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Mignon, opera in 3 acts

 
Classical Work: Mignon, opera in 3 acts

Review

The dismal failure of Ambroise Thomas' Le roma d'Elvire in 1860, combined with the success of Gounod's Faust the year before, prompted Thomas to quit composing opera for the next six years. However, when Jules Barbier and Michel Carré -- the librettists for Gounod's masterpiece, and the future authors of Thomas' Hamlet (1868) -- approached Thomas with the Mignon story, they found the composer eager to eclipse his rival's earlier triumph. Barbier and Carré based the libretto on Goethe's Wilhelm Meister Lehrjahre.

Predictably, Thomas imitated aspects of Gounod's style in his new work, and he further insured success by delaying the premiere until the management of the Opéra-Comique could assemble a strong cast. With this accomplished, Mignon was first performed on November 17, 1866. It was an immediate success, and was performed 100 times at the Opéra-Comique in the eight months after the premiere. In 1870, it was given in London and in 1871 it was staged in New York.

Barbier and Carré made fundamental changes to the character of Mignon as drawn by Goethe. In the novel, she is not the main character, but by extracting her trials and tribulations from the context of the work as a whole, Barbier and Carré made Mignon the focal point of the opera. Furthermore, the librettists created a happy ending (Mignon lives, whereas she dies in the novel), obligatory for works written for the Opéra-Comique stage at the time. Nevertheless, Barbier and Carré manage to maintain the spirit of Goethe's story.

Thomas was eager to please, and made adjustments to his score when necessary. For the London performance, the composer replaced the spoken dialogue with recitatives and adapted the role of Frédéric for a contralto, composing the famous Act II rondo-gavotte, "In veder l'amata stanza," based on material from the preceding entr'acte. Philine also received a new aria: "Alerta, Filina." Furthermore, the work was sung in Italian. For German stages, Thomas was willing to completely change the end of the work, having Mignon die in Wilhelm's arms when she hears Philine's voice from offstage. Undoubtedly, this made the opera more palatable to German audiences, who knew and identified with Goethe's masterpiece.

Thomas' eclecticism proved a hindrance to his success in his early years. Composing in various styles with numerous, and obvious, models (Auber, Hérold, Rossini), Thomas did not find his own voice until Le caïd of 1849, which still owes much to Rossini. It was not until Mignon that the aspects of Thomas' eclectic musical personality coalesced to create an impressively unified work.

Mignon draws its strength from Thomas' careful musical representation of the characters. Mignon's music alternately illustrates her jealousy, love, and affection in no uncertain terms. Her complexity is unmatched in any other of Thomas' operas. Philine's superficial personality comes across in her predictable music, especially the polonaise aria, "Je suis Titania." Wilhelm's youthful but sensible character comes through in vivacious, yet studied music, especially in the first part of Act II, in which we hear clearly the contrast between his music and that for Frédéric and the uncontrollably jealous Mignon. Wilhelm's sincerity comes to the fore near the end of the second act, when he greets Mignon after their earlier confrontation. Lothario's amnesia becomes apparent not only through his change of clothes and description of his past in the final act, but also through his music, which takes on a more noble character when his memory returns. ~ John Palmer, All Music Guide

Albums with Complete Performances of the Work

Title Date
Ambroise Thomas: Mignon
Arte Nova Voices 2000
Mignon 1998
Thomas: Mignon 2000
Thomas: Mignon
Thomas: Mignon 2000
Thomas: Mignon 1999

Albums with Excerpt Performances of the Work

Title Date
10 Great Tenors [Box Set]
100 Best Opera Classics 2004
100 Best Tenor Arias 2009
100 Years of Great Music 1997
101 Opera Masterpieces, Vol. 2 [Box Set]
18 Divas françaises 1989
20 Legendary Sopranos 1994
300 Ans d'Opéra à Bruxelles
4 Famous Mezzos of Past 1997
A 1940's Radio Hour, Volume 2
A Protrait of Frederica von Stade 1985
Adelina Patti
Airs D'Opera 2003
Airs D'Opéras Francais
Airs d'Opéras français / French Opera Arias: The Art of the Coloratura 2006
Airs d'opéras français 2003
Alessandro Bonci
Alfredo Kraus
Alfredo Kraus: New Operatic Recital
Ambroise Thomas: Mignon
Amelita Galli Curci: The Unforgettable Recordings, Vol. 1 (1916-1920)
Amelita Galli-Curci: The Complete Acoustic Recordings, 1916-20
Amelita Galli-Curci: Victor Recordings (1925-28) 1996
American Opera Singer 1997
American Singers, Volume 2
American Singers, Volume 3
An Evening with Giuseppe Di Stefano 1999
André D'Arkor (Tenor) 1998
Anthologie de l'Opérette, 1850-1950 (Box Set)
Anthologie de l'Opérette, 1850-1950: Vol. 1, 1850-1899
Aria 1997
Aria III: A Passion for Opera 1998
Arias
Arias & Scenes from Faust, I Puritani, La Bohème, La traviata, Rigoletto, Tosca and more... 2002
Arias, Duets, Songs 2003
Arie Senza Voce: Mezzosoprano
Arie d'Opera & Canzoni 2001
Armida Parsi-Pettinella: Unknown Recordings 1906 - 09
Artist Portrait: Monica Groop 2003
Arturo Toscanini & NBC Orchestra Vol. 9 1999
Arturo Toscanini Collection, Volume 39 1992
Arturo Toscanini Collection, Volume 51: Overtures 1992
Audio Archive Classics: Ferruccio Tagliavini
Audio Archive Classics: Lotte Lehmann
Audio Archive Classics: Luisa Tetrazzini
Azio Pinza: Great Voices
Beniamino Gigli
Beniamino Gigli, Vol. 2 1990
Beniamino Gigli-In Opera And Song 1997
Beniamino Gigli: Buenos Aires & Rio de Janeiro
Beniamino Gigli: Gigli Edition
Beniamino Gigli: The Complete Victor Recordings, Vol. 2: 1926-28 1996
Berlioz: La Dannazione di Faust
Best Tenor Voices 100 2009
Best of French Opera 1995
Bizet: Carmen Suite; Arlésienne Suites Nos. 1 & 2; Thomas: Mignon & Raymond Overtures 1992
Brainy Music: Playful Baby 2003
CD Classica, Vol 7 1998
Callas à Paris 1992
Callas à Paris: Arias, Vol. 1 1997
Callas: La Divina [Limited Edition] 1995
Callas: Life & Art [includes DVD] 2004
Callas: My First Concert 2002
Candelight Classics 2000
Canto L'Opera 2: MezzoSoprano
Cardiff Singer of the World: Highlights from the 1997 Final
Carillon Bells of Britain 1978
Castrato Voice & the First Divas
Celebri registrazioni Cetra, 1939-1954 2003
Centenary Edition: 100 Years of Great Music (Box Set) 1997
Charles Hackett 1998
Clara Clairbert, Soprano
Claudia Muzio, Vol. 2
Claudia Muzio: Complete Pathé Recordings (1917-18) 1994
Coloratura Assoluta 1998
Complete Collection of Opera Recordings, Vol. 2 1997
Complete Recordings, Vol. 1 1997
Conchita Supervia in Opera
Conchita Supervia in Opera and Song
Conchita Supervia: In Opera And Song 1992
Delibes: Lakmé 2005
Der junge Richard Tauber: Arien und Duette, 1919-1926
Desire: Music for Romance 1999
Desire: Music of Romance, Discs 3 & 4 1999
Divas 1906-35 1989
Divas 1917-1939 1991
Donizetti: La Favorita
Duetti e arie d'opera 1993
EMI Centenary Edition, Vol. 5
Early Recordings 2001
Edita Gruberova: Famous Opera Arias 1985
Edmond Clément: The Complete Pathé Recordings (1916-1925) 2000
Elisabeth Schumann: Complete Edison & Polydor Recordings (1915-23) 1997
Emma Calve 1998
Emmy Destin
Emmy Destin Sings Mozart, Wagner, Verdi, Puccini
Emmy Destin: Complete Victor Recordings (1914-21) 1993
Emmy Destinn 2003
Emmy Destinn - Her Berliner's Record And G.&T. Recordings (1901-1908)
Enzio Pinza Opera Arias
Enzo De Muro Lomanto and his wife Toti Dal Monte
Escape Through Opera 2000
Ezio Pinza
Ezio Pinza Recital
Ezio Pinza, Bass
Famous Basses of the Past
Famous Tenors of the Past
Favorite Coloratura Arias & Songs 1997
Favorite French Excerpts 2003
Favorite Overtures 1981
Favourite Verdi's Singers
Fernando De Lucia 2003
Ferruccio Tagliavini In Opera 1997
Ferruccio Tagliavini The Best 78 RPM Recordings 1940/48
Ferruccio Tagliavini The Early Italian Recordings
Ferruccio Tagliavini, The Early Operatic Recordings 1940-1943 1993
Ferruccio Tagliavini: The First 78 RPM Recordings (1940-1948)
Festival of the Primadonnas 2009
Flamme d'amour: French Opera Arias [Japanese Edition] 2007
Florence Easton 1997
Florence Easton Sings Opera Arias 2001
Fonotipia: The 13 3/4 Inch Records
Four Famous French Sopranos 1998
Four Famous Mezzos of the Past
French Arias 2003
French Opera Arias 1998
French Opera Highlights 1991
Friedrich von Flowtow: Marta 2002
Fritz Kreisler Complete RCA Recordings [Box Set] 1995
Fritz Wunderlich, der grosse deutsche Tenor 1990
Fritzi Jokl Héritage
From Bourbon Street to Paradise: The French Opera House of New Orleans and its Singers, 1859 - 1919 1998
From the Official Barcelona Games Ceremony 1992
Galli-Curci 1990
Gaston Micheletti 1998
Geraldine Farrar in French Opera 1995
Giacomo Puccini: La Bohème 2007
Gigli Recordings 1918-1930
Giovanni Malipiero
Giovanni Manurita
Giuseppe Anselmi Recordings 1907 - 13
Giuseppe Di Stefano
Giuseppe di Stefano Sings Verdi, Puccini, Bellini, Bizet, Mascagni, Thomas 2008
Giuseppe di Stefano the Early Years, Vol. II
Giuseppe di Stefano: Arias and Scenes
Golden Age of Singing Vol.2 (1910-20) 2000
Gramophone Editor's Choice, April 2001 2001
Great Arias for Mezzo-Soprano 2002
Great Artists at the Met: Ezio Pinza 1989
Great Moments of Opera, Vol. 2 1993
Great Singers At The Gran Teatro Del Liceo 1995
Great Singers in New York: The Age of Caruso 1993
Great Tenors, Vol. 2: The Italian Tradition 1999
Great Voices: Ezio Pinza
Great Voices: Luisa Tetrazzini
Great Voices: Recital di Ebe Stignani
Grona Lund Recordings, Vol. 2 1994
Große Tenöre der Musikgeschichte, Vol. 2 2006
Harold Wayne Collection Vol. 6
Harold Wayne Collection, Vol.35
Harold Wayne Collection, Vol.4
Heddle Nash
Helge Rosvaenge, Vol.2
Herbert Ernst Groh in Opera 2006
Heroines of French Romantic Opera 1994
Highlights From Faust & French Opera 1994
Highlights from Faust & French Opera
His Greatest Hits During War Time: 1940-1943 1995
Hugo, Schiller, Goethe 2008
I Concerti "Live" di Maria Callas 2
Il "Carlo Felice" di Genova: Un secolo di grandi voci, Vol. 7
Il Mito Dell Opera
Il Mito Dell Opera-Giuseppe Anselmi
Il mio primo disco 2002
In Concert 1997
Incontri Memorabili Vol. 23
Incontri Memorabili, Vol. 31
Incontri Memorabili, Vol. 6
Incontri memorabili: Maria Callas and Gianni Raimondi
International Opera Star 1996
Janine Micheau
Jean Marny Sings Arias
Joie de Vivre
Julius Patzak
Julius Patzak Sings Opera and Operetta
Just for the Record: The Golden Voice 2003
Kaleidoscope 1995
Klemperer Conducts Liszt, Strauss, Bach (The Unknown Recordings)
Klemperer in Los Angeles: The Unknown Recordings 1945
L'Arte di Gianna Pederzini
L'Étoile: French Arias 2003
La Bella Voce di Tenore 2005
La Divina 2 1993
La voce d'oro 2002
Le Chant français, 1948-1965 [Box Set] 2003
Le Grandi Voci Italiane, Vol. 7
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Adamo Didur
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Adele Kern
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Alfred Piccaver
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Aline Sanden
Lebendige Vergangenheit: André d'Arkor
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Armida Parsi-Pettinella
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Claire Dux
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Ebe Stignani
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Elisabeth Schumann II
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Ezio Pinza
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Ezio Pinza IV
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Ezio Pinza, Vol. 2
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Ferruccio Tagliavini
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Francesco Navarini
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Fritzi Jokl
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Gerhard Hüsch II
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Gianna Pederzini
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Giovanni Malipiero
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Giuletta Simionato
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Giuseppina Zinetti
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Gladys Swarthout
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Herbert Ernst Groh
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Hildegarde Ranczak
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Janine Micheau
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Julius Patzak
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Karin Branzell
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Karl Erb
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Maartje Offers
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Margarete Matzenauer
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Margherita Perras
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Maria von Ilosvay
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Nan Merriman
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Nazzareno De Angelis, Vol. 2
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Ninon Vallin
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Risë Stevens
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Selma Kurz
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Sergei Lemeshev
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Tancredi Pasero
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Toti dal Monte
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Walther Ludwig
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Xenia Belmas
Legendary Richard Tauber 1997
Legendary Tenors
Legendary Voices, Vol. 1 1993
Lehamann in Opera
Leoncavallo: La Reginetta della Rose (Excerpts)
Leonid Sobinov 1999
Leopold Stokowski & The Philadelphia Orchestra (Magic Talent)
Les Bijoux: French Arias 1998
Les Grandes Dames De L'Opera 1998
Les Introuvables du Chant Français [Box Set] 2004
Lillian Nordica & Olive Fremstad 2001
Lily Pons Recital 1989
Lily Pons, Je suis Titania: Live Broadcasts from 1940 to 1944
Lily Pons: In Her Early Years 1995
Lily Pons: In Her Golden Years, 1940-1944
Liszt-Wagner; Berlioz-Bach
Lo! here the gentle lark
Lotte Lehmann-Opera Arias
Love Entranced: French Opera Arias 2002
Luciana Serra: Arias
Lucrezia Bori
Lucrezia Bori in Song 2006
Lucrezia Bori: The Victor Recordings (1925-37) 1995
Lucrezia Bori: The Victor Recordings, 1925-1928
Luisa Tetrazzini: The Complete Known Recordings
Luisa Tetrazzini: The Complete Zonophone (1904) and Victor Recordings (1911-20) 1997
Léopold Simoneau and Pierrette Alarie: Opera Recitals and Lieder [Box Set]
Léopold Simoneau: Opera Arias & Duets
Major Vocal Rarities 2006
Marcella Sembrich: The Victor Recordings 1997
Margarethe Siems 1998
Maria Callas "L'Incomparable" 1987
Maria Callas 100 Best Classics 2006
Maria Callas, The Complete Studio Recordings 1949-1969 [Box Set] 2007
Maria Callas: The Studio Recitals [Box Set] 2006
Marilyn Horne In Concert [DVD Video] 2007
Marilyn Horne: Teatro Regio di Parma Concert
Martini & Rossi Concert
Masters of the Voice: Soprano 2004
Mechanical Opera: Opera Favourites on Musical Boxes
Mignon 1998
Millennium Opera Gala: Roy Thomson Hall 2000
My First Concert 2002
My First Record 2002
My Story
Nan Merriman sings Opera Arias 1999
Nicola Ghiuselev
Nicolai Gedda Live in Budapest 1984 1991
Nights of Gladness: Gems of Salon Music 2006
Omaggio a Ezio Pinza
On Records & Radio 1997
Opening Night: French Overtures & Ballet Music 1994
Opera Arias
Opera Arias & Duets
Opera Choruses 1994
Opera Collection II 1992
Opera Encores 2000
Opera Gala 1996
Opera Heroes Series 1997
Opera Overtures
Opera Overtures & Incidental Music 1997
Opera-Passion 2 1987
Operatic Recordings
Opéra Français: Le Récital Oublié (The Forgotten Arias Collection) 2004
Orchestral Hors d'oeuvres on the Longwood Gardens Organ 1993
Ouvertures Célèbres 1998
Paris Salon 1991
Paul Paray Conducts French Orchestral Music 2004
Peckova & Kusnjer: Live in Prague
Pecková & Kusnjer: Opera Arias 2000
Phonograph Society of New South Wales Inc. presents Anna Case - Soprano 1996
Pinza 1995
Platinum Collection 2005
Pol Plançon
Pops Concert 1959
Prima Voce: Alessandro Bonci 2006
Prima Voce: Gerhard Hüsch
Prima Voce: Schipa 1990
Prima Voce: Tetrazzini 1990
Prince of French Lyric Tenors 1996
RCA MET 100 Singers, 100 Years 1984
Recitals 1954-1969 1997
Renée Doria: Airs d'Opéras Français
Richard Tauber in Concert, 1937-1947
Richard Tauber: In Concert, 1937-1947
Richard Tauber: Opera Arias 2002
Roberto Alagna: French Arias 2001
Roberto D'Alessio
Rossini, Massenet, Boieldieu and others
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Glinka; Ponchielli; Verdi... 1998
Scenes and Arias from Operas 1993
Schubert, Auber, Mendelssohn and others... 1997
Sigrid Arnoldson, 1861-1943 2005
Simionato: My First Record 2002
Simionato: The Colour of a Voice 2001
Singers Of Imperial Russia, Vol. 5
Sings German & French Opera Arias 1997
Sings Opera Arias 1997
Sol Gabetta: Cantabile 2008
Souvenirs of Opera & Song - Volume 2
Sunday Evenings with Pierre Monteux [Box Set]
Symposium Opera Collection Vol. 3 2000
Symposium Opera Collection, Vol.5 2000
Tagliavini, Grob-Prandl, Simionato: Concerti Martini & Rossi
Tancredi Pasero (Years at La Scala--1927-1944)
Tancredi Pasero: La Scala Repertoire, Vol.2
Tenors (Box Set) 1991
Tenors In The Grand Tradition Volume ll 1996
Tenors in the Grand Tradition 1994
The 4-Minute Cylinder, Part 2 1999
The Acoustic Era, Vol. 1: Clarinet Recordings, 1898-1918 1998
The Acoustic Fonotipia Recordings
The Age Of Bel Canto 1995
The American Prima Donna
The Art of Beverly Sills, Album 2 1985
The Art of Gruberova 1997
The Art of Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender 1996
The Art of Yolanda Marcoulescou, Vol. 1 1997
The Best of French Opera 2005
The Best of His First Victor Recordings, Vol. 1 (1903 - 1908)
The Best of Kathleen Battle 2004
The Best of the Original "Martini & Rossi" Concerts
The Camden and New York Recordings 2004
The Cetra Recordings 1940-1943
The Collection, Volume 1
The Complete Adelina Patti & Victor Maurel 1998
The Complete Decca Recitals 2008
The Complete Destinn (Box Set)
The Complete Destinn: Arias and Songs, 1901-1909 1994
The Complete Destinn: Arias and Songs, 1910-1921 [Box Set]
The Complete Recordings 1904-17, Vol. 1 2001
The Danish Nightingale 1993
The Early Operatic Recordings, 1929-1938
The Early Recordings (1929-42) 1996
The Edison Trials: Voice Audition Cylinders of 1912-1913 2000
The Eleanor Steber Collection, Vol. 1: The Early Career, 1938-1951 1994
The Electric Records, Part 2 (1927 - 30)
The First Opera Recordings, 1895-1902: A Survey
The First Recordings, 1940-1943 1999
The God-Given Sound of Ezio Pinza
The Great Mezzosopranos (The Italian School)
The Great Recordings of 1912-1913
The Great Singers 2003
The Great Tenors, Vol. 2 2007
The HMV Historic Catalogue Recordings 1999
The Harold Wayne COLLECTION Vol. 36: Leonid Sobinov 1999
The Harold Wayne Collection Vol. 23 1994
The Harold Wayne Collection Vol.20 1994
The Harold Wayne Collection Volume 21: The "Paris Fonotipias" 1993
The Harold Wayne Collection, Vol. 26 1996
The Harold Wayne Collection, Vol. 29 1997
The Incomparable Callas 1987
The Incomparable Callas (Favourite Arias) 1987
The Italian Tenors: De Monaco, Di Stefano, Tagliavini
The Kreisler Collection--The Early Victor Recordings, Vol.2
The Last Singing Despot 1998
The Legendary Italian Mezzosoprano
The Legendary Voice of Maestro Giuseppe Di Stefano
The Passion of Callas 2003
The Peoples Guide to Opera 2 2000
The Prima Voce Treasury of Opera, Vol. 2 2000
The Radio Years-Richard Tauber Live At Carnegie Hall In 1937
The Record of Singing, Vol. 4 1991
The Record of Singing, Vol. 4: From 1939 to the End of the 78 Era [Box Set] 1991
The Record of Singing, Vol. 5 2009
The Recordings (1916-1920) 1996
The Singers: Beverly Sills 2001
The Symposium Opera Collection, Vol. 16: Francesco Navarini, Eugenio Giraldoni 2005
The Symposium Opera Collection, Vol. 6: Emmy Destinn 2001
The Three Evergreen Tenors
The Ultimate Aria Collection 1998
The Unknown Recordings, Vol. 1 2000
The Unknown Supervia
The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli
The Very Best of Fritz Wunderlich 2003
The Very Best of Giuseppe di Stefano 2003
The Very Best of Mady Mesplé 2005
The Very Best of Nicolai Gedda 2003
The Viennese Nightingale [Box Set] 2003
The Voice of Bass: The French Tradition, Vol. 1
The Voice of France 2002
The World Of Singing Vol. 3: The Italian School Tenors Before World War I (1912-1913)
The World Of Singing, Vol. 8: The Italian School, Part II
The World of Singing Vol.1
The World of Singing, Vol.6
The Young Lotte Lehmann
Three Edison Tenors 1998
Three Tenors of the Opéra-Comique 2000
Tito Schipa
Tito Schipa Recordings 1924 - 1937
Tito Schipa in Opera and Song (Box Set) 1995
Tito Schipa, Vol. 2
Tito Schipa: Public Performances 1913/1938
Tito Schipa: The Complete Victor Recordings (1922-25) 1999
Tortelier's French Bonbons 1999
Toti Dal Monte- Recital
Toti Dal Monte: Duetti e arie d'opera 1993
Verdi: Rigoletto
Verdi: Rigoletto; Thomas: Mignon
Vienna - The Mahler Years, 1897-1907 2004
Viens, Gentille Dame 1989
Vocal Artistry of Marion Talley 1997
Voces Históricos del Teatro Real de Madrid 1997
Voices Behind the Iron Curtain: Soviet Singers of the Stalin Era
Vom Hamburger Stadttheater zur Hamburgischen Staatsoper 2003
Wagner, Mozart, Schubert and others
Wonderful Arias 1999
World Classics: France 1998
World of Classics: (5) The Great History of French 1998
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