Le calife de Bagdad
Music by François-Adrien Boïeldieu · libretto by Claude Godard d'Aucour de Saint-Just · premiered 1800 · at Opéra-Comique
Le calife de Bagdad (The Caliph of Baghdad) is an opéra comique in one act by the French composer François-Adrien Boieldieu with a libretto by Claude Godard d'Aucourt de Saint-Just. Dedicated to the landscape painter Bidauld it was first performed at the Opéra-Comique, Paris, on 16 September 1800 and soon became highly popular throughout Europe. It was Boieldieu's first major triumph. One member of the audience who was less impressed was the noted composer Luigi Cherubini who reproached Boieldieu, "Aren't you ashamed of such a great success, and doing so little to deserve it?" Boieldieu immediately applied to Cherubini for lessons in compositional techniques. Le calife de Bagdad was part of the vogue for operas on Oriental subjects and the music makes use of local colour, especially the overture with its prominent "eastern" percussion. Késie's aria "De tous pays" is a bravura piece which illustrates the musical styles of several European countries, including Spain, Italy, Germany, Scotland and England. Le calife de Bagdad is believed to have influenced Carl Maria von Weber, particularly his operas Abu Hassan and Oberon.
Text from the Wikipedia article "Le calife de Bagdad", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
About the Composer
François-Adrien Boïeldieu is the composer of record for this opera.
Text from the Wikipedia article "François-Adrien Boïeldieu", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Other Operas by François-Adrien Boïeldieu
- Jean de Paris
- Les voitures versées (1808)
- La dame blanche (1815)