Overview
Synopsis
When Prince Jaufré of Blaye finds he has had enough of the shallow life he has been living, he begins to long for a deeper kind of love. He dreams of a woman, somewhere out there, who will fulfil his ever ideal, and he obsesses over this mysterious unknown figure, writing her poetry and songs. A Pilgrim tells him that he knows of such a woman living in Tripoli, and Jaufré is immediately enthralled by the idea of this woman. He abandons the care of his subjects and spends sleepless nights trying to find the right words to his songs of love for this distant stranger.
When The Pilgrim later reveals that he has told the mystery woman all about Jaufré’s love, Jaufré is desperate to meet her. He sets sail for Tripoli, but is struck by a mysterious illness on the journey. He finally meets his beloved, the Countess Clémence, just moments before he dies. Clémence, who had been told of Jaufré’s love by The Pilgrim, cannot understand how god could be so cruel as to deny them time together. She believes herself cursed, and swears to join a convent, where she can remain true to her distant lord forever.
Kaija Saariaho’s L’amour de loin (Love from afar) is a story of beauty, art, poetry, and devotion, which is rapidly gaining traction as one of the most iconic operas of the 21st century.
Show Information
- Music
- Kaija Saariaho
- Libretto
- Amin Maalouf
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 5
- First Produced
- 2000
- Genres
- Romance, Historical/Biographical, Tragedy
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- 12th century, Aquitaine, Tripoli, at sea
- Cast Size
- small
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- None
- Ideal For
- College/University, Professional Opera, Small Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters
Context
First performed on the 15th August 2000 at the Salzburg Festival, in a performance directed by Peter Sellers and conducted by Kent Nagano, Saariaho’s L’amour de loin was rapidly picked up by opera houses all over the world. In December 2016 it became the first opera written by a female composer to be performed at The Metropolitan Opera, New York, in over 100 years, preceded only by Ethel Smyth’s Der Wald in 1903. It broke another boundary in the production on the 10th December 2016 which
to read the context for L'Amour de Loin and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
In a small medieval castle in the south of France, Prince Jaufré Rudel sits with his lute composing songs. He is testing out different lines, and choosing the best version of each one to express his feelings ("J'ai appris à parler du bonheur"). He is looking for happiness and pleads with the nightingale to tell him the secret to it. His companions interrupt his melancholy with their complaints. Jaufré has been so depressed recently, there is no joy left in him, he has given up
to read the plot for L'Amour de Loin and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Either Gender |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
Act One
Scene One: Jaufré Rudel
- "J'ai appris à parler du bonheur" - Jaufré, Chorus of Companions
Scene Two: Le Pèlerin
- "Peut-être bien qu'elle n'existe pas" - Le Pèlerin, Jaufré
- "Qu'as-tu fait de moi, pèlerin?" - Jaufré
Act Two
Scene One: Clémence
- "Pèlerin, dites-moi" - Clémence, Le Pèlerin
- "Un homme pense à vous"- Clémence, Le Pèlerin
- "Jamais d'amour" - Le Pèlerin
Scene Two: L'Amour de loin
- "Rien ne vous oblige à l'aimer" - Le Pèlerin, Clémence,
- "Jamais d'amor" - Clémence
Act Three
Scene One: At the Château de Blaye
- "Pèlerin, Pèlerin, dis-moi" - Jaufré, Le Pèlerin
- "Jaufré, elle sait" - Le Pèlerin, Jaufré
- "Peut-être ferais-je mieux de m'en aller" Le Pèlerin, Jaufré
Scene Two: In Tripoli, on the beach
- "Ben tenc lo Seignor per verai" - Clémence, Chorus of Tripolian Women
- "Non, par Notre Seigneur" - Clémence
Act Four
Scene One: Indigo Sea
- "Me croiras-tu, Pèlerin" - Jaufré, Le Pèlerin
Scene Two: The Dream
- "Je l'ai vue, Pèlerin" - Jaufré, Le Pèlerin
- "Calme-toi, Jaufré" - Le Pèlerin, Jaufré
Scene Three: Tempest
- "Je devrais être l'homme le plus heureux du monde" - Jaufré, Chorus of Companions
- "Ces choses se savent, oui" - Le Pèlerin, Jaufré
- "Je devrais être l’homme le plus heureux au monde" - Jaufré
Act Five
Scene One: Garden of the Citadel
- "Comtesse, regardez" - Chorus of Tripolitan Women, Clémence
- "Noble dame, je vous apporte une nouvelle" - Le Pèlerin, Clémence
Scene Two: If death could wait
- "C'est vous, c'est vous" - Jaufré, Clémence, Le Pèlerin
- "J'aurais tant voulu" - Jaufré, Clémence
- "Seigneur, si je pouvais rester ainsi" - Jaufré, Le Pèlerin, Clémence
Scene Three: And still I hope
- "J'espère encore, mon Dieu" - Clémence
- "J'avais cru en toi" - Clémence, Chorus of Women, Chorus of Companions, Le Pèlerin
Scene Four: To you who are so far away
- "Si tu t'appelles Amour" - Clémence
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.