Rediscovery of a forgotten French opera
The long-forgotten French opera La Femme Nue by Henry Février, composed in 1929 and premiered at the Monte Carlo Opera, was recently revived in a concert performance at the Victoria Hall in Geneva on October 14. The concert was organized by the Geneva-based Association Ascanio, which aims to restore and record musical works that have been unjustly forgotten. A recording of the event was made.Origins of the opera
The opera is based on a play by Henry Bataille, which had been adapted multiple times for cinema and was a success in 1908. The work was previously performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 1932 but did not achieve lasting recognition. The conductor Guillaume Tourniaire, who made his debut at the Grand Théâtre de Genève in 1998, discovered the piano-vocal score of the opera and worked with the composer's granddaughter, Isabelle Aboulker, to reconstruct the lost orchestral materials. The composer's son is the pianist Jacques Février, a friend of Ravel and Poulenc.Cast and musical support
The performance featured a cast of talented singers, including Valentin Thill as the painter Rouchard, Jean-Sébastien Bou as his rival, and Antoinette Dennefeld as Lolette's rival. The Années Folles Choir, composed of students and members of the Florimont College in Geneva, provided strong support. The Geneva Chamber Orchestra, led by solo violinist Girolamo Bottiglieri and cellist Pascal Michel, delivered a vibrant performance.Themes and musical style
The opera's libretto, which initially appears outdated, presents a sharp critique of a bourgeois society where women striving for emancipation face harsh consequences. The story follows the painter Pierre Bernier, who falls in love with his model Lolette, a young woman from a modest background. The opera's music, described as reminiscent of Albert Roussel, Puccini, and Poulenc, was praised for its lyrical flights and tender melancholy.Emotional finale and audience response
The final acts of the opera were particularly moving, with Christophe Mortagne as the Prince de Chabran delivering a poignant performance. The soprano Tamara Bounazou, known for her role as Iphigénie in a Gluck opera, delivered a powerful performance as Lolette, who ultimately finds true love with Rouchard after a suicide attempt. The public responded with enthusiastic applause, and Guillaume Tourniaire offered an alternative version of the opera's final scene.
