Recovering, restoring, recording and performing the forgotten operatic heritage of the 19th century DONIZETTI LE DUC D’ALBE Slipcase, digipack, CD faces and booklet cover: design by Caroll & Co Opposite: Gaetano Donizetti (Opera Rara Archive) ORC54 Opera Rara would like to thank the Monument Trust, without whose support this recording would not have been possible 1 Gaetano Donizetti LE DUC D’ALBE Opera in four acts Libretto by Eugène Scribe and Charles Duveyrier Henri de Bruges, a young Flemish patriot Michael Spyres Hélène d’Egmont Angela Meade Le Duc d’Albe, governor of Flanders Laurent Naouri Daniel Brauer Gianluca Buratto Sandoval, captain of the Spanish troops David Stout Carlos Trystan Llŷr Griffiths Balbuena Robin Tritschler Un Tavernier Dawid Kimberg Soldiers, Sailors, Flemings, Spaniards, People – Opera Rara Chorus Stephen Harris, chorus master Hallé Lyn Fletcher, leader Sir Mark Elder, conductor 2 Producer Editing Jeremy Hayes Steve Portnoi, Jeremy Hayes, Sir Mark Elder Opera Rara production management Kim Panter Recorded at Hallé St Peter’s, Ancoats, Manchester, June 2015 Assistant conductor Martin Fitzpatrick Gaetano Donizetti, Le Duc d’Albe, edited by Roger Parker, Casa Ricordi srl, Milano, Répétiteur by arrangement with G. Ricordi & Co. Aldert Vermeulen (London) Ltd; with additional material by Martin Fitzpatrick French coach Nicole Tibbels For this recording we made the decision to record only the first two acts of Recording company and chorus manager Le Duc d’Albe, the part of the opera that Ruth Mulholland was 95% completed by Donizetti himself. Acts 3 and 4, although they have some Session photography sketches of Donizetti’s ideas, have virtually Russell Duncan no orchestration and leave two large sections (the first number of Act 3 and the crucial Introductory essay and synopsis finale of Act 4) with virtually no music at all. Roger Parker However, Acts 1 and 2 show thrillingly how, at the end of his hectic career, the composer Recording engineer was still adapting his musical language to Steve Portnoi, Vanessa Nuttall (assistant) new dramatic challenges. 3 The Hallé First violins Violas Oboes Bass trombone Lyn Fletcher Timothy Pooley Stephane Rancourt Les Storey Sarah Ewins Julian Mottram Hugh McKenna Ophicléide Tiberiu Buta Piero Gasparini Clarinets Tony George Ian Watson Robert Criswell Lynsey Marsh Timpani Zoe Colman Chris Emerson Rosa Campos- John Abendstern Peter Liang Sue Baker Fernandez Percussion Alison Hunt Martin Schäfer Bassoons David Hext Helen Bridges Katrina Brown Gretha Tuls Ric Parmigiani Nicola Clark Cellos Ben Hudson Erika Öhman Victor Hayes Nicholas Trygstad Horns Off-stage percussion Michelle Marsh Simon Turner Laurence Rogers Mark Wagstaff Anya Muston Dale Culliford Julian Plummer Harry Percy Steven Proctor David Petri Richard Bourn Julian Wolstencroft Peter Liang Jane Hallett Andrew Maher Harp Second violins Paul Grennan Trumpets Marie Leenhardt Eva Thorarinsdottir Double basses Tom Osborne Philippa Heys Daniel Storer Kenneth Brown Paulette Bayley Yi Xin Salvage Trumpets (stage band) Julia Hanson Beatrice Schirmer Neil Fulton Rosemary Attree Rachel Meerloo Tim Barber Caroline Abbott Flutes Andy Dallimore Grania Royce Katherine Baker Craig Kilgour Elizabeth Bosworth Patricia Ruiz Asperilla Trombones John Purton Joanne Boddington Katy Jones Hannah Smith Carol Jarvis 4 Opera Rara Chorus Sopranos Tenors Basses Jillian Arthur Peter Bamber Trevor Alexander Kathryn Jenkin Ronan Busfield Jeremy Birchall Helen Miles Jim Clements Colin Campbell Juliet Oppenheimer Paul Curievici Bryn Evans Glenys Roberts Huw Evans Spiro Fernando Prudence Sanders Andrew Glover Simon Grant Juliet Schiemann Hurdis Grandison Stephen Kennedy Emma Silversides Simon Haynes Tom Kennedy Peter Kerr Cheyney Kent Mezzo-sopranos Dawid Kimberg Freddie Long Jeanette Ager Vernon Kirk Darron Moore Tamsin Dalley Neil Mackenzie Gula Nagy Melanie Lodge Simon McEnery Lance Nomurra Deborah Miles-Johnson William Morgan Adrian Peacock Hyacinth Nicholls Henry Moss Philip Shakesby Alison Place Gerald Place Jochem van Ast Zoe Todd Philip Pooley Jonathan Wood Jennifer Westwood 5 With thanks to the Friends of Opera Rara for their continued support Chairman’s Circle Rossini Circle Charles Alexander Lady Alexander Glenn Hurstfield Marco Compagnoni Islée Oliva Salinas Alan Godfrey Patrick and Marian Griggs Artistic Director’s Circle Malcolm Herring Dr Michael Peagram Madeleine Hodgkin Sir Simon Robertson Jonathan and Yvonne Horsfall-Turner Richard Jacques Offenbach Circle Stratton Mills Trifon and Thespina Natsis John Nickson Jerry Wakelin and Ivor Samuels Donizetti Circle Michel Plantevin Meyerbeer members Peter Rosenthal David Casstles Imogen Rumbold Sir Anthony Cleaver Adam Swann Dr Marian Gilbart Read Colin and Suzy Webster Sir Timothy Lloyd Chris and Dominique Moore John Paine Howard Shewring and Angelo di Cico Robert Taylor 6 This recording has been made possible with generous support from the following: With thanks to the Monument Trust Supporters: for its support of this recording Dorothy Bailey Baruch Haviv Patron: Forbes Hurry Alan Jackson Alex Reinhard Jeremy Roberts Benefactors: Rosalind Rowett George Chapman Kenneth Stampp Geoffrey Collens Richard Anwyl Williams Virginia Lawlor Susan Williams Anne Stoddart Moira Yip 7 CONTENTS Le Duc d’Albe restored Page 12 The Story Page 25 Argument Page 27 Die Handlung Page 29 La trama Page 32 Libretto Page 35 8 CD1 44’58 ACT I Duration Page [1] Prélude 3’46 36 [2] Chorus, Carlos, Sandoval: ‘Espagne! Espagne! Espagne!’ 4’05 37 [3] Sandoval: ‘Par Saint-Jacques, messieurs’ 2’47 37 [4] Sandoval: ‘Voyez donc cette belle’ 2’07 41 [5] Hélène: ‘C’est donc ici!!... Daniel...’ 3’06 44 [6] Chorus: ‘Honneur à lui! Ce guerrier...’ 2’05 46 [7] Balbuena: ‘Pourquoi dans cette foule...’ 1’47 47 [8] Hélène: ‘Au sein des mers...’ 1’55 48 [9] Hélène: ‘Du courage, du courage’ 2’26 50 [10] Chorus: ‘Cette fille noble et belle’ 3’27 52 [11] Le Duc: ‘Race faible et poltronne’ 3’10 54 [12] Henri: ‘Hélène! O ciel!... Henri...’ 2’20 55 [13] Le Duc: ‘Toi tu resteras!’ 2’24 58 [14] Henri: ‘Punis mon audace!’ 2’25 60 [15] Le Duc: ‘Je devrais te punir!’ 1’38 61 [16] Henri: ‘Non, non, point de grâce’ 2’27 63 [17] Henri: ‘Je suis libre et sur la terre’ 2’50 64 9 CD2 48’40 ACT II Duration Page [1] Chorus: ‘Liqueur traîtresse’ 1’19 66 [2] Daniel: ‘Ici l’on travaille’ 2’48 67 [3] Chorus: ‘Vive la bière’ 0’34 68 [4] Daniel: ‘Mais j’entends battre la retraite’ 0’40 68 [5] Hélène: ‘Es-tu seul?’ 2’12 69 [6] Hélène: ‘Ton ombre murmure’ 4’43 70 [7] Hélène: ‘Quoi! Déjà de retour?’ 1’12 71 [8] Daniel: ‘Plus bas! plus bas!’ 1’54 72 [9] Hélène: ‘Vous exposer encore!’ 1’12 73 [10] Hélène: ‘Comment dans ma reconnaissance’ 2’03 74 [11] Henri: ‘Ah! Oui, longtemps en silence’ 5’05 76 [12] Hélène: ‘Malheureuse et proscrite...’ 1’59 76 [13] Hélène, Henri: ‘Noble martyr de la patrie’ 1’52 77 [14] Chorus: ‘Les derniers feux...’ 6’13 79 [15] Henri: ‘Amis! L’heure d’agir...’ 1’44 80 [16] Henri: ‘Marchons...’ 1’04 81 [17] Henri: ‘Liberté... chérie!’ 2’59 81 [18] Henri: ‘Ciel!’ 1’02 82 [19] Chorus: ‘Liqueur traîtresse’ 0’38 84 10 Duration Page [20] Sandoval: ‘Maître Daniel est seul...’ 2’23 84 [21] Hélène, Henri, Daniel, Chorus: ‘Nous n’avons qu’un roi...’ 1’09 87 [22] Henri: ‘Oui, bravons le tyran...’ 0’50 87 [23] Hélène: ‘O ciel, O surprise’ 2’47 88 11 LE DUC D’ALBE RESTORED as the ‘Opéra’. The first of these so-called grands opéras (works in French on the THE FIRST TIME Le Duc d’Albe appears largest scale, in four or five acts, with in Donizetti’s correspondence is in a letter an obligatory ballet divertissement and to his beloved teacher Simone Mayr, dated many opportunities for scenic display) Paris, 8 April 1839. By that time Donizetti was due in September 1839, and was had been domiciled in the French capital to be a French remake of Poliuto, now for half a year, having arrived there in entitled Les Martyrs. The second was as October 1838, still smarting from the royal yet unnamed but would be due in January ban placed on his opera Poliuto in Naples. 1840. The pressure of deadlines was, even Although his letters frequently complain for Donizetti, extreme. There is perhaps about Parisian life, in particular the even a hint of defensiveness in his letter to expense of living there, and routinely Mayr: ‘Perhaps you’ll ask: where do I find express wishes to return to Italy, the the time? But I find it, and often go out for composer was – as ever – extremely a walk in the middle of the day, and while industrious, and on three main fronts. walking can carry on working. I love art, There were various projects for staging and love it with a passion.’ some of his recent Italian operas at the True to his word, Donizetti finished Théâtre Italien (the home of Italian- Les Martyrs on time, and by mid-May language opera in Paris); he had already 1839 had announced in letters that he begun work on two comic operas in had started on his second work for the French, Deux Hommes et une femme Opéra, which now had the title Le Duc (Rita) and La Fille du régiment; and, most d’Albe. Composition continued apace: in important of all, he had two commissions a letter dated 5 July, Donizetti told the for Paris’s grandest theatre, the Académie Italian publisher Giovanni Ricordi that Royale de Musique, usually known simply Les Martyrs would be going into rehearsal 12 in October and that Le Duc would follow composition and rehearsals of La Fille du soon afterwards, a plan that was seemingly régiment, which premiered at the Opéra still in place at the start of October, when Comique in February 1840 and so must the composer declared that Les Martyrs have occupied much of the time in the would start rehearsal ‘next week’.