Le pont des soupirs
Encyclopedia
Le pont des soupirs is an opéra bouffe
, or operetta
, by Jacques Offenbach
. The French
libretto was written by Hector-Jonathan Cremieux
and Ludovic Halévy
.
, Paris
on 23 March 1861. A four-act version was subsequently given at the Théâtre des Variétés
, Paris on 8 May 1868.
Cornarino Cornarini, the Doge of Venice, who was also the admiral of the Venetian fleet, has deserted the navy in fear of the coming sea battle, and so is under a cloud of disgrace. He returns to his palace with his squire, Baptiste, to find his wife, Catarina, being serenaded by two lovers. The first is the Prime Minister. The second is his villainous cousin, Fabiano Fabiani Malatromba. Cornarini and Baptiste make a clumsy attempt to prevent Catarina's seduction and get arrested in the process. Brought before the Council of Ten, Cornarini and Baptiste try to save their lives by posing as Cornarini’s killers. Unfortunately, Catarina and her page, Amoroso, appear claiming that Cornarini is alive, and the two are exposed. Malatromba bribes the Council of Ten to sentence the absent Doge to death and proclaims himself replacement Doge. However, a messenger brings news from the sea battle: the enemy has suffered a devastating defeat, the admiral's escape had only been a strategic trick. The quarrel between Cornarini and Malatromba is continued in a carnevalistic manner. A dexterity competition decides who will be the future doge. Cornarini wins with Amoroso's help.
Opéra bouffe
Opéra 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....
, or operetta
Operetta
Operetta 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.-Origins:...
, by Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
. The French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
libretto was written by Hector-Jonathan Cremieux
Hector-Jonathan Crémieux
Hector-Jonathan Crémieux was a French librettist and playwright. His best-known work is his collaboration with Ludovic Halévy for Jacques Offenbach's Orphée aux Enfers, known in English as Orpheus in the Underworld....
and Ludovic Halévy
Ludovic Halévy
Ludovic Halévy was a French author and playwright. He was half Jewish : his Jewish father had converted to Christianity prior to his birth, to marry his mother, née Alexandrine Lebas.-Biography:Ludovic Halévy was born in Paris...
.
Performance history
It was first performed in a two-act version at the Théâtre des Bouffes ParisiensThéâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
The Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens is a Parisian theatre which was founded in 1855 by the composer Jacques Offenbach for the performance of opéra bouffe and operetta. The current theatre is located in the 2nd arrondissement at 4 rue Monsigny with an entrance at the back at 65 Passage Choiseul. In...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 23 March 1861. A four-act version was subsequently given at the Théâtre des Variétés
Théâtre des Variétés
The Théâtre des Variétés is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1975.-History:...
, Paris on 8 May 1868.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, March 23, 1861, (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Amoroso, a pageboy | 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... |
Lucille Tostée Lucille Tostée Lucille Tostée , was a French soprano, associated with opéra-bouffe in Paris and the USA in the mid-19th century, particularly in the works of Offenbach.-Life and career:... |
| Astolfo | bass | |
| Cascadetto | 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... |
|
| Cornarino Cornarini, Doge of Venice | tenor | Désiré Désiré (baritone) Désiré was a French baritone, who is particularly remembered for creating many comic roles in the works of the French operetta composer Jacques Offenbach... |
| Catarina Cornarini, his wife | soprano | Lise Tautin Lise Tautin Lise Tautin , was a French soprano, associated with the opéra-bouffe in Paris in the middle of the 19th century, particularly the works of Offenbach.-Life and career:... |
| Baptiste, the Doge's equerry | tenor | |
| Fabiono Fabiani Malatromba, member of the Council of Ten | tenor | |
| Franrusto | bass | |
| Arlequin | ||
| Colombine | ||
| Laodice | ||
| The chief of the Council of Ten | ||
Synopsis
- Place: Venice
- Time: 1321
Cornarino Cornarini, the Doge of Venice, who was also the admiral of the Venetian fleet, has deserted the navy in fear of the coming sea battle, and so is under a cloud of disgrace. He returns to his palace with his squire, Baptiste, to find his wife, Catarina, being serenaded by two lovers. The first is the Prime Minister. The second is his villainous cousin, Fabiano Fabiani Malatromba. Cornarini and Baptiste make a clumsy attempt to prevent Catarina's seduction and get arrested in the process. Brought before the Council of Ten, Cornarini and Baptiste try to save their lives by posing as Cornarini’s killers. Unfortunately, Catarina and her page, Amoroso, appear claiming that Cornarini is alive, and the two are exposed. Malatromba bribes the Council of Ten to sentence the absent Doge to death and proclaims himself replacement Doge. However, a messenger brings news from the sea battle: the enemy has suffered a devastating defeat, the admiral's escape had only been a strategic trick. The quarrel between Cornarini and Malatromba is continued in a carnevalistic manner. A dexterity competition decides who will be the future doge. Cornarini wins with Amoroso's help.