André Grétry

Les Mariages samnites (The Samnite Marriages) is an opéra comique, described as a drame lyrique, in three acts by André Grétry, The French text was by Barnabé Farmian Durosoy based on a work by Jean François Marmontel.

Performance history

It was first performed on 12 June 1776 by the Comédie-Italienne (with which the Opéra-Comique was merged at that time) at the Hôtel de Bourgogne in Paris.

Roles

Role Voice type Premiere Cast,[1] 12 June 1776
(Conductor: - )
Agathis, in love with Céphalide tenor Jean-Baptiste Guignard, called Clairval
Parmenon, friend of Agathis tenor M Julien
Eumene, father of Agathis basse-taille (bass-baritone) Pierre-Marie Narbonne
Céphalide soprano Marie-Jean Trial, née Milon
Éliane, friend of Céphalide soprano Marie-Thérèse-Théodore Rombocoli-Riggieri, called 'Mlle Colombe l'Aînée'
Euphémie, mother of Céphalide soprano Louise-Frédérique Moulinghen, née Schrœder
The Chief of the Elders basse-taille Philippe-Thomas Ménier (also spelt Meunier)
The General M Labussière
Two Samnite girls Sophie Dufayel (ainée) and Marie Desbrosses

References

  1. ^ Cast list is from the 1776 livret.

Sources

Period sources

Modern sources