is an opera by the French composer Étienne Méhul. It takes the form of a comédie en vers mêlée de musique (an opéra-comique) in two acts. It premiered at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 5 April 1802. The libretto is by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly.Bartlet, p.xiii The work was a popular success and enjoyed several revivals, despite some hostile reviews.Pougin, pp.216-217 It was around this time, claimed Bouilly, that Méhul fought a duel with and wounded a journalist who had harshly criticised him.Adélaïde de Place, p.117
Roles RoleVoice typeAccording to the score clefs.Premiere CastAccording to the original libretto.Cerberti, a famous painter, guardian of ArmantinebaritoneBoth Solié and Martin were high baritones: the former had begun his career as a tenor, the latter gave rise to a new type of French light baritone, called 'baryton-Martin' after him. However, having the baritone clef fallen into disuse at the beginning of the Eighteenth Century, both Cerberti and Carlin parts are notated, as usual, in the bass clef.Jean-Pierre SoliéArmantine, a young orphansopranoMlle Philis ainéeFlorival, an aide-de-camp, captain of hussarstaille (baritenor)Jean ElleviouCarlin, Florival's valetbaritoneJean-Blaise MartinFrancisque, an old pigment grinder, in Cerberti's servicetailleBaptiste-Pierre Dardel, called DozainvilleJacquinet-la-Treille, a young Picard villager, nephew and godson of Francisquehaute-contreMr. Le SageA hussarspokenMr. Allair
Synopsis
Florival is in love with Armantine, the ward of the Italian painter Cerberti. At first he tries to deceive Cerberti by disguising himself as a Flemish art merchant but he is discovered. In the second act, Florival's valet pretends to be the nephew of an old servant of Cerberti's from Picardy. He persuades Cerberti to use Florival as a model for a painting of Bayard alongside Armantine. Florival's identity is betrayed but he is defiant, as is Armantine, who claims she is free to choose who she marries. Cerberti has no choice but to consent.
Arrangements Louis Spohr wrote his Variations on "Je suis encore dans mon printemps" for harp (Op. 36) based on the aria in Act 1, Scene 2.
References
Sources Adélaïde de Place Étienne Nicolas Méhul (Bleu Nuit Éditeur, 2005) Arthur Pougin Méhul: sa vie, son génie, son caractère (Fischbacher, 1889) General introduction to Méhul's operas in the introduction to the edition of Stratonice by M. Elizabeth C. Bartlet (Pendragon Press, 1997) Original printed libretto at the Internet Archive Printed score at the Internet Archive John A. Rice, "Die beyden Füchse and Wagen gewinnt: Rival Viennese Productions of Méhul's Une Folie"