Луиза: Парижская опера в четырёх актах

Louise is a “musical novel,” or “roman musical,” in four acts and five scenes by Gustave Charpentier. It can be considered an opera. The composer himself penned the French libretto with contributions from Saint Pol Roux, a symbolist poet and the inspiration of the surrealists. It is an atmospheric story of working class life in Paris, with the city itself invoked along the way: young Louise, a seamstress living with her parents, loves Julien, an artist; she desires freedom, associated in her mind with him and the city. (Charpentier would later write a sequel, the opera Julien, describing the artist's aspirations.) Musically the work is considered an example of verismo, and marks the beginning of naturalism in French opera.

Louise was premiered on 2 February 1900 at the Salle Favart by the Opéra Comique conducted by André Messager in a production by Albert Carré. It was successful, reaching its 100th performance just over a year later; the 500th performance at the Opéra Comique took place on 17 January 1921, and by the early 1950s it had reached over 950 performances. The opera helped launch the career of the soprano Mary Garden, who sang Louise in Act 3 at the eighth performance. On 30 April 1900 the Opéra Comique director Albert Carré gave away 400 seats to Paris dressmakers. The success in Paris led to productions in Algiers, Brussels, Budapest and Milan in 1901 and in Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Geneva and Stockholm in 1902, followed by other cities. First seen in New York City at the Manhattan Opera House in 1908, Louise was premiered by the Metropolitan Opera on January 15, 1921 (with Geraldine Farrar in the title role and Flora Perini as Gertrude). It was revived at the Met in a new production in 1930, broadcast twice (in 1939 and 1948), after 1949 it disappeared from the Met repertoire. The revival of Louise at the Opéra Comique on 28 February 1950, with scenery after maquettes by Utrillo and Géori Boué in the title role, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its creation and the 90th birthday of its composer. Although it was hoped that Charpentier might conduct the performance, in the end André Cluytens did so, but with the composer conducting the 'Chant de l’apothéose' after the 3rd act. Louise was staged by English National Opera in 1981, and more recently, at the Paris Opera (2008), Duisburg (2008), the Spoleto Festival (2009), the Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg and Mulhouse (2009), and Düsseldorf (2010). There are several recordings, and the opera is still performed today. The third act aria 'Depuis le jour' is a popular concert piece that has often been recorded.

An abridged version of Louise was made into a film in 1939, under the supervision of the composer. This included spoken dialogue. The director was Abel Gance. Louise was played by Grace Moore, Julien by Georges Thill, and the father by André Pernet.

1935: Conductor: Eugène Bigot; Principal singers: Ninon Vallin (Louise), André Pernet (Father), Christiane Gaudel (Irma), Georges Thill (Julien), Aimée Lecouvreur (Mother). French Columbia; mono; abridged by the composer; recent issues: Nimbus 1528320, Naxos 8.110225
1956: Conductor: Jean Fournet; Principal singers: Berthe Monmart (Louise), Louis Musy (Father), André Laroze (Julien), Solange Michel (Mother); Choeurs et Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra Comique. Mono recording; complete score; original issue: Philips L3L0006 (recent issues: 442 082 2)
1976: Conductor: Georges Prêtre; Principal singers: Ileana Cotrubas (Louise), Gabriel Bacquier (Father), Plácido Domingo (Julien), Jane Berbié (Mother), Michel Sénéchal (The Noctambulist); Ambrosian Opera Chorus, New Philharmonia Orchestra. LP: CBS 79302 or Columbia Masterworks M3 34207; CD (1990): Sony S3K 46429 1977: Conductor: Julius Rudel; Principal singers: Beverly Sills (Louise), José Van Dam (Father), Nicolai Gedda (Julien), Mignon Dunn (Mother), Martyn Hill (The Noctambulist); Children's Choir of the Resurrection, Chorus and Orchestra of the French National Opera. LP: Angel (SQ) 5CLX3846. 1983: Conductor: Sylvain Cambreling; Principal singers: Felicity Lott (Louise), Ernest Blanc (Father), Jerome Pruett (Julien), Rita Gorr (Mother); Chœurs et Orchestre Symphonique de l'Opéra de Belgique. complete score; original issue: Erato NUM 750843