Les Huguenots is a French opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps. It was first performed in Paris in 1836.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Les Huguenots was very popular. Premiered in 1836, it was performed more than 1,000 times at the Paris Opera by 1903, but like the rest of Meyerbeer's operas lost favor in the early part of the twentieth century and it no longer forms part of the standard operatic repertoire. However, there are several complete recordings extant, including a famous pirate recording from La Scala with Franco Corelli and Joan Sutherland. In recent years, the opera has sometimes been performed in concert form, and there have been occasional revivals by European opera companies, most recently for three performances in November, 1999 in Bilbao.
One reason for the lack of revivals is the extraordinary difficulty in casting the work. Les Huguenots has seven leading roles--two sopranos, one contralto, two baritones, a tenor, and a bass. Moreover, the tenor part, Raoul, is one of the most taxing in all of opera. He is onstage for large sections of all 5 acts and his music is filled with difficult high notes.
Le Gîte d'étape et de séjour L'Etoile recherche 1 stagiaire motivé(e), avec contrat de stage, entre le 1er mai et le 15 septembre pour une durée de 1 mois minimum.
"LesHuguenots" is written around the massacre of the Huguenots by the Catholics, on the night of St. Bartholomews, Paris, August 24, 1572; "Le Prophète" around the seizure and occupation of Munster, in 1555, by the Anabaptists, led by John of Leyden.
The performances of "LesHuguenots," during the most brilliant revivals of the work at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, under Maurice Grau, were known as "les nuits de sept étoiles" (the nights of the seven stars).
A manager, in order to put "LesHuguenots" satisfactorily upon the stage, should be able to give it with seven first-rate principals, trained as nearly as possible in the same school of opera.