La jolie fille de Perth

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Operas by Georges Bizet
Les pêcheurs de perles (1863) La jolie fille de Perth (1867) Djamileh (1872) Carmen (1875) Noé (completion of Halévy opera) (1885)
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La jolie fille de Perth (The Fair Maid of Perth) is an opera in four acts by Georges Bizet (1838–1875), from a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jules Adenis, after the novel by Sir Walter Scott.^[1]

It was completed before the end of 1866, and was first performed at the Théâtre Lyrique, Paris, on 26th December 1867.

[edit] Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, December 26, 1867 (Conductor: Unknown)
Henri (Henry) Smith, a blacksmith	tenor
Cathérine Glover	soprano
Simon Glover, her father, a glover	bass
Mab, Queen of the Gypsies	soprano
Ralph, Glover's apprentice	bass-baritone
Le Duc de Rothsay, Duke of Rothsay	baritone or tenor
A Lord in his service	tenor
His Major-Domo	bass

[edit] Selected recordings

• 1985 June Anderson - Cathérine Glover; Alfredo Kraus - Henri Smith; Gino Quilico - Le Duc de Rothsay; José van Dam - Ralph; Chœurs de Radio-France, Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique, cond. Georges Prêtre. EMI 747 559-8

• 1989 Barbara Hendricks - Cathérine Glover; John Aler - Henri Smith; Gino Quilico - Le Duc de Rothsay; Jean-Philippe Courtis - Ralph; Chœurs et Orchestre de Toulouse, cond. Michel Plasson. EMI 749 837-2

• 2000 Gwen Catley - Catherine Glover; Richard Lewis - Harry Smith; Trefor Jones - Duke of Rothsay; Norman Walker - Ralph; Lorely Dyer - Mab, Queen of the Gypsies; Owen Brannigan - Simon Glover; David Holman - A Nobleman; George Stern Scott - Major-Domo; BBC Theatre Chorus, Chorus Master John Clements; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham.

(An English version, The Fair Maid of Perth (trans. by Paul England, originally broadcast live on 5-6 June 1949 by the BBC.) Beulah 1-2PD23 ^[2]

[edit] References