''Madame Sans-Gêne'' 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 three acts by

Umberto Giordano Umberto Menotti Maria Giordano (28 August 186712 November 1948) was an Italian composer, mainly of operas. His best-known work in that genre was Andrea Chénier (1896). He was born in Foggia in Apulia, southern Italy, and studied under Paolo Se ...

. The libretto was taken from

Victorien Sardou Victorien Sardou ( , ; 5 September 1831 – 8 November 1908) was a French dramatist. He is best remembered today for his development, along with Eugène Scribe, of the well-made play. He also wrote several plays that were made into popular 19th-c ...

and Émile Moreau's

1893 Events January * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * January 6 – The Washington National Cathedral is chartered by Congress; th ...

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

, and adapted for the opera by

Renato Simoni Renato Simoni (Verona, 5 September 1875 – Milan, 5 July 1952) was an Italians, Italian journalist, playwright, writer and theatrical critic noted for his collaboration work with Giuseppe Adami for Giacomo Puccini's ''Turandot (Puccini), Turandot ...

Performance history

Its première took place at the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

on 25 January 1915, conducted by

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...

with

Geraldine Farrar Alice Geraldine Farrar (February 28, 1882 – March 11, 1967) was an American lyric soprano who could also sing Dramatic soprano, dramatic roles. She was noted for her beauty, acting ability, and "the intimate timbre of her voice." In the 191 ...

in the title role,

Giovanni Martinelli Giovanni Martinelli (22 October 1885 – 2 February 1969) was an Italian operatic spinto tenor. He was associated with the Italian lyric-dramatic repertory, although he performed French operatic roles to great acclaim as well. Martinelli wa ...

, and

Pasquale Amato Pasquale Amato (21 March 1878 – 12 August 1942) was an Italians, Italian operatic baritone. Amato enjoyed an international reputation but attained the peak of his fame in New York City, where he sang with the Metropolitan Opera from 1908 unti ...

. This was followed by a performance in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

under

Ettore Panizza Ettore Panizza (born Héctor Panizza; 12 August 187527 November 1967) was an Argentine conductor and composer, one of the leading conductors of the early 20th century. Panizza possessed technical mastery and was popular and influential during ...

with Farneti, Grassi and

Riccardo Stracciari Riccardo Stracciari (June 26, 1875 – October 10, 1955) was a leading Italian baritone. His repertoire consisted mainly of Italian operatic works, with Rossini's Figaro and Verdi's Rigoletto becoming his signature roles during a long and disti ...

on 28 February 1915.

Roles

Synopsis

Act 1

''Paris. 10 August 1792, the day of the capture of the

Tuileries The Tuileries Palace (, ) was a palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the Seine, directly in the west-front of the Louvre Palace. It was the Parisian residence of most French monarchs, from Henri IV to Napoleon III, until it was b ...

during the French Revolution'' There is a squabble in the laundry of Caterina Hubscher, a beautiful Alsacian girl, a very free and easy-mannered woman whom everyone calls "Madame Sans-Gêne" (Madame Carefree). One of her customers is Fouché (later Minister of Police under

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

), whom Caterina dislikes; another, a quiet young officer who lives nearby, is Napoleon himself. As Caterina is about to close her laundry, a wounded

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

n officer arrives and asks for her help, Caterina hides him in her room. The officer turns out to be the Count of Neipperg. Sergeant Lefebvre, Caterina's fiancé, arrives with more soldiers and is suspicious when he sees the doors closed. He discovers Neipperg but tells his men that there is no one in the room, and to leave. Once alone with Caterina, he helps her to assist the Count.

Act 2

''The castle of

Compiègne Compiègne (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department of northern France. It is located on the river Oise (river), Oise, and its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois'' (). Administration Compiègne is t ...

. September 1811'' Napoléon is at the height of his career. Lefebvre has distinguished himself in many battles, and has become a

Marshal of France Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...

. For his success in the siege of Danzig, Napoléon has made him Duke of Danzig. Caterina, the former laundress, is his wife of many years, and now a duchess, but her demeanor has not changed and causes scandals in court. The Emperor orders Lefebvre to divorce Caterina and find a more suitable wife. Lefebvre and Caterina are desperate and also worried about their friend Neipperg, who is suspected by the Emperor of an affair with the Empress Marie-Louise. During a reception, Caterina makes a series of gaffes and gets into a fight with the Emperor's sisters, and the butler announces that the Emperor wishes to see her.

Act 3

Napoléon orders Caterina to divorce her husband and to retire from a life that is not suitable for her. Caterina, however, reminisces about the days when she was a laundress, and he only a young officer, and he is moved even though she also reminds him that he still owes her 60 francs for washing. Then Count Neipperg is caught entering the Empress's chambers. Napoléon is furious. He degrades Neipperg from an officer to a common soldier, and orders his immediate execution. Caterina intervenes: she reveals that Neipperg is innocent and he is forgiven. To the astonishment of everyone, the Duchess of Danzig appears in the salon on the arm of the Emperor, to engage in a hunt.

Recordings

Source
Recordings of ''Madame Sans-Gêne'' on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk

References

;Sources *Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'', 782 pages, *Martin, Nicholas Ivor (1997), ''The Da Capo Opera Manual'', {{DEFAULTSORT:Madame Sans-Gene (opera) Operas by Umberto Giordano Italian-language operas Verismo operas Opera world premieres at the Metropolitan Opera 1915 operas Operas Operas based on plays Operas set in the French Revolution Operas based on works by Victorien Sardou Works based on Madame Sans-Gêne