To a libretto (in French) by Augustine Eugène Scribe, revised by Émile Deschamps and the composer himself.

CHARACTERS:

Marguerite of Valois, sister of King Charles IX of France, bride of Henry IV (soprano)
URBAN, her page (mezzo-soprano)
Catholic nobles:
COMTE DE SAINT BRITS (baritone)
COMTE DE NEVER (baritone)
COUNT MOREVER (bass)
Catholics:
COSSE (tenor)
MERU (baritone)
TORE (baritone)
TAVAN (tenor)
VALENTINA, daughter de Saint-Brie (soprano)
RAOUL DE NANGI, Huguenot (tenor)
MARCEL, Raoul's servant (bass)
BOIS ROSE, Huguenot soldier (tenor)

Action time: August 1572.
Location: Touraine and Paris.
First performance: Paris, February 29, 1836.

It was the opera Les Huguenots that made Meyerbeer in 1836 the king of opera, not only in Paris, but practically everywhere. Meyerbeer had enough detractors of his talent even during his lifetime. Richard Wagner called Meyerbeer's libretto "a monstrous potpourri, historically romantic, sacredly frivolous, mysteriously bronze, sentimental-swindling mishmash" and even after Meyerbeer rose to prominence and could no longer be so easily pushed around, constantly attacked him from all sorts of blasphemy (although once, having committed an honest act rare for him, he admitted that the fourth act of the Huguenots always deeply worried him). It did not occur to Wagner that his characterization of such librettos could be fully applied to his own librettos. At the same time, the librettos of Wagner himself, no matter how sharply criticized by contemporaries they were, were never taken so seriously as to frighten adherents of other political views and official censors. The Huguenots, on the other hand, were taken quite seriously, and opera directors in many cities where the Catholic faith was respected had to mask the religious conflict that the opera deals with. In Vienna and St. Petersburg, the opera was performed under the name "Guelphs and Ghibellines", in Munich and Florence - as "Anglicans and Puritans", in the latter city also as "Renato di Kronwald".

Today it is difficult to take the pseudo-story told by Meyerbeer and Scribe seriously, and - more importantly - the musical effects of the opera seem to have lost much of their impact. In France, the opera is still often staged. But in Germany it goes much less frequently. As for Italy, England and the United States of America, here it can hardly be heard at all. Private Rooms some of them are sometimes included in concert programs, and also exist in recordings. Thus, some of the music of the opera is still heard today, but it seems very doubtful that a gala performance could now take place in any major US opera house, for which a cast similar to that performed by in 1890 at the Metropolitan Opera, when the ticket price rose to two dollars. The program for this "evening of seven stars", as it was announced in the announcement, included such names as Nordica, Melba, the two De Reschke, Plancon and Maurel. As early as 1905, Caruso, Nordica, Sembrich, Scotty, Walker, Jornet and Plancon could be heard in The Huguenots. But those days are gone forever, and perhaps the Huguenots are with them.

OVERTURE

The overture consists of a series of repetitions ("variations" is too strong a word) with dramatic contrast in dynamics, tessitura and orchestration, the Lutheran chorale "Ein feste Burg" ("Mighty Stronghold"). This magnificent tune is used many times later in the action to illustrate dramatic collisions.

ACT I

The time in which the action of the opera takes place is the time of bloody wars in France between Catholics and Protestants on the basis of religious fanaticism. Their succession was interrupted by an alarming pause in 1572, when Marguerite of Valois married Henry of Bourbon, thus uniting the leading Catholic and Protestant dynasties. But the massacre that took place on Bartholomew's night put an end to the hopes of the Huguenots for their dominance. The opera begins with the events that took place shortly before Bartholomew's Night.

Comte de Nevers, a Catholic nobleman, one of the leaders of the young Catholic noblemen, receives guests in his family castle, located a few leagues from Paris, in Touraine. Everyone is having fun. Nevers is the only one present who has a strong-willed character, and he urges those present to be tolerant of the expected guest, despite the fact that he is a representative of the Huguenot party. Nevertheless, when Raoul de Nangis, a handsome but clearly provincial-looking man, is introduced to the public, Nevers guests make not too kind remarks about his Calvinist appearance.

The feast begins, and an enthusiastic choir sings the praises of the god of food and wine. The next toast is offered to the beloved of each of those present, but Nevers admits that since he is about to get married, he must reject this toast: he finds this circumstance rather embarrassing. The ladies seem to persuade him more passionately before his arguments are known to the viewer. Then Raul is obliged to tell his heart secret. He talks about how he once protected an unknown beauty from harassment by dissolute students (meaning - Catholics). His aria ("Plus blanche que la blanche hermine" - "Whiter than the white ermine") is notable for the use of a forgotten instrument - the viola d'amour, which gives it a very special flavor. Since then, Raul's heart has belonged to this stranger - a romantic gesture that only elicited indulgent smiles from his highly experienced listeners from among those present at the feast.

Raoul's servant, Marcel, a venerable old warrior, does not like at all that his master makes such acquaintances, and he tries to warn him against this. He bravely sings the Lutheran chant "The Mighty Stronghold" and proudly admits that it was he who in the battle left a scar on the face of one of the guests, Kosse. The latter, being a peace-loving person by nature, invites the old soldier to drink together. Marseille, that indomitable Calvinist, refuses, but instead offers something more interesting - "Song of the Huguenot", a passionate and courageous anti-Papist war song, characterized by repeated bang-bang syllables, denoting bullet explosions with which Protestants crush Catholics.

The fun is interrupted when the owner is called to hand him a letter from a certain young lady who has come to the garden. Everyone is sure that this is Nevers' next love affair, which continues, despite the fact that his engagement has already taken place. The lady, as it turns out, has gone into the chapel and is waiting for him there. Guests are seized by an irresistible temptation to peep and eavesdrop on what is happening there. Raoul, together with others, having witnessed the meeting of Nevers with a lady, is amazed to recognize in the lady who came to Nevers that very unknown beauty, to whom he made a vow of love. He has no doubt: this lady is the beloved of the Comte de Nevers. He vows revenge. He does not listen to Never when he, returning after this meeting, explains to the guests that his visitor - her name is Valentina - is the protégé of the princess engaged to him, but now she has come to ask him to terminate their engagement. Nevers, although deeply distressed, reluctantly agreed to this.

The fun is interrupted again: this time it is another messenger from another lady. This messenger is the page Urban. He is still so young that his role in the opera is entrusted to mezzo-soprano. In his cavatina ("Une dame noble et sage" - "From one lovely lady"), once very popular and admired by listeners, he reports that he has a message from an important person. It turns out that it is not addressed to Never, as everyone assumed, but to Raul, and it contains a request to Raoul to arrive where he is called, in a palace carriage, and without fail blindfolded. Looking at the envelope, Nevers recognized the seal of Marguerite of Valois, the king's sister. This royal token of respect to the young Huguenot is venerated by the assembled Catholic nobles, who immediately shower Raoul with courtesies and flattering praises, assure him of their friendship, and congratulate him on having been so highly honored. Marcel, Raul's servant, also gives his voice. He sings "Te Deum", and the words that Samson defeated the Philistines sound like an expression of his belief in the victory of the Huguenots over the Catholics.

ACT II

In the garden of her family castle in Touraine, Marguerite Valois is waiting for Raoul de Nangis. The ladies-in-waiting sing and praise the delights of rural life, as does the princess herself. Marguerite - this is clear from the scene that is taking place - sent for Raoul to arrange the marriage of this prominent Protestant with Valentina, daughter of the Comte de Saint-Bris, one of the leaders of the Catholics. This union of a Catholic woman with a Huguenot, rather than the marriage of a girl with some other Catholic, could put an end to civil strife. And it was she, Marguerite of Valois, who demanded from Valentina that she get the termination of her engagement to the Comte de Nevers, which Valentina willingly fulfilled, because she was in love with Raoul, her recent protector. And now, being with the princess, Valentina, not yet knowing whom Margarita promises her as a wife, expresses her unwillingness to be a meaningless pawn in this political struggle, and for a long time this has been the lot of girls from aristocratic families.

The page Urban arrived at the palace. He is in joyful excitement, as he accompanies a handsome gentleman, besides, everything is so unusual: the guest is blindfolded. This page, reminiscent of Cherubino, is in love with Valentina and Margarita at the same time, and, one might say, in general with the entire female gender. But everything in it is somewhat rougher than in Cherubino - rougher to the same extent that Meyerbeer's music is rougher than Mozart's. The impression that Urban makes on women is reflected in his antics of Peeping Tom (eng. "Peeping Tom" - "too curious person"): he spies on the girls bathing so seductively in the scene in the background and so teasingly showing off their charms to the audience and while singing the choir.

And at a sign from the princess, Raoul is brought in blindfolded. He is left alone with Margarita. Now only he is allowed to remove the handkerchief from his eyes. A woman of extraordinary beauty appears before his eyes. He doesn't know it's a princess. The beauty of a noble lady prompts him to take a solemn oath to faithfully serve her. Margarita, for her part, assures him that there will certainly be an opportunity to use his services.

It is only when Urban returns to announce that the entire court is about to arrive that it becomes clear to Raoul whom he has sworn to serve faithfully. And when the princess tells him that Raoul's service should be to marry the daughter of the Count of St. Bris for political reasons, he readily agrees, even though he has never seen this girl before. The courtiers enter to the tune of the minuet; they stand on both sides of the stage - Catholics and Huguenots, with Nevers and Saint-Bris leading the Catholics. The princess is brought several letters; she reads them. In the name of King Charles IX, she demands that the Catholics not be absent from Paris, since they must participate in the implementation of some important (but not explained) plan. Before leaving, the princess insists that both parties take an oath to keep the peace between them. Catholics and Protestants swear. The choir of Catholics and Huguenots ("And with a sword") is the most impressive in this action.

The Comte de Saint Bris brings his daughter Valentina, whom Raoul is supposed to marry. With horror, recognizing in her the lady that he saw at Nevers during their feast in his castle, and still considering her beloved Nevers, Raoul categorically declares that he will never marry her. Saint-Brie and Nevers (who, we remember, refused the engagement) are offended; Catholics and Protestants draw their swords. Blood can only be avoided thanks to the intervention of the princess, who reminds that the gentlemen must urgently go to Paris. In the majestic finale, in which passions flare up rather than die out, Raoul is determined to go to Paris. Valentina loses consciousness from everything she hears and sees. Enraged, de Saint-Brie publicly swears revenge on the contemptible heretic. Marseille sings his chorale "The Mighty Stronghold".

ACT III

If you visit the Pre-au-Clair district of Paris today, you will find it heavily built up, with the Boulevard Saint-Germain as its main bustling street. However, in the 16th century there was still a large field, on the edge of which there was a church and several taverns. It is here that the third act begins with a cheerful chorus of townspeople rejoicing at the day off. A group of Huguenots also perform a spectacular number - a choir that imitates the sound of drums. In it, they speak contemptuously of the Catholics and praise their famous leader, Admiral Coligny. This is followed by a third choral number, a choir of nuns singing "Ave Maria", which precedes the procession heading to the church. Raul, as we know, disowned Valentina, and now she is again engaged to Nevers; they are preparing for the wedding. As the procession, which includes the bride, the groom and the father of the bride, enters the church, Marcel, who has squeezed his way through the crowd, rather unceremoniously addresses the Comte de Saint-Brie, the father of the bride; a collision is avoided only thanks to the confusion that occurred due to the performance of a group of gypsies, entertaining the townspeople and Huguenot soldiers with their songs.

Finally, all wedding ceremonies are completed, and the guests leave the church, leaving the newlyweds alone so that they can pray. Marseille takes the opportunity to convey his message to the Comte de Saint-Bris, which contains a challenge to a duel from Raoul. A friend of Saint Brit, Morever, expresses the idea that there are other ways to deal with Raul than a dangerous duel, and the surest way is to strike with a dagger, that is, murder. They retire to the church to discuss a plan on how to carry it out.

After the curfew signal has dispersed the crowd, the conspirators exit the church discussing the final details of their treacherous plan. A moment later, Valentina rushes in in dismay: praying in a remote corner of the chapel, she heard everything these Catholics were talking about. Valentina still loves the man who rejected her and wants to warn him of the danger hanging over him. Fortunately, Marcel, Raoul's servant, is nearby, and she turns to him to warn his master of the danger. But Marcel says it's too late: Raoul is no longer at home, he had to go to Paris. After their long duet, Valentina returns to the church again. Meanwhile, Marcel is determined to protect his master and vows that if need be, he will die with him.

Marseille does not have to wait long. Main characters come (each brings two seconds with him), and in the ensemble that now sounds like a concert number, everyone swears to adhere strictly to the rules of honor in the upcoming duel. However, Marcel knows that Morever and other Catholics are waiting nearby for the right moment to treacherously engage in a duel, and he loudly knocks on the door of a nearby tavern, shouting "Coligny!" Huguenot soldiers run to his cry. On the other hand, Catholic students also respond to the cry, and many women gather. A massacre breaks out, more and more people are involved in it, blood is shed.

Fortunately, at this time, Marguerite Valois passes here, and she again manages to prevent an even greater massacre. She announces to both parties that they have broken this oath. Marcel informs her that he learned about the treacherous attack of the people of Saint-Brie from a woman whose face is covered with a veil. And when Valentine leaves the church and Saint-Bri takes off her veil, everyone freezes amazed: Saint-Brie - from the fact that his daughter betrayed him, Raoul - that it was this girl who served him such a service and saved him. He is in love with her again.

Well, what about our fiancé, Nevers? His alleged father-in-law, the Comte de Saint-Brie, carefully concealed his insidious plan from him, and here he is, Nevers, always smiling and unsuspecting, sails along the Seine on a festively decorated ship to claim his bride. Marriage is always an occasion for people (or at least opera choirs) to pour out more peaceful feelings, and the scene thus ends with the general merriment of the people, including those same gypsies who have now returned, having heard of the upcoming wedding celebrations and hoping for rewards for their songs. The Huguenot soldiers refuse to take part in the fun; they express their dissatisfaction. But those who are truly in mourning are the leading sopranos and tenors: Valentina is heartbroken at having to marry a man she hates, while Raoul is furious at the mere thought of his beloved leaving for his rival . All these most diverse emotions provide excellent material for the finale of this action.

ACT IV

August 24, 1572, the eve of the Bartholomew night - the night of the terrible massacre. Valentina in the house of her new husband, alone, indulges in painful thoughts about her lost love. There is a knock on the door - and Raoul appears in the boudoir. Risking his life, he made his way into the castle in order to see his beloved for the last time, to tell her the last “Farewell!” and, if need be, die. Valentina is in turmoil: she tells Raoul that Nevers and St. Bris can come here at any moment. Raoul hides behind a curtain.

The Catholics are gathering. From the Comte de Saint-Brie they learn that Catherine de Medici, the Queen Mother, has ordered the general extermination of the Protestants. It has to happen that very night. This will be the most convenient moment, as the leaders of the Huguenots will gather this evening at the Hotel de Nesle to celebrate the marriage of Marguerite of Valois and Henry IV of Navarre. Nevers, one of the rare noble baritones in the history of opera, declines an offer to participate in such a disgraceful affair; he breaks his sword with a dramatic gesture. St. Bris, believing that Nevers might betray their plan, ordered him to be taken into custody. Never is taken away. A second impressive oath scene follows, titled "The Blessing of the Swords". As a result, the Comte de Saint-Bris distributes to his followers white scarves, which were brought into the hall by three monks, so that the Catholics who tied them during the upcoming massacre could be distinguished from the Protestants.

All this, however, was witnessed by Raul. He heard St. Bris give detailed orders as to who should take what positions at the first stroke of the bell of Saint-Germain's church, and that at the second stroke the massacre should begin. As soon as everyone has dispersed, Raul quickly jumps out of his hiding place to run to his own, but all the doors are locked. Valentina runs out of her room. Their long duet sounds, which at one time excited even Richard Wagner himself. Raul seeks to warn his Protestant friends as soon as possible. In vain are the prayers of Valentina, who is horrified at the thought that Raul will be killed; tears, reproaches, confessions are in vain. But when she tells him of her love, he is touched and asks her to run away with him. But here comes the bell. With his blow, a sense of duty flares up in Raul, a terrible picture of the upcoming massacre opens to his inner eye. When the bell sounds a second time, he brings Valentina to the window, from where she opens a heartbreaking sight unfolding in the streets. Raul jumps out the window. Valentina falls unconscious.

ACT V

The Huguenots is a very long opera, and in many of its productions the last three scenes are simply omitted. They are, however, necessary to complete the storylines of this story. In addition, they contain several wonderful musical episodes.

Scene 1. Eminent Huguenots are celebrating - by the way, with the participation of the ballet - the marriage of Marguerite and Heinrich at the Hotel de Nesle. Raoul, already wounded, interrupts the fun with terrible news about what is happening in the streets of Paris: Protestant churches are in flames, Admiral Coligny is killed. After an excited chorus, the assembled draw their swords and follow Raoul into the streets to join in the battle.

Scene 2. In one of the Protestant churches, surrounded by Catholics, Raoul, Valentina and Marcel reunited; the latter is badly wounded. Raoul is eager to return to the streets to fight. Valentina convinces him to take care of his own salvation. He has such an opportunity: if he ties himself a white scarf and goes with her to the Louvre, he will find there the intercession of Marguerite of Valois, now queen. But since this is tantamount to becoming a Catholic, Raul refuses to do so. Even the news that the noble Nevers, trying to prevent bloodshed, fell at the hands of his fellow believers and that now Raoul can marry Valentine, does not convince him to save his life by sacrificing principles. Eventually Valentina declares that her love for him is so great that she renounces her Catholic faith. The lovers kneel before Marcel, begging him to bless their union. Marseille blesses the marriage of a Catholic and a Protestant. From the church comes the singing of the choir, singing - this time too - "The Mighty Stronghold".

The sound of the choir is rudely interrupted by the furious, jubilant cries of Catholics breaking into the church. The three main characters kneel in prayer. It sounds like they're being bullied. Marcel expressively describes the vision of paradise that opened to his inner gaze. The Huguenots refuse to renounce their faith; they continue to sing their chorale. Then the Catholic soldiers drag them out into the street.

Scene 3. By some miracle, Valentina, Raoul and Marcel manage to elude their pursuers, and among other bravely fighting Protestant warriors, Valentina and Marcel help the mortally wounded Raoul; they make their way along one of the embankments of Paris. Out of the darkness appears Saint-Brie at the head of a military detachment. In a commanding voice, he asks who they are. Despite all the desperate attempts of Valentina to force Raoul to remain silent, he proudly shouts out: “Huguenots!”. St. Bris orders his soldiers to fire. A volley is heard. Approaching the dead, the count discovers with horror that one of the victims is his own daughter. But too late: with her last breath, she says a prayer for her father and dies.

It happens again that Margarita Valois passes through these same places. She is terrified, seeing three corpses in front of her and recognizing the bodies. This time, her efforts to keep the peace were in vain. The curtain falls as the Catholic soldiers still vow to destroy all Protestants.

Henry W. Simon (translated by A. Maykapar)

History of creation

Shortly after the production of Robert the Devil, the management of the Parisian theater of the Grand Opera commissioned Meyerbeer a new work. The choice fell on a plot from the era of religious wars based on P. Mérimée's (1803–1870) novel Chronicle of the Times of Charles IX, which was a resounding success when it appeared in 1829. Permanent collaborator of the composer, known French playwright E. Scribe (1791-1861) gave in his libretto a freely romantic interpretation of the events of the famous St. Bartholomew's night from 23 to 24 August 1572. Scribe's play "Huguenots" (which means - comrades in oath) is replete with spectacular stage contrasts and melodramatic situations in the spirit of French romantic drama. The theater writer E. Deschamps (1791–1871) also took part in the creation of the text; the composer himself played an active role.

Under an agreement with the theater management, Meyerbeer undertook to present a new opera in 1833, but due to his wife's illness, he interrupted work and had to pay a fine. The opera was completely finished only three years later. The first performance on February 29, 1836 in Paris was a huge success. Soon began the triumphal procession of the "Huguenots" on the theatrical stages of Europe.

The historical basis of the plot was the struggle between Catholics and Protestants in the 16th century, accompanied by mass persecution and ruthless mutual destruction. Against this background, the love story of the main characters of the opera, Valentina and Raul, unfolds. Before the moral purity and strength of their feelings, the cruelty of religious fanaticism is powerless. The work has a bright anti-clerical orientation, which was especially acutely perceived by contemporaries; it is permeated by the humanistic idea of ​​the right of every person to freedom of belief, to true happiness.

Music

"Huguenots" is a vivid example of the French "grand opera". Grandiose mass scenes, spectacular spectacular performances are combined in it with a touching lyrical drama. The contrasting richness of stage images made it possible to combine various stylistic means in music: Italian melodiousness with methods of symphonic development coming from the German school, Protestant chorale with gypsy dances. The romantic elation of expression enhances the tension of musical dramaturgy.

The overture features the melody of a 16th-century Protestant chorale, which then runs through the entire opera.

The first act is dominated by a festive atmosphere. The sensitively gallant aria of Nevers with the choir “The Moments of Youth Rush” is sustained in serenely enlightened tones. Raul's arioso "Here is in Touraine" is imbued with courageous determination. The chorus "Pour into the Cup" is a lively drinking song. Raoul's dreamy romance "All the charm is in her" is accompanied by a solo of the ancient string instrument viola d'amour. The contrast is made by the harsh Protestant chorale performed by Marseille. The song “Your death is decided” sounds belligerently, accompanied by visual effects (imitation of shots). Urban's graceful cavatina "From a Pretty Lady" is an example of Italian coloratura. The finale ends with a drinking song.

The second act falls into two clearly defined sections. The first is dominated by a feeling of bliss and tranquility. With a dazzling virtuoso brilliance, Margarita's aria "In the native land" captivates. The music of the second section of the act, at first solemnly majestic (the appearance of Catholics and Protestants), soon becomes intensely dramatic. The unisons of the oath - the quartet with the choir "And the sword of battle" sound with restraint and harshness. The final choral scene is imbued with stormy-rapid movement, now excitedly anxious, now actively volitional.

The dramaturgy of the third act is based on sharp contrasts. The militant invocative song of the Huguenot soldiers is accompanied by a choir imitating the sound of drums. The developed duet of Valentina and Marcel from a feeling of alertness, hidden expectation leads to a courageous-strong-willed upsurge. An energetic septet with a marching rhythm is crowned with a wide melodic climax. In a dynamic quarrel scene, four different choirs clash: Catholic students, Huguenot soldiers, Catholic women and Protestants. The final scene is united by the joyful melody of the Bright Days choir.

The fourth act is the pinnacle in the development of the lyric-romantic line of the opera. Valentina's romance "Before Me" reveals the purity and poetry of her appearance. An ominously harsh scene of conspiracy, leading to a dramatic climax - the consecration of swords, has a different flavor. The passionate duet of Valentina and Raul is dominated by cantilena of wide breathing.

In the fifth act comes the denouement of the drama. Raul's aria "Fires and murders everywhere" is full of excited recitation. The gloomy choir of killers is accompanied by harsh timbres of brass instruments. In the scene in the temple, the themes of the Protestant chant and the choir of their persecutors, the Catholics, collide.

M. Druskin

Les Huguenots is Meyerbeer's best opera, a vivid example of French grand opera. The Russian premiere took place only in 1862 at the Mariinsky Theater (for censorship reasons, it was banned for a long time from staging) directed by Lyadov. The heavily altered production that had previously been shown on the stage of the Italian Opera in St. Petersburg was called “Guelphs and Ghibellines”). There are many bright pages in the opera: the duet of Valentina and Raul from 4 acts. “Oh ciel! Оu courez-vous?», Urban's aria (2 days) and others. A major event was the production of La Scala in 1962, conductor Gavazzeni, soloists Sutherland, Simionato, Corelli, Cossotto, Giaurov, Tozzi, Ganzarolli). Among the best performers of the role of Raoul today is the American singer R. Leach.

Discography: CD - Decca. Conductor Boning, Marguerite (Sutherland), Valentina (Arroyo), Raoul (Vrenios), Comte de Saint-Brie (Baquier), Comte de Nevers (Cossa), Urban (Touranjo), Marseille (Guzelev).

Huguenots(fr. Les Huguenots ) is a grand opera in five acts. Composer - Giacomo Meyerbeer. Libretto - Eugène Scribe and Germain Delavigne.

Introduction

Written in 1835, the opera Les Huguenots, which is central to the work of J. Meyerbeer, was first staged on February 29, 1836 at the Paris Opera. The musical performance, which lasted more than 4 hours, left a strong impression on the audience - both by the virtuoso performance of the parts, and by the luxurious, colorful scenery, complex plot intrigue, and the large number of participants in the production.

Characters

• Marguerite of Valois, Princess of France - lyric soprano
• Comte de Saint Bris, Catholic - bass or baritone
• Valentina, his daughter - soprano
• Comte de Nevers, Catholic - baritone
• Raoul de Nangis, Huguenot - tenor
• Marcel, his servant - bass
• Urban, page of Marguerite Valois - coloratura soprano or mezzo-soprano
• Kosse (tenor), Tavanne (tenor), Tore (bass), De-Retz (bass), Meryu (bass) - Catholics
• Morever - bass
• Bois-Rose, Huguenot soldier - tenor
• Servant of the Comte de Nevers - tenor
• Soldier - bass

Court ladies, nobles, two gypsies, three monks, a choir and a ballet also take part in the action.

Time and place of action - France, 1572.

The opera "Huguenots" was staged based on the story "Chronicle of the reign of Charles IX" by P. Merime.

Act I

In the castle of the hospitable Comte de Nevers, located only a few leagues from Paris, a real feast. His many guests, young nobles, indulge in fun - they empty goblets of excellent wine, sing songs, and make jokes. Almost all of them are Catholics, and their jokes are often addressed to Protestants, their religious opponents. At the same time, the feasters proclaim countless toasts in honor of their leader, the Duke of Guise. Only one of those walking around this table is gloomy and silent - the young Raoul de Nangi. He is a Huguenot Protestant, and it becomes unbearable for him to hear others mock his faith. However, the owner, the Comte de Nevers, recognizing Raoul's condition, distracts him from dangerous thoughts and insists that he tell the society about his unusual recent adventure. The whole feast unanimously joins this request; Raul blushes, but still performs it. It turns out that a few days ago, walking around the Parisian suburbs at night, he saw a beautiful girl who was attacked by a dirty rabble. Raul dispersed the villains, but he did not have time to ask the name of the beauty. Since then, he has been hopelessly in love...

At this moment, the servant informs the count that an unknown lady has come to him. De Nevers tells her to take her for a conversation to a secluded chapel, which is located next to the banquet hall. Cheerful young people, flushed with wine, rush to peep - with whom is the count on a date? What is the horror of Raoul when he recognizes in the guest the one he is in love with! In dismay, the young man vows to wrest the love for her from his heart!

The page of the bride of King Henry of Navarre, Princess Marguerite of Valois of France, enters the hall and tells Raoul to immediately follow him on the orders of the princess. Frustrated but admonished good wishes comrades, Raoul goes to the Louvre.

Act II

• Picture one

Aware of the numerous clashes between representatives of the warring religious parties in France and, especially, in Paris, Princess Margot decides to put an end to them. To do this, she is going to interbreed prominent representatives of Catholics and Huguenots - namely, to marry the daughter of an influential Catholic count de Saint-Bris to Valentina in marriage to a young Huguenot from a noble family, Raoul de Nangi. Since Valentine was at this time engaged to the Comte de Nevers, Valentine, on the advice of Marguerite, secretly visited the count in his castle and begged him to annul their proposed marriage. Valentina knew that Raoul was her very night savior, she fell in love with him with all her heart and more willingly agreed to the princess's plan.

Valentine tells Marguerite that the Comte de Nevers has agreed to refuse to marry her. The rest already depends on the decision of Raoul himself. The latter comes to the palace and is escorted to the princess's quarters. The king's sister tells him her will. Raoul does not know the name of Valentina de Saint-Bris, and he agrees to everything. This evening, in a solemn atmosphere, he will see his bride and her father, the old count.

• Picture two

After the announcement of the forthcoming marriage of prominent representatives of the Huguenots and Catholics, both opposing factions promise to end the bloody feud. Raoul and the Comte de Saint-Bris are shaking hands. At this moment, at the call of Margarita, young Valentina enters the hall. Beside herself with happiness, she rushes to her beloved. But Raoul suddenly recognizes in his bride the one whom he imagined as the mistress of the Comte de Nevers and only a few hours ago he found him in the castle! Beside himself, the offended young man rejects the girl in front of the whole assembly of courtiers and high persons of the kingdom. At the same time, he does not want to reveal the reason for such an absurd, cruel act. In tears, Valentine rushes out of the palace. Her father publicly swears that Raul will pay with blood for such an insult.

Act III

In a Parisian chapel, on the banks of the Seine, the Comte de Nevers and Valentina de Saint-Bris are married. The count is very pleased, but the bride, rejected by Raul, is sad. Through the hustle and bustle of the wedding and the crowds of onlookers, Marcel, Raul's already middle-aged servant, makes his way. He brings his master's consent to Valentina's father to accept the challenge to a duel sent to him by the Comte de Saint-Brie. The fateful meeting will take place today, in the secluded cemetery of Pre-au-Clair, a favorite place for duelists. Entering the chapel, Saint-Brie discusses with his old friend, also a Catholic Morevel, recent events. Morevel offers the count to deal with the Huguenot differently - he is ready to assemble a group faithful people and stab the offender in the middle of the night in the cemetery. After some thought, Saint-Brie agrees to this plan.

Valentina, silently praying in a secluded corner of the chapel, heard everything. Horrified by the danger that threatened her beloved, and dishonor to her father, she quickly finds Marcel and begs him to tell his master about everything as soon as possible.

By this time it was already dark. Raul appears at the agreed place. Opponents cross their swords. Marcel, who suddenly ran up, interrupts the duel and points out to the young man the male figures rapidly approaching them, among which Morever is also recognized. Will a crime be committed? But then the old servant hears a cheerful song coming from a nearby tavern about the head of the Huguenots, Admiral Coligny. Without hesitation, he rushes there, and in moments a group of armed Protestants comes to the aid of his brother in faith. A real battle is unfolding on the street. It is interrupted only by the appearance of the motorcade of Princess Margaret, accompanied by a detachment of royal guards. Beside herself from what she saw, she reproaches her subjects for bloodthirstiness and wild behavior. Having called Raul, she opens Valentina's heart to him - the girl loves him, and at the moment of their acquaintance she was completely innocent. With his ridiculous jealousy, the young man himself destroyed his happiness. Sad Raul leaves the ill-fated square, the street is empty.

Act IV

In the house of the Comte de Nevers, Valentine is sad. The count, her husband, is handsome, smart, kind and loves his wife, but she is in love with another ... Suddenly the door opens, Raul is standing on the threshold. Despite the impending dangers, he came to the young woman to ask her forgiveness for his mistake and rudeness. Valentina forgives him everything, but - here many steps are heard. Raoul hides. In the house, led by the Comte de Saint-Brie, a group of Catholic nobles from the entourage of the Duke of Guise gathers. Saint-Bris informs them that today, on the day of St. Bartholomew, the duke decided to finally rid France of heretics - to kill all the Huguenots, young and old. The performance will begin at a predetermined signal. And in order to distinguish friends from strangers, the conspirators will give all true Catholics white scarves and white crosses on their hats.

De Nevers is the only one who refuses to join these murderers, and his father-in-law orders him to be arrested. The count is taken away, and the others follow him. Left alone with Valentina, Raul tells her about the need to hurry and uncover the danger that threatened the Protestants. Valentina begs him not to go anywhere and put his life at such risk. However, Raul hurries to the city.

Act V

• Picture one

In the elegant Parisian Hotel de San, Protestant nobles noisily celebrate the wedding of their leader, Henry of Navarre, and Princess Margaret of Valois. Toasts are heard, wine flows like a river. Suddenly, among the discharged crowd, Raul de Nangi appears - driven, in tattered clothes, covered in blood. Loudly, blocking the music, he shouts that there is a massacre in the streets and squares, that houses and Protestant churches are littered with heaps of the dead, that Admiral Coligny was brutally murdered. The guests grab their weapons and rush into their last battle, on the streets of Paris lit by burning houses.

• Picture two

Dozens of Protestants - women, old people and children - are hiding in the old monastery church. At the gate to the courtyard of this monastery, old Marseille, the wounded Raul and Valentine meet, scorning the danger and running through the blood-slick streets in search of her lover. She offers him a white scarf and a white cross - they will save Raoul from certain death. However, the young man scornfully rejects such a treacherous and shameful "salvation" - he is ready to die for his faith, like hundreds of his brothers. Valentina decides never to part with her hero. Her husband, the Comte de Nevers, was killed as a traitor to the Catholic cause and she is now free. Ready for death at any moment, she wants to get married on this terrible night with Raoul. Marseille in the monastery courtyard, in a holy place, conducts this ceremony between a Catholic woman and a Huguenot.

Suddenly, terrible screams and noise are heard in the church - the killers got to their victims here too. Then everything is silent, and Raoul, Valentina and Marcel pray for the souls of the dead. Dawn is gradually breaking, but it is still quite dark in the monastery courtyard. The sound of footsteps and the sound of weapons is heard. A detachment in white scarves appears. "Who is there?" - asks a menacing voice. "Huguenots!" Raul answers. What is followed by a volley of guns. Lowering the arquebus and approaching the dead, de Saint-Brie utters a desperate cry - in front of him lies the body of his daughter pierced by bullets.

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Excerpt characterizing the Huguenots (opera)

“And you know, my dear, it seems to me that Buonaparte has definitely lost his Latin. You know that today a letter has been received from him to the emperor. Dolgorukov smiled significantly.
– That's how! What does he write? Bolkonsky asked.
What can he write? Tradiridira, etc., all just to gain time. I tell you that he is in our hands; It's right! But the funniest thing of all,” he said, suddenly laughing good-naturedly, “is that they couldn’t figure out how to address the answer to him? If not the consul, it goes without saying not the emperor, then General Buonaparte, as it seemed to me.
“But there is a difference between not recognizing the emperor, and calling Buonaparte general,” said Bolkonsky.
“That's just the point,” Dolgorukov said quickly, laughing and interrupting. - You know Bilibin, he is very clever man, he proposed to address: "to the usurper and enemy of the human race."
Dolgorukov laughed merrily.
- No more? Bolkonsky noted.
- But still, Bilibin found a serious address title. And a witty and intelligent person.
- How?
“To the head of the French government, au chef du gouverienement francais,” Prince Dolgorukov said seriously and with pleasure. - Isn't that good?
“Good, but he won’t like it very much,” Bolkonsky remarked.
- Oh, and very much! My brother knows him: he dined with him more than once, with the present emperor, in Paris and told me that he had never seen a more refined and cunning diplomat: you know, a combination of French dexterity and Italian acting? Do you know his jokes with Count Markov? Only one Count Markov knew how to handle him. Do you know the history of the scarf? This is a charm!
And the garrulous Dolgorukov, turning now to Boris, now to Prince Andrei, told how Bonaparte, wanting to test Markov, our envoy, purposely dropped his handkerchief in front of him and stopped, looking at him, probably expecting services from Markov, and how, Markov immediately he dropped his handkerchief beside him and picked up his own without picking up Bonaparte's handkerchief.
- Charmant, [Charming,] - said Bolkonsky, - but here's what, prince, I came to you as a petitioner for this young man. Do you see what?…
But Prince Andrei did not have time to finish, when an adjutant entered the room, who called Prince Dolgorukov to the emperor.
- Oh, what a shame! - said Dolgorukov, hastily getting up and shaking hands with Prince Andrei and Boris. - You know, I am very glad to do everything that depends on me, both for you and for this nice young man. - He once again shook Boris's hand with an expression of good-natured, sincere and lively frivolity. “But you see…until another time!”
Boris was excited by the thought of the closeness to the highest power in which he felt himself at that moment. He was aware of himself here in contact with those springs that guided all those enormous movements of the masses, of which he in his regiment felt himself to be a small, obedient and insignificant part. They went out into the corridor after Prince Dolgorukov and met a short man in civilian clothes, with an intelligent face and a sharp line of protruding jaw, which, without spoiling him, gave him a special vivacity and resourcefulness of expression. This short man nodded, as to his own, Dolgoruky, and began to stare at Prince Andrei with an intently cold look, walking straight at him and apparently waiting for Prince Andrei to bow to him or give way. Prince Andrei did neither one nor the other; Anger was expressed in his face, and the young man, turning away, walked along the side of the corridor.
- Who is this? Boris asked.
- This is one of the most remarkable, but the most unpleasant people to me. This is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Adam Czartoryski.
“These are the people,” said Bolkonsky with a sigh that he could not suppress, while they were leaving the palace, “these are the people who decide the fate of peoples.
The next day, the troops set out on a campaign, and Boris did not have time to visit either Bolkonsky or Dolgorukov until the battle of Austerlitz, and remained for a while in the Izmailovsky regiment.

At dawn on the 16th, Denisov's squadron, in which Nikolai Rostov served, and who was in the detachment of Prince Bagration, moved from overnight to work, as they said, and, having passed about a verst behind other columns, was stopped on the main road. Rostov saw how the Cossacks, the 1st and 2nd squadrons of hussars, infantry battalions with artillery passed by him, and generals Bagration and Dolgorukov with adjutants passed by. All the fear that he, as before, experienced before the deed; all internal struggle through which he overcame this fear; all his dreams of how he would distinguish himself like a hussar in this matter were in vain. Their squadron was left in reserve, and Nikolai Rostov spent that day bored and dreary. At 9 o'clock in the morning he heard firing ahead of him, shouts of cheers, saw the wounded brought back (there were few of them) and, finally, saw how in the middle of hundreds of Cossacks they led a whole detachment of French cavalrymen. Obviously, the matter was over, and the matter was apparently small, but happy. Soldiers and officers passing back spoke of a brilliant victory, about the occupation of the city of Vishau and the capture of an entire French squadron. The day was clear, sunny, after a strong night frost, and the merry brilliance of the autumn day coincided with the news of the victory, which was conveyed not only by the stories of those who participated in it, but also by the joyful expression on the faces of soldiers, officers, generals and adjutants who were traveling back and forth past Rostov . The more painful was the heart of Nikolai, who in vain had suffered all the fear that preceded the battle, and spent this cheerful day in inaction.
- Rostov, come here, let's drink from grief! shouted Denisov, sitting down on the edge of the road in front of a flask and a snack.
The officers gathered in a circle, eating and talking, near Denisov's cellar.
- Here's another one! - said one of the officers, pointing to a French dragoon prisoner, who was led on foot by two Cossacks.
One of them led a tall and beautiful French horse taken from a prisoner.
- Sell the horse! shouted Denisov to the Cossack.
"Excuse me, your honor..."
The officers stood up and surrounded the Cossacks and the captured Frenchman. The French dragoon was a young fellow, an Alsatian who spoke French with a German accent. He was choking with excitement, his face was red, and, hearing French, he quickly spoke to the officers, referring first to one, then to the other. He said they wouldn't take him; that it was not his fault that they took him, but le caporal, who sent him to seize blankets, that he told him that the Russians were already there. And to every word he added: mais qu "on ne fasse pas de mal a mon petit cheval [But don't hurt my horse,] and caressed his horse. It was evident that he did not understand well where he was. He then apologized, that he was taken, then, assuming before him his superiors, showed his soldierly serviceability and care for the service.He brought with him to our rearguard in all the freshness the atmosphere of the French army, which was so alien to us.
The Cossacks gave the horse for two chervonets, and Rostov, now having received the money, the richest of the officers, bought it.
- Mais qu "on ne fasse pas de mal a mon petit cheval," the Alsatian said good-naturedly to Rostov when the horse was handed over to the hussar.
Rostov, smiling, reassured the dragoon and gave him money.
- Hello! Hello! - said the Cossack, touching the prisoner's hand so that he would go further.
- Sovereign! Sovereign! was suddenly heard among the hussars.
Everything ran, hurried, and Rostov saw several horsemen with white sultans on their hats driving up along the road. In one minute everyone was in place and waiting. Rostov did not remember and did not feel how he ran to his place and got on his horse. Instantly his regret for non-participation in the case, his everyday disposition of the spirit in the circle of looking at faces, instantly disappeared, all thought of himself disappeared: he was completely absorbed in the feeling of happiness that comes from the closeness of the sovereign. He felt himself rewarded for the loss of this day by this closeness alone. He was happy, like a lover waiting for an expected date. Not daring to look back at the front and not looking back, he felt with an enthusiastic instinct its approach. And he felt this not only from the sound of the hooves of the horses of the approaching cavalcade, but he felt it because, as he approached, everything became brighter, more joyful, more significant and more festive around him. This sun for Rostov moved closer and closer, spreading rays of gentle and majestic light around itself, and now he already feels captured by these rays, he hears his voice - this gentle, calm, majestic and at the same time so simple voice. As it should have been according to Rostov's feelings, there was dead silence, and in this silence the sounds of the sovereign's voice were heard.
– Les huzards de Pavlograd? [Pavlograd hussars?] – he said inquiringly.
- La reserve, sire! [Reserve, your majesty!] - answered someone else's voice, so human after that inhuman voice that said: Les huzards de Pavlograd?
The sovereign drew level with Rostov and stopped. Alexander's face was even more beautiful than at the review three days ago. It shone with such gaiety and youth, such innocent youth, that it resembled a childish fourteen-year-old playfulness, and at the same time it was still the face of a majestic emperor. Accidentally looking around the squadron, the eyes of the sovereign met the eyes of Rostov and stopped on them for no more than two seconds. Did the sovereign understand what was going on in Rostov's soul (it seemed to Rostov that he understood everything), but for two seconds he looked with his blue eyes into Rostov's face. (Light poured out of them softly and meekly.) Then suddenly he raised his eyebrows, with a sharp movement kicked the horse with his left foot and galloped forward.
The young emperor could not resist the desire to be present at the battle and, despite all the representations of the courtiers, at 12 o’clock, having separated from the 3rd column, with which he followed, he galloped to the vanguard. Before reaching the hussars, several adjutants met him with news of a happy outcome.
The battle, consisting only in the fact that the French squadron was captured, was presented as a brilliant victory over the French, and therefore the sovereign and the whole army, especially after the powder smoke had not yet dispersed on the battlefield, believed that the French had been defeated and were retreating against their own. will. A few minutes after the sovereign passed, the Pavlograd division was demanded forward. In Vishau itself, a small German town, Rostov once again saw the sovereign. On the square of the city, on which there had been a rather strong skirmish before the arrival of the sovereign, several people were lying dead and wounded, whom they did not have time to pick up. The sovereign, surrounded by a retinue of military and non-military, was on a red, already different than at the review, english mare and, leaning on his side, with a graceful gesture holding a golden lorgnette to his eye, looked into him at the soldier lying prone, without a shako, with a bloody head of a soldier. The wounded soldier was so unclean, rude and vile that Rostov was offended by his closeness to the sovereign. Rostov saw how the sovereign's stooped shoulders shuddered, as if from a passing frost, how his left leg convulsively began to beat the side of the horse with a spur, and how the accustomed horse looked around indifferently and did not budge. The adjutant, dismounted from his horse, took the soldier by the arms and began to put him on the stretcher that appeared. The soldier groaned.

Features of dramaturgy and music of the opera "Huguenots". The inconsistency of the artistic appearance of Meyerbeer

The humanistic idea of ​​the opera Les Huguenots, its brilliant theatricality, links with modernity and with national artistic traditions aroused the admiration of many prominent people of France, including Balzac and George Sand. However, most of the leading European musicians (Rossini, Schumann, Wagner, Serov) reacted sharply negatively to Meyerbeer. The reason for this lies in the inconsistency of the creative image of Meyerbeer himself.

Unlike Berlioz, Wagner, Schumann and many other romantic composers, Meyerbeer was not in ideological opposition to modern society. The sphere of his activity was the Parisian "Grand Opéra", which enjoyed the support of the "golden bags". Meyerbeer did not think, like Wagner, about a radical reform of the musical theater. He did not expose the spiritual squalor of bourgeois culture, as Berlioz, Schumann, Liszt did in the journalistic works, did not rebel against it in his work. He deliberately compromised, trying to reconcile the progressive artistic aspirations with the reactionary views of the environment on which his career depended.

This duality characterizes the ideological conception of even the best work of Meyerbeer - "Huguenots" (to an even greater extent - "Prophet"). Raising the topical issues of our time - the theme of the struggle against clerical reaction for freedom of thought and feelings - gravitating towards the heroic embodiment of these topics, Meyerbeer, together with Scribe, nevertheless interpreted them in the spirit of that superficial entertainment and hedonism that are characteristic of the art of French bourgeois society during the Restoration and July Monarchy.

And Meyerbeer's music is marked by compromise and inconsistency in artistic decisions.

On the one hand, it delights with its innovative features. In an effort to embody the most convex and colorful stage image, Meyerbeer discovered many previously unknown expressive properties of musical art.

He achieved especially strong artistic effects in numerous mass scenes, among which the picture of the bloody battle of Bartholomew stands out.

Among his contemporaries, Meyerbeer had no rivals in the art of constructing major musical and dramatic forms. In this he surpassed Rossini, whose William Tell served as a model for him. Among the masterpieces of his operatic composition is the scene of the Catholic conspiracy from the second act of The Huguenots, where a wonderful internal unity is created through the through orchestral development and a single tonal plan (E-A-E).

In the bright folk scenes of the third act (as well as in a number of other mass scenes), the composer managed to combine scattered contrasting stage episodes into one musical whole.

Many other musical effects he discovered for the first time testify to the composer's ingenious theatrical flair. Meyerbeer's romantic, sometimes sophisticated, harmonic language developed in close connection with the stage image. As an example, one can point to the bold harmonies through which the composer repeatedly characterizes Catholics in the Huguenots. Thus, the mystical coloring of the scene in the chapel is created by the plagal juxtaposition of chords:

The consecration of swords in the episode of the Catholic conspiracy is built on unusual and sharp-sounding, colorful juxtapositions:

In the final picture of the mass pogrom, the ominous images of Catholic murderers are expressed in an archaic motif on the piercing sound of trumpets:

Sometimes, along with the simplest tonic-dominant combinations, Meyerbeer resorts to extremely complex, even polytonal combinations, as, for example, in the opera Camp in Silesia, where the simultaneous sounding of different keys characterized the joint exit of various military regiments *.

* Camp in Silesia (1844) is a Singspiel written for Berlin. Meyerbeer retained contact with Germany in the Parisian period. In 1842 he was appointed chief musical director at the Prussian court.

The historical flavor of the Huguenot music is also achieved by the sound of a genuine Protestant chorale of the 16th century, which characterizes the Huguenots in the opera. The listener is also transported to a distant era by the ancient instrument viola d "amour, which accompanies Raoul's romance (in the first act).

In the instrumentation, Meyerbeer especially discovered a subtle dramatic flair. Together with Berlioz's, it constituted an entire epoch in the history of orchestral music. Along with ancient instruments, Meyerbeer also uses the latest, such as the saxophone. He introduces an organ to achieve a special power of sound, uses trombones and bassoons, as Berlioz did to depict diabolical fantastic images (in "Robert the Devil").

TO strengths Meyerbeer's music also includes a wide implementation of the latest achievements of the musical art of France, Germany and Italy.

More than a quarter of a century passed between Meyerbeer's first and last major Parisian opera, a time saturated with musical innovation in Europe. Each of Meyerbeer's operas reflected the latest stage of his development. Thus, the musical language of "Robert the Devil" is still to a large extent connected with the circle of images and intonations of the romantic singspiel and Rossini's operas. The music of the "Huguenots" speaks of the enormous influence of the dramaturgy of "William Tell" and the symphonism of Berlioz. It is noticeable that the "Prophet" was created after the author got acquainted with the works of Liszt and Wagner. In The African Woman, completed in 1864, shortly before the composer's death*,

the latest trends in French lyric opera are clearly felt (the predominance of refined lyricism, exotic "oriental" tendencies, harmonic sophistication, characteristic of this genre).

The music of the Huguenots is based on a variety of stylistic sources. Here are the Italian bel canto, and the French recitation, and the German symphonic development, and the orchestral findings of Berlioz, and some of the techniques of romantic opera in Germany. So, for example, the drinking song of the knights (in the first act) or the song of the Huguenot soldier of Marseille is associated with the musical style of comic genres. This music is distinguished by its closeness to the folk song structure, the simplest harmonies, dance or marching rhythms:

The Italian coloratura dominates in the parts of the page Urban (picture in the first act), Margarita (introduction and aria of the second act). The subtlety of the French operatic recitation is palpable in the recitative scenes.

In some episodes of the opera, Meyerbeer achieves great expressiveness. One of his musical peaks is the magnificent love scene of the fourth act, which was highly appreciated by P.I. Tchaikovsky:

“Excellent music with its most amazing love scene, which is superior among all works of this kind, with its excellent choirs, with its full of novelty and original methods of instrumentation, with its impetuously passionate melodies, with its skillful musical characterization of Marseille, Valentina, religious fanaticism of Catholics and passive the courage of the Huguenots,” he wrote.

Threads stretch from the love duet of the fourth act to Berlioz's Romeo, to Verdi's Aida and Wagner's Tristan.

And, however, with the indisputable theatrical merits of Meyerbeer's music and its innovative features, progressive musical circles did not forgive her compromise. This music arose more often as a result of a brilliant calculation than as a result of artistic inspiration, and the fluency in all modern expressive means often acquired a superficially eclectic character in Meyerbeer. In his operas, a truly symphonic development is rare. There are few bright, individual, purely musical images in them. “Music, motley like a harlequin dress, because it’s all from pieces,” A. N. Serov wrote about Meyerbeer, “From pieces a la Weber, from pieces a la Rossini, a la Auber, a la Spohr, a la tutti quanti” .

Characteristic of Meyerbeer is the frequent mixing of sharply expressive moments with banal ones. False pathos, melodramatic sensibility erupt from him even in the most intense places (as, for example, in the last duet between Valentina and Raoul). Indicative in this respect is the overture, built as a variation on the theme of the Protestant chorale. In the strict, majestic sound of the chorale, sentimental turns, alien in style, suddenly appear, and in the last variation the theme takes on the character of a gallop or a circus march:

Unexpected features of Meyerbeer's artistic individuality appear in his comic opera Dinora (1859). This opera is in the full sense of the word the antipode of the magnificently theatrical, colorful music of Meyerbeer's previous works. Her music is marked by stylistic completeness, subtle transmission of lyricism. Folk scenes built on folklore elements are also original. Exquisite instrumental paintings depicting night landscapes anticipate impressionism. Fantastic images also receive original refraction.

Grand opera, connected with the social and civil traditions of the national theater of France, received a complete expression in the works of Meyerbeer - Scribe. A significant stage in the development of these national traditions ended in their work. By the beginning of a new period that arose after the revolution of 1848, the grand opera genre had exhausted itself. Nevertheless, the historical and heroic images of Meyerbeer's works, their magnificent dramatic composition, vivid theatricality and musical effectiveness have had a great influence on contemporary composers and musicians of subsequent generations, both in their strengths and weaknesses in their artistic aspects.

The action takes place in France in Touraine and Paris in 1572.

1 act.
In Touraine, guests gathered at the ball of the noble Catholic Comte de Nevers. The Huguenot Raoul de Nangis is to come and the host wants to meet him as cordially as possible, in order to promote reconciliation between Catholics and Huguenots. The young man who entered tells the guests about a beautiful stranger whom he once protected from the mob on the street. Suddenly, he sees the same girl waiting for the owner of the castle. Raul is in despair, convinced that the stranger is de Nevers' lover. The page of Princess Margarita Urban appears and gives Raul an invitation letter. He must appear on a secret date with a noble lady (Raul does not guess who it is), provided that his eyes are blindfolded.

2 act.
Marguerite, seeking to reconcile the Catholics and the Huguenots, decided to marry the prominent Protestant Raoul de Nangi to the daughter of the Catholic Comte de Saint-Bri, Valentina. After all, she herself marries the Protestant king Henry of Navarre. Valentina is the same stranger that Raoul was talking about. She was supposed to marry Nevers and came to him to ask him to refuse to marry her, for she accepted Margarita's proposal with all the greater willingness that she herself fell in love with Raul after their chance meeting.

Meanwhile, Raul comes on a date to a noble lady who sent him a note. Having removed the bandage, he sees the beautiful princess and assures that he is ready for anything for her. Margarita announces her will to everyone - Raul must marry the daughter of a Catholic count, Valentina! The young man agrees with the decision of the future queen. But, having seen the girl who was intended for him, and recognizing in her a secret visitor to the castle de Nevers, tormented by jealousy, he indignantly rejects the offer. Enraged, de Saint-Bris vows revenge on Raoul.

3 act.
In Paris, near the chapel on the banks of the Seine, people are walking. Everyone is waiting for the marriage of Valentina with Never (after being rejected by Raoul, she is again preparing for the wedding with Never). Marcel, Raoul's servant, having found de Saint-Bris, sends him a challenge to a duel from Raoul. The fight will take place today. De Saint-Brie, on the advice of Morever and with the assistance of his Catholic friends, decides to vilely kill Raoul. Their conversation accidentally hears Valentine and reports this to Marcel. Marcel hurries to the place of the duel. But it's too late. It has already begun. Marseille calls for help from the Protestants, Saint-Brie from the Catholics. The massacre begins. However, the sudden appearance of Margarita, who happened to be passing by, prevents a violent fight. Marcel tells that the vile murder of Raoul was prevented by Valentine. He curses fate for his mistake in relation to the girl, and Valentina leaves for the wedding celebration.

4 act.
Valentine in the Palace of Nevers. She mourns her fate. Raoul, who has sneaked in to her, comes to ask for forgiveness and say goodbye. The arrival of Catholic nobles forces him to hide. Involuntarily, he overhears a terrible conversation and becomes a witness to a treacherous conspiracy - today, on the night of St. Bartholomew, all the Huguenots must be destroyed. Only Nevers refuses such treachery and breaks his sword in protest. He is arrested. Having sworn an oath to each other and taking white scarves, with which it will be possible to distinguish Catholics from Huguenots in the dark, the conspirators disperse in anticipation of the bell signaling the beginning of the massacre. Raul runs out of his hiding place. Valentina confesses her love to him. She fears for his fate. But he must be with his co-religionists, and with the blows of the bell he hastens to inform them of the danger.

Act 5
Henry of Navarre and Marguerite of Valois are getting married in Paris. A bell is heard. Suddenly, a bloody Raul bursts into the hall and reports on the terrible massacre that has begun. The holiday is interrupted. Protestants took refuge in the monastery, Expecting that the walls of the temple will stop the pursuers. Marcel and Valentina join Raul. Wanting to save the young man, Valentina invites him to put on a white scarf - a conventional sign of the conspirators, and run to the queen. Never is dead! Now they can be together, but only if he changes his faith - this is the decision of Margaret of Navarre. The young man hesitates, but the stern Marcel gives him strength. Raul refuses to betray his comrades, and then the girl solemnly accepts his faith. They ask Marcel to bless their marriage. But then de Saint-Bris and his associates attack the temple, a volley is heard. Many of the unfortunates who have taken refuge in the monastery fall dead. Raoul is injured. Marcel and Valentina try to help him. Saint-Bri appears and asks who are they? "Huguenots!" Raoul replies proudly. The soldiers shoot at them. Dying, Valentina manages to forgive her father who ran up to her. From the Louvre, a cortege with Marguerite is approaching the monastery. A terrible picture opens before her ...

There is hardly anything more operatic than Meyerbeer's Huguenots! As the quintessence of the genre grand opera with all its standard paraphernalia, this opus fully reflects the ideas of the public of that time that there is an opera production as such. Hence the success, and growing from performance to performance. As rightly noted, G. is “an example of a romantic interpretation of history as a situation” (Muginshtein). It has everything that has been developed by the opera genre over the previous centuries: bright theatricality, powerful dramaturgy, magnificent choirs and ensembles, ballet, impressive orchestral sounds, various solo numbers, vocal virtuosity. At the same time, the composition exposed the limits to which such "opera" can reach, marching precisely on this well-trodden path, which was proved by further practice (by the French Gounod and Thomas, the Italian by Verdi).

If we talk about the historical canvas, then the librettists created a completely original narrative, only formally tied to the well-known fact underlying Merimee's novel.

Meyerbeer's opera musically contains many remarkable pages. Its main leitmotif is the Lutheran chant, which forms the basis of the short overture. His motif later appears in dramatic places in the opera.

In the 1st act, Raul's "exit" "Sous ce beau ciel de la Touraine" is bright. It should also be noted Raoul's brilliant scene "Non loin des vieilles tours ..." with a virtuoso romance Plus blanche que la blance hermine(accompanied by the ancient instrument viola d'amour), in which he talks about meeting a stranger. Here, the upper E-flat is a difficult task for every tenor who takes on this part. Marcel's militant "Song of the Huguenot" performed by Marcel ("Piff, paff...") is original, and Urban's page cavatina "Nobles seugneurs, salut!... une dame noble et sage" is very popular.

In the 2nd act, the virtuoso aria of Margarita attracts attention O beau pays de la Touraine, rondo of the page "Non, non, non, vous n'avez jamais ...". The aria of Margarita is painted in pastel colors. Meyerbeer here very sensitively uses the subtle orchestral colors of the flute and harp. The duet of Margarita and Raul is melodic. It is impossible not to mention the scene of general indignation that concludes the act, solved in the form of a virtuoso stretta “O transport! o demence!" (Margarita, Valentina, Raoul, Urban, Marseille, Saint-Brie, Nevers, court ladies and nobles).

Act 3 is full of various genre crowd scenes, dances and choirs, including the famous march of the Huguenot soldiers "Rataplan" (this episode brings to mind the "Rataplan" from Verdi's "Force of Destiny"). Brilliant mastery is shown by Meyerbeer in the septet (the so-called “septet of the duel”) “En mon bon droit j’ai confiance” (Raoul, Marseille, Saint-Bri, Tavanne, Kos, Retz, Meryu), impressive for its filigree musical elaboration.

The strongest impression is made by the 4th act, which begins with an excited orchestral introduction. This is followed by Valentina's soulful Romance "Parmi les pieurs". The central episode of the act is the massive Conspiracy Scene and the rite of passage of swords, where the composer reaches a great dramatic intensity. Then comes the explanation of Valentina and Raul. Their massive duet scene Oh Ciel! Ou courez vous!- a true masterpiece of melodic and sensual beauty, which once delighted even Wagner and Tchaikovsky.

Let us quote one of the statements of Pyotr Ilyich about the "Huguenots":

"Huguenots" is one of the most beautiful operas in the entire lyrical (opera - E.Ts.) repertoire, and not only a musician by profession, but also any more or less educated amateur, this excellent music is dear, with its most amazing, superior among all works of this kind , the love scene of Act IV, with its excellent choirs, with its full of novelty and original instrumentation, with its impetuous and passionate melodies, with its skillful musical characterization of Marseille, Valentine, the religious fanaticism of Catholics and the passive courage of the Huguenots.

In act 5, tension and contrasts increase even more, but in music this is not felt as strongly as in the unsurpassed 4th. Therefore, sometimes, the 5th act at some productions was subjected to stopping, although all the storylines were cut off. However, even here there are enough episodes full of spiritual fulfillment and drama, for example, the trio of Marcel, Raul and Valentina "Savez-vous qu'en".

The composition of the premiere performance was brilliant. Conducted Khabeneck, starring shone Nurri(Raul), K. Falcon(Valentine) Levasseur(Marseilles). The opera quickly gained European fame. Until 1914, in Paris alone, she withstood more than a thousand performances. In 1837, the German premiere took place in Cologne; in 1839, the opera was staged in Vienna (under the title Gibbelins in Pisa) and New York; in 1837-40). A significant event was the performance of Covent Garden in 1848 conducted by M. Costa with the participation Mario, Viardot, Tamburini. The brilliant performer of the role of Valentina was Schroeder-Devrient(1838, Dresden; 1842, Berlin, etc.). D. was also very fond of this part. Grisi, Patty. In 1863 in London, she shone in this role Lucca.

It should be noted that there were certain political obstacles in the distribution of the opera. So, for example, Russian censorship forbade the demonstration on stage of any kind of conspiracies, especially with the participation of royalty and affecting religious topics. For the first time in Russia, the composition was performed in Odessa by a German troupe (1843). The Italian troupe staged the opera in a heavily altered form under the title "Guelphs and Gibbelins" in St. Petersburg only in 1850 with the participation of Giulia Grisi, Mario, Tamburini. Only in 1862 did the Russian premiere of the opera take place at the Mariinsky Theater under the direction of K. Lyadov with Setov as Raul. The opera was staged at the Bolshoi Theater in 1866 (conductor I. Shramek). The work was very popular in Russia and practically did not leave the theater stages both in the capital and in private enterprises in the provinces (Kazan, Saratov, Novgorod, Kharkov, Tiflis, Odessa, Perm, etc.). In the part of Raul shone M.I.Mikhailov, N. Figner, Alchevsky, Ershov. Wonderful Margarita was Mravina, brilliant Valentina, sharply competing with M. Figner, was V. Cuza. Opera historian E. Stark describes one of the performances of The Huguenots with the participation of N. Figner and Cuza as follows:

“During the duet, Figner whispers:
- Valentina Ivanovna, don't give so many voices, you're drowning me out.
She, as if nothing had happened, continuing the scene, dismissively replies:
- And you push yourself!
Say, I’m not Medea Ivanovna for you, who already knows where she can remove herself, and nominate you ... ”

G. - have not left the stage for more than a century and a half. Until the turn of the 19th - early 20th centuries. the opera belonged to the most performed repertoire. Let us note the performances at La Scala (1899, conductor Toscanini, Raoul - De Marchi), at the Vienna Opera (1902, conductor Mahler, Raoul - Slezak). In 1905 Caruso performed it on the stage of the Metropolitan.

In the 20th century it is set quite regularly, although somewhat less frequently. On the one hand, interest in Meyerbeer's pompous style has fallen. On the other hand, prosaic reasons interfere - the production is technically very difficult, and to pick up " the magnificent seven» performers is not so easy. In this sense, the performance of the Metropolitan in 1894 under the direction of bevignani with Melba, Nordics, J.de Reshke, Planson, Morel, S.Skalki and E.de Reshke. It is quite rivaled by the production of La Scala in 1962, conducted by Gavazzeni in which they sang Corelli, Sutherland, Simionato, Tozzi, Ganzarolli, Cossotto, Gyaurov.

It is curious, but G., very often appeared on domestic stages. The first Soviet production took place in 1922 at the Zimin Free Opera with Pavlovskaya, brothers Pirogov. In 1925 the opera was staged at the Bolshoi Theater (conductor Nebolsin, director Lossky, with Ozerov, Derzhinskaya, Katulskaya and etc.). In 1935 a new production with an updated translation was staged at the Mariinsky Theater (conductor Dranishnikov, director Smolich, with Neleppa, Pavlovskaya, Stepanova). In 1951 the theater again turned to this opera (conductor S. Yeltsin).

From foreign performances of the 20th century. one can also note the productions of Covent Garden in 1927 (conductor Belezza, as Raul - D. O'Sullivan), Arena di Verona Festival (1933, conductor Wotto With Lauri-Volpi as Raul). By the way, O'Sullivan was one of the best performers of this part in those years. He made his debut with it at the Grand Opera (1913), sang it at Parma (1922), Rome's Costanzi Theater (1923), La Scala (1924) and others.

Currently, G. sometimes appear on the stage. Among the performances of the 2nd half of the 20th century. (apart from those already mentioned) we note the productions in New York (1969, Carnegie Hall, concert performance, conductor R. Giovavinetti, with the participation Sils), concert performance in Vienna (1971, conductor E. Marzendorfer, with Gedda), Barcelona (1971), Sydney (1981, with Sutherland), Deutsche Oper Berlin (1987, conductor Lopez Cobos, director due, in the role of Raoul - R. Lich), Montpellier (1990, opening of the opera house, conductor S. Diederik). IN last years- in Bilbao (1999, conductor A. Allemandi, with the participation of M. Giordani), in New York (2001, Carnegie Hall, concert performance, conductor I. Kveler, with the participation of Giordani, O. Makarina, K. Stoyanova and others .), in Frankfurt (2002, conductor G.J. Rumstadt, again with Giordani, as well as D. Damrau), in Metz (2004, conductor B. Podic), in Liege (2005, conductor J. Lacombe) and others. In 2010, G. were performed in Annandale-on-Hudson (New York State, Fisher Center for the Performing Arts).

There are relatively few recordings of the opera. The version by conductor R. Boning is considered a textbook: СD Dec. 1970 (studio) – soloists A.Vrenios, D.Sutherland, M.Arroyo, N.Gyuzelev, Y.Turanjo, G.Baquier, D.Kossa and others. Te Kanawa And Auger. In 1991, a production of Dew at the Deutsche Oper was recorded on video (conductor S. Scholtes).

Illustration:
Giacomo Meyerbeer.

1 - Hereinafter typed in italics the word refers the reader to the corresponding entry in the Opera Dictionary. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to use such references until the full text of the dictionary is published.

Opera in 5 acts. The libretto based on the story by Prosper Mérimée "The Chronicle of the Times of Charles IX" was written by E. Scribe and E. Deschamps.
The first performance took place on February 29, 1836 in Paris.

Characters:
Marguerite of Valois, queen, soprano
Comte de Saint Bris, Catholic, baritone
Valentina, his daughter, soprano
Comte de Nevers, Catholic, baritone
Raoul de Nangis, Huguenot, tenor
Marcel, his servant, bass
Urban, page, soprano
Catholics:
Kosse, tenor
Tavan, tenor
Tore, bass
De Re, bass
Meryu, bass
Morever, bass

First action. Castle of the Comte de Nevers near Paris. The count is waiting for dinner for a new acquaintance - the young nobleman Raul. His Catholic friends gathered at Nevers are at a loss - how could the count invite their common sworn enemy to his house? After all, Raoul is a Huguenot. But Nevers did it deliberately: he wants to peacefully eliminate the feud between Catholics and Huguenots. Having heeded the persuasion of the count, all those present cordially greet Raoul. Raoul recently had a remarkable incident. On one of the streets of Paris, he saved a beautiful young lady from the attack of a crowd of drunken revelers. At first sight, the young man fell in love with her, but he could not find out her name. To his amazement, looking out the window, he sees that a recently rescued stranger has arrived at the count. However, joyful surprise is quickly replaced by anger and indignation - Raul decided that the lady he had saved was Never's mistress. He does not know that this is the count's bride - Valentine de Saint-Bris. She came to ask Nevers to refuse marriage, to which her father forces Valentina against her will. Nevers is generous and noble. He agrees to give his bride complete freedom.

Raul's thoughts about the beautiful stranger are interrupted by the arrival of a page handing the young man a letter. He is invited to a mysterious date, where he must arrive blindfolded.

Second action. First picture. Queen Marguerite of France, wishing to reconcile the Catholics with the Huguenots, decided to marry the Huguenot Raul to Valentina, the daughter of the leader of the Catholics de Saint-Bris. Valentina agrees. Not only gratitude to the savior, but also love guides her. Having released the girl, Margarita orders Raoul to be brought in. He enters blindfolded and, having removed the bandage, is amazed: before him is the queen. It was she who called him on a secret date.

Second picture. Hall in the royal palace. The Queen introduces Raul to his future wife, Valentina. But the young man indignantly rejects this marriage. He does not want to become the husband of Count Never's mistress. And although Raul did not publicly announce the reason for his refusal, he inflicted a grave insult on the girl. Saint Brie swears cruel revenge on her daughter's offender.

Third action. Square in Paris. The wedding of the Comte de Nevers with Valentina has just ended in the church. Raoul's refusal plunged the girl into despair, and she agreed to marry the unloved. But Saint-Brie did not forget about the insult inflicted on his daughter and sent the offender a challenge to a duel. Faithful servant of Raoul - the old soldier Marcel gives Saint Brit the answer: Raoul accepts the challenge. However, you can deal with the enemy much easier without putting yourself in danger. The Catholic Morever offers Saint-Bri to kill Raoul by sending faithful people to the place of the duel. Valentina listens with fear as a cunning plan is being developed. No, she will not allow it to be carried out, she will not let him be killed whom she still loves. However, Marseille, sent by Valentina, did not have time to warn Raoul, and the young man came to the square. But the faithful Marcel summons Huguenot soldiers from a nearby tavern to help. A clash breaks out between Huguenots and Catholics. Growing more and more, it soon turns into a fierce battle. Only the appearance of the queen stops the bloodshed. Happy to hear from her Raoul true reason arrival of Valentina to Count Nevers. The young man is happy - the queen told him that Valentine loves only him.

Fourth action. At Nevers Castle. Raul sneaked up to Valentina, who became Never's wife, to beg her forgiveness at any cost. The case helps him to learn about the conspiracy being prepared by the Catholics against the Huguenots. Hiding behind a column so as not to be caught with Valentina, he hears the head of the Catholics of Saint-Brie propose to attack the Huguenots that very night. Raul jumps out the window and hurries to warn his comrades of the impending danger.

Fifth action. First picture. In the hall of the Hotel Nel in Paris, the Huguenots gathered on the occasion of the marriage of Marguerite with Henry of Navarre. In the midst of the celebration, a wounded, bloodied Raoul appears and reports on the massacre of unarmed Huguenots by Catholics: Bartholomew's Night has begun on the streets of Paris.

Second picture. The Huguenots, among whom there are many old men, women and children, hasten to hide from their persecutors in the temple. The bleeding Raul, Valentina and Marcel come here along with the crowd. Just now, Raul almost died in an unequal battle with the Catholics and owes his salvation to the Comte de Nevers, who died the death of the brave in this difficult battle. So the Comte de Nevers is dead - Valentine is now free and can forever unite her fate with the fate of Raoul. Old Marseille blesses the lovers.

Night falls over the city, and the square in front of the temple is empty. Left alone, Raul, Valentina and Marseille hear the measured tread of the approaching detachment: this is Saint-Bris leading his soldiers on the offensive. Seeing in the darkness the vague outlines of three human figures, he asks - Who is there? - and hears in response the exclamation of Raoul - Huguenots! The silence of the night is torn apart by a gunshot. Three unarmed men fall dead on the pavement. Coming closer to the dead, Saint-Brie recognizes his daughter.