of French singers had been performing in alternation with an Italian
troupe at the _Théâtre Feydeau_, and here the opera was produced for
the first time. Its success was so pronounced that during the following
year no less than two hundred repetitions of the work were demanded in
Paris, and its fame soon spread in every direction. In this composition
the new ideal which Cherubini had cherished for so many years was happily
realized.
[Illustration: LUIGI CHERUBINI
Reproduction of a portrait by Quenedey, Paris, 1809.]
A second opera, "Koukourgi," had been nearly completed in the year
1793. But the overthrow of the monarchy on the 10th of August, 1792,
and the confused condition of public affairs at this juncture, took
away all prospect of its immediate production. In the mean time the
composer had left Paris and was residing in Normandy with a family of
his acquaintance. When he returned, in 1794, he brought with him the
completed score of the opera "Elisa." It was brought out on the 13th of
December, 1794, in the _Théâtre Feydeau_, but was less successful than
"Lodoiska." During the next few years there was a considerable falling
off in Cherubini's activity as a composer, owing to his appointment
as teacher of counterpoint in the _Conservatoire de Musique_, just
established, in which he became also one of the inspectors of the
institution. Exact and conscientious by nature even to the point of
pedantry, the musician devoted himself with unflagging energy to the
duties of his office, yet occasionally returned with fresh ardor to
operatic composition. In 1737 appeared "Medée," his most powerful
dramatic work; in 1800, "Les Deux Journées" (Water-Carrier), the most
admired and effective of all. Between the two stand the lesser operas,
"L'Hôtellerie Portugaise" (1798) and "La Punition" (1799). A number
of short vocal compositions belonging to this same period show that
Cherubini was obliged to contribute his quota to the French Revolution.
Among them are "Hymne à la Fraternité" (22d September, 1793), "Hymne du
Panthéon," "Chant pour le dix Août," the ode on the 18th Fructidor and
others. The most important and almost the last work of this kind was the
beautiful music composed in memoriam of the noble Gen. Hoche, which was
performed in public on the 1st of October, 1797.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account