| Adolphe Adam |
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Operas
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Si j'étais roi (English: If I Were King)[1] is an opéra-comique in three acts by Adolphe Adam. The libretto was written by Adolphe d'Ennery and Jules-Henri Brésil. It was first performed in Paris at the Théâtre Lyrique (Théâtre-Historique, Boulevard du Temple) on 4 September 1852, opening with a dual cast to allow performance on successive evenings (it made up half of all performances at the Théâtre Lyrique in the last four months of the year and reached over 170 performances in its first ten years). The production was considered lavish, with expensive costumes and jewels being worn by the cast.[2]
It was then staged in Brussels (1853), New Orleans (1856), Turin (1858) and Soerabaya (1864).[3]
The story is about a young fisherman in Goa who rescues a young woman from drowning. When he discovers that she is a princess, he dreams of becoming a king so that he could be worthy of marrying her. The real king grants this wish and he is taken to the palace for one day, during which he manages to win the royal bride in the face of the plots of wicked Kadoor who also wants to wed her.
Though less popular than Le postillon de Lonjumeau, it is often regarded as Adam's finest work. The well-developed overture was quite popular, particularly on recordings. Vocal highlights include the soprano air "De vos nobles aïeux" and the couplets for baritone "Dans le sommeil, l'amour".
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 4 September 1852 (Conductor: — ) |
|---|---|---|
| Néméa, Princess of Goa, daughter of the King of Noa | soprano | Pauline-Désirée Dejon |
| Zélide, Zéphoris's sister | soprano | Louise Rouvroy |
| Zéphoris, a fisherman | tenor | Tallon |
| Moussol, King of Goa, father of Néméa | baritone | Pierre-Marie Laurent |
| Prince Kadoor, minister of the king | bass | François-Marcel Junca |
| Piféar, a fisherman | tenor | Horace Menjaud, fils |
| Zizel, beach policeman | bass | Ernest Leroy |
| Atar | bass | Lemaire |
Selected Recording
Si j'étais roi. Liliane Berton (Néméa), André Mallabrera (Zéphoris), René Bianco (Moussol), Henri Medus (Kadoor), Pierre Heral (Zizel), Bernard Alvi (Piféar), Andrée Gabriel (Zélide). Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, conducted by Richard Blareau (1960). Universal Classics, France.
References
- ^ There is no connection between Adam's opera and the novel If I Were King later made into a film of the same name
- ^ Walsh TJ. Second Empire Opera – The Théâtre-Lyrique Paris 1851–1870. John Calder Ltd, London, 1981. The staging is described in the Goncourt brothers' Mystères des Théâtres.
- ^ Loewenberg A. Annals of Opera. London, John Calder, 1978.
- Amadeus Almanac, accessed 6 November 2008
- Forbes E. "Si j'étais roi" in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera ed Sadie S. London & New York, Macmillan, 1997.
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