L'ancêtre

L'ancêtre
drame lyrique by Camille Saint-Saëns
Saint-Saëns circa 1895
LibrettistLucien Augé de Lassus
LanguageFrench
Premiere
Opéra de Monte-Carlo

L'ancêtre ("The Ancestor") is a 1905 drame lyrique in 3 acts by Camille Saint-Saëns to a libretto by Lucien Augé de Lassus (1841-1914).[1]

The opera premiered at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo on February 24, 1906, and was directed by Raoul Gunsbourg and conducted by Léon Jehin.[2] Celebrated soprano Geraldine Farrar created the role of Margarita.[3] The vocal score, published in 1906 by Durand et Fils of Paris has a dedication to Albert I, Prince of Monaco.[4]

The plot is set during the First French Empire in Corsica, which composer and librettist visited together, looking for local colour.

Roles

  • Raphaël, ermite ("hermit") (baritone)
  • Tébaldo, de la famille de Piétra Néra ("of the Piétra Néra family") (tenor)
  • Bursica, porcher, serviteur des Fabiani ("pigherder, servant of the Fabiani [family]") (bass)
  • Nunciata, de la famille des Fabiani ("of the Fabiani family") (soprano)
  • Margarita, sœur de lait de Vanina ("foster sister of Vanina") (soprano)
  • Vanina, petite-fille de Nunciata ("granddaughter of Nunciata") (contralto)

Parents, serviteurs des deux familles Piétra Néra et Fabiani ("Parents, servants of the two families: Piétra Néra and Fabiani")

References

  1. ^ Ratner, Sabina Teller. Camille Saint-Saëns, 1835-1921: A Thematic Catalogue of His Complete Works. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 2002. 0198163207
  2. ^ Saint-Saëns, Camille. L'ancêtre. vocal score title page. Paris: Durand et Fils, 1906.
  3. ^ Nash, Elizabeth. Geraldine Farrar: Opera's Charismatic Innovator. 2nd. ed. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2012. 9780786470679
  4. ^ Saint-Saëns, Camille. L'ancêtre. vocal score title page. Paris: Durand et Fils, 1906.

See also


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