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Cinq-Mars (Gounod)
Encyclopedia
Cinq-Mars, subtitled , is an opera in four acts by Charles Gounod
to a libretto by Paul Poirson & Louis Gallet
loosely adapted from Alfred de Vigny
's historical novel.
on April 5, 1877.
The work's reception was luke warm: "If [it] adds nothing to the glory of Gounod, neither does it diminish it." Some critics seized on the straddling of the genres of grand opéra
and opéra comique
; a second edition (Léon Grus, n.d.) contains recitatives for the very few spoken scenes as well as an Act III cantabile
for de Thou, written for the La Scala
production.
The plot faithfully follows the external events of the failed revolt of the French nobility against Richelieu's consolidation of power, but adds a secret love affair between Cinq-Mars and a princess. Whereas de Vigny's character yearned to become her social equal, the opera's hero enters politics only on learning of a planned marriage between Marie and the king of Poland. After the conspiracy is discovered, she is given a chance to save him by agreeing to the match, but her sacrifice is in vain: before their escape plans can be put into effect, the hour of execution is suddenly moved forward.
A choir of noblemen celebrates the imminent importance Cinq-Mars is going to take ("A la Cour vous allez paraître"); some suggest that he owes his debt of allegiance to the Cardinal of Richelieu, and others to the King. For his part, Cinq-Mars shows himself indifferent to the questions of political order. Alone with his closest friend, de Thou, he confesses that he loves princess Marie de Gonzague ("Henri! Vous nous parliez"). They recognize both intuitively that this affair will end badly. The guests reappear: among them is Father Joseph, the spokesman for the Cardinal of Richelieu, and the Princess Marie. The first one announces that Cinq-Mars is called to the royal court, and that a marriage is arranged between Princess Marie and the King of Poland. Cinq-Mars and Marie agree to meet later in the evening. After the departure of the guests, Marie wishes her heart to be at peace in the sweetness of the night("Nuit resplendissante"). Cinq-Mars walks in and declares his love to her; before he leaves, she declares herself in turn ("Ah! Vous m'avez pardonné ma folie").
After a choir sings the beauty of courtesan Marion Delorme ("A Marion, reine des belles"), Fontrailles, Montrésor, Montmort, de Brienne, Monglat, and the other courtesans discuss the increasing influence of Cinq-Mars over the King. The nobles are dissatisfied with the excessive power that the Cardinal of Richelieu has assumed, and they wonder if Cinq-Mars will join finally their cause. Marion reports that the Cardinal threatens to exile Cinq-Mars; Fontrailles is surprised, and is sure that Paris would become very boring without its elegant salons ("On ne verra plus dans Paris"). Marion announces that she will organize a ball the next day, which will give them the opportunity to cast the basis of an intrigue to eliminate the Cardinal. Cinq-Mars appears and is welcomed by the courtesans ("Ah! Monsieur le Grand Ecuyer"). Marie has just arrived at the Court, and the two lovers are reunited ("Quand vous m'avez dit un jour"). However, just after this blessed moment, Father Joseph comes to announce that, in spite of the King's informal agreement of Cinq-Mars's marriage with Marie, the Cardinal refuses to formalize their union, preferring rather to follow the original plan of marrying Marie to the King of Poland.
Scene 2: At Marion Delorme's apartments
The evening begins with the reading of Madeleine de Scudéry's last novel, Clélie, followed by a long pastoral entertainment with ballet, including notably a sonnet sung by a shepherd ("De vos traits mon âme est navrée"). More serious things are on everyone's mind, however ("Viendra-t-il?"). Fontrailles assures everyone that Cinq-Mars will join the plot, as he predicted, and that Cinq-Mars will arrive soon. He declares that the King is no longer in total control of the country, and that the eviction of the Cardinal is a just cause; civil war is imminent, and he assures his co-conspirators that he arranged a treaty with Spain, which implies that their armies will intervene on their side. De Thou suddenly interrupts him, and warns him against opening France up to a foreign power, but the marquis remains resolute.
A meeting of the conspirators is imminent. Marie appears, contrary to all expectations, and agrees with Cinq-Mars to immediately exchange wedding vows ("Madame, c'est le lieu du rendez-vous"). After their departure, Father Joseph and Eustache appear from a hiding place: Eustache is a spy and makes a complete report of the intrigue to Father Joseph. Father Joseph savors the power which he possesses on the fate of Cinq-Mars ("Tu t'en vas"). He confronts Marie with the announcement of the execution of Cinq-Mars, for betraying the country by dealing independently with a foreign power. Further, he tells her, the Polish ambassador will return soon from a hunt with the King, and Father Joseph advises Marie to answer him favorably; in exchange, Cinq-Mars will be spared. When the royal suite arrives, Marie capitulates ("Hallali! Chasse superbe").
As he waits for execution, Cinq-Mars regrets that Marie abandoned him; nevertheless, his last hour approaching, and he evokes her image by way of consolation ("O chère et vivante image"). Marie enters, explains the guile of Father Joseph, and admits that she always loved Cinq-Mars ("Ah! Qu'ai-je dit"). De Thou draws up the plan which has been prepared for the escape of Cinq-Mars the next day. When the chancellor and Father Joseph come to announce that the marquis will die before the dawn, it becomes clear that this plan will not happen ("Messieurs, appelez à vous, votre courage"). Before Cinq-Mars is brought to the gallows, he sings with de Thou a final prayer.
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
to a libretto by Paul Poirson & Louis Gallet
Louis Gallet
Louis Gallet was an inexhaustible French writer of operatic libretti, plays, romances, memoirs, pamphlets, and innumerable articles, who is remembered above all for his adaptations of fiction—and Scripture— to provide librettos of cantatas and opera, notably by composers Georges...
loosely adapted from Alfred de Vigny
Alfred de Vigny
Alfred Victor de Vigny was a French poet, playwright, and novelist.-Life:Alfred de Vigny was born in Loches into an aristocratic family...
's historical novel.
Performance history
Cinq-Mars was first performed at the Opéra-ComiqueOpéra-Comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Parisian 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 at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was also called the...
on April 5, 1877.
The work's reception was luke warm: "If [it] adds nothing to the glory of Gounod, neither does it diminish it." Some critics seized on the straddling of the genres of grand opéra
Grand Opera
Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterised by large-scale casts and orchestras, and lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on or around dramatic historic events...
and opéra comique
Opéra comique
Opéra comique is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged out of the popular opéra comiques en vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent , which combined existing popular tunes with spoken sections...
; a second edition (Léon Grus, n.d.) contains recitatives for the very few spoken scenes as well as an Act III cantabile
Cantabile
Cantabile is a musical term meaning literally "singable" or "songlike" . It has several meanings in different contexts. In instrumental music, it indicates a particular style of playing designed to imitate the human voice. For 18th century composers, the term is often used synonymously with...
for de Thou, written for the La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
production.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, April 5, 1877 (Conductor: Charles Lamoureux Charles Lamoureux Charles Lamoureux was a French conductor and violinist.He was born in Bordeaux, where his father owned a café. He studied the violin with Narcisse Girard at the Paris Conservatoire, taking a premier prix in 1854. He was subsequently engaged as a violinist at the Opéra and later joined the Société... ) |
|---|---|---|
| Le marquis de Cinq-Mars | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Dereims |
| Le conseiller de Thou François Auguste de Thou François-Auguste de Thou was a French magistrate. The eldest son of Jacques-Auguste de Thou, he was a councillor to the parliament of Paris in 1626 and a conseiller d'État shortly afterwards. He was unwise enough to link himself to cardinal Richelieu's enemies... |
baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Stéphanne |
| Père Joseph, an emissary of Cardinal Richelieu | bass | Giraudet |
| Le vicompte de Fontrailles | baritone | Barré |
| Le roi (Louis XIII of France Louis XIII of France Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority... ) |
bass | Maris |
| Chancellor | bass | Bernard |
| De Montmort | tenor | Lefèvre |
| De Montrésor | bass | Teste |
| De Brienne | baritone | Collin |
| De Monglat | tenor | Chenevière |
| De Château-Giron | baritone | Villars |
| Eustache, a spy | bass | Davoust |
| Princesse Marie de Gonzague Ludwika Maria Gonzaga Marie Louise Gonzaga was queen consort to two Polish kings: Władysław IV Vasa, and John II Casimir Vasa... |
soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Chevrier |
| Marion Delorme Marion Delorme Marion Delorme was a French courtesan known for her relationships with the important men of her time.- Early life, life as a courtesan, early death :... |
soprano | Frank-Duvernoy |
| Ninon de l'Enclos Ninon de l'Enclos Anne "Ninon" de l'Enclos also spelled Ninon de Lenclos and Ninon de Lanclos was a French author, courtesan and patron of the arts.-Early life:... |
soprano | Périer |
Synopsis
Act 1
The castle of the marquis de Cinq-MarsA choir of noblemen celebrates the imminent importance Cinq-Mars is going to take ("A la Cour vous allez paraître"); some suggest that he owes his debt of allegiance to the Cardinal of Richelieu, and others to the King. For his part, Cinq-Mars shows himself indifferent to the questions of political order. Alone with his closest friend, de Thou, he confesses that he loves princess Marie de Gonzague ("Henri! Vous nous parliez"). They recognize both intuitively that this affair will end badly. The guests reappear: among them is Father Joseph, the spokesman for the Cardinal of Richelieu, and the Princess Marie. The first one announces that Cinq-Mars is called to the royal court, and that a marriage is arranged between Princess Marie and the King of Poland. Cinq-Mars and Marie agree to meet later in the evening. After the departure of the guests, Marie wishes her heart to be at peace in the sweetness of the night("Nuit resplendissante"). Cinq-Mars walks in and declares his love to her; before he leaves, she declares herself in turn ("Ah! Vous m'avez pardonné ma folie").
Act 2
Scene 1: The King's apartmentsAfter a choir sings the beauty of courtesan Marion Delorme ("A Marion, reine des belles"), Fontrailles, Montrésor, Montmort, de Brienne, Monglat, and the other courtesans discuss the increasing influence of Cinq-Mars over the King. The nobles are dissatisfied with the excessive power that the Cardinal of Richelieu has assumed, and they wonder if Cinq-Mars will join finally their cause. Marion reports that the Cardinal threatens to exile Cinq-Mars; Fontrailles is surprised, and is sure that Paris would become very boring without its elegant salons ("On ne verra plus dans Paris"). Marion announces that she will organize a ball the next day, which will give them the opportunity to cast the basis of an intrigue to eliminate the Cardinal. Cinq-Mars appears and is welcomed by the courtesans ("Ah! Monsieur le Grand Ecuyer"). Marie has just arrived at the Court, and the two lovers are reunited ("Quand vous m'avez dit un jour"). However, just after this blessed moment, Father Joseph comes to announce that, in spite of the King's informal agreement of Cinq-Mars's marriage with Marie, the Cardinal refuses to formalize their union, preferring rather to follow the original plan of marrying Marie to the King of Poland.
Scene 2: At Marion Delorme's apartments
The evening begins with the reading of Madeleine de Scudéry's last novel, Clélie, followed by a long pastoral entertainment with ballet, including notably a sonnet sung by a shepherd ("De vos traits mon âme est navrée"). More serious things are on everyone's mind, however ("Viendra-t-il?"). Fontrailles assures everyone that Cinq-Mars will join the plot, as he predicted, and that Cinq-Mars will arrive soon. He declares that the King is no longer in total control of the country, and that the eviction of the Cardinal is a just cause; civil war is imminent, and he assures his co-conspirators that he arranged a treaty with Spain, which implies that their armies will intervene on their side. De Thou suddenly interrupts him, and warns him against opening France up to a foreign power, but the marquis remains resolute.
Act 3
The next day. Outside of a chapelA meeting of the conspirators is imminent. Marie appears, contrary to all expectations, and agrees with Cinq-Mars to immediately exchange wedding vows ("Madame, c'est le lieu du rendez-vous"). After their departure, Father Joseph and Eustache appear from a hiding place: Eustache is a spy and makes a complete report of the intrigue to Father Joseph. Father Joseph savors the power which he possesses on the fate of Cinq-Mars ("Tu t'en vas"). He confronts Marie with the announcement of the execution of Cinq-Mars, for betraying the country by dealing independently with a foreign power. Further, he tells her, the Polish ambassador will return soon from a hunt with the King, and Father Joseph advises Marie to answer him favorably; in exchange, Cinq-Mars will be spared. When the royal suite arrives, Marie capitulates ("Hallali! Chasse superbe").
Act 4
A prisonAs he waits for execution, Cinq-Mars regrets that Marie abandoned him; nevertheless, his last hour approaching, and he evokes her image by way of consolation ("O chère et vivante image"). Marie enters, explains the guile of Father Joseph, and admits that she always loved Cinq-Mars ("Ah! Qu'ai-je dit"). De Thou draws up the plan which has been prepared for the escape of Cinq-Mars the next day. When the chancellor and Father Joseph come to announce that the marquis will die before the dawn, it becomes clear that this plan will not happen ("Messieurs, appelez à vous, votre courage"). Before Cinq-Mars is brought to the gallows, he sings with de Thou a final prayer.