Opera Books
THE OPERA
EDITED BY
ALBERT HILLERY BERGH
VOLUME II.
1909
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Adam.
Adolphe Charles Adam, born in Paris, July 24, 1803,
was the son of Louis Adam, a well-known musician and pianoforte player
at the Conservatoire. Although thus intimately connected with the art of
music, the father strenuously resisted the strong desire of his son to
follow the same calling. Adolphe was sent to an ordinary day school, and
was refused all musical instruction, which he himself tried to supply by
private studies, carried on in secret and without guidance or
encouragement. This struggle between father and son lasted for a long
time.
At last the quiet persistence of the young man overcame parental
prejudice. In his sixteenth year Adolphe was allowed to enter the
Conservatoire, but only as an amateur, and on condition of his promising
solemnly never to write for the stage, a promise which at a later period
he felt under no obligation to keep. His first master was Benoist, and
his instrument the organ, a choice truly surprising in the future
composer of La Jolie Fille de Gand and La Postillon de Long
jumeau. His relations to the “queen of instruments,” however, were
not of an elevated, or even a lasting, kind. Unabashed by the great
traditions of Frescobaldi, Bach or Handel, he began to thrum little
tunes of his own on the organ, which, however, he soon abandoned for its
miniature counterpart, the harmonium.
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Adam’s first success was due in part to his clever improvisations
on that instrument in fashionable drawing-rooms. It was perhaps owing to
his want of early training that even at a more advanced period he was
unable to read music at sight. The way in which he at last acquired the
sense of intuitive hearing, so indispensable for the musical composer,
is pleasantly described by Adam himself in the autobiographical sketch
of his life:
“Soon after my admission to the Conservatoire,” he says, “I was
asked by a schoolfellow a few years older than myself to give a lesson
at his solfeggio class, he being otherwise engaged. I went to take his
place with sublime self-assertion, and, although totally unable to read
a ballad, I somehow managed to acquit myself creditably, so creditably,
indeed, that another solfeggio class was assigned to me. Thus I learned
reading music by teaching others how to do it.”
We are also told of his studying counterpoint under Eler and
Reicha, which, however, to judge by the results, cannot have amounted to
much. The only master to whom Adam owed not only an advance of his
musical knowledge, but to some extent the insight into his own talent,
was that brilliant star of modern French opera, Boieldieu. In 1821
Boieldieu had been appointed professor of composition at the
Conservatoire, and Adam was among his first and most favorite pupils.
The intimacy which soon sprang up between the teacher and the pupil has
been pleasantly described by Adam in his posthumously published little
volume, Derniers Souvenirs d’un Musicien. It was owing to this
friendship that Adam was able to connect his name with a work vastly
superior to his own powers, Boieldieu’s
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Dame Blanche, of which he composed part of the overture.
By Boieldieu’s advice and example also Adam’s talent was led to its
most congenial sphere of action—the comic opera. The composer’s first
connections with the stage were of the humblest kind. In order to
acquire theatrical experience he is said to have accepted the position
of supernumerary musician at the Gymnase, from which point he soon
advanced to that of accompanist at the same theatre. His first
independent attempt at dramatic composition was the one-act operetta of
Pierre et Catherine, brought out at the Opéra Comique in 1829. It
was followed the next year by the three-act opera .Danilowa. Both
were favorably received, and, encouraged by his success, Adam began to
compose with a rapidity and ease of productiveness frequently fatal to
his higher aspirations. The more important of these operas, with the
dates of their first performances, include, Le Chalet, 1834;
Le Postillon de Longjumeau, 1835, Adam’s best and most successful
work; Le Brasseur de Preston, 1838; Le Roi d’Yvetot, 1842;
Cagliostro and Richard en Palestine, 1844; and La
Poupée de Nürernberg, 1852. His ballets include Faust, 1832;
La Jolie Fille de Gand, 1839, and Giselle, 1841.
In 1847 Adam started, at his own expense and responsibility, a new
operatic theatre called Théâtre Nationale, destined to bring the works
of aspiring young composers before the public. These laudable efforts
were interrupted by the outbreak of the Revolution in February of the
ensuing year. The theatre had to close, Adam having sunk in the
enterprise all his earnings,
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and having, moreover, incurred a considerable debt. Like Sir Walter
Scott, Adam considered the discharge of this debt the chief task of his
life. This task he accomplished in the course of five years, during
which time, besides writing operas, he occupied himself in writing
criticisms and feuilletons for the newspapers. His contributions
to the Constitutional Assemblée Nationale and Gazette Musicale
were much appreciated by the public. Although a critic he succeeded
in making no enemies. Some of his sketches, since collected, are amusing
and ably though not brilliantly written.
In 1844 Adam was elected member of the Institute, and in 1849 he
was appointed Professor of Composition at the Conservatoire. He died
suddenly in 1856.
Adam’s reputation during his lifetime was not confined to his own
country. He wrote operas and ballads for London, Berlin and St.
Petersburg, and lived occasionally in these cities. His most popular
opera, Le Postillom de Long- jumeau, is still frequently
performed in France and Germany. In the latter country it owed much of
its success chiefly to the astonishing vocal feats of the famous tenor,
Herr Theodor Wachtel, whose own ‘life seemed strangely foreshadowed by
the skilful and amusing libretto.
Opera in three acts by Adoiphe Adam. Libretto by
Leuven and Brunswick.
Characters: Chapelou (Saint Phar, the tenor), a Postillon; Bijou (Alcindar),
a wheelwright; Marquis de Corey; Bourdon; Madelaine (Madame de Latour),
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Madame de Latour; the royal singers; ladies and gentlemen; servants.
Place, the village of Longjumeau and the country near
Fontainebleau. Time, the Eighteenth Century. First produced at Paris in
1836.
When the curtain rises Chapelou, stage driver at Longjumeau, is
about to celebrate his marriage with the young hostess of the
post-house, Madelaine. The wedding takes place and the young bride is
led away by her friends, according to an old custom, while the
bridegroom is held back by his comrades, who compel him to sing. He
begins the romance of a young postillon who had the luck to be carried
off by a princess, having touched her heart by his beautiful playing on
the cornet. Chapelou has such a fine voice that the superintendent of
the Grand Opera at Paris, the Marquis de Corcy, who hears him, is
enchanted, and being in search of a good tenor, succeeds in winning over
Chapelou, who consents to leave his young wife in order to follow the
Marquis’ call to glory and fortune. He begs his friend Bijou, a smith,
to console Madelaine, by telling her that he will soon return. While
Madelaine calls for him in tenderest accents he drives away with his
protectors, and Bijou delivers his message, determined to try his
fortune in a similar way. The desperate Madelaine resolves to fly from
the unhappy spot where everything reminds her of her faithless husband.
In the second act we find Madelaine under the assumed name of
Madame de Latour. She has inherited a fortune from an old aunt, and
makes her appearance in Paris as a rich and noble lady, with the
intention of punishing her husband, whom she still loves. During
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the six years that have passed since their wedding day Chapelon has won
his laurels under the name of St. Phar, and is now the first tenor of
the Grand Opera and the spoiled favorite of everyone. Bijou is with him
as leader of the chorus, and is called Alcindor. The act opens with a
comic rehearsal, in which the principal singers are apparently
determined to do as badly as possible. They all seem hoarse, and instead
of singing, produce the most lamentable sounds. The Marquis de Corcy is
desperate, having promised this representation to Madame Latour, at
whose countryseat near Fontainebleau he is at present staying. As soon
as St. Phar hears the name of this lady, his hoarseness is gone, and all
the others as well sing their best. We gather from this scene that
Madame Latour has succeeded in enthralling St. Phar. He has an interview
with her, and, won by his protestations of love, she consents to marry
him.
St. Phar, not wishing to commit bigamy, begs his friend Bijou to
perform the marriage ceremony in a priest’s garb, but Madame Latour
locks him in her room, along with Bourdon, the second leader of the
chorus, while a real priest unites the pair for the second time. St.
Phar enters the room in high spirits, when his companions, beside
themselves with fear, tell him that he has committed bigamy. While they
are in mortal terror of being hanged, Madame Latour enters in her former
shape as Madelaine, and, blowing out the candle, torments St. Phar,
assuming now the voice of Madame Latour, now that of Madelaine.
After having sent the fickle husband into the depths of unhappiness
and fear, the Marquis de Corey, who
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had himself hoped to wed the charming widow, am pears with the police to
imprison the luckless St. Phar, who already considers himself as good as
hanged, and in imagination sees his first wife Madelaine rejoicing over
his punishment. But he has been made to suffer enough, and at the last
moment Madelaine explains everything, and Chapelou, the ex-postillon,
obtains her pardon.
Le Poupée de Nürnberg.
(The Nüremberg erg Puppet.)
Qpera in one act by Adolphe Adam. Libretto by
Leuven and Beauplan.
Characters: Cornelius, the toy-shop owner; Benjamin, his son;
Heinrich, his nephew; Bertha, a seamstress.
Place, a German toy-shop. Time, Nineteenth Century. First produced
at Paris in 1852.
The entire scene of this little opera takes place in a toy-shop at
Nüremberg. Cornelius, the owner, has an only son Benjamin, whom he
dearly loves, notwithstanding his stupidity; while he is most unjust to
his orphan nephew, Heinrich, whom he keeps like a servant, after having
misappropriated the latter’s inheritance.
The old miser wants to procure a wife for his darling, a wife
endowed with beauty and every virtue, and as he is persuaded that such a
paragon does not exist, he has constructed a splendid doll, which he
hopes to endow with life by help of doctor Faust’s magic book. He awaits
a stormy night for the execution of his design. Meanwhile he enjoys
life, and when presented
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to us is just going with Benjamin to a masked ball, at the same time
sending his nephew supperless to bed.
When they have left, Heinrich reappears in the garb of
Mephistopheles, having made an appointment to meet his fiancée Bertha, a
poor seamstress. Sadly she tells her lover that she is unable to go to
the bail, having given all her money, which she had meant to spend on a
dress, to a starving beggar woman in the street. Rein-rich, touched by
Bertha’s tender heart, good-naturedly lays aside his mask, in order to
stay at home with her, when suddenly a bright idea strikes him, he
remembers the doll, which his uncle hid so carefully in his closet, but
which had long ago been spied ‘out by him, lie shows it to Bertha, who
delightedly slips into the doll’s beautiful clothes, which fit her
admirably. Unfortunately Cornelius and his son are heard returning,
while Bertha is still absent dressing. The night has grown stormy and
the old man deems it a favorable one for his design, so he at once
proceeds to open Faust’s book, and begins the charm.
Heinrich, who has hardly had time to hide himself in the chimney,
is driven out by his cousin’s attempts to light a fire, lie leaps down
into the room and the terrified couple take him for no other than the
devil in person, Heinrich wearing his mask and being besides blackened
by soot from the chimney. Perceiving his uncle’s terror, he profits by
it, and at once beginning a conjuration he summons the doll, that is to
say Bertha, in the doll’s dress. rather and son are delighted by her
performances, but when she opens her month and reveals a very wilful and
wayward character, Cornelius is
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less charmed. The doll peremptorily asks for food, and Mephistopheles
indicates that it is to be found in the kitchen. While the worthy pair
go to fetch it, Mephistopheles, after an understanding with his
lady-love, vanishes into his own room.
The doll now begins to lead Cornelius and Benjamin a dance which
makes their hair stand on end. She first throws the whole supper out of
the window, following it with the plate, crockery, and toys. Then taking
a drum, she begins to drill the toy-maker and his son like a regular
sergeant, slapping their ears and cheeks as soon as they try to approach
her. At last, when they are quite worn out, she flies into the closet.
But now the father’s spirit is roused, he resolves to destroy his and
the devil’s work. In this, however, he is hindered by Heinrich, who
reappears, and pretends to be astonished at the uproar and disorder he
finds going on in the middle of the night. He only wants to gain time
for Bertha to undress and escape.
Resolutely the old man walks into the closet to slay the doll, lie
returns pale and trembling, having destroyed her while asleep, and
believes that he has seen her spirit escape through the window, with
fiendish laughter. Still awed by his deed, he sees Heinrich returning,
who confesses to his uncle that he has found out his secret about the
doll, and that, having accidently broken it, he has substituted a young
girl. Cornelius, half dead with fright, sees himself already accused of
murder.
His only salvation seems to lie in his nephew’s silence and instant
flight. Heinrich is willing to leave the country, provided his uncle
will give him back his heritage,
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which consists of ten thousand thalers. After some vain remonstrances,
the old man gives him the money. Heinrich, having gained his ends, now
introduces Bertha, and the wicked old fool and his son see too late that
they have been the dupes of the clever nephew.
Last updated February 09, 2007