HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

(, ''An Incomplete Education'') is an in one act and nine scenes by
Emmanuel Chabrier Alexis-Emmanuel Chabrier (; 18 January 184113 September 1894) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and pianist. His Bourgeoisie, bourgeois family did not approve of a musical career for him, and he studied law in Paris and then worked ...
. The French libretto is by
Eugène Leterrier Eugène Leterrier (; 1843 – 22 December 1884 in Paris) was a French librettist. Leterrier worked at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris but then turned to the theatre. He mainly collaborated in writing libretti with Albert Vanloo. Their working relat ...
and Albert Vanloo. Composed in 1878–79, the work, which is set in the 18th century, is in a lively, light operetta style in which Chabrier excelled and had perfected in a year or so earlier. It was much admired by
Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...
, Hahn and Messager, among others. One director drew parallels with earlier French opéras-comique by such as Favart; set in the eighteenth century, Chabrier's characters of a young count, his new very young wife and former tutor are "sophisticated equivalents of the characters in Favart's '' es Amours deBastien et Bastienne'' or Rousseau's '' Le Devin du Village''.


Performance history

The ‘opérette’ was first performed on 1 May 1879 as part of an evening's entertainment organized by the ‘Cercle international’ in the
Boulevard des Capucines The Boulevard des Capucines () is a boulevard in Paris. It is one of the 'Grands Boulevards' in Paris, a chain of boulevards built through the former course of the Wall of Charles V and the Louis XIII Wall, which were destroyed on the orders ...
, with piano accompaniment by Chabrier himself. There is evidence that the Vitale Italian Operetta Company (Italy) prepared the work around 1904, and gave the first
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
performance at the Teatro Politeama on 12 September 1904 (as ''Tuono provvidenziale'') and again in 1905. The work was revived in March 1910 in Monte Carlo and on 9 January 1911 at the Théâtre des Arts conducted by Gabriel Grovlez. In December 1918
Jane Bathori Jane Bathori (14 June 1877 – 25 January 1970) was a French mezzo-soprano. She was famous on the operatic stage and important in the development of contemporary French music. Life and career Born Jeanne-Marie Berthier, she originally studied ...
mounted the piece at the
Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier The Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier is a theatre located at 21, rue du Vieux-Colombier, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1913 by the theatre producer and playwright Jacques Copeau. Today it is one of the three theatres in Paris ...
. The 1924 Paris production by
Diaghilev Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev ( ; rus, Серге́й Па́влович Дя́гилев, , sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪdʑ ˈdʲæɡʲɪlʲɪf; 19 August 1929), also known as Serge Diaghilev, was a Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario a ...
, designed by
Juan Gris José Victoriano González-Pérez (23 March 1887 – 11 May 1927), better known as Juan Gris (; ), was a Spanish painter born in Madrid who lived and worked in France for most of his active period. Closely connected to the innovative artistic g ...
and conducted by
André Messager André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty , opérettes and other stage works, among which his ballet (1 ...
, had recitatives by
Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (, ; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His composition ...
to replace the spoken dialogue. Milhaud also composed an aria for Hélène based on a melody he found among Chabrier's unpublished manuscripts, ''Couplets de Mariette''. The first performance at the Paris
Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique () is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular Théâtre de la foire, theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief riva ...
, conducted by
Roger Désormière Roger Désormière () (13 September 1898 – 25 October 1963) was a French conducting, conductor. He was an enthusiastic champion of contemporary composers, but also conducted performances of early eighteenth century French music. Life and career ...
, was on 24 March 1938, and it reached its 50th performance there in April 1946. It has occasionally been revived, though sometimes with Gontran transposed for a tenor. The 1961 St Pancras Arts Festival saw performances (as ''A Lesson in Love''), coupled with ''
The Medium ''The Medium'' is a short (one-hour-long) two-act dramatic opera with words and music by Gian Carlo Menotti. Commissioned by the Alice M. Ditson Fund at Columbia University, its first performance was there on 8 May 1946, with Claramae Turner a ...
'', at St Pancras Town Hall directed by Anthony Besch and conducted by Bernard Jacob. Jacobs, Arthur. St Pancras Arts Festival - A Lesson in Love and The Medium. St Pancras Town Hall. March 14. ''Opera'', May 1961, Vol.12 No.5 p344.


Roles


Synopsis

The
overture Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") is a music instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed overtures which ...
quotes from “Lorsque le ciel”, the letter song and “Faisons-nous petits”.


Act 1

''Scene 1 and 2'' Arriving directly from their (teenage) wedding, the young Count Gontran and his wife Hélène, are both expecting some adult advice from their relations. Their annoyance is interrupted by the arrival of Pausanias, Gontran's tutor. Slightly tipsy, Pausanias explains in song “Ce vin généreux” that the Vin de
Roussillon Roussillon ( , , ; , ; ) was a historical province of France that largely corresponded to the County of Roussillon and French Cerdagne, part of the County of Cerdagne of the former Principality of Catalonia. It is part of the region of ' ...
was to blame – he had ended by drinking twelve glasses. Then Pausanias explains although Hélène's aunt is ready to see her, as Gontran's grandfather is ill he can't come to talk to the young man, but has sent a letter instead. ''Scene 3'' Alone, Gontran reads the letter (in song) which ends by saying that there is nothing Gontran's grandfather can teach him... Gontran hastily pens a letter to Pausanias, asking him to return and give him wedding-night advice. ''Scene 4'' Hélène enters, and it turns out that her aunt's advice was simply to be kind and obedient to her husband. In a duet “Eh bien, ma chère” they exchange a kiss but realize that there must be something more to being husband and wife... ''Scene 5 and 6'' Alone again, Gontran gets more irritated, as Pausanias arrives back, hinting that he might be interrupting something. But Gontran complains that Pausanias was engaged to teach him all that a man should know about life. In a buffo duo “Après vous avoir saturé d’hébreu”, Pausanias rejects this, insisting that he has taught Gontran Hebrew, Hindu, algebra, chemistry, Greek, trigonometry, metaphysics, therapeutics, mechanics, dialectics, aesthetics, statistics, mythology, metallurgy, ...and so on. Gontran rebuts "no, a thousand times, that’s not enough!" Finally, Pausanias admits that he doesn't know – he is too busy, and it wasn't on the curriculum. But he promises to find out and return immediately. ''Scene 7 and 8'' Gontran curses his tutor, but, as a storm gathers, confesses his frustrated feelings in “Lorsque le ciel”; as thunder sounds Hélène rushes into the room her nightdress undone, and explains that she is really frightened of thunder. Gontran is struck by how attractive she looks and tells her the best way to remain calm in a storm is to come closer and hold hands. As their duo “Faisons-nous petits” takes flight they get closer still and kiss more and more – and find the answer to their question. ''Scene 9'' But they are interrupted as Pausanias returns. Gontran orders him out – asking the indulgence of the audience. After a quick reprise of the previous duo the curtain falls.


Recordings

* Christiane Castelli, Claudine Collart and Xavier Depraz, with orchestra conducted by Charles Bruck (1953).


References

;Notes ;Sources *Buckle R. ''Diaghilev''. London, Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd, 1979. * Delage, Roger, ''Emmanuel Chabrier''. Paris: Fayard, 1999. *Traubner R. ''Operetta – a Theatrical History''. Oxford University Press, 1983. {{DEFAULTSORT:Education Manquee French-language operas Opérettes 1879 operas Operas by Emmanuel Chabrier Operas