(Georges[18] Bizet: born in Paris, October 25, 1838; died in Bougival, France, June 3, 1875)
SUITE FROM "L'ARLÉSIENNE," No. 1[19]
- PRELUDE
- MINUETTO
- ADAGIETTO
- CARILLON
Bizet was commissioned to write incidental music for the performance at the Vaudeville Theatre, Paris, of Alphonse Daudet's three-act play "L'ArlÉsienne." The play and Bizet's music were given at the Vaudeville on October 1, 1872, and withdrawn after fifteen performances. Bizet's music comprised twenty-seven numbers. After the failure of the Vaudeville production, the composer arranged various numbers out of the twenty-seven in the form of a suite, and these were performed at a Pasdeloup concert in Paris on November 10, 1872. Ten years after the composer's death the play of Daudet, together with Bizet's music in its revised form, was revived in Paris, and it has since been repeatedly performed there.
The plot of "L'ArlÉsienne" is thus related by Mr. Philip Hale: "FrÉderi, a young farmer of Carmague, and the son of Rose MamaÏ, of Castelet, is madly in love with a girl of Arles, a brunette who is irresistible in the farandole; [20] and he would fain wed her. She is not seen in the drama. FrÉderi is told at last that she is unworthy the love of any honest man; and he, thinking that contempt can kill passion, swears he will forget her. The baleful beauty of the woman haunts him day and night. The maiden Vivette, with whom he has grown up, wishes to console him; but, when he would woo her, the woman of Arles comes between them. Thus tortured by jealousy, hatred, love, despair, on a night when the peasants are celebrating the Festival of Saint Éloi, and dancing the farandole to the sound of flute and tambourine, FrÉderi hurls himself from the garret-window of the farm-house and dashes his skull against the pavement of the court.
"As a contrast to this furious passion there is the pure love of the long-separated shepherd Balthazar and MÈre Renaud. There is also the Innocent, the young brother of FrÉderi, whose brain begins to work only as the tragedy deepens, and at last is awakened to full consciousness by the catastrophe."
The connection of the several numbers of Bizet's suite with the action of the play may be briefly indicated:
I. PRELUDE
The Prelude, which serves also as the introduction to the play, prefigures two of the chief dramatic personages: the Innocent, and the impassioned FrÉderi. Prefacing the themes of these two appears the tune of an old ProvenÇal Christmas song. There are four variations of this theme, and then follows the theme of the Innocent, forming the second section of the Prelude. The theme of FrÉderi's passion constitutes the finale. It is this theme which accompanies the speech of Balthazar at the tragic end of the drama: "Go to the window—you will see whether one does not die of love!"
II. MINUETTO
In the complete version of the music for the play this piece is No. 17 of Act II. The middle portion has been said to denote "the tender and resigned affection of the Shepherd Balthazar and MÈre Renaud."
III. ADAGIETTO
This music is played during the conversation between MÈre Renaud and her lover Balthazar in the Court of Castelet. Mr. Hale has thus admirably translated the passage:
"BALTHAZAR.
"God keep you, Renaud!
"MÈRE RENAUD.
"Oh! O my poor Balthazar.
"BALTHAZAR (in a low voice).
"It's my fault. I knew you were coming. I should not have stayed.
"MÈRE RENAUD.
"Why not? To keep your oath? Bah! that is not worth the trouble. God himself has not wished that we should die without a meeting, and for this He put love in the hearts of those children there. And, after all, He owes us this as a reward for our bravery.
"BALTHAZAR.
"Yes, there was need of courage. Leading my beasts, I sometimes saw the smoke of your dwelling, and it seemed to make a sign to me: 'Come! She is here!'
"MÈRE RENAUD.
"And when I heard your dogs bark, and I recognized you and your great cape afar off, it took all my strength to keep me from running towards you. And now, at last, our trouble is at an end, and we can look on each other without blushing. Balthazar!
"BALTHAZAR.
"Renaud!
"MÈRE RENAUD.
"Would you be ashamed to kiss me now, all old and wrinkled by years as I am?
"BALTHAZAR.
"Oh!
"MÈRE RENAUD.
"Well, press me close to your heart. For fifty years I have owed you this kiss of friendship."
IV. CARILLON [21]
This number forms the prelude to the fourth scene, the Court of Castelet. In celebration of the betrothal of FrÉderi and Vivette, the court-yard of the farm-house is gay with May-poles and decorations of cornflowers and poppies. The orchestra plays an unvarying chime-like figure throughout fifty-six measures. There is a contrasting episode—the entrance of MÈre Renaud; then the bell-like figure is resumed, and continues to the end.
