Diary of Marie Bashkirtseff

Sapho / Saffo (opera)

Also known as: Sapho, Sapho, Saffo, la mort de Sapho

Culture · Theatre FR / IT

Which opera?

Marie writes "Sapho" for an opera about the Greek poet Sappho that she sees in Nice at the turn of 1875-76 and again in Naples in March 1877. Two works fit, and the diary does not decide between them:

  • *Charles Gounod, Sapho (Paris Opéra, 16 April 1851): an opera in three acts to a libretto by Émile Augier. It was presented only nine times in its first production, revised to two acts in 1858 and to four acts at the Palais Garnier on 2 April 1884 (Wikipedia, "Sapho (Gounod)"). The earlier LAN and RSR notes on carnet 051 assumed this one.
  • Giovanni Pacini, Saffo** (Teatro San Carlo, Naples, 29 November 1840): an opera in three acts to a libretto by Salvadore Cammarano after Grillparzer's play (Wikipedia, "Saffo (Pacini)"). Described in the footnote on 069.0256 as a staple of the Italian repertory, it is the more likely work for an Italian troupe at Nice and certainly for Naples, where she calls the Teatro del Fondo performance "Sapho" (the RSR note of 2026-10-01 on 051.0032 and the footnote on 069.0256 say the same).

The programme of the Nice theatre in December 1875, in a local newspaper such as Le Phare du Littoral, would settle the Nice production (not consulted).

Marie and this work

  • 27 December 1875, Nice. "Demain partirò. Non pas demain, jeudi, après la première de Sapho" (051.0032).
  • 30 December 1875. The first night: she wears a "chemise napolitaine" of blue crêpe de Chine and old lace, white skirt (051.0123).
  • 1 January 1876. With General Bihovetz she sees it a second time; the house is full but without the elegant world; she finds many amusing things to say that make the box laugh (051.0277). "Je suis furieuse de la mort de Sapho ! Ces grosses brutes en blanc, ces païens inflexibles et absurdes !" (051.0280); she adds "Pauvre femme !" (051.0281). In closing the notebook she thinks "à Sapho, à Mignon" among her departure thoughts (051.0298).
  • 10 March 1877, Naples. The Teatro del Fondo opens with "Sapho"; she attends in two boxes with the Hamontoffs, Fabbricatores and Nasimoff, sneezing and coughing through it (069.0256). On 16 March she recalls that Prince Borghese, whom she disliked, was at that performance (069.0379).

Not this work

104.0626 and 104.0736 (22 and 29 June 1884) refer to Alphonse Daudet's novel Sapho* (1884), "l'histoire d'un collage". The poet Sappho herself is a different entity (the stub people/mentioned/SAPHO.md does not describe her either).

Sources