Ernelinde, princesse de Norvège (Ernelinde, Princess of Norway) is a three-act operatic tragédie lyrique, by the French composer François-André Danican Philidor. The libretto was by Antoine-Alexandre-Henri Poinsinet, after opera libretto La fede tradita, e vendicata.
Performance history The work was first performed on 24 November 1767 by the Paris Opera at the Salle des Machines in the Palais des Tuileries in Paris. The first version was given about eighteen times, with the final performance on 10 January 1768. Revised as Sandomir, prince de Dannemarck, it was given in the same theatre on 24 January 1769. This version was also performed in Brussels in 1772. The libretto was further revised in five acts by Michel-Jean Sedaine, this time as Ernelinde with fully orchestrated recitatives by Philidor, and given at the Théâtre Gabriel at the Palace of Versailles on 11 December 1773 and in Brussels in 1774. Philidor and Sedaine revised the five-act version for another set of performances given by the Paris Opera at the second Salle du Palais-Royal beginning on 8 July 1777. It was last revived in June 1778.
The 1777 performances, with their exotic Viking setting, excited enough interest to provoke parodies. One by Jean-Étienne Despréaux, entitled Berlingue, was performed at the Théâtre Royal de la Cour at the Château de Choisy on 13 September, another anonymous work called Sans dormir was given by the Comédie Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne on 12 October.
Roles
RoleVoice typePremiere cast, 24 November 17671st revision, 24 January 17692nd revision, 11 December 17733rd revision, 8 July 1777Ricimer, King of the Gothsbaritone Henri Larrivée Larrivée Larrivée LarrivéeSandomir, Prince of Denmarktenor Joseph Legros Legros Legros LegrosErnelinde, Princess of Norwaysoprano Marie Jeanne Larrivée Marie Jeanne Larrivée Marie Jeanne Larrivée Rosalie LevasseurRodoald, King of Norwaybass Nicolas Gélin Gélin Gélin Gélin
Synopsis A Viking-era saga about the struggle for control of Norway, Sweden and Denmark – and for the hand of the Norwegian princess Ernelinde.
Recording A recording of the second version of 1769 was issued by Chateau de Versailles Spectacles, conducted by Martin Wåhlberg with Judith van Wanroij (Ernelinde), Thomas Dolié (Rodoald), Reinoud Van Mechelen (Sandomir), and Matthieu Lécroart (Ricimer), with the Orkester Nord, Les Chantres du Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, and Vox Nidrosiensis.Robins, Brian. Review of Ernelinde, princesse de Norvège, Philidor. Opera, August 2025, Vol.76 No.8, p.1250-51.
References Notes
Sources Rushton, Julian (1992), 'Ernelinde, princesse de Norvège' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) Rushton Julian (1994): Ernelinde : Tragédie Lyrique (1767). (French Opera in the 17th & 18th Centuries‚ No. 8) Pendragon Press,
External links
1767 libretto (as Ernelinde, princesse de Norvege) at Gallica 1769 libretto (as Sandomir, prince de Dannemarck) at Gallica