Giralda ou La nouvelle psyché

Giralda ou La nouvelle psyché is an opéra comique with music by Adolphe Adam and a text by Eugène Scribe. It had its first performance at the Opéra-Comique theatre, Paris, on 20 July 1850.[1]

Adolphe Adam, Lithograph, 1850

Roles
Role Voice type
The Queen of Spain mezzo-soprano
The Prince of Aragon, her husband bass
Don Japhet d'Atocha, a lord bass
Don Manoël, another lord tenor
Rosine, a lady-in-waiting, wife of Don Japhet speaking part
Ginès, a miller tenor
Giralda, his fiancé soprano
Almedo, a farmer bass

Synopsis
Scene from Act 2 of the original production of Giralda ou La nouvelle psyché

The pious Queen of Spain, accompanied by her husband, is on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. They stop for the night along the way at the cottage of Ginès, a miller, whose wedding day it is. He is to be the bridegroom of Giralda, who however regrets her impending marriage as she has fallen in love with a knight whose name she does not know but who she has seen many times in the vicinity. This is Don Manoël, who bribes Ginès, who really only wants to marry Giralda for her dowry, with twice the sum he is expecting, to take his place at the marriage altar. When he learns that the royal couple has arrived however, Don Manoël, who has committed a political crime and must stay incognito, runs away. While he is gone, Giralda believes herself married in turn to Ginès and an elderly gentleman, Don Japhet. Eventually Don Manoël returns, the Queen pardons his political offence, and he can pronounce himself the happy husband of Giralda.[1][2]

Music

The overture contains a lively fandango and there is a chorus in the first act accompanied by castanets, giving local Spanish colour.[1] The music throughout the piece is notable for its verve and charm.[1]

Performance history

The title role was performed at the premiere by Marie Caroline Miolan-Carvalho. The work was a great success at its first performance [3] and remained in the repertoire of European theatres for many years. It was presented in English adaptations in London as "Giralda, or The Invisible Husband" in 1850,in the same year in London as "Giralda, or the Miller's Wife" and as "Giralda, or, Which Is My Husband?" also in 1850.[4]

Notes
  1. Letellier, Robert Ignatius (2010). Opéra-comique : a sourcebook. Cambridge Scholars. ISBN 978-1443821407.
  2. Pipers Enzyklopädie des Musiktheaters : Oper, Operette, Musical, Ballet. Piper. 1996. ISBN 978-3492024211.
  3. "Theatre de l'Opéra-Comique". 28 June 1850 – via RIPM. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. Adams, William Davenport (2010). A Dictionary Of The Drama V1: A Guide To The Plays, Playwrights, Players And Playhouses Of The United Kingdom And America, From The Earliest Times To The Present (reprint). Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1163309865.
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