Ballet music in French grand opera

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Interesting point; La Peregrina was at one point owned by Elizabeth Taylor (Richard Burton bought it for her - a mere trinket)

https://www.thepanamadigest.com/2011/04/from-panama-to-elizabeth-taylor-the-story-of-la-peregrina-pearl/

[Master Jacques]

I will take your word for it, although I do recall the veil song, charming but did not realise it was intended to be amusing.
.

Not so much "amusing" in the sense of funny, but humorous, light and witty. That's the kind of thing I am talking about - though the crowd scene at the auto-da-fé is broader. The scene between the King and Posa is equally nuanced, with some banter (reflected in the music) as well as the serious political debate and heart-baring. That's perhaps one of the most subtle and deep scenes Verdi ever wrote.

The point being, any production which goes full out on solemnity and sublimity is missing the point. A director who reflects the light as well as the dark is not wrong - quite the reverse. And including the comedic ballet was a sign of that all-inclusiveness.

[Master Jacques]

Interesting point; La Peregrina was at one point owned by Elizabeth Taylor (Richard Burton bought it for her - a mere trinket), and also appears in Les Perles de la Couronne (Sacha Guitry).

I've just checked ferneyhoughgeliebte's link - how extraordinary that such a thing could be bought for so very little ($37,000) even back then. The idea of Bloody Mary (Philip II's first wife, of course) and Miss Taylor both possessing it seemed too good to be true: and now I read the pearl's history on Wikipedia, I find that it is too good to be true! The timelines just don't fit.

[CallMePaul]

I've just checked ferneyhoughgeliebte's link - how extraordinary that such a thing could be bought for so very little ($37,000) even back then. The idea of Bloody Mary (Philip II's first wife, of course) and Miss Taylor both possessing it seemed too good to be true: and now I read the pearl's history on Wikipedia, I find that it is too good to be true! The timelines just don't fit.

Mary Tudor was actually Philip IIs second wife; he had four in all - Maria Manuela of Portugal was his first wife, Mary Tudor his second, Elisabeth de Valois his third and Anna of Austria his fourth. Philip outlived them all. All except Elisabeth were related to Philip and therefore to each other!

[Oakapple]

It hadn't occurred to me before that Mary Tudor and Philip II were related - first cousins once removed, I think.

Back to the topic, I'm fond of the ballet music in Rossini's William Tell. It's a shame, in my opinion, that such music is seldom incorporated into concerts as there's too much of the old formula: overture, concerto, interval, symphony.

I was involved in amateur productions of Rodgers and Hammersteins' Carousel and The King and I. They both had what might be called ballet sequences. I wonder whether that was a continuation of the operatic tradition or a new idea for musicals.

[Master Jacques]

I was involved in amateur productions of Rodgers and Hammersteins' Carousel and The King and I. They both had what might be called ballet sequences. I wonder whether that was a continuation of the operatic tradition or a new idea for musicals.

Most definitely a continuation of the opera tradition. Rogers and Hammerstein's musicals are basically opéras-comiques, in terms of form, content, orchestration and the kind of singing (normally!) required. It's not just French opera which uses ballet extensively, of course: we'll find them in just about every "school" of opera you can name. Some of the most famous (off the top of my head) would be Ponchielli's 'Dance of the Hours' from La Gioconda, the slave ballets in Aida, the Polovtsian Dances in Prince Igor, and the 'Olympic Games' boys' beach ballet in Death in Venice.

[Barbirollians]

I was being faintly facetious in my opening post ! I do feel they hold up the action though and they wee included for the purposes of the audience rather than the composer. Though I take the point about Faust.