Pierre le Grand
Encyclopedia
Pierre le Grand is an opéra comique
by André Grétry. The libretto, by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly
, is based on the early life of the Russian tsar Peter the Great. It was first performed in Paris
on January 13, 1790, with Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre
, known as Madame Dugazon, as Catherine.
). Bouilly was working on his play at the time the French Revolution
was breaking out in 1789 and the work reflects the political events of the day. Tsar Peter is intended to symbolise King Louis XVI
, Catherine is Marie Antoinette
and the Swiss Le Fort alludes to the Geneva
n financier Jacques Necker
, who had attempted to reform the French economy. Peter and Catherine are depicted as ideal figures, deeply concerned for the welfare of the common people, and the liberal Bouilly clearly hoped the French king and queen would follow their example.
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 André Grétry. The libretto, by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly
Jean-Nicolas Bouilly
Jean-Nicolas Bouilly was a French playwright, librettist, children's writer, and politician of the French Revolution...
, is based on the early life of the Russian tsar Peter the Great. It was first performed 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 January 13, 1790, with Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre
Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre
Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre , also known as Madame Dugazon, was a French operatic mezzo-soprano, actress and dancer....
, known as Madame Dugazon, as Catherine.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, January 13, 1790 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia | 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... |
|
| Catherine | 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... |
Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre , also known as Madame Dugazon, was a French operatic mezzo-soprano, actress and dancer.... |
| François Lefort | bass | |
| Georges | bass | |
| Géneviève | soprano | |
| Caroline | soprano | |
| Alexis | tenor | |
| Menshikoff | spoken | |
| Maturin | tenor | |
Synopsis
The plot tells how the young Tsar Peter disguised himself as a carpenter to work in a Russian shipyard where he fell in love with and married a peasant girl, Catherine (later the Empress Catherine ICatherine I of Russia
Catherine I , the second wife of Peter the Great, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1725 until her death.-Life as a peasant woman:The life of Catherine I was said by Voltaire to be nearly as extraordinary as that of Peter the Great himself. There are no documents that confirm her origins. Born on...
). Bouilly was working on his play at the time 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...
was breaking out in 1789 and the work reflects the political events of the day. Tsar Peter is intended to symbolise King Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
, Catherine is Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
and the Swiss Le Fort alludes to the Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
n financier Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker was a French statesman of Swiss birth and finance minister of Louis XVI, a post he held in the lead-up to the French Revolution in 1789.-Early life:...
, who had attempted to reform the French economy. Peter and Catherine are depicted as ideal figures, deeply concerned for the welfare of the common people, and the liberal Bouilly clearly hoped the French king and queen would follow their example.
Recordings
- La jeunesse de Pierre le Grand Christophe Einhorn, Anne Sophie Schmidt, Philippe Le Chevalier, Chamber Orchestra, Namur Chamber Choir, conducted by Olivier Opdebeeck (Cascavelle CD, 2003)
- Pierre le Grand Maxim MironovMaxim MironovMaxim Mironov is an operatic tenor, best known for his interpretation of the bel canto repertoire. After graduating from the Moscow Gnessin State Musical College in he joined the Helikon Opera Theatre in Moscow...
, Elena Voznessenskaya, Nikolai Galin, Chorus and Orchestra of Helikon OperaHelikon OperaHelikon Opera is a Russian opera company based in Moscow, specializing in unconventional productions. Their main performing base is the 250 seat Mayakovsky Theater, the former ballroom in the palace of the Shakhovskoi-Glebov-Streshneva family who were patrons of the arts in 19th century Moscow...
, conducted by Sergey Stadler (Arthaus DVD 101 097, 2003)