United States or Tanzania ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Up to that time I had only played Aricie, and the part of Phedre seemed formidable to me. I had, however, studied it for my own pleasure. "Yes, I know the role of Phedre. But I think if ever I had to play it I should die of fright." I think that you will play it."
I could not fathom all this at that time, but I did not feel at ease with this man, whom I had seen from my childhood and who was almost like a father to me. I did not want to continue learning Aricie. In the first place, I could not talk about it with my governess, as she would not discuss the piece at all. I then learnt L'Ecole des Femmes, and Mlle. de Brabender explained Agnes to me.
The first performance of Pelléas et Mélisande in Paris, on April 30th, 1902, was a very notable event in the history of French music; its importance can only be compared with that of the first performance of Lully's Cadmus et Hermione, Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie, and Quick's Iphigénie en Aulide; and it may be looked upon as one of the three or four red-letter days in the calendar of our lyric stage.
Nevertheless, for the time being, she deemed his reserve a little overdone. If Racine's "Aricie," who loved "Hippolyte," admired the youthful hero's untameable virtue, it was with the hope of winning a victory over it, and she would quickly have bewailed a sternness of moral fibre that had refused to be softened for her sake.
So, when she arrived at the age of fifteen, her mother, who wished her to appear in tragedy, secured for her a position at the Burgtheater of Vienna, where she played in such parts as Aricie in "Phèdre," and Ophelia in "Hamlet." The impression she made was that of a great nascent actress, who would one day worthily fill the place of her mother.
I shall never forget the first performance, in which Mounet-Sully obtained a delirious triumph. Oh, how fine he was, Mounet-Sully, in his role of Orestes! His entrance, his fury, his madness, and the plastic beauty of this marvellous artiste how magnificent! After Andromaque I played Aricie in Phedre, and in this secondary role it was I who really made the success of the evening.
I kissed Mlle. de Brabender, and she returned my kiss with such indulgent kindness that I felt quite embarrassed by it. Ten days passed by, and I did none of M. Meydieu's exercises, except the te de de at the piano. My mother came and woke me every morning for this, and it drove me wild. My godfather made me learn Aricie, but I understood nothing of what he told me about the verses.
Jamais l'aimable soeur des cruels Pallantides Trempa-t-elle aux complots de ses frères perfides. That is Racine's way of saying that Aricie did not join in her brothers' conspiracy.
"Mademoiselle Rousseil wants the committee to promise that she shall become a Societaire in the month of January, and the committee, which will without doubt appoint her, refuses to make this promise, and declares that her demand is like a threat. But perhaps Mademoiselle Rousseil will change her plans, and in that case you will play Aricie and I will change the bill."
Or let us listen to the voice of Phèdre, when she learns that Hippolyte and Aricie love one another: Les a-t-on vus souvent se parler, se chercher? Dans le fond des forêts alloient-ils se cacher? Hélas! ils se voyaient avec pleine licence; Le ciel de leurs soupirs approuvait l'innocence; Ils suivaient sans remords leur penchant amoureux; Tous les jours se levaient clairs et sereins pour eux.
Word Of The Day