The Opera: A Sketch of the Development of Opera. With full Descriptions of all Works in the Modern Repertory.Streatfeild, R. A. (Richard Alexander)
History
The Opera: A Sketch of the Development of Opera. With full Descriptions of all Works in the Modern Repertory.
Streatfeild, R. A. (Richard Alexander)
Opera
Unperformed as he was, Berlioz of course could not be expected to found
a school; but Meyerbeer's success soon raised him up a host of
imitators. Halevy (1799-1862) drew his inspiration in part from Herold
and Weber; but 'La Juive,' the work by which he is best known, owes much
to Meyerbeer, whose 'Robert le Diable' had taken the world of music in
Paris by storm a few years before the production of Halevy's work. In
turn Halevy reacted upon Meyerbeer. Many passages in 'Les Huguenots'
reflect the sober dignity of 'La Juive'; indeed, it is too often
forgotten that the production of Halevy's opera preceded its more famous
contemporary by a full year.
The scene of 'La Juive' is laid in Constance, in the fifteenth century.
Leopold, a Prince of the Empire, in the disguise of a young Israelite,
has won the heart of Rachel, the daughter of the rich Jew Eleazar. When
the latter discovers the true nationality of his prospective son-in-law
he forbids him his house, but Rachel consents, like another Jessica, to
fly with her lover. Later she discovers that Leopold is a Prince, and
betrothed to the Princess Eudoxia. Her jealousy breaks forth, and she
accuses him of having seduced her--a crime which in those days was
punishable by death. Rachel, Leopold, and Eleazar are all thrown into
prison. There Rachel relents, and retracts her accusation. Leopold is
accordingly released, but the Jew and his daughter are condemned to be
immersed in a cauldron of boiling oil. There is a rather meaningless
underplot which results in a confession made by Eleazar on the scaffold,
that Rachel is not a Jewess at all, but the daughter of a Cardinal who
has taken a friendly interest in her fortunes throughout the drama.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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