Les Dragons de Villars
Les Dragons de Villars ( German: The bells of the hermit ) is an opéra comique in three acts by Aimé Maillart on a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Eugène Lockroy. The story of the opera comes from George Sand (La Petite Fadette ) and was transferred from the librettist in the time of Louis XIV. The piece was premiered at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris on September 19, 1856, appeared at the Opéra -Comique for the first time on 5 June 1868 here with Galli- Marié Célestine ( the first Carmen by Bizet ) as Rose.
Development and performance history
The piece was first Émile Perrin, the first director of the Opéra- Comique, offered, who felt the piece as too dark, even after the composer had played him. It was then one of the brothers at the Théâtre Lyrique Seveste offers, which also rejected it, as the successor of the brothers, Pierre Pellegrin. Some years later, the authors Léon Carvalho, who had recently taken over the management of the Théâtre Lyrique, and he accepted the piece, without a word to read or listen to met.
The premiere was then very successful. It was the debut of Juliette Borghèse. The opera at the Théâtre Lyrique lived until 1863 and was 153 performances throughout Europe as popular as in New Orleans ( 1859) and New York ( 1868), and she came in 1872 even after Mauritius. In Paris she was neuinszeniert at the Opéra -Comique in 1868 and experienced in these home then even 377 performances until 1917. A production was also produced at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint -Martin on June 3, 1935. Gustav Mahler conducted the opera in 1888 in Budapest and Wilhelm Furtwängler conducted it in 1910 in Strasbourg.
More recently, the opera in the repertoire of the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels was 1942-1953, 1986, she appeared at the Opéra National de Montpellier.
Roles and their first cast
Action
Dragoons threatening to invade a village. Women must therefore be concealed from them and therefore housed in the rectory. Only Georgette is locked in a dovecote.
Belamy commander and his soldiers do not understand that it is perfectly quiet in the village. Only Rose Friquet be talked away. Georgette, the prettiest lessee, flirts with Belamy and ordered him to the chapel of the hermit for a rendezvous. There however is a little bell that starts to ring, when spouses are unfaithful.
The servant Sylvain is Rose and she in love with him, on the other hand Thibaut looking for his wife who has met with Belamy, but does not ring the bell. Rose then begins even to ring the bell, as Georgette appears to see Belamy. You feel caught, but Rose is soon exhausted. Silvain she awakens, but Belamy she overheard.
Thibault wants to thwart the marriage between Sylvain and Rose, claiming that Rose had betrayed the hiding place in which reside the Huguenots. Sylvain Rose makes a scene. Georgette comes with the message that the refugees have already fled successfully. Belamy provides Sylvain for speech, but Georgette rushes to help him. She threatens Belamy his boss to reveal her love affair. Sylvain and Rose is now no longer an obstacle in the way. The Dragoons pull their ways and calm is restored again.