The grand operas of Fromental Halévy

Abstract

Fromental Halevy (1799–1862) established a strong but embattled reputation as a composer of grand opera, particularly through his first and most enduring work in the genre, La Juive . Although he wrote popular operas comiques, two- and three-act operas, choral works, and the occasional ballet, Halevy's six five-act grand operas engendered the most prestige in his day, and played a substantial role in solidifying the genre. After the overwhelming success of La luive in 1835, Halevy composed, with various collaborators, Guido et Ginevra, ou la Peste de Florence (1838), La Reine de Chypre (1841), Charles VI (1843), Le Juif errant (1852) and La Magicienne (1858). In the judgement of Richard Wagner, who was among the composer's partisans, the essence of Halevy's inspiration lay not in comic opera but in the ‘pathos of high tragedie lyrique’ . Another writer, although disparaging of both composer and genre, viewed Halevy an ideal creator of grand opera, who ‘gave himself body and soul to the mise-en-scene , the dramatic magnificence and the pomp, which he understands … better than anyone in the world'. Before La Juive propelled the thirty-five-year-old Halevy to critical acclaim and membership of the prestigious Academie des Beaux-Arts and the Legion d'honneur, his skills had been well nurtured and honoured at the Paris Conservatoire as both student and teacher, and as professional musician of the theatre. As accompanist at the Theâtre Italien from 1826, then assistant chef de chant at the Opera from 1829 to 1833 and, at the death of Herold, main chef de chant from 1833 to 1840, the composer learned invaluable lessons about vocal sonorities and capacities, operatic conventions and effective collaboration with singers.