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49-420: Dinorah , originally Le pardon de Ploërmel ( The Pardon of Ploërmel ), is an 1859 French opéra comique in three acts with music by Giacomo Meyerbeer and a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré . The story takes place near the rural town of Ploërmel and is based on two Breton tales by Émile Souvestre , "La Chasse aux trésors" and "Le Kacouss de l'Armor ", both published separately in 1850 in

98-547: A January evening of the early seventies, Christine Nilsson was singing in Faust at the Academy of Music in New York. Though there was already talk of the erection 'above the forties' of a new Opera House which would compete in costliness and splendour with those of the great European capitals, the world of fashion was still content to reassemble every winter in the shabby red and gold boxes of

147-422: A bit, saying that the theater "looked more cheerful, and in every way more effective" than it had on opening night. The Academy's opera season became the center of social life for New York's elite, with the oldest and most prominent families owning seats in the theater's boxes. The opera house was destroyed by fire in 1866 and subsequently rebuilt, but it was supplanted as the city's premier opera venue in 1883 by

196-447: A depth of 70 feet (21 m) from the footlights to the back wall. The height of the proscenium opening was 30 feet (9.1 m). Its first opera season was from October through December 1854. The Max Maretzek Italian Opera Company was engaged by US actor James Henry Hackett . The company performed Bellini's Norma for the inauguration of the theatre with Giulia Grisi in the title role and Giuseppe Mario as Pollione headlining

245-931: A hymn of forgiveness and lead the two lovers to the chapel where they will be married. The opera was premiered on 4 April 1859 by the Opéra-Comique at the second Salle Favart in Paris. The stage designs for acts 1 and 3 were by Edouard-Désiré-Joseph Despléchin and Jean-Louis Chéret. Those for the more technically demanding act 2, which included onstage running water, were by Joseph and Karl Wilhelm Mühldorfer. The principal singers were highly acclaimed: "Marie Cabel for her vertiginous-virtuoso interpretation of Dinorah; Sainte-Foy for his overwhelmingly convincing characterization of Corentin, lyrically as well as dramatically; Jean-Baptiste Faure for his fascinating stage presence as Hoël, Meyerbeer's first big baritone role." The supporting singers were also greatly admired, in particular, Barreille as

294-410: A lullaby to the goat and then walks away ( Berceuse : Bellah, ma chèvre chérie ). Hoël returns to the village, having discovered the whereabouts of a treasure. He enlists Corentin to help him recover the riches, but not without sinister intent, since according to the legend, the first to touch them will perish. A birch wood lit by the moon Dinorah imagined she heard Hoël's voice and followed it into

343-473: A new opera house in what was then the more genteel neighborhood of Union Square , led by Moses H. Grinnell , who formed a corporation in 1852 to fund the construction of the building, selling shares at $ 1,000 ($ 36,624 in 2023 dollars ) each to raise $ 200,000 ($ 7,324,800 in 2023 dollars ). When finished, the building, which was designed by Alexander Saeltzer – who was designing the Astor Library at about

392-648: A riot provoked by competing performances of Macbeth by English actor William Macready at the Opera House and American Edwin Forrest at the nearby Broadway Theatre . By May 1853, the interior had been dismantled and the furnishings sold off, with the shell of the building sold to the Mercantile Library Association . It was the demise of the Astor Opera House that spurred New York's elite to build

441-493: A vast dissemination of facetious goat-lore in all the papers." Unfortunately, the opera followed close on the heels of a highly successful production of Bellini's Norma , and Meyerbeer's work suffered by comparison. The reviewer in Dwight's Music (6 December 1862) was highly critical, writing: "Beside such music as this (the heaviest of light operas), Bellini's melodies are golden and Rossini's operas classic." Nevertheless, Dinorah

490-537: Is especially striking. In the procession join all those who believe that the intercession of St. Anne has saved them in times of peril. Sailors will carry fragments of a vessel, upon which they escaped in a shipwreck; the once lame will carry on their shoulders crutches which they no longer need; and those rescued from fire will carry the rope or ladder by which they escaped from the flames. The religious observances are usually followed by social events including picnics and, traditionally, wrestling matches. The dispersal of

539-615: The Revue des deux mondes . In the Breton village of Ploërmel , a rugged and wild site illuminated by the last rays of the setting sun with, in the foreground, Corentin's cottage During the annual pilgrimage to the chapel of the Virgin, Dinorah has gone mad because her bridegroom Hoël disappeared following a storm that interrupted their wedding on the same day the previous year. Dinorah has lost her pet goat Bellah but, believing she has found it, she sings

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588-510: The Max Strakosch Italian Opera Company , the latter of which began performing at the Academy in 1860, only to merge with Maretzek's company in 1868. The Academy hosted several American premieres, including Rigoletto (1855), Il trovatore (1855), La traviata (1856), Roméo et Juliette (1867), Aida (1873), Lohengrin (1874), Die Walküre (1877) and Carmen (1878). The Academy's opera season became

637-617: The Metropolitan Opera House at 1411 Broadway between 39th and 40th Streets – created by the nouveaux riches who had been frozen out of the Academy – and ceased presenting opera in 1886, turning instead to vaudeville . It was demolished in 1926 to make way for the Consolidated Edison Building . The Academy of Music has been described as "the first successful dedicated opera house in the United States", but it

686-469: The pardon of fire ; Saint Ronan , or the pardon of the mountain ; and Sainte Anne de la Palud , or the pardon of the sea . Very large pilgrimages are made to some pardons, including those of St. Jean-du-Doigt and Sainte-Anne-d'Auray in Morbihan . The Locronan pardon of Saint Ronan involves a troménie (a 12 km-long procession). The former occurs on 24 June, and that of Ste Anne d'Auray on 24 July,

735-677: The 21st century. Dinorah received stagings in Dortmund and Parma in 2000 and in Compiègne in 2002. A concert performance of the opera was given by the Deutsche Oper Berlin , in 2014, which was recorded. Dinorah was presented in full production by New York City's Amore Opera from March 19 to 23, 2019, at the Riverside Theatre . Audio Video Meyerbeer's manuscripts have not been found, and most published libretti reflect cuts to

784-403: The Academy of Music's opera season was canceled in 1886. In 1888, the Academy began to offer vaudeville. The Drury Lane import The White Heather had a successful 148-performance run for the 1897–98 season. Between 1895 and 1899, Rev. Thomas Dixon Jr. , delivered sermons there. From January 28 to March 1901, a revival of Clyde Fitch 's play Barbara Frietchie appeared there. The venue

833-465: The Cercle Français de l'Harmonie began using the Academy as a venue for masked balls, also called "French balls", in which the nouveau riche men of New York society would rub elbows – and other body parts – with semi-dressed prostitutes and courtesans, with little regard for public decorum or modesty. These balls were covered by the press, which did little to dim the enthusiasm or ribald behavior of

882-531: The French balls in 1873 in Woodhull and Clafliin's Weekly , complaining that the Academy of Music was being used "for the purpose of debauching debauched women; and the trustees of the Academy know this". Still, it was the opera season that made the Academy the mainstay of social life for New York's " uppertens ", and the oldest and most prominent families owned seats in the theater's boxes. This emblem of social prominence

931-482: The Vanderbilts, Morgans, and Rockefellers who were behind the planned new venue, but it was too late to fend them off. The Metropolitan's new opera house at Broadway and 39th Street , twice the size of the Academy, opened in 1883. It contained three tiers of elegant boxes to display the wealth of the city's new economic leaders. The new opera house was an instant success with New York society and music lovers alike, and

980-646: The Virgin Mary are usually followed by those dedicated to Mary's mother Saint Anne , patron saint of Brittany. However, the majority honour local saints because of their patronage role to protect specific categories of people or activities. Thus there are pardons dedicated to Saint Gildas at the beginning of June in Trégor, to Saint Guirec , patron of girls about to marry, and to the patron saints of individual parishes. The pardon of Saint Yves in Tréguier honours, though him,

1029-501: The anniversary of the finding of the miraculous statue of Saint Anne by the peasant Yves Nicolazic . The latter is regarded as the most famous pilgrimage in all Brittany, and attracts pilgrims from Tréguier, Léonnais, Cornouaille, and especially from Morbihan. Some pardons are held during notable religious festivals, such as the Feast of the Assumption on August 15. The pardons dedicated to

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1078-532: The center of social life for New York's wealthy gentry, but from its inception, the Academy of Music not only presented opera, but also served as a theater, and a meeting and exposition hall for a wide variety of functions, including political rallies, charity balls and science and industry fairs, among other events. In 1860, it was the site of a reception for the Prince of Wales . After the Civil War , an organization called

1127-541: The ceremonies, and also involved open-air public festivities. Many artists came to Brittany to portray pardons. Jules Breton and Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret painted a number of such scenes. Paintings by members of the Pont-Aven School such as Paul Sérusier and Paul Gauguin 's 1888 Vision after the Sermon are also inspired by this aspect of Breton culture. Academy of Music (New York City) The Academy of Music

1176-662: The feast of the patron saint of a church or chapel, at which an indulgence is granted. Hence use of the word "pardon". Pardons only occur in the traditionally Breton language speaking Western part of Brittany. They do not extend farther east than Guingamp . The faithful go on a pilgrimage either to the tomb of a saint or a place dedicated to a saint. The locations may be associated with miraculous appearances, as in Querrien , or holy relics . The pardons begin in March and end in October, but

1225-423: The huntsman and Warot as the harvester. Meyerbeer's music was praised for its originality, but the libretto was found incomprehensible and even met with derision. In the initial run of performances up to the end of 1859, changes were made, the most significant being the casting of the contralto Palmyre Wertheimber in the role of Hoël. The opera remained very successful in Paris up to 1912. Under its original title it

1274-427: The legal profession, of which he is patron. Its influence is now international, since thousands of pilgrims, official or anonymous, from all the countries of the world, meet at his tomb in the parish of his birthplace, in fraternities of lawyers, judges and other legal professionals. Pardons were a popular subject in 19th century French art, since the local people dressed in their elaborate traditional Breton costume for

1323-501: The legend, and later he and Hoël invite each other first to inspect the treasure. During that time, Dinorah, in pursuit of her pet goat, steps on a tree trunk by a river as it is hit by lightning, and falls in the water and is swept away by the current. Hoël having witnessed the scene leaps to her rescue. Hoël admits his love and regrets to Dinorah as she regains consciousness (Romance: Ah ! mon remords te venge) . She recognizes him and regains her sanity. The villagers arrive and sing

1372-542: The majority of them are between Easter and Michaelmas . Traditionally pilgrims wore their best costumes, each diocese and parish having a distinctive style, and otherwise only worn at weddings. However, traditional Breton costume is now not typically worn, except at the Locronan pardon, in honour of Saint Ronan . Penitents travel as a group in parishes , fraternities or other corporate bodies, bringing banners, crosses and other insignia in procession, each group competing with

1421-450: The mass, which is often followed by solemn vespers . Once they are granted absolution , the groups engage in communal festivities to express the joy of Christian redemption . This can take the form of a village fair or even resemble a funfair. There are five major pardons: Saint Yves at Tréguier , known as the pardon of the poor ; Our Lady of Rumengol , known as the pardon of the singers ; Saint-Jean-du-Doigt , near Morlaix , called

1470-460: The only group active at the opera house during this time. Musicologist George Whitney Martin writes: New York's Academy of Music, from 1854 to 1883 the city's leading house for opera, did not offer a secure base to any opera company. And why? Because it was primarily a real estate venture run by a board of investors seeking the highest rent possible." Other opera companies active at the Academy, including Jaime Nunó 's Havana Italian Opera Troupe and

1519-550: The opera has been largely neglected during the latter half of the last century, a rare broadcast performance of the overture by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra from 12 November 1938, has been preserved. This unusual overture has several sections with chorus, and ample percussion, and has been compared favorably with those of Rossini and Verdi . Meyerbeer's operas have become performed more often in Europe in

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1568-404: The others for grandeur. The leader of the pardon, typically a high ranking ecclesiastic, has the title of "pardonnor". If relics are involved, he will normally carry them during part of the procession. For most of the pilgrimage, however, this honour falls to those who were considered to be worthiest of it by the various social groups represented. The greater part of the day is spent in prayer, and

1617-464: The pardon begins with an early Mass at 4 AM. Its observance, however, has actually commenced earlier, for the preceding evening is devoted to confession , and the rosary is generally recited by the pilgrims the whole way to the place of the pardon. After the religious service, a great procession takes place around the church. This is the most picturesque part of the pardon and may be regarded as its mise en scène . At Ste-Anne d'Auray, this procession

1666-407: The participants. One reporter wrote that women were thrown in the air and then sexually assaulted "amid the jeers and laughter of the other drunken wretches on the floor ... [with] not a whisper of shame in the crowd". These spectacles grew in size over the following decades: in 1876, one such ball was attended by over 4,000 people. Feminist editor Victoria Woodhull condemned the sexual hypocrisy of

1715-406: The performance and Max Maretzek conducting. The first season's repertoire was ambitious, and included Semiramide and The Barber of Seville by Rossini; Norma and La sonnambula by Bellini; and Don Pasquale , Lucrezia Borgia , La favorita and Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti . Maretzek's company performed an annual season at the Academy through 1878. His company was not

1764-558: The pilgrims until meeting at the appointed place, like the procession , symbolises the desire to obtain intercession from the celebrated saint by offering the effort of the journey as an act of faith. This reflects the Christian view that the human condition on Earth is a journey towards the Kingdom of heaven or the new Promised Land . Following this logic, the pilgrims are invited to confess their sins to their priests before taking part in

1813-464: The project's republican values, was consciously somewhat less "aristocratized" than the Astor Opera House had been – there, general admissions were relegated to the benches of a "cockloft" reachable only by a narrow stairway, and otherwise isolated from the gentry below, while in the new theatre many of the regular seats were relatively inexpensive. The stage's proscenium opening was 48 feet (15 m) wide, with 35 feet (11 m) between side-wings, and

1862-449: The same time, and had previously designed Anshe Chesed Synagogue (now Angel Orensanz Center) – was the world's largest opera venue at the time, with seats for four thousand arranged on five levels (orchestra, parquette, balcony and first, second and third tiers) and an interior height from floor to dome of 80 feet (24 m). It had a plush interior, and private boxes in the orchestra, but, perhaps due to newspaper editorials questioning

1911-471: The score made in almost all productions. A complete libretto has recently been published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing as part of the series Giacomo Meyerbeer: The Complete Libretti in Eleven Volumes . The following are the early printed sources which were used in the preparation of that libretto: Notes Sources Pardon (ceremony) A pardon is a penitential ceremony . A pardon occurs on

1960-405: The sociable old Academy. Conservatives cherished it for being small and inconvenient, and thus keeping out the ' new people ' whom New York was beginning to dread and yet be drawn to; and the sentimental clung to it for its historic associations, and the musical for its excellent acoustics, always so problematic a quality in halls built for the hearing of music." The Academy and so called opera war of

2009-406: The wood, but once there, she weeps to find herself alone ( Romance: Me voici, Hoël doit m’attendre ici ). A moonbeam falls on her and casts its shadow on her feet. Imagining that it is the day before her wedding, she sings and dances with her shadow ( Air: Ombre légère ). A mysterious valley Hoël and Corentin descend upon the cache where Dinorah also happens to be. From her, Corentin learns about

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2058-547: Was a New York City opera house , located on the northeast corner of East 14th Street and Irving Place in Manhattan . The 4,000-seat hall opened on October 2, 1854. The review in The New York Times declared it to be an acoustical "triumph", but "In every other aspect ... a decided failure," complaining about the architecture, interior design and the closeness of the seating; although a follow-up several days later relented

2107-610: Was designed by Thomas W. Lamb . It served as a venue for rock concerts in the 1960s and early 1970s, with its name being changed to " The Palladium " by promoter Ron Delsner in September 1976. In 1985, it was converted into the Palladium nightclub, designed by Arata Isozaki . The theater was bought and demolished by New York University , and replaced by the present Palladium Residence Hall, which opened in 2001. The second paragraph of Edith Wharton 's The Age of Innocence reads: "On

2156-687: Was first performed in America on 4 March 1861 at the French Opera House in New Orleans in French. Dinorah was performed in New York (at the Academy of Music ) in Italian on 24 November 1862. As a novelty, it attracted a great deal of attention and (starring the now nearly forgotten Angelina Cordier) was very popular. One of its attractions was to be the appearance of an actual, live goat on stage, which "inspired

2205-538: Was initially performed quite often outside France and became a great favorite of Adelina Patti , but was rarely performed during the latter half of the 20th century except for the famous virtuoso aria for soprano "Ombre légère", also known as "The Shadow Song", in which Dinorah sings to and then dances with her shadow . Other sopranos who have enjoyed considerable success in the role of Dinorah include Amelita Galli-Curci , Ilma di Murska , Georgina Schubert , Luisa Tetrazzini , Maria Barrientos , and Lily Pons . Although

2254-545: Was not the first building in New York designed specifically for opera. That honor goes to the Italian Opera House built in 1833 by Lorenzo Da Ponte as a home for his new New York Opera Company, which lasted only two seasons before the company was disbanded and the theatre sold. Over a decade later, in 1847, the Isaiah Rogers -designed Astor Opera House opened on Astor Place , only to close several years later after

2303-436: Was passed down from generation to generation. The inability of New York's wealthy industrial and mercantile families, including the Vanderbilts, Goulds and Morgans, to gain access to this closed society inspired the creation of the new Metropolitan Opera Association in 1880. The trustees of the Academy belatedly attempted to head off the competition by offering to add 26 new boxes to the 18 the Academy already had, to accommodate

2352-443: Was rented by labor organizations in the early 1900s and used to stage rallies. In 1926, it was demolished, along with its neighbor Tammany Hall , for the construction of the Consolidated Edison Building . On the south side of 14th Street across from the site of the opera house, a movie theatre opened in 1927 which took the name the Academy of Music. It was built as a 3,000-seat deluxe movie palace by movie mogul William Fox , and

2401-593: Was revived at the Opéra-Comique on 27 August 1874, 23 May 1881, 6 June 1896, and 16 March 1912, by which time it had been performed over 200 times by the company. It was revived in Brussels as late as 11 January 1939. Meyerbeer composed recitatives to replace the spoken dialog for performances abroad. The opera was translated into Italian by Achille de Lauzières for the premiere in London on 26 July 1859 (with Miolan-Carvalho ) and became known internationally as Dinorah , but it

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