''Le Jugement de Midas'' (''The Judgement of Midas'') is a French ''

comédie mêlée d'ariettes The French term (, 'comedy mixed with little songs') was frequently used during the late ''ancien régime'' for certain types of ''opéra comique'' (French opera with spoken dialogue). The term became popular in the mid 18th century following t ...

'' (a kind of ''

opéra comique ''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular ''opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Théâtre de la foire, Fair Theatres of St Germain and S ...

''), in three acts by

André Grétry André Ernest Modeste Grétry (; baptised 11 February 1741; died 24 September 1813) was a composer from the Prince-Bishopric of Liège (present-day Belgium), who worked from 1767 onwards in France and took French nationality. He is most famous ...

dedicated to Madame de Montesson. It was first performed, with amateur singers, on 28 March 1778 in the private little theatre set up by Madame de Montesson in the apartments of her secret husband Louis Philippe, Duke of Orléans, at the

Palais-Royal The Palais-Royal () is a former French royal palace located on Rue Saint-Honoré in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. The screened entrance court faces the Place du Palais-Royal, opposite the Louvre Palace, Louvre. Originally called the Palais-Ca ...

in Paris. The

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

is by the Irish playwright Thomas Hales (also known by the French name Thomas d'Hèle) with additional contributions by

Louis Anseaume Louis Anseaume (; 1721 – 7 July 1784) was a French playwright and librettist from Paris. He contributed the words for operas by André Ernest Modeste Grétry, Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny, Egidio Romualdo Duni, Christoph Willibald Gluck, and Fran ...

. It was based on the burlesque opera ''

Midas Midas (; ) was a king of Phrygia with whom many myths became associated, as well as two later members of the Phrygian royal house. His father was Gordias, and his mother was Cybele. The most famous King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek m ...

'' (1760) by Kane O'Hara. The public premiere at the

Comédie-Italienne Comédie-Italienne () or Théâtre-Italien () are French names which have been used to refer to Italian-language theatre and opera when performed in France. The earliest recorded visits by Italian players were ''commedia dell'arte'' companies ...

took place on 27 June 1778.Charlton, p. 153 and public premiere libretto.

Roles

The original amateur cast of the private premiere at Madame de Montesson's is not known.

Synopsis

Act 1

The overture depicts a storm during which Jupiter hurls Apollo from heaven as punishment for mocking him. Apollo disguises himself as a shepherd under the name "Alexis". His singing attracts the attention of the farmer Palemon. Palemon is a music lover and offers Apollo a job. He explains that the local ''bailli'' (magistrate) Midas has arranged marriages between Palémon's daughters Lise and Chloé and two other musical talents from the village, Pan and Marsias. Apollo is appalled at the quality of their singing. Paleon's wife Mopsa reproaches him for taking in a stranger, "Alexis", without knowing anything of his background.

Act 2

Lise and Chloé discuss the attractions of the newcomer. Apollo also manages to charm Mopsa and begins to court both daughters. Soon Palémon and Mopsa are persuaded that he would make a better son-in-law than Pan or Marsias and they plot to get rid of them.

Act 3

Midas is annoyed at the turn of events. He decrees that the choice of husbands will be decided by a singing contest. He completely rejects Apollo's new style of music, preferring Marsias's piece in the style of old-fashioned French Baroque opera and Pan's in the style of popular vaudevilles. Apollo responds with an allegorical song describing a competition between a nightingale, owl and cuckoo judged by a donkey. Midas is outraged at the insinuation and banishes him but Apollo punishes Midas by giving him donkey's ears. The god then reveals his true identity. Mercury descends from heaven to announce Jupiter has forgiven Apollo, who sets off for

Parnassus Mount Parnassus (; , ''Parnassós'') is a mountain range of central Greece that is, and historically has been, especially valuable to the Greek nation and the earlier Greek city-states for many reasons. In peace, it offers scenic views of the c ...

with both daughters in tow.

Recordings

*''Le Jugement de Midas'': John Elwes, Mieke van der Sluis, Jules Bastin,

La Petite Bande La Petite Bande is a Belgium-based ensemble specialising in music of the Baroque and Classical eras played on period instruments. They are particularly known for their recordings of works by Corelli, Rameau, Handel, Bach, Haydn, and Mozart. Hi ...

, conducted by

Gustav Leonhardt Gustav Maria Leonhardt (30 May 1928 – 16 January 2012) was a Dutch keyboardist, conductor, musicologist, teacher and editor. He was a leading figure in the historically informed performance movement to perform music on period instruments. Leo ...

(Ricercar, 1989) *''Le Jugement de Midas'': Louis Devos, Jean-Jacques Schreurs, Bernadette Degelin, Loretta Clini, Chris de Moor, La Formation de Chambre du Nouvel Orchestre Symphonique de la RTBF, conducted by Ronald Zollman (Koch Schwann 3-1090-2) (extracts)

References

Sources

* Public premiere libretto: ''Le jugement de Midas : comédie en trois actes ; en prose mêlée d'ariettes ; représentée pour la premiere fois par les Comédiens Italiens ordinaires du Roi, le Samedi 27 Juin 1778'', Paris Duchesne, 1778 (accessible online a
Library of Congress
* Bartlet, M Elizabeth C (1992), "Grétry, André-Ernest-Modeste", (work-list) in ''The

New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volumes. The dictionary was first published in 1992 by Macmillan Reference, L ...

'', ed.

Stanley Sadie Stanley John Sadie (; 30 October 1930 – 21 March 2005) was a British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1980), which was published as the first edition ...

(London) * Michel Brenet ''Grétry: sa vie et ses œuvres'' (F. Hayez, 1884) * David Charlton ''Grétry and the Growth of Opéra Comique'' (Cambridge University Press, 1986) * Ronald Lessens ''Grétry ou Le triomphe de l'Opéra-Comique'' (L'Harmattan, 2007) {{DEFAULTSORT:Jugement De Midas, Le Comédies mêlées d'ariettes Opéras comiques French-language operas Operas Operas by André Grétry 1778 operas