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Leonore disguises herself as a young prison guard named Fidelio to find her husband Florestan, whom Governor Pizarro has secretly imprisoned. She gains the trust of the jailer Rocco and learns that Pizarro plans to murder Florestan before an investigating minister arrives. Leonore accompanies Rocco to Florestan’s dungeon and steps between Pizarro and her husband, threatening Pizarro with a pistol. The minister arrives, Pizarro is taken away, and Florestan is freed.
Constantin, count of Arles, is falsely accused of murdering his father. He and his wife Héléna flee, entrusting their young son to a farmer. Héléna later hides with the farmer in disguise, while Constantin returns to Arles and is hunted by the new count Edmond. The people threaten Héléna and her son unless Constantin surrenders. Edmond then reveals that his own father, Romuald, confessed to the murder on his deathbed, clears Constantin's name, and the opera ends happily.
This two-act comédie mêlée de musique is based on an episode from the life of Henri IV of France. Its overture, known as La chasse du jeune Henri, depicts a hunt from dawn to the killing of a stag; the opera itself has no plot summary in the source.
Leonora disguises herself as a man to enter the prison where her husband Florestano is imprisoned by his enemy Don Pizarro. She fools the jailer Rocco into giving her a job. When Pizarro learns that Governor Don Fernando is approaching, he orders Florestano’s execution. Leonora accompanies Rocco to the underground cell and threatens him with a pistol until Don Fernando arrives and frees Florestano.
Water carrier Mikeli helps Count Armand and his wife Constance escape Paris, which is surrounded by Cardinal Mazarin’s soldiers. Mikeli disguises Constance as his daughter and hides Armand in his cart. They reach Gonesse, where Mikeli reports that the queen has pardoned the parliamentarians, allowing the couple to reunite safely.
A two-act opéra-comique by Pierre Gaveaux to a libretto by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly. Bouilly’s work later served as a model for Paër’s Leonora and Mayr’s L’amor coniugale; a German translation also inspired Beethoven’s Leonore and Fidelio. No plot description is available in the reviewed text.
Tsar Peter disguises himself as a carpenter to work in a Russian shipyard, where he falls in love with and marries the peasant Catherine, later Empress Catherine I. The opera presents the royal couple as ideal rulers concerned with ordinary people, reflecting hopes during the French Revolution that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette would follow their example.
Florival loves Armantine, the ward of painter Cerberti. Florival first tries to approach Cerberti disguised as a Flemish art merchant, but is discovered. His valet then persuades Cerberti to use Florival as a model for a painting of Bayard with Armantine. After their identities are revealed, Florival and Armantine insist on their choice, and Cerberti consents to their marriage.
Du Puy’s comic opera was created for the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen after a planned production of Méhul’s Une folie was cancelled. It uses Jean-Nicolas Bouilly’s French libretto for that opera, translated into Danish. The entry gives no plot summary.
In late 14th-century Milan, Valentina loves Louis of Orléans, though her father Gian Galeazzo is at war with the French. After the French defeat Milan, Valentina persuades her father to accept peace. Louis is shot during treaty negotiations, nearly rekindling the war. Valentina disguises herself to find a pharmacist who saves him. The true assassin is exposed as an agent of Burgundy, and Valentina and Louis marry.
Leonore disguises herself as a young prison guard named Fidelio to find her husband Florestan, whom Governor Pizarro has secretly imprisoned. She gains the trust of the jailer Rocco and learns that Pizarro plans to murder Florestan before an investigating minister arrives. Leonore accompanies Rocco to Florestan’s dungeon and steps between Pizarro and her husband, threatening Pizarro with a pistol. The minister arrives, Pizarro is taken away, and Florestan is freed.
Constantin, count of Arles, is falsely accused of murdering his father. He and his wife Héléna flee, entrusting their young son to a farmer. Héléna later hides with the farmer in disguise, while Constantin returns to Arles and is hunted by the new count Edmond. The people threaten Héléna and her son unless Constantin surrenders. Edmond then reveals that his own father, Romuald, confessed to the murder on his deathbed, clears Constantin's name, and the opera ends happily.
This two-act comédie mêlée de musique is based on an episode from the life of Henri IV of France. Its overture, known as La chasse du jeune Henri, depicts a hunt from dawn to the killing of a stag; the opera itself has no plot summary in the source.
Leonora disguises herself as a man to enter the prison where her husband Florestano is imprisoned by his enemy Don Pizarro. She fools the jailer Rocco into giving her a job. When Pizarro learns that Governor Don Fernando is approaching, he orders Florestano’s execution. Leonora accompanies Rocco to the underground cell and threatens him with a pistol until Don Fernando arrives and frees Florestano.
Water carrier Mikeli helps Count Armand and his wife Constance escape Paris, which is surrounded by Cardinal Mazarin’s soldiers. Mikeli disguises Constance as his daughter and hides Armand in his cart. They reach Gonesse, where Mikeli reports that the queen has pardoned the parliamentarians, allowing the couple to reunite safely.
A two-act opéra-comique by Pierre Gaveaux to a libretto by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly. Bouilly’s work later served as a model for Paër’s Leonora and Mayr’s L’amor coniugale; a German translation also inspired Beethoven’s Leonore and Fidelio. No plot description is available in the reviewed text.
Tsar Peter disguises himself as a carpenter to work in a Russian shipyard, where he falls in love with and marries the peasant Catherine, later Empress Catherine I. The opera presents the royal couple as ideal rulers concerned with ordinary people, reflecting hopes during the French Revolution that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette would follow their example.
Florival loves Armantine, the ward of painter Cerberti. Florival first tries to approach Cerberti disguised as a Flemish art merchant, but is discovered. His valet then persuades Cerberti to use Florival as a model for a painting of Bayard with Armantine. After their identities are revealed, Florival and Armantine insist on their choice, and Cerberti consents to their marriage.
Du Puy’s comic opera was created for the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen after a planned production of Méhul’s Une folie was cancelled. It uses Jean-Nicolas Bouilly’s French libretto for that opera, translated into Danish. The entry gives no plot summary.
In late 14th-century Milan, Valentina loves Louis of Orléans, though her father Gian Galeazzo is at war with the French. After the French defeat Milan, Valentina persuades her father to accept peace. Louis is shot during treaty negotiations, nearly rekindling the war. Valentina disguises herself to find a pharmacist who saves him. The true assassin is exposed as an agent of Burgundy, and Valentina and Louis marry.