Christophe Colomb

Christophe Colomb (Christopher Columbus) is an opera in two parts by the French composer Darius Milhaud. The poet Paul Claudel wrote the libretto based on his own play about the life of Christopher Columbus, Le Livre de Christophe Colomb. The opera was first performed at the Staatsoper, Berlin on 5 May 1930 in a German translation by Rudolph Stephan Hoffmann. Milhaud thoroughly revised the work and produced a second version around 1955. The opera is on a large scale and requires many resources for its staging. As in many of his other works, Milhaud employs polytonality in parts of the score.

Roles

Role Voice type Premiere Cast
Conductor: Erich Kleiber
Young Columbus baritone Theodor Scheidl
Old Columbus bass Emanuel List
Queen Isabella of Spain soprano Delia Reinhardt
The wife of Columbus soprano Margherita Perras
Majordomo tenor Fritz Soot
The King of Spain bass
Master of ceremonies tenor
Narrator spoken role

Synopsis

The opera tells the life of Christopher Columbus in a series of episodes which avoid chronological order and are sometimes allegorical.

Recording

  • Milhaud: Christophe Colomb, Op. 318 - Jean Gillibert (Columbus II), Jean-Pierre Granval (opposer), Jean Desailly, Jean-Louis Barrault (old sailor), Anne Carrere (vocals), E. Beauchamp (vocals), Pierre Bertin (narrator), Madeleine Renaud (queen).[1] Pierre Boulez 1954

References

  1. ↑ Book of Christopher Columbus - Page 138 Paul Claudel, ‎Michel Lioure - 2005 - le rôle de Christophe Colomb I était tenu par Jean-Louis Barrault, celui de Christophe Colomb II par Jean Gillibert, Madeleine Renaud incarnait la Reine Isabelle, l'Explicateur était Pierre Bertin, l'Opposant Jean-Pierre Granval, le Défenseur Jean Desailly, le Vieux Marin Jean Beauchamp.
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