Librettist: A. Guiou and Jean Jacques Magne
Libretto was based on the drama by George Sand and Paul Meurice
Opera in four acts and six tableaux
Date: 1883
Language: French (premiere); Italian (Lisbon, translated by G. Ferréal)
Large-scale
Marquis de Bois‑Doré: baritone
Jovelin: tenor
Comte D’Alvimar: bass
Guillaume D’Ars: tenor
Adamas: bass
Clindor: tenor
Deux Officiers: bass
Lauriane: soprano
Mario: mezzo‑soprano
Gardeners: chorus
Valets: chorus
Gentlemen: chorus
Ladies: chorus
“When the theatrical plot was transformed into an opera, the story of the Marquis de Bois Doré and his family diminished in importance in favour of the emergence of a seductive central figure, Lauriane, and her love relationship with the new hero, Jovelin. The opera invites us to meet the Marquise Lauriane, whose splendour draws the attention of all the characters around her. The beautiful noblewoman must choose a husband from among the guests at the party Bois‑Doré organises in her honour. Her attention, however, turns to a young musician, an outlaw, who inadvertently crosses the palace gardens accompanied by a child, Mario. The mutual passion asserts itself. Finally, in the context of a dispute with his adversary D’Alvimar, the musician reveals his true identity: Giovellino, Count of Florence. Meanwhile, Mario, who had travelled with him over the years, is revealed to be the long‑lost nephew and heir of the esteemed Bois‑Doré.”¹
2 Fl (Picc) | Ob | Cl | Bsn | 2 Hn | Tpt | Tbn | Tb | 2 Perc | Vln | Vla | Vc | Cb
Publisher: Louis Gregh
Scores: Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal
The opera Lauriane by Augusto Machado premiered on January 9, 1883, at the Grand Théâtre de Marseille to great acclaim from audiences and critics. The libretto, written in French by A. Guiou and Jean‑Jacques Magne, is based on the novel Les Beaux Messieurs de Bois Doré by George Sand and Paul Meurice. In 1884, the opera was presented in Italian at the Teatro de São Carlos, and its success allowed it to remain on stage for twelve performances. Later, it was presented at the Teatro Lírico in Rio de Janeiro.²
When the work premiered at São Carlos, the royal family was in mourning for the death of the Princess of Saxony – King Luís wanted to attend the premiere, but was not permitted to appear at public events. Thus, to satisfy the monarch’s wish, a telephone line was installed between the theatre and the Royal Palace, through which King Luís managed to hear the performance and congratulate the composer. This episode depicts what is probably the first “radio” transmission of an opera in music history.³
Date: 1883
Venue: Grand‑Théâtre de Marseille
Cast (Marseille): Monier, Degenne, Hermann Devriès, Florentin, Henri, Baron, Gauzes, Mlle. Julia Potel, Peretti
Cast (Lisbon, 1884): Devoyod, Ortisi, Rapp, Piazza, Souvestre, Bertocchi, Lorenzana, Herminia Borghi‑Mamo, Mantelli and Orchestra of the Teatro de São Carlos
