Opera Scotland

Ruy Blas

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Music

Filippo Marchetti (born Bolognola, Macerata, 26 February 1831; died Rome, 18 January 1902)

Text

Carlo d'Ormeville.

Source

Drama (1838) by Victor Hugo (1802-1885).

 

Premières

First Performance: Milan (La Scala), 3 April 1869.

First Performance in UK: London (Her Majesty's Theatre), 24 November 1877.

First Performance in Scotland: Glasgow (Theatre Royal), 7 March 1878.

Scottish Opera première: N/A.

 

Background

Victor Hugo's drama was extremely popular in its early years, but like his other plays, it has failed to survive outside France. The only piece of music on the theme to have survived into the modern repertoire is Mendelssohn's concert overture of 1839, when Victor Hugo's ink was still almost wet. It did attract a few composers to set it in operatic form, including one William Glover, whose version opened at Covent Garden in 1861. Marchetti seems to be the only composer who had significant success with the theme, and his opera was performed widely for several years. But even by the standards of Hugo's other stage works the plot is remarkably implausible.

 

Main Characters

Don Sallust, banished Prime Minister (baritone)

Ruy Blas, his valet (tenor)

Don Pedro, Governor of Castile (tenor)

Donna Maria, Queen of Spain (soprano)

Donna Juana, her lady in waiting (mezzo-soprano)

 

Plot Summary

The period is Spain c1700 (Similar to that of Wallace's Maritana). Don Sallust, having fallen in love with the queen but been rejected by her, determines on revenge. Aware that his servant, Ruy Blas, also loves the queen, he disguises the man as his cousin Don Cesar, and introduces him to the Court. Blas swiftly rises up the social scale, and the queen falls for him. Sallust, to further his plot, determines to expose the affair, so Blas kills his master, before killing himself.