Les deux journées

Les deux journées, ou Le porteur d'eau (The Two Days, or The Water Carrier) is an opera in three acts by Cherubini, first performed at the Théâtre Feydeau in Paris in January, 1800. The libretto was by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly. It takes the form of an opéra comique, meaning not that the subject matter is humorous, but that the piece is a mixture of spoken dialogue and musical numbers. Bouilly claimed he took the story from a real life incident during the French Revolution but, for fear of censorship, he moved the action back to 1647 and the time of Cardinal Mazarin. Along with Médée it was Cherubini's most successful opera, though revivals have been rare in the past hundred years.

Synopsis
After a driving overture, the action opens in the home of Mikeli, a Savoyard water carrier living in Paris. Mikeli's son, Antonio, tells how as a child his life was saved by an unknown Frenchman. He is interrupted when Count Armand, a member of the French parliament, enters with his wife, Constance, begging Mikeli to save him from Cardinal Mazarin's soldiers. Mikeli willingly offers his assistance. He tells Armand that Antonio is due to be married the next day to Angelina, who lives in Gonesse. He can smuggle Armand and Constance out of the city, which is ringed by Mazarin's men, by disguising Constance as Antonio's sister, Marcelina and hiding Armand in his own water cart. Antonio enters and, to his delight, recognises Armand as the Frenchman who saved him as a child.

Act Two is set at one of the gates of Paris, where Mazarin's soldiers are stopping passersby in their search for political fugitives. After some delay, they let Antonio and his "sister" through, but they are suspicious of Mikeli's cart. While Mikeli distracts them, Armand slips out of the cart and through the gate. Mikéli is turned back.

Act Three takes place in Gonesse with the villagers preparing for Angelina and Antonio's wedding. A patrol of soldiers enter as Antonio, Armand and Constance arrive. Armand hides in a tree but gives himself up when they arrest his wife. At this point, Mikeli appears with news that the queen has offered a free pardon to all the members of parliament. All ends happily.

Roles

 * {|border=0


 * valign=top|
 * Character
 * Mikeli
 * Armand
 * Antonio
 * Constance
 * Marcelina
 * Angelina
 * Daniel, Mikeli's father
 * Sémos, Angelina's father
 * Two Italian commanders
 * Two Italian soldiers
 * Chorus of soldiers, chorus of villagers
 * Chorus of soldiers, chorus of villagers


 * valign=top|
 * Voice
 * baritone
 * tenor
 * tenor
 * soprano
 * soprano
 * soprano
 * bass
 * bass
 * basses
 * basses
 * chorus


 * }

Recordings

 * Les deux journées (Christoph Spering, Chorus Musicus Koeln, Das Neue Orchester, Opus 111, 2002)
 * Les deux journées (Sir Thomas Beecham, BBC Theatre Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded 1947, various reissues since)

Les deux journées