La double épreuve, ou Colinette à la cour, is a comédie lyrique (comic opera) in three acts written by André Grétry in 1782 to a French libretto by Jean-Baptiste Lourdet de Santerre, based on Charles Simon Favart's Ninette à la cour [fr].
Performance history
It was first performed on 1 January 1782 by the Académie Royale de Musique (Paris Opera) at the Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin, and included choreography by Maximilien Gardel.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 1 January 1782 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Prince Alphonse, Duke of Milan | tenor | Étienne Lainez |
| Countess Amelie | soprano | Marie-Josephine Laguerre |
| Julien, in love with Colinette | basse-taille (bass-baritone) | Auguste-Athanase (Augustin) Chéron |
| Colinette | soprano | Josèphe-Eulalie Audinot |
| Bastien, in love with Justine | baritone | François Lays (also spelled Lay or Laïs) |
| Justine | soprano | Anne-Marie-Jeanne Gavaudan [fr] "l'aînée" |
| Mathurine, Justine's mother | soprano | Suzanne Joinville |
| The bailiff | haute-contre | M Tirot (also spelled Thirot) |
| A shepherd | ? | ? |
| A shepherdess | soprano | Mlle Rosalie |
| A gipsy | baritone | François Lays |
| A gipsy woman | soprano | Anne-Marie Jeanne Gavaudan "aînée" |
| A child, representing Cupid | soprano | Mlle Nanine |
| A boy of the village | ? | M Touvois |
| Fabrice, a confidant of the Prince | basse-taille (bass-baritone) | M. Moreau |
| A lady-in-waiting | soprano | Gertrude Girardin |
| An old man | haute-contre | M Jalaguier |
References
- Notes
- Bartlet 1992.
- Pitou, vol. 1 (1983), p. 30 (theatre); vol. 2 (1985), pp. 169–170, 568 (choreographer).
- According to the original libretto and Pitou 1985, vol. 2, p. 170.
- Les spectacles de Paris, ou calendrier historique & chronologique des Théatres ..., 27th volume, Paris, Duchesne, 1777, p. 13.
- Les spectacles de Paris, ou calendrier historique & chronologique des Théatres ..., 27th volume, Paris, Duchesne, 1777, p. 15.
- Sources
- Original libretto: La Double Épreuve, ou Colinette à la cour, comédie lyrique en trois actes, Paris, De Lormel, 1782 (accessible online in books google)
- Bartlet, M Elizabeth C (1992), 'Grétry, André-Ernest-Modeste' (work-list) in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
- Bibliographic summary
- André E. M. Grétry Opera Score Collection
- Pitou, Spire (1983–1990). The Paris Opéra: An Encyclopedia of Operas, Ballets, Composers, and Performers (3 volumes). Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-686-46036-7.
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