Les deux aveugles de Tolède
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Les deux aveugles de Tolède (The Two Blind Men of Toledo) is an opéra comique in one act by the French composer Étienne Méhul. It premiered at the Opéra-Comique, Paris on 28 January 1806. The libretto, by Benoît-Joseph Marsollier, is a revision of the same author's Les deux aveugles de Bagdad, set by A.J. Fournier in 1782.[1]
Contemporary reviewers praised Méhul's music while criticising the weakness of the libretto.[2] The opera only enjoyed limited success, with 19 performances in 1806, plus one on 28 October 1809 and a final one on 22 May 1810.[3] The overture provides local Spanish colour through the use of a bolero rhythm (in the older Spanish sense).[4]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast |
|---|---|---|
| Nuguez, a blind musician, uncle of Flora | basse-taille (bass-baritone) | Simon Chénard |
| Don Brusco, another blind musician, engaged to Flora | baritone[5] | Jean-Pierre Solié |
| Mendoce, who goes under the assumed name of Pedro; he is Flora's lover, pretending to be a pupil of the blind musicians | baritone[5] | Jean-Blaise Martin |
| Flora, Nuguez's niece | soprano | Madame Gavaudan[6] |
| Jacinthe, the blind men's housekeeper | soprano | Marie Desbrosses |
Recordings
The overture appears on: Méhul Overtures, Orchestre de Bretagne, conducted by Stefan Sanderling (ASV, 2002).
