L'oriflamme (opera)

The opera is a pièce de circonstance (a work written for a special occasion) intended to arouse French patriotism during the Campaign of France when Allied armies were invading the country, intent on defeating Napoleon.^[1] Amaury Duval, the Inspecteur des Beaux-Arts, encouraged such propaganda works, writing to the Interior Minister: "The police have ordered pièces de circonstance to be composed and played in every theatre in Paris. It's a bit of a hackneyed way of arousing enthusiasm; but we must neglect nothing at such a critical conjuncture."^[2] The opera compares Napoleon to Charles Martel, who defeated the attempted Muslim invasion of France at the Battle of Poitiers in 732. The aim was to arouse both Bonapartist and royalist sentiments against the threat of the foreign Allies.^[3] Méhul contributed the overture (reused from his opera Adrien) and the romance celebrating the dead warrior Raoul ("Issu d'un noble chevalier"); Paer wrote the music for the pastoral Scene 2; Kreutzer supplied the warrior hymn "Suivons une juste fureur"; and Berton composed the final chorus, "Jurons d'être vaillants, d'être fidèles". ^[4]

According to the Bonapartist Moniteur Universel, the premiere enjoyed a rapturous reception, with takings of 11,000 francs. The opera ran for 11 performances, the last on 15 March.^[5]