Le Cid (opera)
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Le Cid is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Louis Gallet, Édouard Blau and Adolphe d'Ennery.
It was first performed at the Opéra Comique in Paris on November 30, 1885 with Jean de Reszke as Rodrigue. While the opera itself is not in the standard operatic repertory, the ballet suite is a popular concert piece and includes the famous Aragonaise. Some consider the heroic subject matter of Le Cid less suited to Massenet's style than his other works. Still, it maintains a marginal place in the repertoire due mostly to the famous ballet suite and the 1978 recording with Plácido Domingo and Grace Bumbry.
[edit] Principal characters
- Chimène - soprano
- La Infanta - soprano
- Rodrigue - tenor
- Don Diègue - baritone
- Le Roi - bass
- Le Comte de Gormas - bass
[edit] Noted arias
- Act II - Rodrigue: "O noble lame étincelante"
- Act III - Chimène: "Pleurez, pleurez mes yeux"
- Act III - Rodrigue: "O souverain, o juge, o père"
[edit] References
- Le Cid at Jules-Massenet.com
- Public Domain Sheet Music from Le Cid at IMSLP
