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Les Dragons de Villars
Opera comique in 3 acts
Music by Aimé Louis Maillart
Libretto by Lockroy & Cormon
First Performance: Théâtre-Lyrique, Paris, September 19, 1856
Cast:
Thibaud
Georgette
Belamy
Sylvain
Rose Friquet
Pastor
A Dragoon
Lieutenant of the Dragoons
Chorus: Yes
Background
Synopsis
In
the first act peasant women in the service of Thibaut, a rich country
squire, are collecting fruit. Georgette, Thibaud's young wife, controls
their work. In compliance with a general request she treats them to a
favorite provençal song, in which a young girl, gives her hand to
another suitor. She is interrupted by the sound of trumpets. Thibaut,
hurrying up in great distress, asks the women to hide themselves at
once, because soldiers are marching into the village. He conceals his
own wife in the pigeon-house. A detachment of dragoons arrives, and
Belamy, their corporal, asks for food and wine at Thibaut's house. He
learns that there is nothing to be had, and in particular that all the
women have fled, fearing the unprincipled soldiers of King Louis XIV.,
sent to persecute the poor Huguenots or Camisards, who are hiding in the
mountains - further that the "Dragons de Villars" are said to be an
especially wild and dessolute set.
Belamy is greatly disgusted, and, after having had his dinner and a
sleep in Thibaut's own bed, decides to march on. The Squire gladly
offers to accompany the soldiers to St. Gratient's grotto, near the
hermitage, where they have orders to search for Huguenot refugees. While
Belamy is sleeping, Thibaut calls his servant Silvain and scolds him
because, though his best servant, he has now repeatedly been absent
over-long on his errands; finally orders him to saddle the mules.
Stammering, Silvain owns that they have gone astray in the
mountains, but that he is sure of their being found in due time. While
Thibaut expresses his fear that they may be stolen by the fugitives,
Rose Friquet, an orphan girl, brings the mules, riding on the back of
one of them. Thibaut loads her with reproaches, but Silvain thanks her
warmly, and though she mockingly repudiates his thanks, he discovers
that she has taken the mules in order not to let the provost into
Silvain's secret. The fact is that Silvain carries food every day to the
refugees, and Rose Firquet, the poor goat-keeper, who is despised and
supposed to be wicked and malicious, protects him in her poor way,
because he once intercepted a stone which was meant for her head.
While the soldiers are dining, Belamy, who has found Georgette's
bonnet, demands an explanation. Thibaut, confused, finds a pretext for
going out, but Rose betrays to Belamy first the wine-cellar and then
Georgette's hiding-place. The young wife cries for help, and Rose runs
in to fetch Thibaut. Belamy is delighted with pretty Georgette, but she
tells him, rather anxiously, that all the wives of the village must
needs, remain entirely true to their husbands, for the hermit of St.
Gratien, though dead for two hundred years, is keeping rigid watch, and
betrays every case of infidelity by ringing a little bell, which is
heard far and wide. Belamy is somewhat desirous to try the experiment
with Georgette, and asks her to accompany him to the hermitage instead
of her husband.
After having found the other women in the village, the soldiers, to
Thibaut's great vexation, decide to stay and amuse themselves. Silvain
rejoices, and after a secret sign from Rose, resolves to warn the
refugees in the evening.
In the second act Rose and Silvain meet near St. Gratien. Rose,
after telling him that all the paths are occupied by sentries, promises
to show him a way for the refugees, which she and her goad alone know.
Silvain, thinking her warmly, endeavors to induce her to care more for
her outward appearance, praising her pretty features. Rose is delighted
to hear for the first time that she is pretty, and the duet ensuing is
one of the most charming things in the opera. Silvain promises to be her
friend henceforth, and then leaves, in order to seek the Camisards.
After this Thibaut appears, seeking his wife, whom he has seen going
away with Belamy. Finding Rose, he imagines he has mistaken her for his
wife, but she laughingly corrects him, and he proceeds to search for
Georgette. Belamy now comes and courts Thibaut's wife, but Rose, seeing
them, resolves to free the path for the others. No sooner has Belamy
tried to snatch a kiss from his companion, than Rose draws the rope of
the hermit's bell, and she repeats the proceeding, until Georgette takes
flight, while Thibaut rushes up at the sound of the bell. Belamy
reassures him, intimating that the bell may have rung for Rose (though
it never rings for girls), and accompanies him to the village. But he
soon returns to look for the supposed hermit, who has played him this
trick, and finds Rose instead, who does not perceive him. To his great
surprise, Silvain comes up with the whole troop of refugees, leading the
aged clergyman who had been a father to them in his childhood. Silvain
presents Rose to them as their deliverer, and vows to make her his wife.
Rose leads them to the secret path, while Silvain returns to the
village, leaving Belamy triumphant at his discovery.
In the third act, we find the people, on the following morning,
speaking of nothing but Silvain's wedding with Rose and of the hermit's
bell. Nobody knows who has been the culprit, but Thibaut slyly
calculates that the hermit has rung beforehand, when Rose, the bride,
kissed the dragoon. Having learned that the soldier's had been commanded
to saddle their horses in the midst of her prey, has come back, he
believes that Rose has betrayed the poor Camisards in order to win the
price set on their heads, and this opinion he now communicates to
Silvain.
Too keep Belamy away from Georgette, the sly Squire has conducted
him to the wine-cellar, and the officer, now half drunk, admist having
had a rendezvous with Rose. When Thibaut has retired, Belamy again
kisses Georgette, and lo, the bell does not ring this time!
Meanwhile Rose comes down the hill, nearly clad, and glowing with
joy and pride, and Georgette, disregarding Thibaut's reproofs, offers
her the wedding garland. The whole village is assembled to see the
wedding, but Silvain appears with dark brow, and when Rose radiantly
greets him, he pushes her back fiercely, believing that she betrayed the
refugees who are, as he has heard, caught. Rose is too proud to defend
herself, but when Georgette tries to console her she silently defends
herself, but when Georgette tries to console her she silently draws from
her bosom a paper containing the information that the refugees have
safely crossed the frontier. Great is Silvain's shame, and heartfelt his
repentance. Suddenly Belamy enters, beside himself with rage, for his
prey has escaped, and he has lost his patent as lieutenant, together
with the remuneration of 200 pistoles, and he at once orders Silvain to
be shot. But Rose bravely defends her lover, threatening to reveal the
dragoon's neglect of duty. When, therefore, Belamy's superior appears to
hear the important news of which the messenger told him, his corporal is
only able to stammer out that nothing in particular has happened, and
so, after all Georgette is saved from discovery, and Rose becomes
Silvain's wife.
Libretto
Links
Last updated: January 08, 2008