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overhears. When therefore she rises, he confronts her, and reproaches her with having accepted a "detested spouse." Pauline denies it. Once more the love-lorn warrior falls into despair, and she demands why he had come to trouble her. Sévère invokes the goddess to witness their past love, and calls upon his companion to carry her prayers to the feet of Vesta. Pauline accepts the challenge, beseeching that the broken heart of Sévère might be healed, and that he himself might become the saviour of her husband. To the astonished exclamation of the soldier she replies that
Polyeucte is in danger, and that she confides in him to preserve his life. Another appeal follows, this time with instant success. The interview over, Pauline retires to the temple, but Sévère remains, presently again concealing himself as Polyeucte enters, accompanied by the Christian Néarque. The Prince, seeing Pauline in the temple, is inclined to linger, but Néarque urges him away, and Sévère hears all.
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the vengeance of Jove. However, he comes back, looking sad and oppressed, and his wife, demanding the reason, learns that certain
Christians are doomed to death on the morrow. Pauline attempts to justify the sacrifice, but Polyeucte in return so manifests his sympathy with the victims, that her worst anticipations are realised, and she makes a passionate appeal, when Polyeucte reassures her, and speaks of the coming of Sévère, in whose honour the Christians are to perish. Pauline thought Sévère to be dead, and explains to her husband the relation in which they formerly stood. But Polyeucte has no fear of the meeting.
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FĂ©lix answers that the believers are the dregs of the people, reveals that he himself has witnessed the baptism of one equal to any then present. The
Governor demands the convert's name, and, not obtaining it, declares that he will condemn the whole family to death, should they turn from the orthodox creed. Sévère urges Polyeucte to guard his own life for the sake of those he loved, but the convert professes himself willing to die.
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an
Armenian Prince. At the opening the Christian faith is being propagated in Melitene, and Polyeucte has listened with a willing ear to the teachings of the new creed. Naturally the converts are subject to persecution, and a butchering is anticipated, when Sévère, who is approaching Melitene, after a successful campaign, enters in triumph.
191:, and Gounod hoped to express "the unknown and irresistible powers that Christianity has spread among humanity". The subject had occupied Gounod for some ten years. An initial delay was caused by the fire which destroyed the Salle Le Peletier. Further delay came about because the first draft remained in the hands of the jealous
501:
Sévère appears, despising his glory, since he cannot lay it at
Pauline's feet. He observes the approach of Pauline, stands aside, and the heroine enters, kneels down, and prays, and in the course of her prayer reveals that she had wedded Polyeucte in obedience to the wishes of her father; this Sévère
456:
The subject is taken from
Corneille's tragedy. The story, however, has here been somewhat differently treated. Félix, Proconsul of Armenia, has a daughter Pauline, who was at one time sought in marriage by the Roman general Sévère. Circumstances divided them, and Pauline gave her heart to Polyeucte,
470:
Pauline and her servants, Stratonice at their head, are in the room, while the mistress meditates before the altar. In answer to
Stratonice, Pauline explains her melancholy by reference to a dream presaging evil; she says that she has seen Polyeucte bowing before Christian altars, and destroyed by
533:
Polyeucte, Félix, Sévère, and Albin, High Priest of
Jupiter, are present. They begin to talk about the Christians, upon whom Félix calls for vengeance; but Sévère protests. On this Félix bids all to repair to the temple of Jupiter, but Sévère warns him that noble heads may have to fall; and when
479:
An enthusiastic crowd awaits the victorious general, who is welcomed by Félix. Sévère assures the governor that he has brought with him fond remembrances, but
Pauline at once defines the actual situation by introducing Polyeucte as her husband. The blow strikes home, and all present notice the
613:
Cast last names are from
Huebner 1990, p. 300, and Wolff 1962, p. 175. Full names, when available, are from articles on individual singers in Kutsch & Riemens 2003, including Marius Salomon (p. 4110), Jean Lassalle (p. 2624), Charles Berardi (p. 353),
195:
when Gounod left England in 1874 to return to Paris. He had to resort to a lawsuit before resigning himself to recomposing the work from memory, although towards the end of that endeavor, Weldon did return it.
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219:(Act V). Despite the splendid staging, the premiere was a failure – "the sorrow of my life", noted Gounod – and closed after 29 performances. Polyeucte's aria
618:(p. 176), George-François Menu (p. 3075), Eugène Bataille (p. 280), Jules-Alexandre Bosquin (p. 532), Gaspard (p. 1655), and Gabrielle Krauss (pp. 2501–2502).
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in Paris, the premiere was delayed when that theatre was destroyed by fire in October 1873. The work eventually premiered in the new
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A 2004 co-production by Jean-Louis Pichon was seen that year in Martina Franca, then in 2006 in Saint-Etienne conducted by
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Polyeucte and Pauline appear in the arena, where we see the lion's den opened by an official. The opera ends.
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Guards, Roman soldiers, priests, Christians, ladies-in-waiting, servants, populace
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Pauline's chamber, with its private altar and its "household gods"
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164:, an early Roman martyr in Armenia. Originally intended for the
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Les Sept Paroles de Notre Seigneur JĂ©sus-Christ sur la Croix
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Polyeucte is seen in prison, still adhering to his faith.
658:
The Opera-Glass: or, A Clear View of 100 Popular Operas
523:
Design sketch by Philippe Chaperon for act 3 (1878)
725:(fourth edition, in German). Munich: K. G. Saur.
175:The libretto is more faithful to its source than
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285:a Roman Knight, favourite of the Emperor Decius
506:A private spot in the midst of rocks and trees
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786:: Visual documentation of the premiere on
598:Kasow, Joel, "Report from Saint Etienne",
232:and Jean-Pierre Furlan in the title role.
40:
1339:Operas based on works by Pierre Corneille
777:International Music Score Library Project
604:, August 2006, Vol. 57 No. 8, pp. 932–33.
1319:Opera world premieres at the Paris Opera
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740:. Paris: Deposé au journal L'Entr'acte
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321:an Armenian noble, friend to Polyeucte
267:an Armenian noble, son-in-law to FĂ©lix
1175:
802:
738:L'Opéra au Palais Garnier (1875–1962)
135:
399:daughter to FĂ©lix, wife to Polyeucte
215:and Antoine Lavastre (Act IV), and
199:The opera finally premiered at the
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752:. Paris: Slatkine (1983 reprint).
14:
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693:Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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449:, the capital of ancient Armenia
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510:Polyeucte becomes a Christian.
225:is sometimes heard in concert.
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497:A garden and a temple of Vesta
140:) is an opera in five acts by
1:
1119:Funeral March of a Marionette
678:. New York: Stein & Day.
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251:Premiere cast, 7 October 1878
16:1878 opera by Charles Gounod
7:
492:Gabrielle Krauss as Pauline
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46:Poster for the premiere by
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792:Comprehensive synopsis at
475:A public place in Melitene
1329:Libretti by Jules Barbier
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1309:Operas by Charles Gounod
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689:Huebner, Steven (1990).
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105:7 October 1878
1037:Saint Francois d'Assise
660:. London: David Bogue.
529:In a hall of the palace
380:Jules-Alexandre Bosquin
1304:French-language operas
885:(1859, revised 1869)
525:
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255:Charles Lamoureux
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217:Jean-Baptiste Lavastre
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144:. The libretto was by
1324:Operas based on plays
1137:Walpurgisnacht Ballet
874:Le médecin malgré lui
589:Harding 1973, p. 199.
580:Huebner 1990, p. 217.
571:Huebner 1990, p. 215.
521:
491:
480:agitation it causes.
154:play of the same name
133:French pronunciation:
946:(incomplete, 1877-8)
906:(1860, revised 1866)
898:(1860, revised 1876)
839:List of compositions
722:Großes Sängerlexikon
691:The Operas of Gounod
452:Time: 3rd century AD
417:companion to Pauline
345:George-François Menu
319:NĂ©arque (Nearchus),
971:Opera discographies
959:Le tribut de Zamora
627:Wolff 1962, p. 175.
303:Governor of Armenia
205:Auguste Alfred Rubé
172:on 7 October 1878.
895:Philémon et Baucis
866:La nonne sanglante
794:Charles-Gounod.com
526:
494:
353:an aged Christian.
283:Sévère (Severus),
230:Laurent Campellone
187:'s adaptation for
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1285:
1169:
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1078:Messe brève no. 7
1063:Pontifical Anthem
987:Roméo et Juliette
927:Roméo et Juliette
758:978-2-05-000214-2
731:978-3-598-11598-1
707:978-0-19-816348-0
699:978-0-19-315329-5
684:978-0-306-79712-5
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222:Source délicieuse
209:Philippe Chaperon
189:Gaetano Donizetti
166:Salle Le Peletier
137:[pɔliœkt]
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1203:Pierre Corneille
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1096:Petite Symphonie
1056:St. Cecilia Mass
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775:: Scores at the
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193:Georgina Weldon
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709:(paperback).
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386:A centurion
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253:(Conductor:
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152:, after the
150:Michel Carré
127:
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67:Michel Carré
48:Jules Chéret
18:
1314:1878 operas
1271:Inspiration
1233:Les martyrs
1106:Other works
616:Numa Auguez
329:Numa Auguez
211:(Act III),
201:Paris Opera
179:Les martyrs
1293:Categories
1278:Polyeuctus
1089:Orchestral
903:La colombe
554:References
247:Voice type
156:(1643) by
109:1878-10-07
55:Librettist
1260:Polyeucte
1241:Polyeucte
1208:Polyeucte
1113:Ave Maria
997:Oratorios
951:Polyeucte
935:Cinq-Mars
783:Polyeucte
772:Polyeucte
750:460748195
426:Caldéron
397:Pauline,
371:patrician
325:baritone
263:Polyeucte
128:Polyeucte
89:Polyeucte
24:Polyeucte
1161:Category
919:Mireille
719:(2003).
674:(1973).
447:Melitene
440:Synopsis
392:Gaspard
369:a young
367:Sextus,
351:Siméon,
290:baritone
160:, about
101:Premiere
84:Based on
76:Language
1225:Poliuto
1129:Related
857:(1851,
788:Gallica
746:7068320
651:Sources
445:Place:
404:soprano
335:Albin,
301:FĂ©lix,
118:, Paris
107: (
1299:Operas
1244:(1878)
1236:(1840)
1228:(1838)
1211:(1642)
1121:(1879)
1115:(1853)
1098:(1885)
1081:(1877)
1073:(1871)
1070:Gallia
1065:(1869)
1059:(1855)
1040:(1891)
1032:(1885)
1024:(1882)
1016:(1855)
1008:(1854)
962:(1881)
954:(1878)
938:(1877)
930:(1867)
922:(1864)
914:(1862)
877:(1858)
869:(1854)
846:Operas
756:
744:
729:
705:
697:
682:
676:Gounod
376:tenor
185:Scribe
79:French
1252:Music
1217:Opera
1005:Tobie
980:Faust
882:Faust
861:1884)
854:Sapho
641:p. 67
601:Opera
559:Notes
546:Act 5
538:Act 4
514:Act 3
484:Act 2
461:Act 1
389:bass
357:bass
341:bass
272:tenor
243:Role
236:Roles
30:Opera
859:rev.
754:ISBN
742:OCLC
727:ISBN
715:and
703:ISBN
695:ISBN
680:ISBN
662:View
308:bass
207:and
148:and
1205:'s
664:at
93:by
32:by
1295::
748:,
632:^
265:,
257:)
183:,
1195:e
1188:t
1181:v
822:e
815:t
808:v
760:.
733:.
686:.
668:.
643:.
131:(
111:)
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