Opera in four acts by Massenet to a libretto by d′Ennery, Blau and Gallet after Corneille (1885, Paris). Farinelli, Aiblinger and Cornelius also wrote operas on the subject.
Le Cid
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Cid, Le. Tragicomedy by Pierre Corneille, first performed 1637. Set in medieval Spain, it centres on the noble young lovers Rodrigue and Chimène. To avenge an insult to his father, Rodrigue kills Chimène's father in a duel. Chimène is then honour bound, in spite of their mutual passion, to seek revenge. Rodrigue leads an army which defeats the Moorish invaders, and on his return disarms Chimène's champion, whereupon the king, having given him the grandiose title of Cid (Lord), presses Chimène to relent and marry him. The play ends in uncertainty as to the final outcome.
With its vibrant poetry of love and heroism, the play was an immense success (‘tout Paris pour Chimène a les yeux de Rodrigue’, wrote Boileau). It also gave rise to vigorous disputes. Georges de Scudéry attacked it, and the Académie Française, encouraged by Richelieu, published the Sentiments de l'Académie sur le Cid (written by Chapelain), in which the play's improprieties and irregularities were noted. It was considerably modified in later editions, and from 1648 was labelled a tragedy.
[Peter France]
| Notes on Drama: Le Cid |
Contents: Plot Summary Characters Themes Style Critical Overview Criticism Sources Further Reading |
Pierre Corneille
1636
Le Cid, published in 1636, is considered Pierre Corneille's first masterpiece, a tragic play that was subsequently used by later playwrights as a model and a standard to follow. With Le Cid, Corneille changed the form of the dramatic play, a transformation that was met with great applause not only from the audience but from the ruling monarch at the time, King Louis XIII of France.
Le Cid is based on the deeds and subsequent legend of a twelfth-century Spanish soldier called El Cid (arabic for the lord), a man who fought against (and, as some believe, also fought with) the Moors who were in the process of taking over much of the land that Spain occupies today. El Cid was a mighty warrior and the first notorious hero of Spain. Much had been written about him in poetry and ballad, as well as in a play by the Spanish author Guillen de Castro (1569 – 1631). Corneille was inspired by the story of El Cid and, taking liberty from the standard dramatic form of his day, imbued his play with great passion and complex psychological insight. The result was a production the likes of which the Parisian people had never seen before.
The play relates the events of Le Cid coming of age. Le Cid's father asks his son to restore the elder man's honor by challenging Le Cid's future father-in-law to a duel. Le Cid immediately understands that no matter what he does, he is doomed. If he does not make the challenge, both he and his father will be dishonored. If he does make the challenge, he will lose the love of his future bride. The manner in which he solves this dilemma, and the events that unfold as he does so, takes the young man from untried warrior to triumphant hero.
| Wikipedia: Le Cid |
For the opera, see Le Cid (opera).
Le Cid is a tragicomedy written by Pierre Corneille and published in 1636. It is based on the legend of El Cid.
The play followed Corneille's first true tragedy, Médée, produced in 1635. An enormous popular success, Corneille's Le Cid was the subject of a heated polemic over the norms of dramatic practice known as the Querelle du Cid. Cardinal Richelieu's Académie Française acknowledged the play's success, but determined that it was defective, in part because it did not respect the classical unities.
Contents |
Plot Summary
The play focuses on Don Rodrigue and Chimène. Rodrigue's father, Don Diègue, is the old upstart general of medieval Spain and past his prime, whereas Chimène's father is the successful current general, Comte de Gormas. Rodrigue and Chimène love each other, but any chance of marriage is brutally disturbed when Chimène's father insults Rodrigue's father. Torn between his love for Chimène and his duty to avenge his father's honour, Rodrigue chooses the latter and faces the general in a duel in which Don Gomes is killed. Without denying her love, Chimène asks the King for Rodrigue's head.
When the Moors attack, Rodrigue gets the chance to redeem himself in the eye of the nation, and, more importantly, gets a chance to win back Chimène with honour still satisfied. His victories on the battlefield win him the renown of the people, the title of "the Cid," and the gratitude of the King.
Chimène then approaches the King to request that one of his knights duel with Rodrigue for her sake, with the goal of bringing her Rodrigue's head. Although Chimène dislikes her champion, she agrees to marry whoever is the victor of the duel to the death. The King agrees to the duel unhappily (he does not want to risk losing Rodrigue).
Rodrigue speaks to Chimène privately, saying that he will not defend himself against what is symbolically "her" hand. She finally persuades him to do his best, because if he wins, they will marry.
After the duel, Chimène's champion, carrying a bloody sword, comes to where she is waiting. Chimène assumes the worst without giving him the chance to speak. Going before the king, she finally feels free to confess her love for Rodrigue because she believes him to be dead. The champion then explains that Rodrigue disarmed him (the champion) and granted him mercy. After the duel, Rodrigue returned straight to the king, leaving the champion to bring Rodrigue's sword to Chimène.
Although they love each other, Chimène and Rodrigue are reluctant to marry because of their history, but the king says that although it seemed impossible at first, circumstances have proven that they were meant to be together. Still, he realizes they need time to adapt. Chimène will set the date for the wedding, up to a year in advance. Meanwhile, Rodrigue, known as the Cid, will conduct a war against the Moors in their own territory.
Characters
Don Fernand - King of Castille
Dona Urraque - (Infante) Daughter of a king, in love with Don Rodrigue
Don Diegue - Father of Don Rodrigue
Don Gomes - Father of Chimene, General of Castille
Don Rodrigue - Chimene's lover
Don Sanche - In love with Chimene and fights Rodrigue
Chimene - Daughter of Don Gomes
Don Arias
Don Alonse
Leonor - Governess of Dona Urraque
Elvire - Governess of Chimene
Influences
The play is the basis for the opera Le Cid by Jules Massenet.
See also
External links
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 | Music Encyclopedia. The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved. Read more |
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Mentioned in
- Chimène
- Rodrigue
- Corneille, Pierre (French playwright)
- Jean Chapelain (French critic & poet)
- Jeanne Moreau
- Le Cid, suite for orchestra (Classical Work)
- Le Cid (Critical Overview) (play)
- Tragicomedy
- Guillén de Castro y Bellvís (Spanish dramatist)
- Le Cid (Sources) (play)
- Gérard Philipe
- De Reszke (music)
- Jules Massenet (Classical Artist)
- Corelli: In Concert (1998 Music Film)
