Rediscovered opera performed in Budapest
A forgotten opera by Léo Delibes, Jean de Nivelle, was recently rediscovered and performed in Budapest in January 2026. The recording was edited by the Palazzetto Bru Zane, as promised by Clement Mariage.Historical context of the opera
The opera, created in 1880, had enjoyed a decent public success with over a hundred performances and revivals in cities such as Brussels, Vienna, St. Petersburg, and Copenhagen, as well as numerous journalistic mentions. It served as a trial run for Delibes' later work Lakmé (1883).Delibes’ early works and influences
Léo Delibes was known for two successful ballets, Coppélia (1870) and Sylvia (1876), and some small operettas and comic operas, which were his early works. He was an epigone of Offenbach and Hervé, leaning towards the absurd and the farcical, in a spirit coming from the fair theater and the boulevard, of which Chabrier will be another heir.Hybrid nature of the opera
Jean de Nivelle is a hybrid work that descends from this tradition but is an opera rather than an operetta. At the time, the distinction between operetta and opera was much discussed. Operettas included spoken dialogues, while operas were entirely sung.Structure and musical elements
Léon Carvalho, who conducted it, obtained permission in the early 1880s to give entirely sung works. Jean de Nivelle benefited from this but retained a hybrid character. It included conventional Middle Ages, sentimental, pastoral or burlesque scenes, as in a semi-character operetta, as well as act finales with choruses of vast proportions and arias calling for a numerous and high-level cast.Reasons for the opera’s disappearance
The opera's rapid disappearance can be attributed to a shaky libretto, the lack of a leading female character (which Lakmé would remedy), and complicated political backgrounds. The plot involves a young duke hiding under the cloak of a shepherd, a shepherdess in love with him, a noble lady who is also in love with him, a kind witch, and a plot between the kingdom of France and the court of Burgundy, among other elements.Musical significance of the rediscovery
The music is the main interest of the rediscovery of this lost opera. It includes twenty-two numbers, arias, duets, trios, choruses, and carefully constructed act finales. The impression of fluidity felt upon listening is due to Delibes' unbroken musical flow, the intertwining of recitatives, which take on the appearance of ariosos, leading the listener insensitively towards arias.Notable musical moments
The romance of Arlette, "On croit à tout lorsque l'on aime," leads to a duet with Simone, "Le rossignol et la fauvette," which seems to prefigure the flower duet of Lakmé. Their bucolic understanding turns into conflict (the witch wants Arlette to marry her own son, Thibaut), and Jean de Nivelle appears as a savior, from which comes a heroic air, "Âme cruelle, je saurai bien la soustraire à ta loi," where Cyrille Dubois shows off courage and brilliance.Performance quality and direction
The direction of György Vashegyi, of great elegance, is in line with this. It is he, with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Hungary, undoubtedly at home in the French repertoire, and the National Hungarian Choir, very numerous, perhaps a bit too much, and an impeccable cast, who make the rediscovery of this opera a real musical pleasure.Legacy and future of the opera
Will it ever be staged, with its shepherdess, its witch, its beards and its eco-friendly duke, it is obviously another story... As usual, the Palazzetto Bru Zane surrounds the three CDs with an apparatus of texts, analyses, images, impressive.
