''The Armourer of Nantes'' 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 ...

in three acts, with music by

Michael William Balfe Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especially ''The Bohemian Girl''. After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to co ...

and libretto by J. V. Bridgman. The opera is based on

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

's 1833 play ''

Marie Tudor ''Marie Tudor'' is an 1833 play by the French writer Victor Hugo. It is a historical work portraying the rise, fall and execution of Fabiano Fabiani, a fictional favourite of Mary I of England (1516–1558). Mary has Fabiani thrown in the Tower of ...

'' and set in

Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...

, France, in 1498. The opera was first produced at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

, under the management of

Louisa Pyne Louisa Bodda-Pyne (30 April 1828 – 20 March 1904) was an England, English soprano and opera company manager. Biography Life and career Born into a theatrical family as Louisa Fanny Pyne, she was the youngest daughter of the alto George Griggs ...

and William Harrison, on 12 February 1863.

Roles

Synopsis

The people of

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

, in 1498, love Duchess Anne, who favors a dashing adventurer, Fabio Fabiani. The nobility envies this relationship, and the favor granted by the Duchess to Fabio, and they conspire against her, together with the French Ambassador. Raoul, an armourer from Nantes, has raised an orphan girl, Marie, who was mysteriously entrusted to him as an infant, and he has fallen in love with her. She turns out to be the heiress of a wealthy Breton noble. Fabio learns of this and kills the Jew who has the papers proving Marie's parentage, but not before Raoul finds out the truth. Fabio accuses Raoul of the murder, and taunts him with a letter from Marie. The Duchess learns of Fabio's crime, and eventually he is executed. Raoul and Marie reunited.

Reception

The reviewer in ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world. It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...

'' noted that it was Balfe's most successful work among his recent operas, and predicted a successful run. He praised in particular many of its ballads as being among the best that Balfe composed, though he also stated that the subject required a "rather more dramatic treatment than Mr. Balfe is capable of."

Charles Lamb Kenney Charles Lamb Kenney (29 April 1821 – 25 August 1881) was a journalist, dramatist and miscellaneous writer. He was the second son of the dramatist James Kenney. After working as a clerk in the General Post Office in London, he joined the ...

wrote that "there was not the same bright freshness and marked originality in their melodic inspiration taken as a whole." The opera has never been recorded.

References

External links

Libretto as e-book
at the

Goethe University Frankfurt Goethe University (german: link=no, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main) is a university located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was founded in 1914 as a citizens' university, which means it was founded and funded by the wealt ...

Library website {{DEFAULTSORT:Armourer of Nantes, The Operas by Michael Balfe 1863 operas English-language operas Operas Operas based on plays Operas based on works by Victor Hugo Operas set in France Opera world premieres at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden