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L'épreuve villageoise (1784) - André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry
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Background
L’épreuve villageoise started out as Théodore et Paulin before Grétry convinced Desforges to rewrite the libretto. The original three-act opera was reduced to two acts, and the improbabilities of the original plot were reworked.
Théodore et Paulin received one performance at Versailles on 5 March 1784, but it was never published. L’épreuve villageoise appeared at the Comédie-Italienne on 24 June 1784. This revision remained one of the most popular of Grétry’s opéra-comiques, receiving performances throughout the nineteenth century.
One reason for the opera’s success is its appeal to paysannerie. Noble peasants were part of Rousseau’s aesthetic, and aristocrats, most notably Marie Antoinette (she had a peasant village built at Versailles) fantasized about the “simple life” of commoners. In L’épreuve villageoise, Denise eventually rejects the urbane La France for André, affirming the values of peasant life.
Plot
In the first act, La France has shifted his attention from the widow Madame Hubert to her daughter, Denise. André, who is engaged to Denise, is jealous of this turn of events, which in turn frustrates his fiancée. Although Mme. Hubert first insists that La France must marry her, she suddenly decides to allow him to marry her daughter, after he has explained his feelings. André continues to pursue Denise, and he seizes a message for Denise that is attached to flowers from La France. Although André mocks Denise for her illiteracy (she was unable to read the message even before André tore it up), La France is not bothered by it. André still wants to marry Denise, but Mme. Hubert insists that Denise is now engaged to La France.
Act Two continues that same day, following a celebration. André pretends to have diverted his attention to other women, in an effort to make Denise jealous. Mme. Hubert has decided that the engagement to La France is official, but Denise realizes that she is still in love with André. When La France boasts that he plans to show Denise the cultural excitement of city life, the villagers laugh at his plans, helping Mme. Hubert to execute her new plan to rid her daughter of La France. Denise rejects him in front of everyone, and La France departs before the finale.
Bibliography
Title from title page: L’EPREUVE / VILLAGEOISE / OPÉRA BOUFFON / En deux Actes en Vers
Genre: Opéra bouffon
Composer: André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry, 1741-1813
Librettist: Desforges (pen name for P. J. B. Choudard), 1746-1806
Setting: A village close to Paris
Premiere: Versailles, 5 March 1784 (as Theodore et Paulin, in three acts)
Premiere of revised version: Comédie-Italienne, 24 June 1784 (as L’épreuve villageoise, in two acts)
First published: Paris: Houbaut, n.d.
Volume in the UNT Collection: Paris: Houbaut, n.d.
For further information on L’épreuve villageoise, see:
Brenet, Michel. Grétry, sa vie et ses œuvres. Paris, 1884.
Charlton, David. Grétry and the Growth of Opéra-comique. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986.
Charlton, David and Elizabeth C. Bartlet. “Grétry, André-Ernest-Modeste.” In Grove Music Online, ed. Laura Macy. [Accessed 17 December 2003]. <http://www.grovemusic.com>
Vendrix, Philippe. “Manuscrits d’opéras et d’opéras-comiques: la cas Grétry.” In Chantiers révolutionnaires: science, musique, architecture, ed. Beatrice Didier and Jacques Neefs, 125-43. Saint-Denis: Presses universitaires de Vincennes, 1992.
Vendrix, Philippe, ed. Grétry et l’Europe de l’opéra-comique. Liège: Mardaga, 1992.
Vendrix, Philippe, ed. L’opéra-comique en France au XVIIIe siécle. Liège: Mardaga, 1992.
Physical
Dimensions: 34.1 x 24.2 cm.
Collation: [unable to determine formula]; 94 leaves, pp. [4] 1-114 [6] 1-62 [63-64].
Conservation: Foxing; bleed-through; dirty pages; tape used to repair some pages; cracked hinge; missing headcap; worn cover.
Binding: Tan-patterned paper-covered board with light brown paper-covered spine; paper label on spine reads “Gretry / L’Epreuve Villageoise.
Comments: Copper-plate engraving (plates measure 27.3 x 20.2 cm).