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120-552: Le prophète ( The Prophet ) is a grand opera in five acts by Giacomo Meyerbeer , which was premiered in Paris on 16 April 1849. The French-language libretto was by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps , after passages from the Essay on the Manners and Spirit of Nations by Voltaire . The plot is based on the life of John of Leiden , Anabaptist leader and self-proclaimed "King of Münster " in

240-465: A ballet, titled "Les Patineurs", in which the dancers mimic ice skaters. In this opera's premiere in 1849, the dancers wore a type of primitive inline roller skates , which had been invented in Europe in the previous century, to more convincingly look like they were ice skating ( quad roller skates had not yet been invented). In 1937, Constant Lambert arranged the ballet music of this opera and excerpts from

360-602: A brief ballet and an elaborate march. The opera was eventually transformed by the composer to L'étoile du nord . In many German-language houses, especially in Vienna, where Eduard Hanslick and later Gustav Mahler championed Meyerbeer and Halévy respectively, the operas continued to be performed well into the 20th century. The growth of anti-Semitism in Germany, especially after the Nazi Party obtained political power in 1933, spelled

480-667: A consequence, as did Richard Wagner with his attempt to stage a revised Tannhäuser as a grand opera in Paris in 1861, which had to be withdrawn after three performances , partly because the ballet was in act 1 (when the dancers' admirers were still at dinner). The most significant development, or transformation, of grand opera after the 1850s was its handling by Giuseppe Verdi , whose Les vêpres siciliennes (1855), proved to be more widely given in Italy and other Italian-language opera houses than in France. The taste for luxury and extravagance at

600-448: A couple of days before being allowed to sail on. This caused loss of time and caused products to become rotten. Another explanation is derived from Bommel is rommel, bij Tiel is niet viel en hoe dichter bij Dordt hoe rotter het wordt which is supposed to be said by farmers describing the bad quality of the land close to the rivers Maas and Waal , only suitable for harvesting reed . The Sliedrechtse Biesbosch, east of Dordrecht, and

720-582: A decade. Le prophète was first performed by the Paris Opera at the Salle Le Peletier on 16 April 1849. In the audience at the work's premiere were Chopin , Verdi , Théophile Gautier , Delacroix , Charles Dickens , Ivan Turgenev and Berlioz , among others. The production featured costumes by Paul Lormier and sets by Charles-Antoine Cambon and Joseph Thierry (acts 1 and 4), Charles Séchan (acts 2 and 5), and Édouard Desplechin (act 3). It involved

840-474: A far wider range of musical theatre effects than traditional Italian opera. Moreover, Il crociato with its exotic historical setting, onstage bands, spectacular costumes and themes of culture clash, exhibited many of the features on which the popularity of grand opera would be based. What became the essential features of 'grand opéra' were foreseen by Étienne de Jouy , the librettist of Guillaume Tell , in an essay of 1826: Division into five acts seems to me

960-455: A favorable manner: it is even, in the person of the Count of Oberthal, very clearly condemned for his arbitrariness, his injustice and the abuses of power which are inherent. As for the people, they are characterized successively by their cowardice (in the first act) and their bloody brutality (at the beginning of the third). Just before disappearing into the flames, Jean de Leiden states the "moral" of

1080-817: A fire which started in Kleine Spuistraat, destroying many buildings, including the Grote Kerk. In 1572, four years into the Dutch Revolt , representatives of all the cities of Holland, with the exception of Amsterdam , as well as the Watergeuzen , represented by William II de la Marck , gathered in Dordrecht to hold the Eerste Vrije Statenvergadering ("First Assembly of the Free States "), also known as

1200-509: A first rate sea harbor came about when the Nieuwe Waterweg became fully usable in 1883. Compared to Dordrecht, Rotterdam sent about four times as much cargo up the Rhine to Germany in 1875. In 1895 this was 30 times as much and in 1910 about 200 times. In absolute numbers cargo from Dordrecht declined by more than 50%. In the early 19th century, Dordrecht was a major center for shipbuilding. It

1320-426: A list of the festivals in the city Dordrecht: Dordrecht Festivals During Carnaval , Dordrecht is called Ooi- en Ramsgat (Ewe's and Ram's hole), and its inhabitants are Schapenkoppen (Sheepheads). This name originates from an old folk story. Import of meat or cattle was taxed in the 17th century. To avoid having to pay, two men dressed up a sheep they had bought outside the city walls, attempting to disguise it as

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1440-433: A man. The sheep was discovered because it bleated as the three men (two men and one sheep) passed through the city wall gate. There is a special monument of a man and his son trying to hold a sheep disguised as a man between them, that refers to this legend. The logo of Dordrecht's professional football club FC Dordrecht includes the head of a ram and its supporters are known to sing Wij zijn de Dordtse schapenkoppen (we are

1560-548: A mother. On the musical level, the role is particularly difficult and was specifically written for the rare voice of Pauline Viardot. Finally, the trio of the Anabaptists, who act, speak and move as if they were only one person, is, for Robert Letellier, an invention of great originality. Perhaps intended as a caricature of the Holy Trinity , the trio personifies hypocrisy, treason and the dangers of demagogy. The musical unity of

1680-438: A place in the operatic repertoire. Even the pieces that are rarely staged are increasingly being resuscitated for compact disc recordings, and many are revived at opera festivals and by companies such as Palazetto Bru Zane . After virtually disappearing from the operatic repertory worldwide in the 20th century, Meyerbeer's major grand operas are once again being staged by leading European opera houses. French grand opera

1800-455: A platform rises in the middle of the stage The Anabaptist soldiers feast and sing of the glory of their prophet at the banquet to celebrate his coronation. Young girls dance for them while others bring them wine and food (Bacchanale/choral dance: Gloire, gloire au prophète ) The three Anabaptists are watching Jean hoping that he will be drunk enough to be easily captured. Jean, for his part, warns his soldiers that they must be ready to close all

1920-418: A prophet and son of God. The libretto also mentions twice the character of Joan of Arc ; in the second act she is referred to as an example of a war leader acting in the name of faith; in the third, this reference highlights the cruel failure of Jean, who, by his own admission, only directs a group of executioners, while "Joan of Arc, in her footsteps, has given birth to heroes." The second remarkable figure in

2040-423: A remark that count Dirk IV of Holland was murdered in 1049 near " Thuredrech ". Dordrecht was granted city rights by William I, Count of Holland , in 1220, making it the oldest city in the present province of South Holland . In fact, Geertruidenberg was the first city in the historical county of Holland to receive city rights, but this municipality currently is part of the province of North Brabant . In

2160-475: A rich culture. The medieval city centre is home to over 950 monuments. The city also houses 7 historic churches and 6 museums in a relatively small area and hosts many festivals and events every year. The following museums are located in Dordrecht: Dordrecht hosts around 20 cultural and historical events and festivals each year. The city won the title of "Best events city of the year" in 2003 and

2280-540: A ship-canal or river through which ships were pulled by rope from one river to another, as here between the Dubbel and the Merwede. Earlier etymologists had assumed that the 'drecht' suffix came from Latin 'trajectum', a ford, but this was rejected in 1996. The Drecht is now supposed to have been derived from ' draeg ', which means to pull, tow or drag. Inhabitants of Dordrecht are Dordtenaren (singular: Dordtenaar ). Dordrecht

2400-550: A tunnel that leads out of the city The Anabaptist trio resolve to hand over Jean to the German Imperial armies, which are preparing to invade the city, to buy their own protection. Soldiers bring Fidès to the vault where she is held prisoner. She is torn apart by contradictory feelings: she still loves her son, but she loathes what he has become, a false prophet who pretends to be the son of God and who leads armies responsible for many crimes. Finally, Fidès seems ready to forgive

2520-522: A young peasant girl, is very happy to be able to marry the man she loves (Aria: Mon cœur s'élance et palpite ). She welcomes her future mother-in-law, Fidès, who blesses her and puts an engagement ring on her finger. Berthe explains to Fidès that she needs the Count's permission to marry Jean whom she has loved ever since he rescued her from the Meuse. Before leaving for Leiden, where Fidès runs an inn with her son, Berthe must obtain permission from Oberthal to leave

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2640-444: Is Hoe dichter bij Dordt, hoe rotter het wordt (the closer to Dordrecht, the more rotten it gets). The previous mayor Noorland added to that; maar ben je er eenmaal in, dan heb je het prima naar je zin (but once you're in it, you're perfectly content). The saying can probably be explained as follows; traffic used to go by water and whoever came close to Dordrecht was obliged, according to staple right , to display their merchandise for

2760-430: Is about the three brothers Van Beveren who each wanted to build a house and decided to make a bet on who would dare to place the most risqué statue on their façade. One of the brothers, Abraham van Beveren, placed a naked little boy on his façade. However, the house that supposedly won has an empty façade today because, according to the story, the statue was so risqué that it was removed. A well known saying about Dordrecht

2880-528: Is anointed by God, she recognizes his voice and cries out "My son!". This threatens Jean's plan and he pretends not to know her. He calls on his followers to stab him if the beggar woman claims again to be his mother. This forces Fidès to retract, saying her eyes have deceived her. A vault in Jean's palace in Münster: on the left, a staircase through which one descends into the vault. To the right, an iron gate opening onto

3000-500: Is informally called Dordt by its inhabitants. In earlier centuries, Dordrecht was a major trading port and was called Dort in English. The city was formed along the Thure river , in the midst of peat marshes. This river was a branch of the river Dubbel, which is part of the massive Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta complex, near the current Bagijnhof . Around 1120 reference to Dordrecht was made by

3120-707: Is not conditional on belief; that Christ did not die for all; the total depravity of man; the irresistible grace of God; and the impossibility of falling from grace. These canons of Dort, along with the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism, remain the theological basis of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. Following the synod, two hundred Remonstrant ministers were deposed from their office, of which eighty were banished. The political leaders of

3240-557: Is overheard by Oberthal who has entered the camp in disguise. He pretends that he wants to join the Anabaptists and Zacharie and Jonas then make him swear to respect the peasants and the poor, but to mercilessly massacre the nobles and the burghers, after having stripped them of their wealth (Comic trio: Sous votre bannière que faudra-t-il faire? ). On his detection, he is arrested; but, when he informs Jean that Berthe escaped from his clutches and he has seen her alive in Münster, Jean, wearying of

3360-714: Is particularly applied (sometimes specifically used in its French-language equivalent grand opéra , pronounced [ɡʁɑ̃t‿ɔpeʁa] ) to certain productions of the Paris Opéra from the late 1820s to around 1860; 'grand opéra' has sometimes been used to denote the Paris Opéra itself. The term 'grand opera' is also used in a broader application in respect of contemporary or later works of similar monumental proportions from France, Germany, Italy, and other countries. It may also be used colloquially in an imprecise sense to refer to 'serious opera without spoken dialogue'. Paris at

3480-416: Is returned to him. In despair, Jean gives in and hands over Berthe to Oberthal. Fidès blesses her son and attempts to console him (Aria: Ah! mon fils sois béni ). When the Anabaptists return, Jean is ready to join them in vengeance against Oberthal; he goes, without letting Fidès know (Quartet: Oui, c'est Dieu qui t'appelle ). The camp of the Anabaptists in a forest of Westphalia . A frozen pond extends to

3600-510: Is still frequently produced today. Götterdämmerung , as noted by George Bernard Shaw , shows clear traces of some return by Wagner to the grand opera tradition, and a case could also be argued for Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg . Meyerbeer's only mature German opera, Ein Feldlager in Schlesien is in effect a Singspiel , although act 2 has some of the characteristics of grand opera, with

3720-512: Is the "hero" (or rather the anti-hero) Jean of Leiden. The deepest nature of the character remains ultimately ambiguous: does he truly believe in the mission that God is said to have entrusted to him (in the prophetic dream of the second act, the vision of his victorious attack on Münster at the end of the third, and the coronation ceremony)? Or does he know that he is ultimately only a usurper who takes advantage of circumstances (hence his bad conscience and his repentance when he confronts his mother in

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3840-594: The Dutch Reformed Church known as Arminianism , named for its spiritual leader Jacobus Arminius . Arminius' followers were also commonly known as Remonstrants , after the 1610 Five Articles of Remonstrance which outlined their points of dissent from the church's official doctrine. They were opposed by the Contra-Remonstrants, or the Gomarists, who were led by Dutch theologian Franciscus Gomarus . During

3960-517: The Hollands Diep . Dordrecht was finally liberated by the Canadian Army. In 1970, the municipality Dubbeldam (then ca. 10,000 inhabitants) and the southern part of the municipality of Sliedrecht were incorporated into Dordrecht, making Dordrecht Island one municipality. Dordrecht is divided into 27 districts, neighbourhoods and hamlets : In 2021, around 19,35% of the population of Dordrecht

4080-545: The Patriots faction which intended to remove the hereditary Stadtholder position held by the House of Orange-Nassau . The Netherlands was after all a republic de jure . Soon after, more cities followed and William V fled from Holland. But his brother-in-law, King Frederick William II of Prussia , came to the aid of William V and on 18 September 1787, Dordrecht capitulated to Prussian troops. The Patriots were defeated and Willem V

4200-503: The Twelve Years' Truce , this in essence purely theological conflict between different factions of the church had in practice spilled over into politics, dividing society along ideological lines, and threatening the existence of the young republic by repeatedly bringing it to the brink of civil war. The synod was attended by Gomarist Dutch delegates and also by delegates from Reformed churches in Germany, Switzerland, and England. Though it

4320-632: The Unie van Dordrecht ("Union of Dordrecht"). This secret meeting, called by the city of Dordrecht, was a rebellious act since only King Philip II or his stadtholder , at that time the Duke of Alba , were allowed to call a meeting of the States of Holland . During the meeting, the organization and financing of the rebellion against the Spanish occupation was discussed, Phillip II was unanimously denounced, and William of Orange

4440-616: The Union of Brussels (1577) and the Union of Utrecht (1579) paved the way for official independence of the Dutch Republic , declared in the Act of Abjuration in 1581. The Union of Dordrecht was held in an Augustinian monastery, nowadays simply called het Hof ("the Court"). The room in which the meeting was held is called de Statenzaal ("The Hall of States") and features a stained glass window in which

4560-721: The World Jazz dagen (World Jazz days) held annually in August or September, the Dancetour or Boulevard of Dance , which takes place on Kingsday , Big Rivers Festival , a film, music, poetry and theatre festival held in June, and the Cello festival, held every four years in the weekend of the Ascension . Rond Uit Dordrecht , Since 2013 they do organise a four-day bicycle festival early June. A website with

4680-457: The 12th and 13th centuries, Dordrecht developed into an important market city because of its strategic location. It traded primarily in wine , wood and cereals . Dordrecht was made even more important when it was given staple right in 1299. In 1253 a Latin school was founded in Dordrecht. It still exists today as the Johan de Witt Gymnasium  [ nl ] and is the oldest gymnasium in

4800-427: The 16th century. After the brilliant success of their grand opera Les Huguenots (1836), Meyerbeer and his librettist Scribe decided to collaborate again on a piece based on a historical religious conflict. Meyerbeer's great personal wealth and his duties as official court composer to King Frederick William IV of Prussia meant that there was no hurry to complete the opera; the composition and planning took more than

4920-466: The 1880s and even 1890s, but with less frequency; examples being Marchetti's Don Giovanni d'Austria (1880) and Ponchielli's Il figluol prodigo (also 1880). French grand operas were regularly staged by German opera houses; an early article by Richard Wagner depicts German opera managers hurrying to Paris to try to identify the next hit. The Dresden performances of Le prophète (in German) in 1850 were

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5040-511: The 18th century, when Dordrecht had 16 sugar refineries, as opposed 120 in Amsterdam and 40 in Rotterdam. Dordrecht still has a few buildings purposely designed as a sugar refinery, e.g. the imposing Sugar Refinery Stokholm . Overall, the economic importance of Dordrecht began to wane in the 18th century, and Rotterdam became the main city in the region. From 1780 to 1787, Dordrecht was home to

5160-453: The Count of Oberthal, she sought Jean and her mother in their inn in Leiden. Neighbors told her they would have gone to Münster. Berthe immediately set out to try to find them. Fidès then tells the girl that her son died: she found only his bloodied clothes while an unknown person claimed to have witnessed his assassination ordered by the prophet of the Anabaptists. Berthe then decides to assassinate

5280-633: The Dordtse Biesbosch, south of Dordrecht, together form the Hollandse Biesbosch which is a part of the national park the Biesbosch , one of the largest national parks in the Netherlands and one of the last freshwater tide areas in Europe. The Dordtse Biesbosch has several recreational areas that are used for walking , rowing and swimming . There are also several parks near the city, such as Merwepark and Wantijpark. The Riwal Hoogwerkers Stadion

5400-543: The Dordtse sheep heads) during matches. There is also a cookie called Schapenkop (sheep head) which is a speciality of Dordrecht. There are many more legends about Dordrecht. One of them is about Saint Sura, a young woman who planned on building an entire church with only three coins in her purse. She was murdered because of her supposed wealth. Another legend is about the house called de Onbeschaamde (the Unembarrassed). It

5520-504: The Emperor. Other factors which led to Parisian supremacy at operatic spectacle were the ability of the large Paris Opéra to stage sizeable works and recruit leading stage-painters, designers and technicians, the long tradition of French ballet , and the art of stagecraft. The first theatre performance lit by gas, for example, was Aladin ou La lampe merveilleuse at the Opéra in 1823. The theatre had

5640-527: The French theatre declined after the 1848 revolution, and new productions on the previous scale were not so commercially viable. The popular Faust (1859) by Charles Gounod started life as an opéra comique and did not become a grand opera until rewritten in the 1860s. Les Troyens by Hector Berlioz (composed 1856–1858, later revised), was not given a full performance until nearly a century after Berlioz had died, although portions had been staged before, but

5760-546: The Germans invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, German paratroopers landed in Dordrecht. After fierce fighting they took the bridges Dordrecht-Moerdijk and Dordrecht-Zwijndrecht. Many buildings in Dordrecht were destroyed. Towards the end of the Second World War , during the winter of 1944–45, Dordrecht and its surroundings were in the middle between the opposing armies. The border between occupied and liberated regions ran along

5880-459: The Imperial troops, assisted by the three Anabaptists, have invaded the city and entered the palace. Berthe realizes suddenly that Jean and the prophet are one and the same person. Shocked, she curses her fiancé and then stabs herself to death. Having lost forever the one he loved, Jean decides to die as well and to drag all his enemies to death. The great hall of the Münster palace. A table placed on

6000-466: The Netherlands. From 1600 to 1615 Gerhard Johann Vossius was rector at this school. On 18–19 November 1421, the Saint Elisabeth's flood flooded large parts of southern Holland, causing Dordrecht to become an island. It was commonly said that over 10,000 people died in the flood, but recent research indicates that it was probably fewer than 200 people. On 29 June 1457, the city was devastated by

6120-512: The Opéra. He was to write or be associated with many of the libretti of the most successful grand operas which followed. La muette ' s reputation was enhanced by it being the touchpaper for a genuine revolution when it was produced in Brussels in 1830. In 1829, this was followed by Rossini's swansong Guillaume Tell . The resourceful Rossini, having largely created a style of Italian opera to which European theatre had been in thrall, recognized

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6240-661: The Remonstrant movement were arrested and one of them beheaded on May 14, 1619. It was only after the death of Prince Maurice in 1625 that the persecution of the Remonstrants ceased. During the Eighty Years' War merchants from Dordrecht were involved in taking control and founding sugar cane plantations in the West Indies. At the end of the 17th century this led to a stable sugar refining industry in Dordrecht. This flourished in

6360-487: The Revolution, the new regime determined to privatize the previously state-run Opéra and the winner of the contract was a businessman who acknowledged that he knew nothing of music, Louis-Désiré Véron . However, he soon showed himself extremely shrewd at discerning public taste by investing heavily in the grand opera formula. His first new production was a work long contracted from Meyerbeer, whose premiere had been delayed by

6480-449: The Revolution. This was fortunate for both Véron and Meyerbeer. As Berlioz commented, Meyerbeer had "not only the luck to be talented, but the talent to be lucky." Meyerbeer's new opera Robert le diable chimed well with the liberal sentiments of 1830s France. Moreover, its potent mixture of melodrama, spectacle, titillation (including a ballet of the ghosts of debauched nuns), and dramatic arias and choruses went down extremely well with

6600-560: The State, are handed over to Jean. Fidès is determined to carry out Berthe's plan for revenge; entering the cathedral, she curses the Anabaptists' prophet (Prayer and imprecation: Domine salvum fac regem ). The coronation ends while the crowd marvels at the miracles already accomplished by the prophet and acclaim him as the Son of God, not conceived by woman (Children's chorus with general chorus: Le voilà, le roi prophète ). When Fidès hears Jean say that he

6720-614: The archives of the Paris Opèra shortly thereafter and a newly edited edition was published in 2010. The countryside around Dordrecht in Holland. At the bottom flows the Meuse . On the right, Oberthal's castle with a drawbridge and turrets; on the left, the farms and mills connected with the castle. It is morning. The peasants and millers leave to work, the wings of the mills begin to turn (Prelude and pastoral chorus: La brise est muette ). Berthe,

6840-504: The ballet music of L'étoile du nord into the ballet Les Patineurs , choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton , in which the dancers mimic ice skaters. Notes Sources Online sources Grand opera Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and orchestras . The original productions consisted of spectacular design and stage effects with plots normally based on or around dramatic historic events. The term

6960-502: The beginning of its second act. This was required, not for aesthetic reasons, but to satisfy the demands of the Opera's wealthy and aristocratic patrons, many of whom were more interested in the dancers themselves than the opera. These individuals also did not want their regular meal-times disturbed. The ballet therefore became an important element in the social prestige of the Opéra. Composers who did not comply with this tradition might suffer as

7080-430: The beginning of the last act as the three Anabaptists plan to betray the "prophet". Another theme used as a recurring motif relates to the role of prophet taken up by Jean. It is heard for the first time in a distorted form in the second act when Jean recounts the dream that haunts him. Then it is heard again, with a different tone and rhythm, in the coronation march of the fourth act. The many novel orchestral effects of

7200-455: The castle, but all stop at the sight of the Count of Oberthal and his soldiers. Seeing Berthe, Oberthal asks the girl about the reasons for her presence. Berthe explains that she has loved Fidès' son Jean since he saved her from drowning and asks his permission to marry. Oberthal however recognizes one of the Anabaptists, Jonas, as a former steward and orders soldiers to beat the three men. Taken by Berthe's beauty, he refuses her request and arrests

7320-577: The characteristics of size and spectacle that are normally associated with French grand opera. Another important forerunner was Il crociato in Egitto by Meyerbeer , who eventually became the acknowledged king of the grand opera genre. In Il crociato , which was produced by Rossini in Paris in 1825 after success in Venice , Florence and London. Meyerbeer succeeded in blending Italian singing-style with an orchestral style derived from his German training, introducing

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7440-446: The coats of arms of the twelve cities that were present at the meeting can be seen. From 13 November 1618 to 9 May 1619, an important Dutch Reformed Church assembly took place in Dordrecht, referred to as the Synod of Dordrecht . The synod attempted, and succeeded, to settle the theological differences of opinion between the central tenets of Calvinism , and a new school of thought within

7560-462: The composer's first success (produced Dresden , 1842) is totally Meyerbeerean in style. Wagner was at that time a sincere admirer of the older composer, who assisted him in arranging performances of Rienzi and Der fliegende Holländer in Dresden and Berlin. As described above, Wagner attempted in 1860/1861 to recast Tannhäuser as a grand opera, and this Paris version , as later adapted for Vienna,

7680-508: The confusion, nobody realizes that the doors of the palace have all been closed. A huge explosion then occurs and the flames grow from all sides. A wall collapses, allowing Fidès to join her son. Jean and his mother throw themselves into each other's arms for a last farewell, while all try in vain to escape from the conflagration that spreads more and more. The palace collapses in smoke and flames, killing all within (Final duet with chorus: Ah! viens, divine flamme ). The richness and complexity of

7800-470: The country and to marry. The two women head for the count's castle, but stop at the sight of three men dressed in black. These are three Anabaptists, Jonas, Matthisen and Zacharie, singing their chorale, Ad nos ad salutarem (to a tune created by Meyerbeer). The Anabaptists arouse the interest of the local peasants in their ideas of social revolution and urge them to revolt against their overlord. The peasants arm themselves with pitchforks and sticks and make for

7920-533: The description. They constituted an evolution of grand opera. Verdi's Aida , despite having only four acts, corresponds in many ways to the grand opera formula. It has a historical setting, deals with 'culture clash' and contains several ballets as well as its extremely well known Grand March. It was a huge success, both at its world premiere in Cairo in 1871 and its Italian premiere in Milan in 1872. It led to an increase in

8040-455: The distinctive quality of his genius." Many of the critics of the time are struck by the correspondence between the libretto of Le prophète and the post-revolutionary period of the years 1848 to 1849 in France. T. Gautier notes that "the Anabaptists and the peasants have dialogue that might be taken from the pages of the Communist newspapers". As Meyerbeer himself acknowledged, the general tone of

8160-421: The doors of the palace as soon as they receive his order. Jean encourages all to get drunk and asks the three Anabaptists to stand by his side as a reward for their fidelity (Drinking song: Versez, que tout respire l'ivresse ). Suddenly, Oberthal at the head of imperial soldiers appears in the hall. He demands that the false prophet be executed without delay, a request which the three Anabaptists eagerly approve. In

8280-574: The end of the works of these composers on German stages until modern times when La Juive , Les Huguenots , Le prophète and L'Africaine have been revived. The first American grand opera, Leonora , was written by the American composer William Fry for Ann Childe Seguin to take the title role in the 1840s. Dordrecht The municipality covers the entire Dordrecht Island, also often called Het Eiland van Dordt ("the Island of Dordt"), bordered by

8400-440: The faults of her son, while wishing that death should come to free her from all her ills (Aria: Ô prêtres de Baal ). A soldier announces to Fidès the visit of the prophet. She then regains a little hope and prays for her son to repent and take the right way. Jean finally arrives and asks his mother to forgive him. Fidès reproaches her son for his behavior. Jean tries to justify himself by recalling that he wished to avenge himself for

8520-414: The first use ever on stage of Léon Foucault and Jules Duboscq 's electric arc light ( régulateur à arc électrique ), imitating the effect of sunlight. The creators of the three main roles were Jeanne-Anaïs Castellan as Berthe, Pauline Viardot as Fidès, and Gustave-Hippolyte Roger as Jean. A sensational success at its premiere, the second city to hear it was London, at Covent Garden on 24 July of

8640-418: The heroine precipitates herself, embodied the musical and scenic sensationalism which were to be grand opera's hallmark. The libretto for La muette was by Eugène Scribe , a dominant force in French theatre of the time who specialized in melodramatic versions, often involving extremes of coincidence, of historical topics which were well-tailored for the public taste of the time. This was his first libretto for

8760-477: The horizon lost in the mist and is bordered to the left and right of the scene by the forest. On the banks of the pond are erected the tents of the Anabaptists Jean has been proclaimed to be a prophet. Anabaptist soldiers bring in a group of prisoners made up of richly clothed nobles and monks, whom they are threatening with axes. All the captives were going to be massacred, but Mathisen intervened and reminded

8880-401: The industrial revolution. However, in 1861 Dordrecht Sugar Factory became operational as second modern beet sugar factory of the Netherlands. Throughout the centuries, Dordrecht held a key position in the defense of Holland. It hosted an army division well into the 20th century. During the mobilization of August 1939, infantry and artillery were sent to Dordrecht to defend the island. When

9000-458: The innovative designers Duponchel , Cicéri and Daguerre on its staff as well. Several operas by Gaspare Spontini , Luigi Cherubini , and Gioachino Rossini can be regarded as precursors to French grand opera. These include Spontini's La vestale (1807) and Fernand Cortez (1809, revised 1817), Cherubini's Les Abencérages (1813), and Rossini's Le siège de Corinthe (1827) and Moïse et Pharaon (1828). All of these have some of

9120-538: The last act)? Does he really believe in the ideals of equality and social justice he defends? Or does he only act out of vengeance? Is he manipulated by the three Anabaptists? Or is he constantly controlling the situation? The libretto does not say. According to musical historian Robert Letellier , Scribe would have been inspired by the character of the false Dmitri in the drama Boris Godunov of Pushkin published in 1831 to create his portrait of Jean of Leiden, torn between his sincere religious faith and his imposture as

9240-541: The last successful French grand operas was by an unfamiliar composer, Émile Paladilhe : Patrie! (Paris, 1886). It ran up nearly 100 performances in Paris, and quite a few in Belgium, where the action takes place, but has since disappeared without a trace. The expensive artifacts of grand opera (which also demanded expensive singers)— Les Huguenots was known as 'the night of the seven stars' because of its requirement of seven top-grade artistes—meant that they were economically

9360-452: The leading roles. Beginning in 2015, new productions of Le prophète would appear in European opera houses. Precis: Jean de Leyde (based on the historical John of Leiden ), whose beloved, Berthe, is coveted by Count Oberthal, ruler of Dordrecht, is persuaded by a trio of sinister Anabaptists to proclaim himself king in Münster. Meyerbeer originally wrote a long overture for the opera which

9480-415: The libretto is Fidès, the mother of John. This is the main female character, much more original than the conventional figure of Berthe, Jean's fiancée. Fidès is a devout woman who loves her son and tries to save him many times, even if she has to deny her motherhood and accuse herself of lying when she is not. The scene where Fidès questions the divine origin of her son during the coronation is a direct echo of

9600-527: The libretto particularly impressed contemporaries at the creation of the work. Noted writer and literary critic Théophile Gautier began his review of the premiere in La Presse by noting that "the choice of the libretto is ... for Meyerbeer of major importance" and that "Meyerbeer is the most dramatic composer ever heard at the Opera: he has the highest level of theatrical understanding, ... and that is, in our opinion,

9720-649: The most suitable for any opera that would reunite the elements of the genre: [...] where the dramatic focus was combined with the marvellous: where the nature and majesty of the subject [...] demanded the addition of attractive festivities and splendid civil and religious ceremonies to the natural flow of the action, and consequently needed frequent scene changes. The first opera of the grand opera canon is, by common consent, La muette de Portici (1828) by Daniel François Auber . This tale of revolution set in Naples in 1647, ending with an eruption of Mount Vesuvius into which

9840-507: The most vulnerable as new repertoire developed. Hence they lost pride of place at the Paris Opéra (especially when many of the original stage sets were lost in fire in the late 19th century). However, as late as 1917, the Gaîté-Lyrique devoted an entire season to the genre, including Halévy's La reine de Chypre . Some of these works – Guillaume Tell , La favorite , Les vêpres siciliennes and Don Carlos , for instance – continue to have

9960-448: The new leaders of taste, the affluent bourgeoisie. The success of Robert was as spectacular as its production. Over the next few years, Véron brought on Auber's Gustave III (1833, libretto by Scribe, later adapted for Verdi 's Un ballo in maschera ) , and Fromental Halévy 's La Juive (1835, libretto also by Scribe), and commissioned Meyerbeer's next opera Les Huguenots (1836, libretto by Scribe and Deschamps), whose success

10080-475: The occasion for a series of articles by Wagner's disciple, Theodor Uhlig , condemning Meyerbeer's style and crudely attributing his alleged aesthetic failure to his Jewish origins, inspiring Wagner to write his anti-Jewish diatribe Das Judenthum in der Musik ("Jewishness in Music"). Meyerbeer himself was German by birth, but directed nearly all his mature efforts to success in Paris. Richard Wagner 's Rienzi ,

10200-591: The opera can be felt in, amongst others, Liszt 's monumental Fantasy and Fugue on the chorale "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam" for organ which is based on the Anabaptists' chorale, the duet between mother and lost child in Giuseppe Verdi 's Il trovatore , and the catastrophic finale of Richard Wagner 's Götterdämmerung . The tremendous success of Le prophète at its Paris première also provoked Wagner's anti-Jewish attack on Meyerbeer, Das Judenthum in der Musik . The first scene of act 3 of Le prophète contains

10320-646: The opera in 1918 as a vehicle for star tenor Enrico Caruso . Since the Second World War, notable productions have included: Zürich in 1962, Deutsche Opera Berlin in 1966 (both starring Sandra Warfield and James McCracken ) and the Metropolitan Opera in 1977 with Marilyn Horne as Fidès, directed by John Dexter . A production of the opera by Hans Neuenfels was performed at the Vienna State Opera in 1998 with Plácido Domingo and Agnes Baltsa in

10440-470: The opera: (To the Anabaptists) You, traitors! (to Oberthal) You, tyrant, whom I lead in my fall! God dictated your end ... and I execute it! All are guilty ... and all are punished! In contrast to the usual opera texts of the day, the love story is very clearly in the background in the libretto. Scribe prefers to focus on characters with unusually detailed psychology. The first of these characters

10560-444: The oppressions of the earl of Oberthal. The only way for Jean to obtain pardon from his mother is to give up his power and wealth and no longer claim to be a prophet. At first reluctant to abandon all those who trusted him, Jean is gradually convinced. He agrees to follow his mother who forgives all his faults (Grand duet: Mon fils? je n'en ai plus! ) Informed by a member of her family about the existence of secret passages, Berthe enters

10680-508: The other Anabaptists that it would be better to execute them only once their ransom had been demanded and paid. Farmers arrive, skating across the frozen pond, bringing food which has been paid for with money stolen from the captives. The farmers are invited by the Anabaptist soldiers to celebrate with them ( Ballet and chorus ). The interior of the tent of Zacharie, a few moments later The Anabaptists determine to seize Münster; their decision

10800-482: The picture of King David in Münster Cathedral . Jean recounts to them a dream in which he was in a temple with people kneeling before him. Jean tells the three Anabaptists that he lives only for his love for Berthe and refuses to join with them (Aria: Pour ma Berthe, moi je soupire ); they leave. Berthe hurries in, having fled Oberthal; the Count next arrives and threatens to execute Jean's mother Fidès unless Berthe

10920-462: The potential of new technology which included larger theatres and orchestras and modern instrumentation. He proved in this work that he could rise to meet them in this undoubted grand opera. However, his comfortable financial position, and the change in political climate after the July Revolution , persuaded him to quit the field. Therefore, Guillaume Tell was his last public composition. After

11040-434: The premiere of Giuseppe Verdi 's first opera for Paris, Jérusalem , an adaptation, meeting the grand opera conventions, of his earlier I Lombardi alla prima crociata . For production statistics of grand opera in Paris, see List of performances of French grand operas at the Paris Opéra . A notable feature of grand opera as it developed in Paris through the 1830s was the presence of a lavish ballet, to appear at or near

11160-405: The prophet, while Fidès prays God to bring her son eternal rest. Exalted, the girl runs to the palace of the prophet while Fidès tries in vain to catch up (Duet: Pour garder à ton fils le serment ). Inside Münster Cathedral The second scene is Jean's coronation in the cathedral and is preceded by a Coronation March, during which the crown, the scepter, the sword of justice, and the seal of

11280-455: The right, a few steps leading to the door of the town hall Jean, who wishes to make himself Emperor, has taken the city, whose citizens are in despair at his rule. Fidès sits on a pillar and begs for alms to pay for a Mass for the rest of her son, whom she thinks dead. Berthe, dressed in pilgrim's clothes, arrives in the square. She recognizes Fidès and the two women fall into each other's arms. Berthe relates that after she managed to escape from

11400-607: The rivers Oude Maas , Beneden Merwede , Nieuwe Merwede , Hollands Diep , and Dordtsche Kil . Dordrecht is the largest and most important city in the Drechtsteden and is also part of the Randstad , the main conurbation in the Netherlands. Dordrecht is the oldest city in Holland and has a rich history and culture. The name Dordrecht comes from Thuredriht (circa 1120), Thuredrecht (circa 1200). The name seems to mean 'thoroughfare';

11520-407: The rules established by the synod and eventually were expelled from the church. The synod then studied the theology of the Remonstrants and declared that it was contrary to Scripture. The Canons of Dort were produced; they discussed in detail in five sections the errors of the Remonstrants that were rejected as well as the doctrines that were affirmed. The doctrines affirmed were that predestination

11640-454: The same year. It was given all over Germany in 1850, as well as in Vienna, Lisbon, Antwerp, New Orleans, Budapest, Brussels, Prague and Basel. Its tremendous success continued throughout the 19th and into the early 20th century. Like Meyerbeer's other operas, Le prophète lost favor in the early part of the twentieth century and it fell out of the operatic repertoire worldwide, except for very occasional revivals. The Metropolitan Opera revived

11760-510: The scale of some of the works by other composers that followed it. This was particularly noticeable in works by Gomes ( Fosca in 1873, and his Salvator Rosa in 1874); Marchetti (especially Gustavo Wasa in 1875); Ponchielli: ( I Lituani in 1874) and La Gioconda (Milan, 1876, revised 1880)); and Lauro Rossi ( La Contessa di Mons , premiered in Turin in 1874). Other operas on this scale continued to be composed by Italian composers during

11880-496: The scene in Schiller 's play The Maid of Orleans , which appeared in 1801, where the father of Joan of Arc accuses his daughter of sorcery at the coronation in Reims of Charles VII . With rare exceptions, Meyerbeer does not entrust the character with particularly virtuosic music; he prefers to invent a kind of lyrical declamation that reinforces the credibility and dignity of this role as

12000-463: The score were much admired by the composer Hector Berlioz in his review of the original production. Of the vocal music, the trio in the second scene of act 3 is particularly notable for the original way in which a serious situation is set by Meyerbeer to a comic trio. Count Oberthal has come in the dark to the Anabaptist camp hoping to infiltrate their group and disrupt their plans. The Anabaptists Zacharie and Jonas at first do not recognise him, and in

12120-605: The second largest book market and the largest Christmas market in the Netherlands. Wantijfestival is an out-doors music festival that has been held annually in the second week of June since 1995. It takes place in the Wantij park and attracts around 35,000 people each year. Wantij park also hosts the Wantijconcerten (Wantij concerts) that are held every Monday night in July and August. Other popular music festivals held in Dordrecht are

12240-400: The spirit of this work is far removed from the bourgeois taste of the grand opera of the 1830s and 1840s. By the 1860s, taste for the grand style was returning. La reine de Saba by Charles Gounod was rarely given in its entirety, although the big tenor aria, "Inspirez-moi, race divine", was a popular feature of tenor recitals. Meyerbeer died on 2 May 1864; his late opera, L'Africaine ,

12360-808: The tradition of grand opera but often broke its melodramatic boundaries. The influence of Wagner's operas began to be felt, and it is a moot point whether these works can be simply called grand opera. Jules Massenet had at least two large scale historical works to his credit, Le roi de Lahore (Paris, 1877, assessed by Grove as "the last grand opera to have a great and widespread success". ) and Le Cid (Paris, 1885). Other works in this category include Polyeucte (Paris, 1878) by Charles Gounod and Henry VIII by Camille Saint-Saëns (Paris, 1883). Ernest Reyer had started to compose his Sigurd years earlier, but, unable to get it premiered in Paris, settled for La Monnaie in Brussels (1884). What may have been one of

12480-464: The trio Oberthal swears, to a catchy tune, that he wants to execute as many aristocrats as he can while the Anabaptists gaily add "tra-la-las". But, holding a lamp to Oberthal's face, Jonas recognises his enemy and the same seemingly jolly music is repeated, to sardonic effect,as the two Anabaptists swear to kill him and Oberthal expresses his hatred of them. A critical edition of the score was published in 2011. The musical and theatrical influences of

12600-408: The turn of the 19th century drew in many composers, both French and foreign, especially those of opera. Several Italians working during this period, including Luigi Cherubini , demonstrated that the use of recitative was suited for the powerful dramas that were being written. Others, such as Gaspare Spontini , wrote works to glorify Napoleon . These operas were composed on a suitably grand scale for

12720-426: The two women. The people become angry, and with the returning Anabaptists, threaten the castle. The interior of the inn of Jean and Fidès in the suburbs of Leiden in Holland. At the back, a door with crosses overlooking the countryside. Doors to the right and left of the stage The Anabaptists enter with merrymaking peasants and try to persuade Jean that he is their destined leader, claiming that he closely resembles

12840-400: The vault in order to access the powder magazine and blow up the palace and all its inhabitants. As soon as she sees Jean, she throws herself into his arms and is about to flee with him and Fidès, abandoning her avenging mission. Jean, Berthe and Fidès, finally united, dream of their future life, peaceful and full of bliss. (Trio: Loin de la ville ). A soldier, however, enters and warns Jean that

12960-451: The violence and bloodshed caused by the Anabaptist campaign, cancels the order for his execution. The Anabaptists' camp An attack on Münster led by the three Anabaptists fails, and the returning rabble are rebellious . However, Jean, as Prophet and Leader, inspires the Anabaptist troops with a celestial vision of their impending success (Triumphal hymn: Roi du ciel et des anges ). The town hall of Münster, where several streets end. To

13080-406: The work is "sombre and fanatical". The view of the world conveyed by the opera is particularly pessimistic: the three Anabaptists advocate revolution only in their own interest; too cowardly to expose themselves directly, they seek a charismatic leader whom they will not hesitate to betray when they feel the wind turn. But the old system against which the Anabaptists rise is far from being presented in

13200-405: The work is established by the existence of some recurring themes: the main one is the Anabaptist hymn "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam, iterum venite miseri", which is heard in the first act with the sinister appearance of the three Anabaptists. It reappears in the third act when Jean calms his troops who have just suffered a defeat, while preparing them for new battles. Finally, the theme appears again at

13320-742: Was also a center of the Dutch timber market. As a smaller town, wages were lower than in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It all made that many shipping lines that sailed to the East Indies for the Netherlands Trading Society (NTS) had their ships built in Dordrecht. Shipbuilders and shipping lines from Dordrecht profited disproportionally from the NTS policies. From about 1850 to 1876, the NTS gradually stopped its protection of Dutch shipping. The traditional (cane) sugar refining industry of Dordrecht would not survive

13440-454: Was chosen as the rightful stadtholder and recognized as the official leader of the revolt. Orange, represented at the meeting by his assistant Philips of Marnix , was promised financial support of his struggle against the Spanish and at his own request, freedom of religion was declared in all of Holland. The gathering is regarded as the first important step towards the free and independent Dutch Republic . Other important gatherings such as

13560-527: Was cut during rehearsals, along with various other sections of the work, due to the excessive length of the opera itself. For over a century, the overture was thought to survive only in piano arrangements made at Meyerbeer's request by Charles-Valentin Alkan , but Meyerbeer's manuscript full score was rediscovered in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris in the early 1990s; the original parts were discovered in

13680-535: Was generally well received in Italy, where it was always performed in Italian translation. Italian operas with their own ballet started to become relatively common in the late 1860s and 1870s. Some of these, such as Il Guarany by the Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Gomes were designated as "opera ballo" (i.e. 'danced opera'). Others, such as La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli were not, although they qualified for

13800-583: Was nominated for the same title in 2004 and 2005. Dordt in Stoom (literally: Dordt in steam) is the biggest steam event in Europe during which historical steam trains, steam boats etc. can be seen in action. It is organized every other year and attracts a quarter of a million visitors. Attention is also paid to Dordrecht's art and architecture during Kunstrondje Dordt (literally: Little art circle Dordt) and Dordt Monumenteel (Dordt Monumental), which attracts around 100,000 visitors every year. Dordrecht hosts

13920-567: Was of non-Western origin. Between 2005 and 2008, this number has not changed. The allochthonous population consists for a large part of young people while the indigenous population has started to age. Over six thousand Turks live in Dordrecht, many of whom are originally from Kayapınar . According to the Social Geographical Office of Dordrecht, the population consisted of the following ethnic groups in 2005 and 2008: Due to its long and important role in Dutch history, Dordrecht has

14040-564: Was originally intended that the synod would bring agreement on the doctrine of predestination among all the Reformed churches, in practice this Dutch synod was mainly concerned with problems facing the Dutch Reformed Church . The opening sessions dealt with a new Dutch translation of the Bible, a catechism, and the censorship of books. The synod then called upon representatives of the Remonstrants to express their beliefs. The Remonstrants refused to accept

14160-423: Was premiered posthumously in 1865. Giuseppe Verdi returned to Paris for what many see as the greatest French grand opera, Don Carlos (1867). Ambroise Thomas contributed his Hamlet in 1868, and finally, at the end of the decade, the revised Faust was premiered at the Opéra in its grand opera format. During the 1870s and 1880s, a new generation of French composers continued to produce large-scale works in

14280-607: Was restored in his position as Stadtholder. During the French period (1795–1813) Dordrecht continued to have a decent sea harbor and, for ocean-going ships, it was easier to reach than Rotterdam harbor. This changed in 1829, when the Voorne Canal was opened. Meanwhile, profits from the trade with the Dutch East Indies probably obscured the fact that Dordrecht was losing the maritime competition with Rotterdam. The end of Dordrecht as

14400-600: Was to prove the most enduring of all grand operas during the 19th century. Having made a fortune in his stewardship of the Opéra, Véron cannily handed on his concession to Henri Duponchel , who continued his winning formula, if not to such financial reward. Between 1838 and 1850, the Paris Opéra staged numerous grand operas of which the most notable were Halévy ’s La reine de Chypre (1841) and Charles VI (1843), Donizetti 's La favorite and Les martyrs (1840) and Dom Sébastien (1843, librettos by Scribe), and Meyerbeer's Le prophète (1849) (Scribe again). 1847 saw

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