Les Romans. Ballet héroïque - Bonneval, Michel de ? - 1766 (Paris Ballard, 1736)
As general controller of the silverware and intendant of the king's Menus-Plaisirs, Bonneval - choreographer, librettist and production dramatist - was responsible for spending on clothes and furniture, and for organising balls, fêtes, masquerades, carousels, etc. He composed many of the operas performed at court, on the Versailles stage.
First performed in 1736, music by Jean-Baptiste Niel (1690 – 1775) Master of music and batteur de mesure at the Opéra. In 1736 he secured a licence to write keyboard works, which have now disappeared. He performed with some success at the Concert-Spirituel, but he was most famous for composing opera-ballets or heroic ballets such as Les Romans (1736, lyrics by Bonneval) or L'École des amants (1744). The former was a great success, and was performed at court in front of the Queen in 1737. The music, however, was not very personal, and borrowings from Rameau were notable. We have a score in which the composer explains that he has introduced a new accent on the e, between the silent e and the open e, as well as new signs for the figured bass.
Premiered at the Académie royale de musique on 23 August 1736
Ex libris Gymnasio Reg:Joachim:Legat/ AB illustriss:Prinicipe AMALIA (Stamp)
Représenté par l'Académie Royale de Musique; Pour la premiere fois, Le Jeudy 23. d'Aout 1736
Keywords: Opéra (Paris, France); 18th Century (1701-1800); Libretto; Ballet; Opera; Music theater; Paris (France); bezetting (voc.); boekprijs; Fel, Madame; Jelyotte; Antier, madame; Duplessis, Madame