La Perle du Brésil

The opera was premiered on 22 November 1851 by the Opéra-National under Edmond Seveste at the Théâtre Historique on the Boulevard du Temple.{{sfn|Walsh|1981|pp=12, 16.}} Hector Berlioz described it as "sometimes good, often bad and in all, of little advantage to the composer".{{sfn|Walsh|1981|p=17}} Nevertheless, it was the company's first popular success, being given an unusually long run of 68 performances during the next three years. A revised version of the opera was produced in 1858–59 by the same company under its new name, Théâtre Lyrique, and its new director, Léon Carvalho, with his wife Caroline Miolan-Carvalho as Zora, and again in 1863–64 at their new theatre on the Place du Châtelet, for a total of 144 performances.{{harvnb|Walsh|1981|pp=12, 16–17, 88, 300}} It was revived at the second Salle Favart by the Opéra-Comique under Léon Carvalho on 17 May 1883 with new spoken dialogue by Jules Barbier and several cuts and revisions to the score.{{harvnb|Letellier|2010|pp=268–269}} The role of Zora was sung by Emma Nevada.{{sfn|Holland Rous|1919|p=312}} This revival received 19 performances. The opera has also been performed in Brussels (5 November 1852) and Rouen (30 January 1889).{{sfn|Loewenberg|1978|loc=col. 896}}

File:Zoé Adolphine Duez, rôle de Zora dans "La Perle du Brésil" de F. David - Marie-Alexandre Alophe - Gallica.jpg

Palace of the Portuguese royal courtThe synopsis is based on {{harvnb|Letellier|2010|p=268}}; {{harvnb|Holland Rous|1919|page=325}}; and {{harvnb|Bru Zane}}

Zora, a young Brazilian native, was discovered in Brazil by Admiral Salvador, who brought her to Portugal and provided her with an education. She has become a favorite of the royal court, and the admiral intends to marry her. Lorenz, a young lieutenant, falls in love with her, and Salvador decides to take her back to Brazil.

On board ship

Lorenz, who has disguised himself as a sailor, is on board in order to be near his sweetheart. The admiral recognizes him and plans to avenge himself on his rival, but a storm intervenes. The ship is compelled to seek shelter in a harbor of Brazil.

In a Brazilian forest

Natives surround the passengers and crew, threaten them with tomahawks and almost overpower the sailors, when Zora sings a hymn to the Great Spirit. The Brazilians recognize their compatriot, fall to their knees and make peace. In gratitutde for the young girl's act, which has saved all on board, the Admiral gives his consent for Zora to marry Lorenz.

{{Listen|type=music|filename=Ruth Vincent - La perle du Bresil - Charmant oiseau - Columbia-rena-133-lr66.ogg|title="Charmant oiseau"|description=Recorded circa 1905 and sung by Ruth Vincent with flute obbligato by Albert Fransella|

filename2=PDP-CH - Amelita Galli-Curci, soprano - Clement Barone, flute - La perle du Brésil - Charmant oiseau - David - Lurieu Saint-Etienne - Gramophone-db255-2-033062.flac|title2= "Charmant oiseau"|description2=Recorded in 1917 and sung by Amelita Galli-Curci with Clement Barone on flute, and Josef Pasternack conducting}}

Zora's "Charmant oiseau" ("Thou Charming Bird") with flute obbligato (act 3, scene 2, no. 13) is one of the most famous coloratura arias and has been recorded by Ruth Vincent, Luisa Tetrazzini, Emma Calvé, Amelita Galli-Curci, and Mabel Garrison.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/victrolabookofo00rous/page/312/mode/1up?view=theater|via=Internet Archive|chapter=La Perle du Brésil|page=312|title=The Victrola Book of the Opera|last=Holland Rous|first=Samuel|author-link=Samuel Holland Rous|edition=5th|year=1919}} Zora's ballad "Entendez-vous dans les savanes" (act 1, scene 5, no. 3) is also notable.{{sfn|Letellier|2010|p=269}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Letellier|first=Robert Ignatius|author-link=Robert Letellier|year=2010|title=Opéra-Comique: A Sourcebook|location=Newcastle upon Tyne|publisher=Cambridge Scholars|isbn=9781443821407}}
• {{cite book|last=Loewenberg|first=Alfred|year=1978|title=Annals of Opera 1597–1940|edition=3rd, revised|location=Totowa, New Jersey|publisher=Rowman and Littlefield|isbn=9780874718515}}
• {{cite book|last=Walsh|first=T. J.|author-link=Thomas Joseph Walsh (Wexford)|year=1981|title=Second Empire Opera: The Théâtre Lyrique Paris 1851–1870|location=New York|publisher=Riverrun Press|isbn=9780714536590}}
• {{cite book|last=Wild|first=Nicole|author-link=Nicole Wild|year=1993|title=Décors et costumes du XIXe siècle. Tome II : Théâtres et décorateurs. Collections de la Bibliothèque – Musée de l'Opéra|language=fr|location=Paris|publisher=Bibliothèque Nationale|isbn=2717718885}}

• {{Commons category-inline|La Perle du Brésil}}
• {{IMSLP|work=La perle du Brésil (David, Félicien)|cname=La perle du Brésil}}
• [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_HaPvz6m6dVcC/mode/1up 1858 libretto (in French)] at Internet Archive
• {{AllMusic|class=composition|id=mc0002660508|author="Blue" Gene Tyranny|title=La Perle du Brésil, opera}}

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Category:1851 operas

Category:Operas by Félicien David

Category:French-language operas

Category:Operas set in Brazil

Category:Operas