Opera Scotland

Roi malgré lui Le roi malgré lui; The Reluctant King

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Music

Alexis-Emmanuel Chabrier (born 18 January 1841; died Paris, 13 September 1894)

Text

Emile de Najac, Paul Burani, and the Composer

Source

Play (1836) by F Ancelot

 

Premières

First Performance: Paris (Opéra-Comique), 18 May 1887.

First Performance in UK: London (Queen Elizabeth Hall), 7 November 1992 (concert).

First Staged Performance in UK: Edinburgh (King's Theatre), 1 September 1994.

First Performance in Scotland: As above.

Scottish Opera première: N/A.

 

Background

Le roi malgré lui has been translated literally as The King in spite of himself, or more logically as The Reluctant King. The work has always been criticised because of a lame and hopelessly confusing libretto, concerning the election of Henri de Valois to the throne of Poland in 1574. It is believed to have hindered the popularity of a work by one of the most delightfully entertaining composers of the late nineteenth century. The staging by Opera North which appeared in Edinburgh featured a libretto which was not so much a translation as a wholesale rewriting of the libretto. It does not, however, so far appear to have increased the work's popularity.

 

Main Characters

Henri de Valois (baritone)

Comte De Nangis, his friend (tenor)

Minka, engaged to Henri (soprano)

Fritelli, a Venetian Duke (baritone)

Alexina, his wife (soprano)

Laski, a Polish Count (baritone)

Minka, his servant (soprano)

 

Plot Summary (original)

Henri and his friends are not enjoying his life in Poland, and when he discovers a Polish plot against him, he inveigles his way into the conspiracy, disguised as his friend De Nangis, and has him arrested in order to keep him out of the way. At a ball Henri meets up with the leading conspirator, Count Laski, and the Fritellis, and discovers that the Duchess was his mistress on an earlier visit to Venice. Henri introduces Nangis to the assembly as Henri. Nangis co-operates with this ruse. But Laski sees it as an opportunity to assassinate the 'king'. The conspirators draw lots for the privilege of being the murderer, and Henri is nominated. Nangis is saved from the plot by his lover Minka. Henri is reunited with Alexina, and Nangis with Minka, for a happy ending.