Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer)

Overview

Les Huguenots is a grand opera in five acts by Giacomo Meyerbeer to a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps, set during the St Bartholomew's Day massacre of 1572. It was first performed at the Paris Opéra on 29 February 1836, and was among the most frequently performed works at the Opéra throughout the nineteenth century (Wikipedia, "Les Huguenots (opera)"). The Catholic Valentine and the Protestant Raoul love each other and die in the massacre.

Marie and this work

• 7 November 1875, Nice. At a reception the male singers of the Opéra, hidden behind a red damask tapestry, sing a chorus from "Ernani" or "les Huguenots" at each course (049.0109).
• 15 January 1879, Paris. "Entendre les Huguenots avec les Gavini est une profanation" (084.0029): a night at the Opéra, in the company of the Gavini family, after a dinner at Mouzay's.
• 7 August 1879. Hecht plays at the piano and "m'a fait entendre les Huguenots en appuyant, en expliquant, en chantant à mezzo voce"; she had heard the opera only once, "à moitié, avec les Gavini" (086.0010; the source footnote identifies Meyerbeer's work).
• 5 May 1880, Paris. At the Opéra with the Gavini in the prince de Honiau's box: "Les Huguenots sont longs" (088.0106).

Sources

• Wikipedia, "Les Huguenots (opera)").
• IMSLP, Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer, Giacomo)).