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CHARLES GOUNOD (1818–93)
“Vous qui faites l’endormie” from
Faust
JohannWolfgang von Goethe’s epic telling of the
Faust legend bewitched th-century France. Its
clash between sacred and profane, pure love
and unbridled lust, eternal condemnation and
redemption in amed the Romantic poets, vi-
sual artists, and musicians.
e tale especially
captivated a young, naive Gounod during his
year of study at the French Academy in Rome
a er receiving the Grand Prix de Rome in
.
Nineteen years later, Gounod initiated a collab-
oration with impresario Léon Carvalho at the
small
éâtre Lyrique in Paris, a er the Paris
Opera rejected his proposed
Faust
.
e source
of Jules Barbier’s libretto was an
light “bou-
levard” play,
Faust et Marguerite
, by Michel
Carré (also one of Carvalho’s resident authors).
Like many French adaptations of
Faust
—either
in novel, play, or visual form—Carré chose to
spotlight the character of Marguerite (Gretchen
in Goethe’s version). e opera takes place in a
th-century German village. Gounod’s ve-act
Faust
opera opened on March ,
, and en-
joyed a respectable run of performances.
e aging scholar Faust bemoans his meaning-
less existence and enters into a endish contract
with Méphistophélès. Faust grows obsessed with
the chaste Marguerite, the sister of Wagner who
has been le in the care of Siébel as he goes o
to war with Valentin, Marguerite’s beloved. e
scholar begins his measured seduction, present-
ing gi s of jewelry and a hand mirror to the
melancholy and vulnerable maiden. Marguerite
allows Faust to steal a kiss in Act
ree before
asking him to leave. Méphistophélès realizes
the conquest will succeed. At the beginning of
Act Four, a pregnant Marguerite has been aban-
doned in her shame by Faust. A military march
announces the return of the troops. Siébel im-
plores Valentin to forgive Marguerite. Faust and
Méphistophélès appear beneath her window.
Méphistophélès sings a mocking ballad (“Vous
qui faites l’endormie”): “Don’t give a kiss, my
sweetheart, / Till the jewel is on your nger.”
GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813–1901)
“Restate!” from
Don Carlo
Verdi composed the ve-act grand opera
Don
Carlos
for the Paris Opera in
. Seventeen
years later, an Italian adaptation premiered at
La Scala in Milan, setting o one of the great
operatic debates: Is the correct title
Don Carlos
(French) or
Don Carlo
(Italian)? [Today, o en
whichever title matches the language of perfor-
mance is used.] Princess Eboli, one of Elisabeth
of Valois’s ladies-in-waiting, wreaks havoc on
the a airs of state, not to mention a airs of the
heart. Eboli loves Don Carlo, though she is not
alone. Elisabeth also harbors passionate feelings
for Carlo, her ancé before King Philip II of
Spain (father of the Don!) claimed her as queen.
Rodrigo, the Marquis of Posa, has returned from
Flanders, a faithful but deeply troubled servant
of Spain and its king, his old friend Philip (“Re-
state!”). A er professing his eternal allegiance,
Rodrigo describes the su ering of the people
and boldly implores the king, “Give your chil-
dren freedom!” Philip is unaccustomed to such
de ance, even from his friend, but values Ro-
drigo’s loyalty and integrity.
e king confesses
his suspicion of Elizabeth and Carlo. Rodrigo
assures Philip that “his soul is noble and pure.”
e king then ominously warns his friend to
steer clear of e Grand Inquisitor.
“Per di! … Pietà, rispetto, amore” from
Macbeth
Verdi became interested in the plays of Shake-
speare as potential operatic sources around
. at year, the British impresario Benjamin
Lumley o ered Verdi the chance to compose an
opera for Her Majesty’s eatre in London. Ital-
ian doctors forbade him from traveling abroad,
so the composer decided to accept a commis-
sion from the Teatro della Pergola in Florence.
Once the roster of singers was contracted, Ver-
di decided to compose
Macbeth
, the rst of his
three Shakespearean operas along with
Otello
and
Falsta
. Francesco Maria Piave wrote most
of the libretto, although Verdi asked Andrea
Ma ei to touch up certain parts of the text.
Mac-
beth
received its premiere on March ,
.
Macbeth
takes place in th-century Scotland.
Two victorious generals in the army of King
Duncan (Macbeth and Banquo) encounter a
group of witches who o er their prophecies:
Macbeth will become King of Scotland but
Banquo’s sons also will sit on the throne. Lady
Macbeth urges her husband to assassinate the
reigning Scottish king, Duncan. Soon, word of
the king’s murder spreads; his son Malcolm is
considered the prime suspect. Remembering
the second part of the witches’ prophesy, Mac-
beth decides Banquo also must die. He has not
seen the last of Banquo, whose ghost returns
to haunt him several times.
e people weary
of Macbeth’s tyranny. In the opera’s nal scene,
Macbeth laments his tormented wife’s death
(“Per di! … Pietà, rispetto, amore”). Malcolm
leads a revolt against the murderous general and
defeats Macbeth in one-on-one combat.
e
people celebrate their liberation with a hymn of
victory.
GIOACHINO ROSSINI (1792–1868)
“La calunnia è un venticello” from
Il barbiere
di Siviglia
Rossini composed
Il barbiere di Siviglia
(
e
Barber of Seville
) in about three weeks in
;
contracts with the Teatro Argentino in Rome
were drawn on January , the rst act was n-
ished February , and Rossini’s full score was
completed by February .
Il barbiere di Siviglia
(originally titled
Almaviva, ossia L’inutile pre-
cauzione
, or
Almaviva, or
e Useless Precau-
tion
) was based on a libretto by Cesare Sterbi-
ni a er the semi-autobiographical comedy by
Beaumarchais that appeared in
, the rst of
his Figaro trilogy (with
Le mariage de Figaro
and
La mère coupable
). e story struggled for pub-
lic recognition in an earlier operatic setting by
Giovanni Paisiello. Within a generation, Paisiel-
lo dri ed into obscurity and Rossini became a
hero of the Italian public.
Charles Gounod
Giuseppe Verdi by Giovanni Boldini
Gioachino Rossini
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