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
- Music
- Gioachino Rossini
- Libretto
- Eugène Scribe , Charles-Gaspard Delestre-Poirson
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Contralto |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
|
|
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.
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.