Le prince troubadour, ou Le grand trompeur des dames (The Troubadour Prince, or The Great Deceiver of Ladies) is an opera by the French composer Étienne Méhul. It takes the form of an opéra comique in one act. It premiered at the Opéra-Comique, Paris on 24 May 1813. The libretto is by Alexandre Duval.Bartlet, p.xiv The work was not a great success and only enjoyed 13 performances in 1813. According to Arthur Pougin, its failure contributed to Méhul's growing depression and his sense that he was the victim of a conspiracy by his enemies.Pougin, p.321-322
Roles RoleVoice typeAccording to the printed score clefs.Premiere CastGuillaume IX, Count of Poitou and Duke of Aquitainehaute-contrePaul Dutreck, called 'Paul'Bérenger de Grand Manoir, Guillaume's troubadourbaritoneMartin was a high baritone and gave rise to a new type of French light baritone, called 'baryton-Martin' after him. However, having the baritone clef fallen into disuse at the beginning of the Eighteenth Century, the part of Bérenger is notated, as usual, in the bass clef.Jean-Blaise MartinBaron de la Touraillebasse-taille (bass-baritone)Mr. DarancourtMademoiselle Babolein de la Touraille, the baron's daughtersopranoMarie DesbrossesLaurette, the baron's grand-daughter and niece of Mademoiselle BaboleinsopranoAlexandrine-Marie-Agathe Ducamel, called Mme GavaudanThe seneschal of the fiefdom of Touraillebasse tailleMr. JulietProbably Antoine Juillet (1755–1825), called Juliet père, but in 1813 also his son Marcel Jean Antoine (1789–1841), called Juliet fils, was a member of the company.Chorus: Squires vassals etc.
References
Sources Printed score: Le Prince Troubadour//Opéra-comique en un Acte//Paroles//de Mr. Alexandre Duval//Membre de l'Institut//Musique//de Mr. Méhul//Membre de l'Institut, Paris, Frey, s.d. (accessible for free online at Gallica - B.N.F. Adélaïde de Place Étienne Nicolas Méhul (Bleu Nuit Éditeur, 2005) Arthur Pougin Méhul: sa vie, son génie, son caractère (Fischbacher, 1889) General introduction to Méhul's operas in the introduction to the edition of Stratonice by M. Elizabeth C. Bartlet (Pendragon Press, 1997)