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159-510: Sacchini had already dealt with the subject of El Cid twice before. The first occasion was in Rome during the Carnival season of 1769, when, under the title of Il Cidde , he had set a libretto by Gioacchino Pizzi, previously used by Niccolò Piccinni , which retained its popularity for at least another decade. The star of the work was the soprano castrato, Tommaso Guarducci  [ it ] , then at

318-462: A Piedmontese non-liveried servant who had been in the family's employment for about three months and who was known simply as Lawrence (or Lorenzo, in some sources) standing inside, holding a smoking pistol. On being asked what he was doing, he replied "Nothing." He later admitted to the Comtesse that he had been handling the pistol and that it had discharged itself accidentally. In consequence, Lawrence

477-524: A Requiem Mass , the bodies of the Comte and Comtesse d'Antraigues were buried in the graveyard of St Pancras Old Church , London. In the early 1980s Duckworth searched the cemetery but was unable to find any headstone or other marker of their grave, which, he assumes, must have been disturbed during excavation work in the 1860s when the Midland Railway was building its new London terminus . The reasons for

636-513: A Spanish TV series with Jaime Lorente starring as El Cid . Antoinette Saint-Huberty Anne-Antoinette-Cécile Clavel , better known by her stage name Madame Saint-Huberty or Saint-Huberti (15 December 1756 in Strasbourg – 22 July 1812 in Barnes, London ), was a celebrated French operatic soprano whose career extended from c.  1774 until 1790. After her retirement from

795-449: A train borne by pages . After she became a premier sujet du chant , Saint-Huberty insisted that her theatrical costumes should reflect, as accurately as possible, the period in which the drama was set. She would therefore consult with the artist Jean-Michel Moreau , and have her costumes prepared to her own specifications in Greek or Roman style. This caused a great amount of vexation to

954-456: A CD recording, which has not been the case with Chimène . Chimène was revived in 2017 for a series of performances beginning at the Théâtre de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines on 13 January 2017 with Le Concert de la Loge orchestra conducted by Julien Chauvin . Agnieszka Sławinska sang the title role and Artavazd Sargsyan played Rodrigue. The scene is the court of Castile in the 11th century, during

1113-511: A confrontation. D'Antraigues continued to be extremely active politically, and in this he was supported by Mme. Saint-Huberty (by which name she was still known). Apart from producing a constant stream of counter-revolutionary propaganda, he was heavily involved in a network of counter-revolutionary intelligence: indeed he has been described as "the central figure in the counter-revolutionary espionage network in Europe" between 1791 and 1812. His role

1272-577: A counter-revolutionary. On 27 February 1790, after being implicated in a plot to help the royal family escape from the Tuileries Palace , he fled France and made for Lausanne in Switzerland . On or around 3 April 1790, having obtained a passport, Antoinette left Paris with her chamber-maid and two other servants to join d'Antrigues as an émigré . She never sung at the Opéra again. The property at Groslay

1431-650: A daughter of a Count Diego Fernández de Oviedo . Tradition states that when El Cid first laid eyes on her, he was enamoured of her great beauty. El Cid and Jimena had two daughters, Cristina and María, and a son. The latter, Diego Rodríguez , was killed while fighting against the invading Muslim Almoravids from North Africa at the Battle of Consuegra in 1097. El Cid's daughters Cristina Rodríguez and María both married into noble families. Cristina married Ramiro , Lord of Monzón and grandson of García Sánchez III of Navarre . Her own son, El Cid's grandson, would be elevated to

1590-400: A discreet distance. On the evening of 29 August 1797, Saint-Huberty, drawing on her years of experience in the theatre, helped her husband to disguise himself as a priest. He wore a cassock, an ecclesiastical wig, a beard, green-tinted spectacles, and appropriate make-up. His guards failed to recognize him as he made his way to a pre-arranged rendezvous in the church of San Celso , and early

1749-698: A few days, she, Jules and d'Antraigues reunited in Innsbruck . According to a dispatch from Paris dated 21 September, the official Parisian newspapers were silent on news of the escape, although it was variously reported in private prints. For this reason, The Times in London espressed some scepticism as to whether any escape on the part of d'Antraigues and Saint-Huberty had taken place. Saint-Huberty and her family lived in Graz (1797–1799), Vienna (1799–1802) and Dresden (1802–1806), before moving to London. In 1808 their address

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1908-523: A fight, he found both of them against him." The Académie Royale (the Paris Opéra) and the Comédie-Italienne had been ordered to organise a joint opera season for the court in the autumn of 1783 at the palace of Fontainebleau . A new work by Piccinni, Didon , had long been in preparation. Sacchini was persuaded to hurry the composition of the second of the three works stipulated in his contract with

2067-483: A guaranteed minimum of 9,000 livres per annum, and compliance with her other demands, although the Minister expressed his confidence that she would, from time to time, allow others to sing the roles which she had created. She was required, on her word of honour, never to disclose her new salary arrangements to any of her colleagues for fear that it might cause unrest. Saint-Huberty's financial position improved further after

2226-571: A leading figure in a diverse Moorish force consisting of Muwallads , Berbers , Arabs , and Malians within the respective Taifa. According to Moorish accounts: Andalusi Knights found El Cid their foe ill, thirsty and exiled from the court of Alfonso , he was presented before the elderly Yusuf al-Mu'taman ibn Hud and accepted command of the forces of the Taifa of Zaragoza as their Master. In his History of Medieval Spain (Cornell University Press, 1975), Joseph F. O'Callaghan writes: That kingdom

2385-514: A letter of 8 November 1786, Gossec commented that Saint-Huberty was rushing inexorably towards her own destruction. However, both Dauvergne and Gossec expressed concern that no obvious candidate could take her place – indicating that, in 1786/87, she was still regarded, by the director and the head of the École de chant , as the pre-eminent soprano at the Opéra, and one whom they considered was some way ahead of M.lle Maillard ( premier sujet ) and M.lle Dozon ( premier remplacement ). De Goncourt listed

2544-459: A memorandum dated 21 July 1787, where he complained that she had had to withdraw from several important roles which she no longer felt capable of singing. He complained that whilst she was happy to perform twice a day when on tour, she insisted on limiting her performances at the Opéra to one (or occasionally two) per week. He predicted that her singing career would be over within two years – or less, if she were to undertake another provincial tour. In

2703-605: A new libretto, entitled Chimène , prepared for him by the man who was to become his favourite poet in Paris, Nicolas-François Guillard . Dennis Libby comments: "As might be expected, this libretto has the closest resemblance to Corneille's tragedy, while accommodating the French taste for choral singing and ballet". According to Lajarte , "Chimène was, to be precise, a translation and not a new work", while Pitou writes that "it had been staged in Rome and London before its Paris premiere". In fact,

2862-439: A novel approach to planning strategy as well, holding what might be called " brainstorming " sessions before each battle to discuss tactics. They frequently used unexpected strategies, engaging in what modern generals would call psychological warfare —waiting for the enemy to be paralyzed with terror and then attacking them suddenly; distracting the enemy with a small group of soldiers, etc. (El Cid used this distraction in capturing

3021-498: A panic, rushed to the Sun public house nearby to summon help, whilst the other witnesses attempted to give assistance to the wounded. In the confusion, Lawrence re-entered the house, and a minute or so later another pistol shot was heard. Two surgeons, Matthew Ball, of Barnes, and a Mr. King, were immediately called to the house. King, assisted by Hebditch, stripped the Comte (who had managed to stagger up to his bedroom) and attempted to treat

3180-519: A rich Italian music-lover who owned a magnificent villa (the Villa Turconi  [ it ] ) near Mendrisio on the Swiss-Italian border. At the same time, she was the mistress of Louis-Alexandre de Launay, comte d'Antraigues , whom she met in 1783 and took as a lover during the latter half of 1784. This double liaison has been interpreted as follows: Turconi was "the man who was willing to pay

3339-421: A role to which she was particularly well suited. Evidence of the enormous popularity which she enjoyed among opera enthusiasts is provided by the triumphal reception she received on visiting Marseille in 1785, and throughout the 1780s she was one of the most famous and most celebrated singers in Europe. Her holiday months were spent touring the French provincial theatres, sometimes appearing in two performances on

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3498-581: A secret, Antoinette's chamber-maid, Madame Sibot, was declared to be the child's mother, although on the baptism certificate d'Antraigues acknowledged paternity and gave Jules his surname. Mme. Sibot and her husband were asked to attend to his upbringing, and to pass the boy as their own. As soon as Antoinette was fit enough to travel, the family and the servants returned to the Villa Turconi. D'Antraigues and Antoinette had no further children, although Pingaud contends that an earlier child, who lived only briefly,

3657-421: A severe defeat to Castile, compelling Alfonso to overcome the resentment he harboured against El Cid. The terms for El Cid's return to Christian service must have been attractive enough since El Cid soon found himself fighting for his former lord. Over the next several years, however, El Cid set his sights on the kingdom-city of Valencia , operating more or less independently of Alfonso, while politically supporting

3816-525: A simultaneous affair with at least one of the ladies at court. Prior to the French Revolution , d'Antraigues had been broadly in sympathy with many of the ideas which became revolutionary ideals. On 4 April 1789 he was elected to the Estates General as a representative of the noblesse of the province of Vivarais . However, later that year his attitude underwent a profound change, and he became

3975-590: A time in Strasbourg after running out of money. An alternative account of Antoinette's early years as a singer, which appears to have its roots in Edmond de Goncourt's Saint-Huberty and was subsequently taken up unquestioningly by a number of other writers, runs as follows. By the age of twelve she had mastered everything her father was able to teach her, and her vocal tuition was therefore entrusted to other masters, possibly attached to Strasbourg Cathedral . At fifteen she

4134-432: A verdict that, firstly, the Comte and Comtesse had been murdered by Lawrence, and that, secondly, Lawrence had then committed suicide, "being in his senses" (sic). After the inquest, Lawrence's body was buried in a shallow grave on land not far from some houses. A few days afterwards, a correspondent wrote a letter to The Times to denounce the fact that the grave had been opened on a number of occasions purely "to gratify

4293-496: A young man in 1057, El Cid fought against the Moorish stronghold of Zaragoza , making its emir al-Muqtadir a vassal of Sancho. In the spring of 1063, El Cid fought in the Battle of Graus , where Ferdinand's half-brother, Ramiro I of Aragon , was laying siege to the Moorish town of Graus, which was fought on Zaragozan lands in the valley of the river Cinca . Al-Muqtadir, accompanied by Castilian troops including El Cid, fought against

4452-474: Is a fictionalized biography of Madame Saint Huberty written by Germaine Beauguitte and published as a paperback in April 1962. Beauguitte describes her book as a une biographie romancée rather than an accurate representation of historical fact. The plot appears to follow Edmond de Goncourt's biographical study to a large extent, which, in its turn, may be less than reliable. An unusual feature about Beauguitte's book

4611-424: Is believed that the legend originated shortly after Jimena entered Burgos, and that it is derived from the manner in which Jimena's procession rode into the city, i.e. alongside her deceased husband. During his campaigns, El Cid often ordered that books by classic Roman and Greek authors on military themes be read aloud to him and his troops, for both entertainment and inspiration before battle. El Cid's army had

4770-565: Is difficult to identify with absolute precision, since there was more than one princess of that name in Warsaw at that time ), and eventually obtained a contract in Berlin , where she sang with some success. On 10 September 1775, at St. Hedwig's , in the Opernplatz , Berlin, Antoinette married Claude-Philippe Croisilles de Saint-Huberty, who claimed to be Prince Henry of Prussia 's chargé d'affaires and

4929-616: Is evident that by summer 1778 the couple were living apart – he in rue des Orties, Saint-Rioch, and she in rue de l'Arbre-Sec. On 31 July 1778, Antoinette sought an injunction for the return of some papers, effects and sheet-music which, she alleged, he had stolen from her apartment whilst she had been at the Opéra. Her husband's defence was that, being married, their goods were held jointly, and that Antoinette, acting on bad advice, had illegally abandoned their family home to live elsewhere. On that basis, he applied to be accompanied by Antoinette's lawyer, Chénon fils , when he went to her apartment in

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5088-644: Is first documented c. 1195 in the Navarro-Aragonese Linage de Rodric Díaz  [ es ] included in the Liber Regum under the formula mio Cid el Campeador . El Cid was born Rodrigo Díaz circa 1043 in Vivar , also known as Castillona de Bivar, a small town about ten kilometers (or six miles) north of Burgos , the capital of Castile . His father, Diego Laínez, was a courtier , bureaucrat , and cavalryman who had fought in several battles. Despite

5247-476: Is in despair about the terrible choice she has been forced to make, but she strongly believes Rodrigue can never be defeated in combat. Rodrigue arrives to say goodbye for the last time and tells her that he will never dare to raise his sword against anyone who fights in her name. He will let himself be killed, with no fear for his honour: people will only say that, conquered by Chimène, and with no hope of changing her mind, he had preferred to die rather than live with

5406-441: Is proclaimed "El Cid" (Scene 5). As the celebrations end, Chimène reappears. Having learned of Rodrigue's exploits, she fears she will now fail to achieve her revenge. In fact, the king wants to declare Rodrigue above the law, but the other knights are opposed, offering to take up the challenge on her behalf against the "Cid" in a trial by combat . It is also opposed by Don Diegue, who, in the name of honour, urges his son to fight for

5565-465: Is that it includes a preliminary chapter written by the artist and historical biographer Marie-Magdeleine de Rasky (1897–1982), who claimed to be the reincarnation of Madame Saint-Huberty. Rasky's assertion was made on the basis that (i) her mind was haunted by scenes and visions of places which, although she had never visited them, somehow appeared familiar; on visiting these places (sometimes quite by chance) and recognising that they corresponded with

5724-526: Is that, during her confinement, Antoinette lodged at the house of a Dr Moscati, who lived in a village outside Milan. D'Antraigues's presence did not pass unobserved – on 11 February 1792 the Archduke Ferdinand notified Vienna that d'Antraigues was "visiting M.lle Saint-Huberti"(sic), who was believed to be recovering from an illness, and it had been thought prudent to place him under surveillance. Because of d'Antraigues's wish that their marriage remain

5883-426: Is torn between the conflicting demands of love and honour, but in the end he obeys Don Diegue and fights and kills Chimene's father, much to his despair. Chimène is alone in a room in the palace and is torn apart by conflicting emotions: love, desire for revenge and honour. But she vows to avenge her father (Scene 1). The king enters and tries to console Chimène, treating her as his own daughter: he declares how fond he

6042-552: The Banu Hud and other Muslim dynasties opposed to the Almoravids. He gradually increased his control over Valencia; the Islamic ruler, Yahya al-Qadir , became his tributary in 1092. When the Almoravids instigated an uprising that resulted in the death of al-Qadir, El Cid responded by laying siege to the city. Valencia finally fell in 1094, and El Cid established an independent principality on

6201-748: The Battle of Almenar . In 1084, he defeated the Aragonese at the Battle of Morella near Tortosa , but in autumn the Castilians started a loose siege of Toledo and later the next year the Christians captured Salamanca , a stronghold of the Taifa of Toledo . In 1086, the Almoravid invasion of the Iberian Peninsula , through and around Gibraltar , began. The Almoravids, a Berber dynasty from North Africa , led by Yusuf ibn Tashfin , were asked to help defend

6360-773: The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York, although it is not currently (October 2013) on public display. The figure of Didon is based upon a portrait by André Dutertre of Madame Saint-Huberty in the role. An engraved version of this portrait later became very popular as a print. Antoinette spent the first three months of exile in a village near Lausanne. D'Antraigues lived opposite and took his meals with her. They were married in great secrecy on 29 December 1790 at Castel San Pietro , near Mendrisio , in Italian-speaking Switzerland . Permission to dispense with

6519-569: The Count of Provence (who, after the execution of Louis XVI that January, had assumed the Regency of France) entrusted him with the diplomatic task of safeguarding his interests in Venice. This enabled Saint-Huberty, her son and servants, to finally leave Villa Turconi. At Verona , whilst on their way to Venice, it appears that there was a quarrel of some sort between Antoinette and Madame Sibot, which resulted in

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6678-576: The Rhône-Alpes was attacked, ransacked, and totally destroyed by a band of rioters; and other properties belonging to him were looted and badly damaged. On 26 June 1792 Antoinette gave birth to a son, who was baptized Pierre-Antoine-Emmanuel-Jules at a church in Greco two days later. The birthplace of Jules (as he was known) is uncertain, but was probably in Milan or somewhere in its immediate neighbourhood. One view

6837-535: The 11th century epic poem Cantar de mio Cid , the Castilian nobility led by El Cid and a dozen "oath-helpers" forced Alfonso to swear publicly on holy relics multiple times in front of Santa Gadea ( Saint Agatha ) Church in Burgos that he did not participate in the plot to kill his brother. This is not mentioned in the more reliable 12th century chronicle Historia Roderici , however. El Cid's position as armiger regis

6996-481: The Almoravids besieged the city. But he defeated them and died 5 years later, on July 10, 1099. Afterward Valencia was captured by Mazdali on May 5, 1102. Jimena fled to Burgos, Castile, in 1101. She rode into the town with her retinue and the body of El Cid. Originally buried in Castile in the monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña , his body now lies at the center of Burgos Cathedral . After his demise, but still during

7155-495: The Almoravids in the service of Alfonso in 1097. After El Cid's death in 1099, his wife, Jimena Díaz , succeeded him as ruler of Valencia, but she was eventually forced to surrender the principality to the Almoravids in 1102. The name El Cid ( Spanish: [el ˈθið] ) is a modern Spanish denomination composed of the article el meaning "the" and Cid , which derives from the Old Castilian loan word Çid borrowed from

7314-544: The Aragonese. The party slew Ramiro I, setting the Aragonese army on the run, and emerged victorious. One legend has said that during the conflict, El Cid killed an Aragonese knight in single combat, thereby receiving the honorific title " Campeador ". When Ferdinand died, Sancho continued to enlarge his territory, conquering both Christian strongholds and the Moorish cities of Zamora and Badajoz . When Sancho learned that Alfonso

7473-541: The Cid". In 1929, Chilean writer Vicente Huidobro published his poetic novel Mío Cid Campeador. Hazaña. This work, together with other novels (and plays) he published between 1929 and 1939, defied the traditional realistic style of the early 20th century Chilean novel. The English version was published in 1931. Georges Bizet worked on Don Rodrigue in 1873 that was set aside and never completed. Jules Massenet wrote an opera, Le Cid , in 1885, based on Corneille's play of

7632-558: The Great , and – simultaneously – gained Russian protection for himself by virtue of being an attaché at the Russian legation. The move was facilitated by Las Casas, who introduced him to the Russian ambassador at Naples : the ambassador then recommended him to the Empress Catherine. Letters written by Las Casas and quoted by de Goncourt indicate that, whilst in Venice, Saint-Huberty attended

7791-571: The Italophile opponents of the German composer Gluck had managed to attract Piccinni, one of the leading exponents of the Neapolitan school, to Paris. Piccinni was more or less the same age as Sacchini and, indeed, had been his fellow student and maybe even collaborator early in his career. The battle between the two camps, the "Gluckists" and the "Piccinnists" continued until 1779, when Gluck, confronted with

7950-781: The Latinized expression, ego Rudericus Campidoctor . The title "Campeador" thus comes from the Latin Campidoctor , literally meaning "Teacher of the Field", but translatable as "Master of the Battlefield". Arabic sources from the late 11th century and early 12th century call him الكنبيطور ( al-Kanbīṭūr ), القنبيطور ( al-Qanbīṭūr ), also preceded by Rudrīq or Ludrīq , which are Arabized forms of his title and name, respectively. The epithet of "El Cid" meant "the Lord", probably from

8109-458: The London one does not survive complete (unusually extensive excerpts were published) this cannot be asserted with absolute certainty." The composition of Sacchini's second work for Paris must be placed in the context of the factional fighting which then dominated the French musical world, a sort of reprise of the Querelle des Bouffons a couple of decades earlier. Hostilities began in the mid-1770s:

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8268-622: The Mediterranean coast of Iberia. He ruled over a pluralistic society with the popular support of Christians and Muslims alike. El Cid's final years were spent fighting the Almoravid Berbers . He inflicted upon them their first major defeat in 1094, on the plains of Caurte, outside Valencia, and continued opposing them until his death. Although El Cid remained undefeated in Valencia, Diego Rodríguez, his only son and heir, died fighting against

8427-538: The Moorish Mediterranean coastal city of Valencia . Several obstacles lay in his way. First was Berenguer Ramon II, who ruled nearby Barcelona . In May 1090, El Cid defeated and captured Berenguer in the Battle of Tébar (nowadays Pinar de Tévar, near Monroyo , Teruel ). Berenguer was later released and his nephew Ramon Berenguer III married El Cid's youngest daughter Maria to ward against future conflicts. Along

8586-454: The Opéra. As mentioned above, he chose to take his subject from Corneille's tragedy Le Cid . The two new operas were placed in direct competition: Didon was to be performed on 16 October and Chimene on 16 November 1783. To level the playing field, the new prima donna of the Opéra, Antoinette Saint-Huberty , was to take the title role in both works and both pieces were due to have two performances each. Didon , probably Piccinni's masterpiece in

8745-574: The Paris Opéra. By 1782 – a year in which Saint-Huberty earned 5,500 livres , which was high by Paris Opéra standards, although when compared with the leading Italian theatres, not a particularly large amount for an artist with her appeal at the box-office – she was considered indispensable by the Opéra administration, who decided to renegotiate her contract by offering her a further 1,500 livres from Court funds: an amount originally destined for M.lle Laguerre. Antoinette responded that she would have to think

8904-620: The Reconquista, making him a legendary figure in Spain. El Cid is one of the few examples of knight errantry formally recognized by the priest in Miguel de Cervantes 's Don Quixote (1605–1615). In the early 17th century, the Spanish writer Guillén de Castro wrote a play called Las Mocedades del Cid , on which French playwright Pierre Corneille based one of his most famous tragicomedies, Le Cid . He

9063-671: The Spanish honorific El Campeador ("the Champion"). He was born in Vivar , a village near the city of Burgos . As the head of his loyal knights, he came to dominate the Levante of the Iberian Peninsula at the end of the 11th century. He reclaimed the Taifa of Valencia from Moorish control for a brief period during the Reconquista , ruling the Principality of Valencia from 17 June 1094 until his death in 1099. His wife, Jimena Díaz , inherited

9222-406: The arms of the king. Rodrigue says that, driven to despair by the tragedy that has divided him from Chimène, he had sought an honourable death in battle. The king tries to console him, suggesting that Chimene – who is still in love with him – might have second thoughts about her revenge, given the valour her beloved has just shown. The scene ends in choruses and dances of victory, during which Rodrigue

9381-555: The army of the Moors which has just laid siege to the city. If he is to die, he should do so nobly for his king and country. Encouraged by his father's words, Rodrigue agrees to fight and the first act ends with a martial chorus (Scene 6). In the palace courtyard, the common people fear the arrival of the Moors (Scene 1), and the king tries to reassure them, inviting them to seek refuge in the palace. Suddenly, unexpected shouts of victory are heard (Scene 2). A herald enters and describes in detail

9540-411: The bills," whereas d'Antraigues was more of a gallant-adventurer and the man she preferred. Both men were aware of the situation, but appear to have accepted it. Turconi purchased a small château at Groslay in the vale of Montmorency as a gift for Antoinette, yet d'Antraigues was able to have his own room there. D'Antraigues was not the most faithful of lovers: Duckworth maintains that he was conducting

9699-400: The burden of her hatred. Chimène begs Rodrigue to avoid falling prey to Don Sanche, because she cannot bear the prospect of Sanche's bloodstained hand taking hers in marriage. She urges him to remember that she will be the prize of the winner. Reassured by his beloved's words, Rodrigue leaves, declaring his desire for victory (Scene 2). Left alone with her entourage, while the trumpets announcing

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9858-489: The campaigns of King Sancho II of Castile against his brothers, kings Alfonso VI of León and García II of Galicia . While his contemporaries left no historical sources that would have addressed him as Cid , they left plenty of Christian and Arab records, some even signed documents with his autograph, addressing him as Campeador , which prove that he used the Christian cognomen himself. The whole combination Cid Campeador

10017-436: The carriage to the front door at a few minutes before eight, and on his arrival, Lawrence opened the door of the conveyance and placed a can of oil inside. He then went back into the house momentarily, but soon returned outside. The Comtesse came downstairs, attended by Black (who was carrying some books), and another servant, Elizabeth Ashton. Black ordered Lawrence to open the carriage door for her mistress, but he went back into

10176-451: The case of Chimène bears strong similarities to that of Renaud , compared to Sacchini's previous Italian operas on the same theme, Armida (Milan and Florence, 1772) and Rinaldo (London, 1780). Dennis Libby writes: "Notwithstanding frequent assertions to the effect that the French opera is based on music from the London one, there appear to be no musical interrelationships of any substance among Sacchini's three Cid operas, although since

10335-526: The city and maintained it until 1102 when it was reconquered by the Moors. Díaz de Vivar became well known for his service in the armies of both Christian and Muslim rulers. After his death, El Cid became Spain's most celebrated national hero and the protagonist of the most significant medieval Spanish epic poem, El Cantar de mio Cid , which presents him as the ideal medieval knight: strong, valiant, loyal, just, and pious. There are various theories on his family history, which remains uncertain; however, he

10494-510: The construction of the poem. The figure of El Cid has been the source for many literary works, beginning with the Cantar de mio Cid , an epic poem from the 12th century which gives a partly-fictionalized account of his life, and was one of the early chivalric romances . This poem, along with similar later works such as the Mocedades de Rodrigo , contributed to portray El Cid as a chivalric hero of

10653-599: The dialectal Arabic word سيد sîdi or sayyid , which means "lord" or "master". The Mozarabs or the Arabs that served in his ranks may have addressed him in this way, which the Christians may have transliterated and adopted. Historians, however, have not yet found contemporary records referring to Rodrigo as Cid. Arab sources use instead Rudriq , Ludriq al-Kanbiyatur or al-Qanbiyatur ( Rodrigo el Campeador ). The cognomen Campeador derives from Latin campi doctor, which means "battlefield master". He probably gained it during

10812-546: The divided Moors from Alfonso. The Almoravid army, joined by that of several Taifas, including Badajoz , Málaga , Granada , Tortosa and Seville , defeated a combined army of León , Aragón , and Castile at the Battle of Sagrajas . In 1087, Raymond of Burgundy and his Christian allies attempted to weaken the Taifa of Zaragoza's northernmost stronghold by initiating the Siege of Tudela and Alfonso captured Aledo, Murcia , blocking

10971-477: The duel are heard in the distance, Chimène performs a "mad scene", in which she believes she is seeing the events of the fight, and faints in the arms of her ladies as she imagines Rodrigue mortally wounded (Scene 3). Don Sanche enters bearing Rodrigue's sword, but he is prevented from speaking by the curses of Chimène, who calls him a hateful murderer (Scene 4). The king appears with his entourage and Chimène throws herself at his feet, confessing her unchanging love for

11130-413: The earlier visions, she discovered that they had a close association with Saint-Huberty: and that (ii) although she had not been injured, she nevertheless carried a large scar above her left breast, which seemingly tallied with de Goncourt's account of Saint-Huberty's death. (Although 1812 accounts of the murder were not always consistent, this part of de Rasky's claim contradicts Matthew Ball's testimony at

11289-541: The early 1780s, Saint-Huberty became increasingly demanding and difficult for the management to deal with. At a time when professional indiscipline and petulance amongst the artists of the Opéra was all too common, she soon became known as the worst of the troublemakers. However, the early death of Marie-Joséphine Laguerre on 14 February 1783 and the retirement around that time of the two other principal sopranos, Rosalie Duplant and Rosalie Levasseur , enabled her to cement her position as leading premier sujet du chant of

11448-457: The early 1790s. Antoinette began the study of singing and the harpsichord under her father's direction at a very young age, and quickly displayed an extraordinary musical talent. Whilst her voice was still maturing, she met the composer Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne in Warsaw in 1770, and he supervised her musical education for the next four years. She became a protégée of a Princess Lubomirska (whom it

11607-539: The early morning of 31 August (his wife was still in bed) to seize items of furniture and a parcel of twenty-two letters (which, it appeared, were lettres de galanterie ). Antoinette fought and screamed so loudly during this visit that she feared she might have damaged her voice. Chénon later considered it appropriate to submit a detailed report of the incident to the Lieutenant of Police. Nevertheless, in January 1781 Antoinette

11766-525: The eleventh century and contained amounts of Damascus steel . In 2007, the Autonomous Community of Castile and León bought the sword for €1.6 million, and it is currently on display at the Museum of Burgos . El Cid also had a sword called Colada . El Cid married Jimena Díaz , who was said to be part of an aristocratic family from Asturias, in the mid-1070s. The Historia Roderici calls her

11925-547: The enormous success she obtained in the role of Didon in Piccinni's opera of the same name in 1783. Louis XVI , who was never a great lover of opera, insisted on hearing it three times. Declaring that it "had given him as much pleasure as a fine tragedy," he gave instructions that Saint-Huberty be paid a further pension of 1,500 livres per annum . Her biographers agree that Didon was the greatest success of Saint-Huberty's career, and, given her qualities as an outstanding tragedienne,

12084-491: The exile: jealous nobles turning Alfonso against El Cid through court intrigue, and Alfonso's own personal animosity towards El Cid. The song of El Cid and subsequent tales state that Alfonso's and his court's animosity toward Rodrigo was the primary reason the expulsion of the knights from León, as well as a possible misappropriation of some of the tribute from Seville by El Cid. At first he went to Barcelona , where Ramon Berenguer II refused his offer of service. The exile

12243-411: The fact that El Cid's mother's family was aristocratic, in later years, the peasants would consider him one of their own. However, his relatives were not major court officials; documents show that El Cid's paternal grandfather, Laín, confirmed only five documents of Ferdinand I 's; his maternal grandfather, Rodrigo Álvarez, certified only two of Sancho II 's; and El Cid's father confirmed only one. As

12402-428: The failure of his final opera Echo et Narcisse , had decided to return to Vienna for a while, after which hostilities had continued to smoulder under the surface. Sacchini's arrival in Paris in 1781 had been supported by Piccinni himself, who saw him as a natural ally, but the vacuum created by Gluck's absence, the intrigues of Piccinni's enemies, and Sacchini's touchiness and need for money had ended by making rivals of

12561-423: The family moved, with d'Antraigues placed under house arrest, to the palace of a Marquis Andreoli. However, orders were given that Saint-Huberty be kept in Milan, and that all correspondence from or addressed to either of the couple be intercepted. Nevertheless, as time went on, d'Antraigues was eventually allowed to pay visits to a library and to take walks, provided that he was attended by guards, who would keep at

12720-455: The field of costume design, when taken as a whole, are judged to have been of significant importance. Saint-Huberty also had an influence, albeit a slighter one, on fashion. Her enormous success in Didon inspired the design of an elegant gentleman's waistcoat , in embroidered silk, depicting the scene in which Didon is abandoned by Énée. Since 1962 the waistcoat has formed part of the collection of

12879-434: The field of serious opera, enjoyed a triumphant reception, while Chimène was more of a succès d'éstime and was performed only once, because the "king himself, although he was no music lover, chose to hear Didon a third time. 'I think this opera', he said, 'is as good as a beautiful tragedy.'" Nevertheless, both Piccinni and Sacchini were "presented to the king, and, as he had just granted a pension of six thousand livres to

13038-500: The first phase of the Reconquista . The libretto makes no reference to the background of the story, which can be inferred from Corneille's tragedy. The young warrior Rodrigue and the beautiful Chimène are in love with one other, but their fathers are at odds over political issues. When Chimène's father slaps Don Diegue, the latter asks his son Rodrigue to fight a duel on his behalf, as he is too old to defend his honour in person. Rodrigue

13197-646: The first time, as Meo Çidi , in the Poema de Almería , composed between 1147 and 1149. The combination of "Cid Campeador" is documented from 1195 in Linaje de Rodrigo Díaz ( The Lineage of Rodrigo Díaz ) in Navarro-Aragonese which form part of the Liber regum written as mio Cit el Campiador ; and in El Cantar de mio Cid . Born a member of the minor nobility, El Cid

13356-509: The first time, that they were his wife and son. The family was taken to Milan , where d'Antraigues was interrogated by Napoleon Bonaparte . Initially he was held prisoner in a former convent, but after a few days he was moved to a cell in the Sforza Castle . Saint-Huberty and Jules took lodgings in the city. Quite apart from her newly acquired rank of countess, Saint-Huberty's international reputation still carried considerable weight, and she

13515-559: The floor of the Comte's room. He had shot himself in the mouth. A bullet was found lodged in his cervical vertebrae , indicating that he would have been killed instantly. An inquest was held by the coroner for Surrey , Charles Jemmett, at the White Hart Hotel in Barnes, on 23 July 1812. After viewing the three bodies and hearing the evidence provided by various witnesses under oath, the jury, after only five minutes' deliberation, returned

13674-502: The following morning he was taken by closed carriage to Bellinzona . Because Saint-Huberty spread reports that d'Antraigues was ill and confined to his bed, his escape was not discovered until 4 September, and it was not reported in the Milan newspapers until the 14th. In the meantime, she had obtained a passport for herself, which was issued on 27 August, i.e. before the escape, on the pretext that she needed to go to Trieste to collect some money – as indeed she informed Mme. Bonaparte. Jules

13833-641: The formality of banns was granted by the Bishop of Como . By this time the couple had made their home in Count Turconi's villa, which remained their main base during the first few years of their marriage. Although they lived comfortably, they did little or no entertaining there, and the only regular visitors were the clergy who came to perform Mass in the chapel on Sundays. Their marriage would not become public for over six years, in part because d'Antraigues's mother would have opposed it, and he wished to avoid, or delay,

13992-498: The former, the latter was given the same sum; unlike his rival, Sacchini also had the precious honour of being presented to the king by the queen herself." However, the Parisian public did not always agree with the opinion of the court, and many hoped Sacchini's work would be rescued by subsequent performances at the Opéra, then housed in the Salle du Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin . Indeed,

14151-475: The height of his fame. After he moved to London, Sacchini returned to the subject for his English debut ( Il Cid , 1773), using a reworking of Pizzi's libretto made by Giovanni Gualberto Bottarelli , the official poet of the King's Theatre . Il Cid included spectacular new scenes, including "a triumphal march, choruses and ballets, designed to maintain the interest of a public that knew little Italian." The leading role

14310-445: The horrible curiosity of some idle people." Two stagecoaches conveying men, women and children had paused in order to allow the passengers to view "the disgusting scene" for what was claimed to have been twenty minutes. Even the two hearses which were carrying the bodies of the Comte and Comtesse had drawn up beside the murderer's grave so that the hearse attendants might take a glimpse of his corpse. On 27 July 1812, most likely after

14469-416: The house and very soon afterwards a pistol shot was heard. Witnesses saw the Comte descending the staircase, followed by Lawrence, who had a pistol in one hand and a dagger in the other. Hebditch saw Lawrence plunge the dagger into the Comte's left shoulder: Lawrence then came outside and stabbed Antoinette in the breast as she sought to return to the front door. She slumped unconscious to the ground. Ashton, in

14628-470: The junction with rue Sainte-Barbe), and his article is accompanied by a photograph of a house that he maintains was once owned by Pierre Clavel. Antoinette had at least three siblings: a brother named Jean-Pierre, who became a gilder and a seller of prints from a shop beneath the house in the Grand'rue; Pierre-Étienne, who became a pork butcher; and a sister who appears to have been living in or near Paris during

14787-447: The key document was one which summarized a conversation between d'Antraigues and a spy named Montgalliard the previous year. (Montgalliard – if indeed he really was the man d'Antraigues met – may have been working as a double agent. ) Taking leave of Mordvinov prior to being escorted away, d'Antraigues entrusted Antoinette and Jules to his care, but they refused to abandon him. Their action prompted d'Antraigues to acknowledge publicly, for

14946-556: The latter's immediate dismissal (or resignation). The second treaty of the Peace of Basel (22 July 1795) brought the war between Spain and France to an end. In order to regain his political security and to demonstrate his support for the Royalist cause, d'Antraigues transferred from the Spanish to the Russian legation at Venice. In doing so, he became the link between Louis XVIII and Catherine

15105-541: The leading lady's health problems, which forced the run of performances to be interrupted until 27 February, when the Queen herself came to see it. The opera certainly enjoyed a limited long-term success: it was given 21 times in 1784 and another 35 times before it was withdrawn from the repertoire for good in 1808. On the other hand, Didon survived much longer, until 1826, enjoying a grand total of 250 performances. Didon has also been revived on stage in modern times and received

15264-444: The management of the Opéra, since it added what they considered to be an unreasonable amount to the costs of a production and it also set dangerous precedents, but the move was well-received by audiences. On one occasion in 1783, in an attempt to achieve authenticity, she appeared on the stage with naked legs and with one breast exposed, which led to the government subsequently forbidding such practices. Nevertheless, her innovations in

15423-430: The management she had become a thorough nuisance. In the spring of that year she wrote to Dauvergne to express her "disgust and vexation" brought about by the theatre administration's "continual complaints". She claimed that her health was being adversely affected, and she was seriously considering retirement. This tension continued until 1790. She became the mistress of Count Alfonso Maria Turconi  [ it ] ,

15582-475: The marriage could well have been another factor in Antoinette's favour. Antoinette obtained official permission to retain her married name, Madame Saint-Huberty, for professional purposes after the annulment. With regard to the orthography – Huberty or Huberti, she herself invariably used a "y" in her signature. Once she had established herself as one of the leading singers at the Opéra following her successes of

15741-609: The matter over. Soon afterwards she issued her demands: (i) 3,000 livres for major roles each time she sang them; (ii) an additional "gratification" fee to be paid whenever she appeared; (iii) an immediate one-off payment of 3,000 livres; (iv) a further 1,500 livres annually from the King's music fund; (v) two months' holiday every year, to include the Easter closure; (vi) no role of hers could be assigned to any other singer without her consent. On 22 March 1783 she settled for an eight-year contract worth

15900-584: The monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña . Babieca is mentioned in several tales and historical documents about El Cid, including The Lay of El Cid . A weapon traditionally identified as El Cid's sword , Tizona , used to be displayed in the Army Museum (Museo del Ejército) in Toledo. In 1999, a small sample of the blade underwent metallurgical analysis which confirmed that the blade was made in Moorish Córdoba in

16059-399: The monk to exclaim " Babieca! " (stupid!). Hence, it became the name of El Cid's horse. Another legend states that in a competition of battle to become King Sancho's "Campeador", or champion, a knight on horseback wished to challenge El Cid. The King wished a fair fight and gave El Cid his finest horse, Babieca, or Bavieca. This version says Babieca was raised in the royal stables of Seville and

16218-427: The more she loves Rodrigue, the more she will seek to punish him (Scene 3). The next scene is taken up by a dramatic duet between Chimène and Rodrigue, who has just arrived: he begs her to kill him, but she fails to follow through with her vow of revenge, and the two are left in despair (Scene 4). Alone again, Rodrigue contemplates death (Scene 5), until he is met by his father and his followers, and asked to march against

16377-489: The murders are unclear. At the time, rumours spread that the Comte and Comtesse had been assassinated on the orders of the British government or Napoleon Bonaparte. Among the deceased Comte's papers, secret clauses pertaining to a number of diplomatic treaties were discovered, together with the original copy of the will made by Louis XVI. These documents were of the very highest political importance. La chanteuse poignardée

16536-556: The now common rumour that d'Antraigues, with whom she was living, had married her. With the collapse of the Republic of Venice in May 1797 and the city's occupation by French troops, the Russian legation closed. On 16 May its members attempted to leave the area. D'Antraigues (taking three portfolios full of papers), Saint-Huberty and Jules travelled with them. At Trieste , which had fallen to Jean Baptiste Bernadotte , they were halted, and, despite

16695-477: The number of Saint-Huberty's appearances at the Opéra between 1780 and 1789: Provided that de Goncourt's figures are reasonably accurate, it seems that Saint-Huberty reduced her appearances at the Opéra as soon as she had consolidated her position there. In the final three years of her career, she created only one new role, which is in marked contrast with what was happening previously. By 1787, however, her motivation appears to have almost entirely evaporated, and to

16854-473: The opera from time to time, and was also invited to private musical gatherings. In April 1795 the Republican Paris newspaper L'instituteur national carried a report that Monsieur (i.e. Louis XVIII in exile) had conferred the sash of Saint-Michel to Saint-Huberty for her services to music, and she now wore it ostentatiously whenever she was at the theatre or out walking. The writer also drew attention to

17013-488: The original Arabic ( السَّيِّد , as- Sayyid ), and was a title given to other Christian leaders. It has been conjectured that Rodrigo Díaz received the honorific title and respectful treatment of contemporaries in Zaragoza because of his victories in the service of the King of the Taifa of Zaragoza between 1081 and 1086; however, he more likely received the epithet after his conquest of Valencia in 1094. This title appears for

17172-556: The première of Gluck 's Armide in the minor roles of Mélisse and a Pleasure. This performance brought her only modest success. All too often her acting was impaired by her extreme nervousness, and Gossec recalled that even though she was a good musician, her repeated failure to enthuse the Parisian public led to her being dismissed by the Opéra at one point, although Jacques de Vismes later readmitted her. Encouraged by Gluck, she worked hard to improve her singing and acting skills and to amend her slightly German accent, and eventually

17331-512: The prima donna Saint-Huberty herself had declared she had been "ravished" by the "enchanting" music. Yet the opera was not fully redeemed, and this cannot wholly be blamed on the specious difficulties created by the committee of the Académie Royale, which postponed performances until 9 February 1784 (in the meantime, Didon had been appearing regularly since 1 December and Saint-Huberty was "crowned" on stage on 16 January). Nor can it be blamed on

17490-411: The protest of the Russian minister Aleksandr Simeonovich Mordvinov, d'Antraigues was arrested on the evening of 21 May. Antoinette, who was not being guarded, managed to destroy the contents of two of the portfolios, leaving the third, which she believed contained nothing more than literary manuscripts. She was, however, mistaken – the third portfolio contained important papers which were seized. Of these,

17649-497: The recruiter of new talent for the Prince's private opera company. The marriage immediately ran into difficulties. Croisilles was an incorrigible gambler; he was also a wife-beater. On a number of occasions they had to sell items of clothing and jewellery in order to meet his debts. Before long, he was one of the combatants in a duel, after which it became necessary for them to flee Berlin. The couple aimed to reach Paris, but had to stop for

17808-480: The route between the Taifas in the eastern and western Iberian Peninsula. Terrified after his crushing defeat, Alfonso recalled El Cid, rewarding him lavishly with lands and lordships, such as the fortress of Gormaz. In the year 1087 Alfonso sent him to negotiate with the emboldened Taifa kingdoms. El Cid returned to Alfonso, but now he had his own plans. He only stayed a short while and then returned to Zaragoza. El Cid

17967-480: The same day, and it has been estimated that her earnings from each of these tours was possibly as high as 16,000 livres, substantially more than she received in an entire year from the Opéra. Some primary sources maintain that, from around 1786, Saint-Huberty's voice began to deteriorate alarmingly. One of these was Dauvergne, the director of the Opéra, who had long been exasperated by Saint-Huberty's erratic and volatile behaviour. He mentioned her vocal deterioration in

18126-462: The same name. Claude Debussy began work in 1890 on an opera, Rodrigue et Chimène , which he abandoned as unsuitable for his temperament; it was orchestrated for performance by Edison Denisov circa 1993. El Cid is portrayed by American actor Charlton Heston in a 1961 epic film of the same name directed by Anthony Mann , where the character of Doña Ximena is portrayed by Italian actress Sophia Loren . In 2020, Amazon Prime Video premiered

18285-450: The siege failed. By the time the siege ended in May 1094, El Cid had carved out his own principality on the coast of the Mediterranean. Officially, El Cid ruled in the name of Alfonso; in practice, El Cid was fully independent. The city was both Christian and Muslim, and both Moors and Christians served in the army and as administrators. Jerome of Périgord was made bishop. El Cid and his wife Jimena Díaz lived peacefully in Valencia until

18444-407: The siege of Valencia, legend holds that Jimena ordered that the corpse of El Cid be fitted with his armor and set on his horse, Babieca, to bolster the morale of his troops. In several variations of the story, the dead Rodrigo and his knights win a thundering charge against Valencia's besiegers, resulting in a war-is-lost-but-battle-is-won catharsis for generations of Christian Spaniards to follow. It

18603-623: The slain Rodrigue, and begging him to spare her the shame of having to marry the man who is guilty of his death. But the king is adamant and declares that any resistance on the part of the girl is in vain, inviting her to willingly accept the groom he will give her today (Scene 5). Rodrigue then enters: he had defeated Don Sanche, but he had spared his life, sending him instead to offer Chimène the conqueror's sword, and he now asks her to accept him as husband of her own free will, and not by right of conquest. Chimène, finally won over, surrenders to her love and

18762-505: The stage and the publicising of her second marriage, she was also known as the Comtesse d'Antraigues from around 1797. She and her husband were murdered in England . Antoinette Clavel (later known professionally as Madame Saint-Huberty) was the daughter of Jean-Pierre Clavel, a musician employed as a répétiteur in the private opera troupe of Charles IV Theodore , Elector Palatine . Her mother

18921-572: The territory of the Crown of Castile at the expense of the Muslims and Sancho's brothers' kingdoms. When conspirators murdered Sancho in 1072, El Cid found himself in a difficult situation. Since Sancho was childless, the throne passed to his brother Alfonso, whom El Cid had helped remove from power. Although El Cid continued to serve the sovereign, he lost his ranking in the new court, which treated him suspiciously and kept him at arm's length. Finally, in 1081, he

19080-445: The throne of Navarre as King García Ramírez . The other daughter, María (also known as Sol), is said first to have married a prince of Aragon, presumably the son of Peter I , and she later married Ramon Berenguer III , count of Barcelona . Both the poem and the chronicle may state a previous marriage to the infantes de Carrión  [ es ] ; however, these marriages are not a historical fact and are an important element in

19239-405: The total defeat of the Moors, leading behind him a band of captive enemies, including two kings (Scene 3). When the King of Castile asks who is responsible, an officer tells him that Don Diegue wants to lead the victor into his presence in person. The king realises that it is Rodrigue, who is hailed as a saviour by everyone present (Scene 4). Rodrigue is then introduced by his father and welcomed into

19398-470: The town of Castejón as depicted in Cantar de mio Cid ( The Song of my Cid ).) El Cid accepted or included suggestions from his troops. In The Song the man who served him as his closest adviser was his vassal and kinsman Álvar Fáñez " Minaya " (meaning "My brother" , a compound word of Spanish possessive Mi (My) and Anaia , the basque word for brother ), although the historical Álvar Fáñez remained in Castile with Alfonso VI. Babieca , or Bavieca ,

19557-415: The two Italian composers, and a third musical faction emerged on the Parisian scene: the "Sacchinists", "a sort of moderate Gluckists, who, as [the writer on music] Grimm wittily remarked, had only joined the new sect out of jealousy towards Piccinni. With his indecisiveness and weakness, Sacchini only succeeded in setting himself against both factions, without endearing himself to either; and when it came to

19716-482: The umpteenth time. The king yields to the majority opinion and allows Chimène to accept the offer of Don Sanche, another knight who is in love with her, to represent her in combat. To Chimène's consternation, the king nevertheless sets one condition: she must accept the hand of the victor in marriage (Scene 7). The common people, left alone, sing a chorus of support for the "Cid" (Scene 8). Dishevelled and restless, Chimène enters followed by Elvire and her other ladies. She

19875-517: The way to Valencia, El Cid also conquered other towns, many of which were near Valencia, such as El Puig and Quart de Poblet . El Cid gradually came to have more influence in Valencia, then ruled by Yahya al-Qadir , of the Hawwara Berber Dhulnunid dynasty . In October 1092 an uprising occurred in Valencia, inspired by the city's chief judge Ibn Jahhaf and the Almoravids. El Cid began a siege of Valencia. A December 1093 attempt to break

20034-640: The work ends with the customary final divertissement, with songs and dances in honour of the conqueror of the Moors and his bride (Scene 6). El Cid Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar ( c.  1043 – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and ruler in medieval Spain . Fighting both with Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific as-Sayyid ("the Lord" or "the Master"), which would evolve into El Çid ( Spanish: [el ˈθið] , Old Spanish: [el ˈts̻id] ), and

20193-413: The wound, but there was little that could be done, and he died very soon afterwards. Ball, who examined Antoinette, found that she had suffered a stab wound to her right breast; the blade had then penetrated deeply into her thoracic cavity , passing between the third and fourth ribs. She had lost a great deal of blood, and died within minutes of Ball's arrival. Lawrence's body was found lying face down on

20352-464: The young Jules towards him, and challenged him to have the boy killed along with his father. She then threatened to go to Paris in person "to obtain justice" (by which she meant that she was capable of creating trouble for Bonaparte with powerful people in Paris who already were concerned by his habit of exceeding his allotted powers). She screamed that Bonaparte was Robespierre reincarnate, and de Beauharnais had great difficulty in calming her. Bonaparte

20511-401: Was 45 Devonshire Street, Portland Place, although they also had addresses at various times at 67 Princes Gate and at a place known as "Jacobi House." Around 1809 the couple purchased a house at The Terrace, Barnes, on the outskirts of London. They also had a West End property at 7 Queen Anne Street. One day in early July 1812, during the Comte's temporary absence from the house, the Comtesse

20670-508: Was Claude-Antoinette Pariset, the daughter of a grocer from Sélestat . Her biographers have often disagreed about her place of birth. Renwick, for example, found instances of it being indicated as Toul , Thionville , or Mannheim , and Clayton gives it as Toulouse – presumably after having interpreted "Toul" as an abbreviation. However, after discovering her baptismal certificate in the Archives nationales , de Goncourt established that she

20829-424: Was El Cid's warhorse . Several stories exist about El Cid and Babieca. One well-known legend about El Cid describes how he acquired the stallion . According to this story, Rodrigo's godfather, Pedro El Grande, was a monk at a Carthusian monastery . Pedro's coming-of-age gift to El Cid was his pick of a horse from an Andalusian herd. El Cid picked a horse that his godfather thought was a weak, poor choice, causing

20988-615: Was a highly trained and loyal war horse, not a foolish stallion. The name in this instance could suggest that the horse came from the Babia region in León, Spain . In the poem Carmen Campidoctoris , Babieca appears as a gift from "a barbarian" to El Cid, so its name could also be derived from "Barbieca", or "horse of the barbarian". Regardless, Babieca became a great warhorse, famous to the Christians, feared by El Cid's enemies, and loved by El Cid, who allegedly requested that Babieca be buried with him in

21147-578: Was a star performer at the local opera house in Strasbourg. Contract offers arrived from other cities such as Lyon and Bordeaux , but her parents were concerned that living away from home might lead her into temptation, and the offers were declined. Croisilles dit Saint-Huberty arrived in Strasbourg, and convinced her that he could launch her into a glittering operatic career. She eloped with him to Berlin, where they married, but his duplicity quickly became apparent. He left her, but she followed him to Warsaw, where he stole her goods and abandoned her again. She

21306-494: Was able to make frequent calls on Joséphine de Beauharnais , who was also in Milan. During one of these visits she had the opportunity to speak to Bonaparte, who, ten years previously, when he was a young officer in the artillery, had attended and had been deeply moved by a gala performance of Didon which she had given in Strasbourg. Antoinette now put on a fiery performance. When Bonaparte reminded her that he could, if he wished, issue an order for her husband to be shot, she pushed

21465-485: Was able to obtain an annulment of her marriage: for a woman to be victorious after legal proceedings of this sort was extremely rare in France at that time. Edwards holds that the judges' decision was chiefly made on the grounds that it had been contracted when she was a minor and without her parents' consent, as her widowed mother, who was the main plaintiff in the case, confirmed. The fact that no children had been born from

21624-532: Was allotted major parts, beginning with Angelique in Piccinni 's Roland in 1780. The award of this role was an important step in Saint-Huberty's career, and reflects Dauvergne 's confidence in her abilities and her potential. In the meantime, the problems with her marriage continued. Crosilles de Saint-Huberty, who was now a storekeeper at the Paris Opéra, still appropriated Antoinette's jewellery and other personal effects, which he then sold or pawned, and it

21783-632: Was also a popular source of inspiration for Spanish writers of the Romantic period , such as Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch , who wrote La Jura de Santa Gadea , or José Zorrilla , who wrote a long poem called La Leyenda del Cid . In 2019, Arturo Pérez-Reverte published the novel entitled Sidi: Un relato de frontera . Herman Melville references El Cid when introducing the character of Samoa in Chapter 21 of Mardi (1849): "He alighted about six paces from where we stood, and balancing his weapon, eyed us bravely as

21942-406: Was born in Strasbourg, where she was baptized Anne-Antoinette (or Anna-Antonia on the certificate) at the church of Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune on the day after her birth. There is no mention of the name "Cécile" on her baptismal certificate, and de Goncourt suggests that she adopted this name only in later life. Dorlan traced her birthplace to 131 Grand'rue (modern spelling Grande Rue), Strasbourg (near

22101-519: Was born to the couple soon after their relationship started. One of d'Antraigues's contacts was don Simon de Las Casas, the Spanish ambassador to the Most Serene Republic of Venice . In June 1793, in order to provide him with a greater degree of political security – and also with an income, Las Casas arranged for d'Antraigues to be appointed to the Spanish legation in Venice . At the same time,

22260-551: Was brought up at the court of Ferdinand the Great and served Ferdinand's son, Sancho II of León and Castile . He rose to become the commander and royal standard-bearer ( armiger regis ) of Castile upon Sancho's ascension in 1065. El Cid went on to lead the Castilian military campaigns against Sancho's brothers, Alfonso VI of León and García II of Galicia , as well as in the Muslim kingdoms in al-Andalus . He became renowned for his military prowess in these campaigns, which helped expand

22419-466: Was content to let the Almoravid armies and the armies of Alfonso fight without his help, even when there was a chance that the Almoravids might defeat Alfonso and take over all of Alfonso's lands. El Cid chose not to fight because he was hoping that both armies would weaken themselves. Around this time, El Cid, with a combined Christian and Moorish army, began maneuvering in order to create his own fief in

22578-508: Was defending the king's tributary. During the aftermath of this battle the Muslim troops under El Cid's command would hail him as Sayyidi. Count García Ordóñez and the other Castilian leaders were taken captive and held for three days before being released. In the Battle of Cabra (1079), El Cid rallied his troops and turned the battle into a rout of Emir Abdullah of Granada and his ally García Ordóñez. This unauthorized expedition into Granada, however, greatly angered Alfonso and May 8, 1080,

22737-422: Was divided between al-Mutamin (1081–1085) who ruled Zaragoza proper, and his brother al-Mundhir , who ruled Lérida and Tortosa . El Cid entered al-Mutamin's service and successfully defended Zaragoza against the assaults of al-Mundhir, Sancho I of Aragón , and Ramon Berenguer II, whom he held captive briefly in 1082. In 1082, the army of the Taifa of Zaragoza under El Cid defeated the Taifa of Lleida at

22896-533: Was exiled. El Cid found work fighting for the Muslim rulers of Zaragoza , whom he defended from its traditional enemy, Aragon . While in exile, he regained his reputation as a strategist and formidable military leader. He was repeatedly victorious in battle against the Muslim rulers of Lérida and their Christian allies, as well as against a large Christian army under King Sancho Ramírez of Aragon. In 1086, an expeditionary army of North African Almoravids inflicted

23055-505: Was forwarded to contacts in Spain , England, Portugal and Imperial Russia . In 1791 Antoinette returned to Paris, ostensibly to attend to various business matters. She remained there until early 1792, when, now entering the second trimester of pregnancy, she left for Milan . Whilst they were in – or near – Milan in March 1792, d'Antraigues's ancestral home, the chateau of la Bastide at Juvinas in

23214-410: Was in her bedroom at Barnes, attended by her maid, Susannah Black. They suddenly heard a single loud noise, and, believing that someone might have knocked at the front door, Black ran downstairs to answer, but found no-one there. On returning upstairs, the Comtesse met her at the bedroom door and remarked that the noise had sounded like a pistol shot. Black went upstairs to the Comte's room, and discovered

23373-463: Was not the end of El Cid, either physically or as an important figure. After being rejected by Ramon Berenguer II , El Cid journeyed to the Taifa of Zaragoza , where he received a warmer welcome. In 1081, El Cid went on to offer his services to the king of Zaragoza , Yusuf al-Mu'taman ibn Hud , and served both him and his successor, al-Musta'in II . He was given the title El Cid ( The Master ) and served as

23532-493: Was of her dead father, but also reveals the respect in which everyone holds Rodrigue, the one man capable of leading the fight against the Moors. Nevertheless, the king promises to capture and punish her father's killer (Scene 2). Left alone with her maids, Chimène reveals her undying love for Rodrigue. She adored him before the fatal duel, and now that fate has divided them and all hope is dead, their love still remains intact. Nevertheless, she says she will do what honour demands, and

23691-603: Was planning on overthrowing him in order to gain his territory, Sancho sent Cid to bring Alfonso back so that Sancho could speak to him. Sancho was assassinated in 1072, during a siege of his sister's town of Zamora. Since Sancho died unmarried and childless, all of his power passed to his brother Alfonso who, almost immediately, returned from exile in Toledo and took his seat as king of Castile and León. He was, however, deeply suspected of having been involved in Sancho's murder. According to

23850-550: Was rescued by one of the Lubomirska princesses and began singing in Warsaw with some success. Croisilles then lured her (by letter) to Vienna, with more false promises; he stole from and abandoned her yet again, after which she repaired alone to Paris. Antoinette sang at the theatre in Strasbourg until 1777, but her quickly-growing reputation soon led to her being engaged by the Paris Opera . On 23 September 1777, she made her début at

24009-467: Was seized a few months after her departure, and some of its contents sold by order of the district authorities at Gonesse , despite the formal protests of her sister. The operas in which Mme. Saint-Huberty appeared include the following: At the time when Madame Saint-Huberty began her career, it was customary for actors and singers who performed female roles drawn from Classical mythology to wear highly unauthentic wigs and hoop skirts , sometimes with

24168-405: Was sent to stay with his former wet nurse for a few days. Antoinette then pretended to change her plans – the journey to Trieste had to be postponed whilst she (supposedly) was caring for her husband, who was far too ill to receive visitors. As soon as she received word that d'Antraigues was safely out of the country, she disguised herself as a peasant herb-seller, and made her way out of Milan. After

24327-400: Was severely reprimanded. A newspaper report, published after the events of 22 July stated that the Comte was in the habit of keeping a dagger and a pair of pistols ready and loaded in his bedroom. On the morning of 22 July 1812, the Comte and Comtesse ordered that their carriage be ready for them at eight o'clock, as they wished to travel into London. Their coachman, David Hebditch, brought

24486-480: Was shrewd enough to realise that eliminating his prisoner there and then would bring no real advantage, and that it could – perhaps – work against his own interests. During his captivity, d'Antraigues was treated with increasing laxity. After a few days in cell No. 10 at the Sforza Castle, he was transferred to a spacious apartment in the same building, where Antoinette and Jules were permitted to join him, and later

24645-501: Was sung by another of the great castrati of the time, Giuseppe Millico , who, on his return in Italy, sponsored a second setting of the same libretto, by Giovanni Paisiello , in Florence in 1775. Sacchini moved from London to Paris in 1781, and made his debut at the Opéra in January 1783 with Renaud . For his second French opera, he decided to return to the subject of the Cid, this time with

24804-437: Was taken away and given to his enemy, Count García Ordóñez . In 1079, El Cid was sent by Alfonso VI to Seville to the court of al-Mutamid to collect the parias owed by that taifa to León–Castile. While he was there Granada, assisted by other Castilian knights, attacked Seville, and El Cid and his forces repulsed the Christian and Grenadine attackers at the Battle of Cabra , in the (probably mistaken) belief that he

24963-416: Was the grandfather of García Ramírez de Pamplona, King of Navarre, the first son of his daughter Cristina Rodríguez . To this day, El Cid remains a popular Spanish folk hero and national icon, with his life and deeds remembered in popular culture. Rodrigo Díaz was recognized with the honorary title of "Campeador" during his lifetime, as is evidenced by a document that he signed in 1098, which he signed in

25122-530: Was the last time El Cid confirmed a document in King Alfonso's court. The most likely reason was El Cid's incursion into Toledo, which happened to be under the control of Alfonso's vassal, Yahya Al-Qadir. Alfonso's anger over El Cid's unsanctioned incursion into his vassal's territory would lead him to exile the knight. This is the generally accepted reason for the exile of El Cid, although several others are plausible and indeed may have been contributing factors to

25281-519: Was threefold: (i) the collection of intelligence; (ii) the assessment of its significance; and (iii) the alteration of intelligence (and, specifically, of diplomatic reports), where necessary, in such a way as to promote the restoration of the monarchy. In order to bring this about, he aimed to present intelligence in such a way that the British government might be persuaded to declare war on the French Republic . News received from secret agents in Paris

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