La belle Hélène ("
The Beautiful Helen" or "
The Fair Helen"),
opéra bouffeOpéra bouffe is a genre of late 19th century French operetta, closely associated with Jacques Offenbach, who produced many of them at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens that gave its name to the form....
in three acts, is an
operettaOperetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Operetta in French:...
by
Jacques OffenbachJacques Offenbach was a German-born French composer and cellist of the Romantic era and one of the originators of the operetta form...
to an original
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
librettoA libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata.Libretto ,...
by
Henri MeilhacHenri Meilhac , was a French dramatist and opera librettist.-Biography:He was born in Paris in 1831. As a young man, Meilhac began writing fanciful articles for Parisian newspapers and vaudevilles, in a vivacious boulevardier spirit which brought him to the forefront...
and
Ludovic HalévyLudovic Halévy was a French author and playwright. He was of Jewish ancestry, however his father had converted to Christianity prior to his birth.-Biography:Ludovic Halévy was born in Paris...
. The operetta parodies the story of
HelenIn Greek mythology, Helen , known as Helen of Troy , was the daughter of Zeus and Leda , wife of King Menelaus of Sparta and sister of Castor, Polydeuces and Clytemnestra. Her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War...
's elopement with
ParisParis , the son of Priam, king of Troy, appears in a number of Greek legends. Probably the best-known was his elopement with Helen, queen of Sparta, this being one of the immediate causes of the Trojan War...
, which set off the
Trojan WarIn Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
.
It was first performed at
Paris'sParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
Théâtre des VariétésThe théâtre des Variétés is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7, boulevard Montmartre, IIe arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1975.-History:It owes its creation to Marguerite Brunet, called Mlle Montansier...
on December 17, 1864, starring
Hortense SchneiderHortense Catherine Schneider, La Snédèr, was a French soprano, one of the greatest operetta stars of the 19th century, particularly associated with the works of composer Jacques Offenbach.-Biography:...
and
José DupuisJoseph-Lambert Dupuis was a Belgian singer and actor. He was principally active in opéra-bouffe in Paris, in particular at the Théâtre des Variétés.-Career:...
. While some experts (cf Grove) are of the opinion that the creation of
La belle Hélène was a "largely untroubled" affair, others (cf Jacob) paint a different picture: Although Offenbach had managed at great cost to persuade
Hortense SchneiderHortense Catherine Schneider, La Snédèr, was a French soprano, one of the greatest operetta stars of the 19th century, particularly associated with the works of composer Jacques Offenbach.-Biography:...
, known by then as "La Snédèr", to accept the role of Helen, the premiere remained in doubt to the very last minute.
La belle Hélène ("
The Beautiful Helen" or "
The Fair Helen"),
opéra bouffeOpéra bouffe is a genre of late 19th century French operetta, closely associated with Jacques Offenbach, who produced many of them at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens that gave its name to the form....
in three acts, is an
operettaOperetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Operetta in French:...
by
Jacques OffenbachJacques Offenbach was a German-born French composer and cellist of the Romantic era and one of the originators of the operetta form...
to an original
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
librettoA libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata.Libretto ,...
by
Henri MeilhacHenri Meilhac , was a French dramatist and opera librettist.-Biography:He was born in Paris in 1831. As a young man, Meilhac began writing fanciful articles for Parisian newspapers and vaudevilles, in a vivacious boulevardier spirit which brought him to the forefront...
and
Ludovic HalévyLudovic Halévy was a French author and playwright. He was of Jewish ancestry, however his father had converted to Christianity prior to his birth.-Biography:Ludovic Halévy was born in Paris...
. The operetta parodies the story of
HelenIn Greek mythology, Helen , known as Helen of Troy , was the daughter of Zeus and Leda , wife of King Menelaus of Sparta and sister of Castor, Polydeuces and Clytemnestra. Her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War...
's elopement with
ParisParis , the son of Priam, king of Troy, appears in a number of Greek legends. Probably the best-known was his elopement with Helen, queen of Sparta, this being one of the immediate causes of the Trojan War...
, which set off the
Trojan WarIn Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
.
Performance history
It was first performed at
Paris'sParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
Théâtre des VariétésThe théâtre des Variétés is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7, boulevard Montmartre, IIe arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1975.-History:It owes its creation to Marguerite Brunet, called Mlle Montansier...
on December 17, 1864, starring
Hortense SchneiderHortense Catherine Schneider, La Snédèr, was a French soprano, one of the greatest operetta stars of the 19th century, particularly associated with the works of composer Jacques Offenbach.-Biography:...
and
José DupuisJoseph-Lambert Dupuis was a Belgian singer and actor. He was principally active in opéra-bouffe in Paris, in particular at the Théâtre des Variétés.-Career:...
. While some experts (cf Grove) are of the opinion that the creation of
La belle Hélène was a "largely untroubled" affair, others (cf Jacob) paint a different picture: Although Offenbach had managed at great cost to persuade
Hortense SchneiderHortense Catherine Schneider, La Snédèr, was a French soprano, one of the greatest operetta stars of the 19th century, particularly associated with the works of composer Jacques Offenbach.-Biography:...
, known by then as "La Snédèr", to accept the role of Helen, the premiere remained in doubt to the very last minute. During rehearsals, La Snédèr constantly complained that the extravagant Léa Silly (as Orestes in a man's role) was trying to upstage her: La Silly extemporized (a privilege reserved for the prima donna), La Silly imitated her, La Silly danced a cancan in her back while she was singing an important aria, etc etc. La Snédèr not only walked off the set repeatedly, but kept threatening to leave the world, or at least Paris, altogether. It took all of Offenbach's skills at creating harmony to see the production through.
La belle Hélène was an instant success with both the public and the critics and enjoyed, some say, an unprecedented initial run of 700 performances. Premieres in Vienna (1865), Berlin (1865), London (1866), and Chicago (1867) followed shortly. It also had a run in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
at the
Grand Opera HouseGrand Opera House may refer to:in Canada*Grand Opera House in England*Grand Opera House in France*Palais Garnier in Paris, often called the "Grand Opera House"in Northern Ireland*Grand Opera House in the United States...
beginning on April 13 1871.
http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=441510
Roles
| Role |
Voice type |
Premiere cast,
December 17, 1864,
(Conductor: - ) |
| Agamemnon, King of Kings |
baritoneBaritone is a type of classical male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek βαρύτονος, meaning 'deep sounding', music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second G below middle C to the F above...
|
Henri Couder |
| Ménélas, King of Sparta |
tenor |
Kopp |
| Pâris, son of King Priam of Troy |
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...
|
José Dupuis Joseph-Lambert Dupuis was a Belgian singer and actor. He was principally active in opéra-bouffe in Paris, in particular at the Théâtre des Variétés.-Career:...
|
| Calchas, high priest of Jupiter |
bass |
Pierre-Eugène Grenier |
| Achille, King of Phthiotis |
tenor |
Alexandre Guyon |
| Oreste, son of Agamemnon |
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
or tenor |
Léa Silly |
| Ajax I, King of Salamis |
tenor |
Edouard Hamburger |
| Second Ajax, King of the Locrians |
baritone |
M. Andof |
| Philocome, Calchas' attendant |
spoken |
M. Videix |
| Euthyclès, a blacksmith |
spoken |
M. Royer |
| Hélène, Queen of Sparta |
soprano A soprano is a singing voice with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music...
|
Hortense Schneider Hortense Catherine Schneider, La Snédèr, was a French soprano, one of the greatest operetta stars of the 19th century, particularly associated with the works of composer Jacques Offenbach.-Biography:...
|
| Parthénis, a courtesan |
soprano |
Mlle. Alice |
| Lœna, a courtesan |
mezzo-soprano |
Mlle. Gabrielle |
| Bacchis, Helen's attendant |
soprano |
Mlle. C. Renault |
| Princes, guards, people, slaves etc. |
Act 1
ParisParis , the son of Priam, king of Troy, appears in a number of Greek legends. Probably the best-known was his elopement with Helen, queen of Sparta, this being one of the immediate causes of the Trojan War...
, son of
PriamIn Greek mythology, Priam was the king of Troy during the Trojan War and youngest son of Laomedon. Modern scholars derive his name from the Luwian compound Priimuua, which means "exceptionally courageous"....
, arrives with a missive from the
goddessA goddess is a female deity. Often deities are part of a polytheistic system that includes several deities in a pantheon. In some cultures goddesses are commonly associated with the Earth, motherhood, love, and the household, often reflecting the historical gender roles of that culture...
Venus to the high priest
CalchasIn Greek mythology, Calchas , son of Thestor, was an Argive seer, with a gift for interpreting the flight of birds that he received of Apollo: "as an augur, Calchas had no rival in the camp"....
, commanding him to procure for Paris the love of
HelenIn Greek mythology, Helen , known as Helen of Troy , was the daughter of Zeus and Leda , wife of King Menelaus of Sparta and sister of Castor, Polydeuces and Clytemnestra. Her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War...
, promised him by Venus when he awarded the prize of beauty to her and refused it to
JunoJuno was an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Juventas, Mars, and Vulcan...
and
MinervaMinerva was the Roman goddess whom Hellenizing Romans from the second century BC onwards equated with the Greek goddess Athena. She was the virgin goddess of warriors, poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, magic and the inventor of music...
.
Paris disguises himself as a
shepherdA shepherd is a person who tends to, feeds or guards sheep, especially in flocks. The word may also refer to one who provides religious guidance, as a pastor.- Origins :...
and wins three prizes at a contest of outrageously silly wordgames with the
GreekGreek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
kings under the direction of the 'barbu, bu, bu' (bearded and drunk)
AgamemnonIn Greek mythology, Agamemnon / is the son of King Atreus of Mycenae and Queen Aerope; the brother of Menelaus and the husband of Clytemnestra; different mythological versions make him the king either of Mycenae or of Argos...
as schoolmaster, whereupon he reveals his identity. All the world knows that he has awarded the apple to Venus, and Helen realizes that it is 'la fatalité' (fatality) that has sent her 'l'homme à la pomme' (the man with the apple). The
TrojanTroy is a legendary city and center of the Trojan War, as described in the Epic Cycle and especially in the Iliad, one of the two epic poems attributed to Homer...
prince is crowned victor by Helen, to the disgust of the lout
AchillesIn Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Achilles also has the attributes of being the most handsome of the heroes assembled against Troy....
and the two bumbling Ajaxes. Paris is invited to a banquet by
MenelausMenelaus may refer to;*Menelaus, one of the two most known Atrides, a king of Sparta and son of Atreus and Aerope*Menelaus on the Moon, named after Menelaus of Alexandria.*Menelaus , brother of Ptolemy I Soter...
, 'l'époux de la reine, poux de la reine, poux de la reine' (Helen's spouse and louse). Paris has bribed Calchas to have Philocomus strike the thunder gong and to prophesy that Menelaus must at once proceed to
CreteCrete is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea at 8,336 km²...
, at which point the chorus breaks into a joyful song, repeating over and over again 'Va, suis, Ménélas / La voix du destin / Qui te mène, hélas! / Au pays crétain!' ('Go, go, go to Crete!'), which ends the act.
Act 2
After parodies on the life of the Greek court, in which the honest Calchas appears as a gambling cheat, Paris comes to Helen at night. Although she knows her fate, she seemingly resists him, and he uses strategy. He departs, but returns when she has fallen asleep. He tells Helen that what will now occur is only a dream, and she is content to risk all with this understanding at this moment. Menelaus unexpectedly returns and finds the two in each other's arms. Helen, exclaiming 'la fatalité, la fatalité', tells him that it is all his fault: A good husband knows when to come and when to stay away. Paris tries to dissuade him from kicking up a row, but to no avail. When all the kings join the party, berating him and telling him to go back where he came from, Paris departs, vowing to return and finish the job.
Act 3
The kings and their entourage have moved to Nauplia for the summer season. A high priest of Venus arrives on a boat, explaining that he has to take Helen to Cythera where she is to sacrifice 100 heifers for her offenses. Menelaus pleads with her to go with the priest, but she refuses, saying that it is he, and not her, who has offended the goddess. But when she realizes that the priest is Paris in disguise, she goes on board with him, and they sail away together. The rest is
"History"In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
.
Selected recordings
- Felicity Lott
Dame Felicity Lott, DBE is an English soprano, universally known as Flott.From her earliest years, she was musical, having started studying piano at five. She also played violin and began singing lessons at 12. She is an alumna of Royal Holloway, University of London, having studied French and...
, Yann Beuron, Michel Sénéchal, Laurent NaouriLaurent Naouri is a French bass-baritone. Initially beginning his education at the École Centrale de Lyon, Naouri decided to concentrate on opera in 1986 and continued his musical studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London....
, François Le Roux, Marie-Ange Todorovitch. Direction musicale, Marc MinkowskiMarc Minkowski is a French conductor of classical music, especially known for his interpretations of French Baroque works. His father was Alexandre Minkowski, professor of pediatrics and one of the founders of neonatology...
(version given at the Théâtre du ChâteletThe Théâtre du Châtelet is a theatre and opera house in Paris, France. One of two theatres built on the site of a châtelet, a small castle or fortress, it was designed by Gabriel Davioud at the request of Baron Haussmann between 1860 and 1862...
in 2000).
- Jessye Norman
Jessye Norman is a four-time Grammy Award-winning American opera singer. Norman is one of the most admired contemporary opera singers and recitalists, and is one of the highest paid performers in classical music...
, John Aller, Charles Burles, Gabriel Bacquier, Jean-Philippe Lafont. Direction musicale, Michel PlassonMichel Plasson is a French conductor.Plasson was a student of Lazare Lévy at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1962, he was a prize-winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors. He studied briefly in the United States, including time with Charles Münch...
.
- Jane Rhodes, Rémy Corazza, Jacques Martin, Jules Bastin, Michel Trempont, with the Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg under Alain Lombard, and the chorus of the Opéra national du Rhin
L' Opéra national du Rhin is an opera company in Eastern France which includes the Opéra in Strasbourg, the company's ballet in Mulhouse , and the "Jeunes Voix du Rhin", a training centre for young singers, in Colmar. A reflection of its importance is the status of “national opera” which it has...
under Gunter Wagner (1978).
External links