In association with the French Institute Alliance Française, Opera Lafayette will perform the modern world premiere of L'épreuve Villageoise (The Village Trial), presented in celebration of Lafayette's 20th anniversary season season on Wednesday, May 27 at 7:30 and Thursday, May 28 at 7 p.m. at FIAF's Florence Gould Hall. That Saturday, May 30, the production heads south to the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater for two shows at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
André Grétry's opéra bouffon (to to a French libretto by Pierre Desforges) depicts the trials and tribulations of a small country town. The rustic story and charming musical composition blend beautifully, emphasizing an essential aspect of Grétry's comic work. The orignal story is set in the 18th century during the Courir de Mardis Gras (Fat Tuesday Run), New Orleans' extravagant celebration of the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
L'épreuve Villageoise tells the tale of a southern belle, Denise, and her mother, Mme. Hubert, who set out to settle scores with two amorous suitors. André, Denise's fiancé, is an honest tenor farmer with a jealous disposition, while the baritone La France is a vain overseer from the nearby plantation. Throughout the opera, the women thoroughly frustrate and confuse the men until each has learned his lesson.
Along the way, of course, Denise discovers the sincerity of her feelings for André.
Grétry's trial was celebrated by American audiences in early 18th-century New Orleans. Opera Lafayette re-imagines his 1784 two-acter as a touring production from the city's earliest opera house, the Saint Peter Street Theatre (now known as Le Petit Theatre.)
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