Le postillon de Lonjumeau
Encyclopedia
Le postillon de Lonjumeau (The Coachman of Lonjumeau) is an opéra-comique
in three acts by Adolphe Adam
to a French
libretto by 'Adolphe de Leuven
' and 'Brunswick' (pen names of Adolphe von Ribbing and Léon Lévy).
The opera has become the most successful of Adam's works and the one by which he is best known outside his native France. The opera is known for the difficult aria 'Mes amis, écoutez l'histoire' which has been called a test for tenor
s because of the demanding high D, or D5, in the end of the aria.
at the Salle de la Bourse in Paris on 13 October 1836. Performances followed in London
at the St. James Theatre on 13 March 1837, and in New Orleans at the Théâtre d'Orléans
on 19 April 1838.
Recent productions have been mounted in the Berlin
Staatsoper Unter den Linden (from 4 August 2000) under Sebastian Weigle, directed by Alexander Schulin with Gert Henning-Jensen (Chapelou), Simone Nold (Madeleine), Hanno-Müller Brachmann (Biju), Klaus Häger (Corcy), and Bernd Zettisch (Bourdon), and at the Grand Théâtre, Dijon
(from 30 March 2004 under Philippe Cambreling, directed by Patrick Abéjean with Bruno Comparetti (Chappelou / Saint-Phar), Isabelle Poulenard
(Madeleine / Madame de Latour), Laurent Alvaro (le Marquis de Corcy), Jean Vendassi (Biju / Alcindor), Michèle Dumont (Rose), and Matthieu Grenier (Bourdon). The latter was a co-production of Opéra Paris-Sud and Le Duo / Dijon.
The newly married postilion
, or coachman, (Chapelou) and his wife (Madeleine), an innkeeper, to ensure that their marriage will be a joyous one, decide to consult a clairvoyant
, who predicts that things will not go smoothly in their marriage but does not state exactly what will occur nor when. Initially concerned, their thoughts are temporarily forgotten as they enjoy their wedding night. Several days into the marriage, the Marquis de Corcy (who is also the director of the Royal Paris Opera House) arrives at the inn that Madeleine owns and Chapelou works at. He is immediately smitten with Chapelou's wife, but doesn't say anything to her. Then he overhears her husband singing his ‘usual’ song with other guests at the inn, and is impressed with his beautiful voice. He decides to invite the young coachman to join the Marquis’ company, but they have to leave immediately. With excitement, Chapelou asks his friend, Bijou, to tell his wife where he has gone and what he plans to do. Chapelou and the Marquis then quickly depart for Paris, leaving Madeleine in a state of shock.
Act 2
Ten years later. By now Madeleine has come into an inheritance and is now known as Madame Latour, and Chapelou has become a star at the Paris Opera. After a performance, the Marquis holds a reception to which he has invited Madame Latour. As soon as they meet at the reception, Chapelou falls for the Madame's charms, not recognising the wife he left behind. He proposes, she accepts, and a wedding occurs.
Act 3
The Marquis has gone to inform the police and denounce this apparent act of bigamy. On the wedding night, Madeleine appears in her old peasant clothes and Chapelou recognises her. Then she transforms before his eyes into Madame Latour, the rich heiress. She reveals her deception to the Marquis, as he arrives with the police and declares to them her game - the couple have married twice and vow from that day on to love like good village people. This induces a hearty response from the chorus to provide a stirring finale.
Opéra-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...
in three acts by Adolphe Adam
Adolphe Adam
Adolphe Charles Adam was a French composer and music critic. A prolific composer of operas and ballets, he is best known today for his ballets Giselle and Le corsaire , his operas Le postillon de Lonjumeau , Le toréador and Si j'étais roi , and his Christmas...
to a 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 by 'Adolphe de Leuven
Adolphe de Leuven
Adolphe de Leuven was a French theatre director and a librettist. Also known as Grenvallet, and Count Adolph Ribbing. He was the son of Adolph Ribbing....
' and 'Brunswick' (pen names of Adolphe von Ribbing and Léon Lévy).
The opera has become the most successful of Adam's works and the one by which he is best known outside his native France. The opera is known for the difficult aria 'Mes amis, écoutez l'histoire' which has been called a test for 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...
s because of the demanding high D, or D5, in the end of the aria.
Performance history
The opera was premiered by 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...
at the Salle de la Bourse in Paris on 13 October 1836. Performances followed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the St. James Theatre on 13 March 1837, and in New Orleans at the Théâtre d'Orléans
Théâtre d'Orléans
The Théâtre d'Orléans was a theater in New Orleans, first opened in November, 1809. This marked the beginning of continuous French opera anddrama throughout the nineteenth century. The plans for the Theater were drawn up by Louis Tabary, a refugee from the French colony of Saint-Domingue. After a...
on 19 April 1838.
Recent productions have been mounted in the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
Staatsoper Unter den Linden (from 4 August 2000) under Sebastian Weigle, directed by Alexander Schulin with Gert Henning-Jensen (Chapelou), Simone Nold (Madeleine), Hanno-Müller Brachmann (Biju), Klaus Häger (Corcy), and Bernd Zettisch (Bourdon), and at the Grand Théâtre, Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
(from 30 March 2004 under Philippe Cambreling, directed by Patrick Abéjean with Bruno Comparetti (Chappelou / Saint-Phar), Isabelle Poulenard
Isabelle Poulenard
Isabelle Poulenard is a soprano.Poulenard was born in Paris, France. Her work has generally been focused on music of the French Baroque, however, she has performed and recorded George Frideric Handel and Georg Philipp Telemann...
(Madeleine / Madame de Latour), Laurent Alvaro (le Marquis de Corcy), Jean Vendassi (Biju / Alcindor), Michèle Dumont (Rose), and Matthieu Grenier (Bourdon). The latter was a co-production of Opéra Paris-Sud and Le Duo / Dijon.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 13 October 1836 (Conductor: -) |
|---|---|---|
| Madeleine, Chapelou's wife | dramatic coloratura 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... |
Geneviève-Aimé-Zoë Prévost |
| Rose | light-lyric soprano or soubrette Soubrette A soubrette is a female stock character in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy".-Theater:... |
Roy |
| Chapelou, a coachman | 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... |
Jean-Baptiste Chollet |
| La Marquis de Corcy, head of the Paris Opéra | baritone | |
| Bijou, Chapelou's friend | bass-baritone Bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende... |
Henry Deshaynes, 'Henri' |
| Bourdon | bass | |
Synopsis
Act 1The newly married postilion
Postilion
A postilion rider was the driver of a horse-drawn coach or post chaise, mounted on one of the drawing horses...
, or coachman, (Chapelou) and his wife (Madeleine), an innkeeper, to ensure that their marriage will be a joyous one, decide to consult a clairvoyant
Clairvoyance
The term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception...
, who predicts that things will not go smoothly in their marriage but does not state exactly what will occur nor when. Initially concerned, their thoughts are temporarily forgotten as they enjoy their wedding night. Several days into the marriage, the Marquis de Corcy (who is also the director of the Royal Paris Opera House) arrives at the inn that Madeleine owns and Chapelou works at. He is immediately smitten with Chapelou's wife, but doesn't say anything to her. Then he overhears her husband singing his ‘usual’ song with other guests at the inn, and is impressed with his beautiful voice. He decides to invite the young coachman to join the Marquis’ company, but they have to leave immediately. With excitement, Chapelou asks his friend, Bijou, to tell his wife where he has gone and what he plans to do. Chapelou and the Marquis then quickly depart for Paris, leaving Madeleine in a state of shock.
Act 2
Ten years later. By now Madeleine has come into an inheritance and is now known as Madame Latour, and Chapelou has become a star at the Paris Opera. After a performance, the Marquis holds a reception to which he has invited Madame Latour. As soon as they meet at the reception, Chapelou falls for the Madame's charms, not recognising the wife he left behind. He proposes, she accepts, and a wedding occurs.
Act 3
The Marquis has gone to inform the police and denounce this apparent act of bigamy. On the wedding night, Madeleine appears in her old peasant clothes and Chapelou recognises her. Then she transforms before his eyes into Madame Latour, the rich heiress. She reveals her deception to the Marquis, as he arrives with the police and declares to them her game - the couple have married twice and vow from that day on to love like good village people. This induces a hearty response from the chorus to provide a stirring finale.
Recording
- 17–25 September 1985, Salle Garnier, Monte-Carlo : Thomas FultonThomas FultonThomas Fulton , was an American conductor.Noted primarily for his work in opera, Fulton debuted at the Metropolitan Opera of New York City in 1979 and remained with the company until his death. He conducted 192 performances at the Met of over 20 operas in the Italian, French and German repertoires...
conducting the Orchestre philharmonique de Monte-CarloMonte-Carlo Philharmonic OrchestraThe Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra is the main orchestra in the principality of Monaco...
, with John AlerJohn AlerJohn Aler is an American lyric tenor who performs in concerts, recitals, and operas. He is particularly known for his interpretations of the works of Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, and Handel....
(Chapelou / Saint-Phar), François Le Roux (de Corcy), Jean-Philippe Lafont (Bijou / Alcindor), June AndersonJune AndersonJune Anderson is a Grammy Award-winning American coloratura soprano. Originally known for bel canto performances of Rossini, Donizetti, and Vincenzo Bellini, she was the first non-Italian ever to win the prestigious Bellini d'Oro prize...
(Madeleine / Madame de Latour), Daniel Ottewaere (Bourdon), Balvina de Courcelles (Rose). (EMI 557106-2)