''Le Mage'' ("the

Magus Magi (), or magus (), is the term for priests in Zoroastrianism and earlier Iranian religions. The earliest known use of the word ''magi'' is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius the Great, known as the Behistun Inscription. Old Per ...

") is an

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

in five acts by

Jules Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are ''Manon'' (1884 ...

to a French

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 ...

by Jean Richepin. It was first performed at the

Paris Opéra The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...

in Paris on 16 March 1891 in costumes by Charles Bianchini and sets by

Auguste Alfred Rubé Auguste Alfred Rubé (20 June 1817 – 13 April 1899) was a French painter noted especially for his theatre decorations. Biography Born in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, Rubé was an innovator in the field of theatrical set design. This "dec ...

Philippe Chaperon Philippe Chaperon (2 February 1823 – 21 December 1906) was a French painter and scenic designer, particularly known for his work at the Paris Opera. He produced stage designs for the premieres of numerous 19th-century operas, including Verdi's ...

and Marcel Jambon (Act I), Amable and Eugène Gardy (Act II), Alfred Lemeunier (Act III), and

Jean-Baptiste Lavastre Jean-Baptiste Lavastre (24 August 1839 – 24 April 1891) was a French landscape painter and scenic designer. Biography A student of Édouard Desplechin as soon as 1854 when he was only fifteen (and then his associate from 1864 to 1870), Je ...

and

Eugène Carpezat Eugène Louis Carpezat (Paris, 4 November 1833 – Paris, 26 February 1912) was an acclaimed French scenographer in the Belle Époque. Career Carpezat was the son of lemonade makers Claude François Carpezat and Jacqueline Caniou. After conside ...

(Acts IV and V). Since its premiere run of 31 performances ''Le Mage'' has been rarely performed (it was seen in The Hague in 1896), and it is one of Massenet's least known operas. However, it falls squarely in the middle of his most productive period. A rare complete concert performance took place in

Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...

in 2012.

Roles

Synopsis

Act 1

''At dawn in the camp of the Persian general Zarastra'' Zarastra has just defeated the Turanians. Amrou, Persian high priest to the

Daeva A daeva (Avestan: 𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬎𐬎𐬀 ''daēuua'') is a Zoroastrian supernatural entity with disagreeable characteristics. In the Gathas, the oldest texts of the Zoroastrian canon, the ''daeva''s are " gods that are (to be) rejected". T ...

s (the supposed gods of pre-Zoroastrian Persia), enters with his daughter, Varedha, priestess of Djahi, goddess of love. Varedha declares her love for Zarastra. He however loves the captive Turanian queen, Anahita; she is in love with him but rejects him rather than betray her countrymen.

Act 2

''Scene 1: In a subterranean chamber in the Djahi temple'' Amrou enters looking for Varedha, and promises vengeance on Zarastra for spurning his daughter. ''Scene 2: In the square of Balzhdi'' Zarastra, hailed by the courtiers and priests, presents before the Persian king the treasures and captives he has taken. As the prize of his victory he requests to take as wife Anahita. Amrou objects to the union – Zarastra promised to marry Varedha. Although the general denies this, Amrou convinces everyone that he has broken his word, and Zarastra is banished.

Act 3

''On a holy mountain – sacred to the god of fire'' Zarastra is worshiped now as a

magus Magi (), or magus (), is the term for priests in Zoroastrianism and earlier Iranian religions. The earliest known use of the word ''magi'' is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius the Great, known as the Behistun Inscription. Old Per ...

, and prays. His meditation is broken by Varedha who has pursued him to the mountain and swears her love for him. She finally says that Anahita is about to marry the king.

Act 4

''The temple of Djahi'' There are dances in preparation for the wedding. But Anahita refuses to marry the king, who nonetheless tries to proceed with the ceremony. Anahita threatens an uprising, and Touranian soldiers burst in and overrun the city.

Act 5

''The ruins of Balzdhi'' Zarastra is devastated and walks in the ruins. He finds the bodies of the king and the high priest. He does not find the body of his beloved. At a fanfare and Anahita enters and repeats her love for Zarastra. Varedha comes to and, seeing the couple, curses them. Flames re-ignite, but a prayer by Zarastra moves the god

Ahura Mazda Ahura Mazda (; ; or , ),The former is the New Persian rendering of the Avestan form, while the latter derives from Middle Persian. also known as Horomazes (),, is the only creator deity and Sky deity, god of the sky in the ancient Iranian ...

to stop the flames so that the lovers may leave the temple. Varedha expires.

Recordings

* ''Le Mage'' – Catherine Hunold (soprano) Anahita, Kate Aldrich (mezzo soprano) Varedha, Luca Lombardo (tenor) Zarâstra, Jean-François Lapointe (baritone) Amrou, Marcel Vanaud (baritone) Le Roi d'Iran, Julien Dran (tenor) prisonnier Touranien, Florian Sempey (baritone) Chef Touranien. Opéra-Théâtre de Saint-Étienne dir. Laurent Campellone, concert performance 11 November 2012, sponsored Palazzetto Bru Zane. 2CDs Ediciones Singulares 2013. Arias: * "Ah! Parais!": Agustarello Affré, (Pathé 1903).This is not a 'creator recording' as Affré appeared as ''The Touranien Prisoner'' in the opera's premiere; the aria is sung by ''Zarastra.'' * "Soulève l'ombre de ses voiles" (Act 3): Edmond Clément, Orchestre, (

Pathé Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...

recording, 1919) * References

References

External links

*
Le mage
Visual documentation of the premiere o
Gallica
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mage Operas by Jules Massenet French-language operas 1891 operas Operas Operas set in Iran Opera world premieres at the Paris Opera