act 3

''Scene: The same as Act 2''
The paladins are celebrating their success when Anselme appears with a group of armed followers. Argie, Atis and their friends take refuge in the castle, which Anselme then besieges. They are saved by the fairy Manto, whom Atis once rescued. Manto magically transforms the castle into a superb palace and uses this luxury to help seduce Anselme. Argie can now point to Anselme's infidelity and he admits defeat. Argie and Atis are reunited and the opera ends with a celebration of their love.


Recordings

* ''Les Paladins'' Neue Düsseldorfer Hofmusik, conducted by Konrad Junghänel (2 CDS, Coviello Classics, 2013) * ''Les Paladins'' Les Arts Florissants, conducted by William Christie (2 DVDs, Opus Arte, 2005) * ''Suite Les Paladins''
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) is a British period instrument orchestra. The OAE is a resident orchestra of the Southbank Centre, London, associate orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera Artistic Associate at Kings Place, and h ...
, Gustav Leonhardt (1 CD, Philips, 1992) Suite edited by R. Peter Wolf, played on original instruments


References


Further reading

*Period score
''Les Paladins, Comédie-Ballet mise en Musique par M. Rameau''
Paris, 1763–1779; via Gallica – B.N.F. * Girdlestone, Cuthbert, ''Jean-Philippe Rameau: His Life and Work'', New York: Dover, 1969 (paperback edition) * Holden, Amanda (ed.), ''The New Penguin Opera Guide'', New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. *Sadler, Graham, (ed.), ''The New Grove French Baroque Masters'' Grove/Macmillan, 1988


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Paladins, Les Operas French-language operas Operas by Jean-Philippe Rameau 1760 operas Operas based on works by Ludovico Ariosto