Jules Massenet's 'L'Adorable Bel-Boul'

[BerlinExpat]

Coming during the Festival Val d'Itria on 19 & 20 July 2023!

'L'Adorable Bel-Boul' is a one-act operetta by Jules Massenet (1842-1912) to a libretto by Paul Poirson.

It was created on April 17, 1873 at the Circle of the artistic union (circle of Mirlitons). Never published, this work fell into oblivion until July 2017 when the Divertissements royaux troupe (now renamed Opera-ci, Opera-la) revived it during its festival at the Château de Chabenet on the initiative of the soprano Marie-Laure Brossolasco.

Characters:
Zaï-Za, pupil of Ali-Bazar (soprano)
Fatime, follower of Zaï-Za (mezzo-soprano)
Ali-Bazar, merchant (baritone)
Sidi-Toupi, whirling dervish (tenor)
Hassan, in love with Zaï-Za (tenor)Plot

The plot takes place at the merchant Ali-Bazar in the city of Samarkand.

Zaï-Za returns from the extraordinary session given at the mosque by the whirling dervish Sidi-Toupi. She is very restless; a young man has just saved her from the fury of the dervish and his followers, provoked by the loss of her veil during the ceremony. Young man who hastened to return home with a bouquet leaving no doubt about his intentions.

However, Ali-Bazar has just told Zaï-Za that she could not marry until her daughter Bel-Boul was. But Bel-Boul, in addition to being scary ugly, has an execrable character and of course no one wants him... except old Omar for a dowry of 1000 sequins. But for Ali-Bazar this is not an option.

Zaï-Za, with the help of her servant Fatime, is looking for a solution, when it comes of itself in the person of the dervish Sidi-Toupi. Having seen the features of Zaï-Za, he falls in love with her and comes to ask her in marriage. Fatime immediately makes him believe that his mistress is actually called Bel-Boul, and that he will have to use a stratagem because Ali-Bazar does not want to marry her and discourages suitors by making her look ugly.

Sidi-Toupi falls into the trap and goes so far as to promise 1000 sequins if he changes his mind. When the veil falls on the truth, everything works out for Zaï-Za and her lover Hassan. Sidi-Toupi withdraws by paying the 1000 sequins which will be used for the marriage of Bel-Boul with the old Omar. So they can get married. As for the dervish, he will return home without saying a word, at the risk of being the laughing stock of all Samarkand.

[Mark Thomas]

How many tenors get the chance to play a whirling dervish? It must play havoc with the breath control. I wonder what the chances are of a recording?

[kolaboy]

Exciting news. Hope a recording is made available.