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Overview

Synopsis

Faced with a castle full of women whose husbands and brothers are away on a Crusade, the young Count Ory uses every trick he can think of to get into the castle, and to try and win the hand of the beautiful Countess Adele. He sends his friend, Raimbaud, ahead of him, to announce the arrival of a hermit, who can help the women with their troubles. The women gladly welcome the hermit amongst them, unaware it is Count Ory in disguise.

Everything is going to plan until the Count’s Tutor and page, Isolier, arrive in the village. Isolier is also in love with the Countess and seeks advice from the hermit, with no idea he is telling the Count all his deepest secrets. The Count returns to the Countess, advising her that she should seek a lover to cure her melancholy, but to avoid the dangerous Isolier. When the Tutor is finally permitted into the castle, he recognises both Raimbaud and Ory and reveals their identities to the ladies. At the same moment, a letter arrives from the Countess’s brother: the husbands and brothers are returning in two days.

With only two days left to seduce the Countess, Count Ory comes up with a drastic plan. He disguises himself and his knights as nuns, and they pretend to be passing pilgrims caught in a terrible storm. With profound respect for the holy women, the Countess offers them safe harbor for the night. Isolier returns to the castle late that night bringing news that the men of the village are returning at midnight. He instantly recognises the Count and his men, and reveals their identities to the ladies, who are terrified at what will happen if their husbands return to find 14 men in the house.

Taking one last effort to get his hands on the Countess, Ory breaks into her bedroom in the night. In the dark, he reaches out across the room and caresses her hand. This time it is Count Ory’s turn to be shocked, when Isolier reveals that it is actually his hand the Count is holding, and it was his mouth that he kissed. But, their time is up: the men of the village have returned. Isolier helps the Count and his men to escape by a secret passage, and stays behind with the Countess.

With a wonderfully farcical plot, and music borrowed from Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims, Le Comte Ory is another great example of Rossini’s comic genius.

Show Information

Category
Opera
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1825
Genres
Comedy, Farce
Settings
Multiple Settings, Period
Time & Place
Touraine, France, 12th Century, Crusades
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Medium
Dancing
None
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
College/University, Professional Opera, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly Characters, Medium Cast

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Isolier

Lead

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Countess Adele de Formoutiers

Lead

Female

Soprano

Le Comte Ory

Lead

Male

Tenor

Tutor

Supporting

Male

Bass

Ragonde

Supporting

Female

Contralto

Raimbaud

Featured

Male

Baritone

Alice

Featured

Female

Soprano

Knights / Coryphée

Ensemble

Male

Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Chorus

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Bass, Baritone, Contralto

Songs

Act One

Prélude

No. 1 Introduction ‘Jouvencelles, venez vite’ - Raimbaud, Alice, Ragonde, Chorus

Cavatina ‘Que les destins prospères’ - Ory, Ragonde, Alice, Chorus

Recitative ‘Je viens a vous parlez’ - Ory, Chorus, Ragonde

Quartet and Chorus ‘Moi, je réclame’ - Raimbaud, Ory, Alice, Ragonde, Chorus

Recitative and Chorus ‘De grâce, encore un mot’ - Ragonde, Ory, Alice, Raimbaud, Chorus

No. 2 Aria ‘Veiller sans cesse’ - Tutor

Recitative - ‘Cet ermite, ma belle enfant’ - Tutor, Alice, Isolier

No. 3 Duet ‘Une dame de haut parage’ - Isolier, Ory March and recitative ‘Isolier dans ces lieux’ - Countess, Isolier

No. 4 Aria ‘En proie a la tristesse’ - Countess, Chorus

Recitative ‘C’est beien, je suis content’ - Isolier, Ory, Countess, Tutor, Raimbaud

No. 5 Finale Ciel! - O terreur, ô peine extrê’ - Countess, Isolier, Alice, Ragonde, Ory, Raimbaud, Tutor, Chorus

Act Two

No. 6 Introduction ‘Dans ce séjour’ - Countess, Ragonde, Chorus

Quartet ‘Noble chatelaine’ - Ory, Raimbaud, Tutor, Countess, Chorus

Recitative ‘Quand tomberont sur lui’ -Ragonde, Countess

No. 7 Duet ‘Ah! quel respect, Madame’ - Ory, Countess, Chorus

Recitative ‘Voici vos compagnes fidèles’ - Countess, Ory

No. 8 Chorus ‘Ah! la bonne folie’ - Chorus, Ory, Tutor

Recitative ‘L’aventure est jolie’ - Ory, Tutor, Chorus, Raimbaud

No. 9 Aria ‘Dans ce lieu solitaire’ - Raimbaud, Chorus

No. 10 Drinking Chorus ‘Buvons, buvons’ - Chorus, Ory, Raimbaud, Tutor

Recitative and Chorus ‘Elle revient...silence!’ - Countess, Ory, Ragonde, Isolier, Chorus

No. 11 Trio ‘A la faveur de cette nuit obscure’ - Ory, Isolier, Countess

Recitative ‘Oh ciel! Quel est ce la’ - Ragonde, Countess, Isolier

No. 12 Finale ‘Ecoutez ces chants de victoire’ - Countess, Ory, Ragonde, Isolier, Chorus

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

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Scenes

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Guide Written By:

Wendy Silvester

Wendy Silvester

Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.