Le trompeur trompé ("The trickster tricked") is a one-act 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...

 by Pierre Gaveaux

Pierre Gaveaux

Pierre Gaveaux was a French operatic tenor and composer, notable for creating the role of Jason in Cherubini's Médée and for composing the first operatic version of the story that later found fame as Fidelio....

, to a libretto by François Bernard-Valville. It premiéred at the Théâtre Feydeau

Théâtre Feydeau

The Théâtre Feydeau, , a former Parisian theatre company, was founded in 1789 with the patronage of Monsieur, Comte de Provence , and was therefore initially named the Théâtre de Monsieur...

 on 2 August 1800 (The first-edition libretto gives the date as 14 Thermidor

Thermidor

Thermidor was the eleventh month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the French word thermal which comes from the Greek word "thermos" which means heat....

 an VIII, using the French Republican Calendar

French Republican Calendar

The French Republican Calendar or French Revolutionary Calendar was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805, and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871...

 created during the French Revolution

French Revolution

The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...

).

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, 2 August 1800 (Conductor: )
Jocard, an aged prosecuting attorney		Citizen Juliet
Simonen, a merchant		Citizen Résicourt
Beaupré, a ship-owner Ship-owner A shipowner is the owner of a merchant vessel . In the commercial sense of the term, a shipowner is someone who equips and exploits a ship, usually for delivering cargo at a certain freight rate, either as a per freight rate or based on hire...		Citizen Georget
Duval, a midshipman Midshipman A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...  (technically "aspirant Aspirant Aspirant is a military rank in the Canadian Navy, French military, Brazilian military, Romanian Navy and Polish Police.-Canadian Navy:Similar to the French usage, the Canadian Navy uses the French-language rank of "Aspirant de marine" to denote a junior officer under training. The same rank in the...  de la marine") in the French Navy, and nephew of Beaupré		Citizen Fay
A notary Notary A notary is a lawyer or person with legal training who is licensed by the state to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents...		Citizen Prévost
Agathe, daughter of Simonen and Jocard's pupil	Soprano	Mlle. Lesage

Synopsis

The play opens in the study of Jocard, a prosecuting attorney. Duval, his clerk, is working at his desk, musing over the circumstances that brought him to this role: He is really a midshipman

Midshipman

A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...

, but has taken on the role of clerk due to his love for Agathe, Jocard's pupil. (D'un mensonge très-innocent) Jocard's wife has recently died, and Jocard is now taking an interest in Agathe himself. She cannot be forced to marry him, but should Jocard find out about Duval's scheme, trouble would arise. Agathe thinks she should leave, but she and Duval promise to be faithful to each other. (Il faut, il faut, que je vous quitte)

Jocard is heard approaching as they finish their farewells, and Agathe fails to escape in time. He asks why she was there, she tells him she was looking for him - which gives Jocard quite the wrong idea. Quickly refocusing, she says she came to tell him about some business with a proprietor of a hotel. Jocard knows of it, and she quickly loses his interest. However, all is not well: Jocard, pleased with Duval's work hitherto, sends him off to handle a case... for his uncle, who is not aware of Duval's impersonation. The scene ends with Duval, shaken, asking Agathe if it's necessary for him to return, only for Jocard to overhear him, and, misconstruing him, cheerily tell him that yes, he'll be needed afterwards.

To be continued

List of arias

1. D'un mensonge très-innocent (A most innocent lie) - Duval
2. Il faut, il faut, que je vous quitte (It is necessary that I leave) - Agathe and Duval
3. Ces beaux galans, ces jeunes gens (These beautiful gallants, these young people) - Jocard
4. Vous qui souffrez du mal d'amour (You who suffer the evil of love) - Agathe
5. Buvons, buvons, à mes amours (Let us drink, drink with our beloved ones) - Jocard and Beaupré
6. Dieu du bonheur, Dieu plein du charmes (God of happiness, God full of charm) - Agathe
7. J'attendois, dans l'impatience (I wait, impatiently) - Agathe
8. Viens dans mes bras... oh! viens, ma chère (Come into my arms, Oh! Come, my beloved!) - Simonin, Agathe and Jocard
9. Finale: Venez, le monsieur de prétendu (Come, Mr. Make-believe) - Simonin, Jocard, the notary, Beaupré, Agathe and Duval

External links

• Libretto from the University of Warwick
  University of Warwick
  The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
  
  digital collections