Déodat de SÉVERAC (1872–1921)
Le Coeur du Moulin – Opera in two acts (1909)
Jean-Sébastien Bou (baritone) -Jacques; Sophie Marin-Degor (soprano) - Marie;
Pierre-Yves Pruvot (baritone) - The Miller; Marie-Thérèse Keller (soprano)
- The Mother
Choeur et Maîtrise de l’Opéra de Tours
Orchestre Symphonique Région Centre-Tours/Jean-Yves Ossonce
rec. Espace André Malraux, Joué-les-Tours, 15-19 September 2009
Libretto in French and translation
TIMPANI 1C1176 [75:30]
Déodat de Séverac is fairly well-known as the composer of some wonderful piano
music such as En Languedoc (1904), Cerdaña (1911) and Le
Chant de la terre (1900), which have been regularly recorded although
it is still all-too-rarely heard in recital. His output also includes some
short orchestral works, songs for voice and orchestra such as Le Mirage
(1903) as well as incidental music and two large-scale ‘outdoor’ pageants
Fille de la Terre and Héliogabale. The latter is a monumental
work featuring song, dance and recitation and was performed in the Arènes
de Béziers in 1910. Incidentally, some of his orchestral music with and without
voices has been recorded on Cascavelle RSR 6197, a disc that is well worth
looking out for. He also composed an opera based on a play Le Retour
by a young writer from Toulouse, Maurice Magre (1877–1941). It seems that
the composer and the writer were friends and that the idea of composing an
opera on Le Retour was planned – and apparently partly completed –
as early as 1901. During 1903, however, Magre and de Séverac reworked and
expanded the opera. At that time, too, it seems that the definitive title
of the opera was fixed. It was to be Le Coeur du Moulin and was then
entered at the music competition of the City of Paris. Several musicians quickly
showed some real interest in the work, among them André Messager. After some
later reworking in 1905, it was played for Albert Carré, manager of the Opéra-Comique.
The first stage performances were planned for late 1906 but Carré hesitated.
In the meantime de Séverac further expanded the work by adding some more scenes.
It was eventually first performed on 8 December 1909. The critics’ reactions
were fairly enthusiastic about the music while the libretto – fine as it might
be – was found to be slighted dated.
The synopsis is fairly simple. Jacques has left the village years ago and
his fiancée Marie has married Jacques’ friend Pierre. She cannot help but
feel guilty about what she considers to be a betrayal. Jacques returns. He
is greeted by the voices of the Well and of the Mill and by the Voices of
Nature. He still loves Marie who has never stopped loving him. The couple
plan to leave the village for ever. However Marie confesses that she has married
Pierre. The harvesters return, Pierre among them, after having worked in the
vineyards. The old miller and Jacques’ mother arrive from the village. The
miller overhears Marie vowing her love to Jacques. This concludes the first
act. In the second act, some time later in the day, the miller becomes the
key character for it is he who will determine the end of the opera. The harvesters
and people of the village set up a feast to mark Jacques’ homecoming. When
the feasting is over Marie arrives at the old mill. The miller then realises
the real situation and Marie is forced to confess her plans to leave the village
for ever with Jacques. The miller tries to dissuade Jacques from leaving with
Marie and encourages him to go off alone. Jacques is unwilling to do so and
the miller then proposes that Jacques’ mother should decide. The mother wants
her son to stay with her in the village but the miller reminds her that everyone
on earth must do what is right. The mother, the Voice of the Well and the
Voices of Nature try to entice him to stay, but the Owl – the bird of wisdom
– convinces Jacques that he must carry on down the road. Four dream characters
appear. They are Jacques’ Childhood Memories who encourage him to go. “You
shall come back, but do your duty, in the name of your childhood.” Jacques
goes while the villagers are heard singing in the distance.
As already mentioned earlier in this review parts of the libretto are slightly
dated and at times artificial especially when the Voice of the Mill, the Voice
of the Well and the Voices of Nature have their say. De Séverac, however,
found in the words a splendid opportunity to develop his music which is in
turn warmly lyrical and atmospheric when needed. Debussy, who was a staunch
admirer of de Séverac’s music, is never far away. There are many beautiful
orchestral moments in this wonderful score. Indeed, chorus and orchestra very
often appear to be the main protagonists. Although he was a pupil of the sometimes
rigid Vincent d’Indy, de Séverac never shared his master’s dislike for more
modern harmonies. This is generously displayed in a score that also quotes
folksongs from Languedoc. These are often noticeable in the harvesters’ choruses
and in the dances that open the second act. There are too many fine things
in this music to single them all out but one of the most moving moments in
the entire work is the short quartet sung by the Childhood Memories near the
end of the opera.
The present recording of this marvellous work has been carefully prepared
if one is to judge by the fine singing and playing heard throughout. Soloists,
chorus and orchestra obviously relish every moment of this superb score and
Jean-Yves Ossonce, whom some of you may know for his very fine recording of
Magnard’s symphonies on Hyperion and for his recording of Ropartz’s opera
Le Pays on Timpani, conducts a superbly committed reading of this neglected
but highly rewarding opera. Incidentally I was particularly delighted to hear
Pierre-Yves Pruvot again, who was one of the finalists of the 2000 Queen Elisabeth
Competition. Both recording and production are to be praised for they are
well up to Timpani’s best standards. Timpani too deserve our gratitude for
giving such fine music the wider exposure that it definitely deserves.
Hubert Culot
A magnificent recording of de Séverac’s marvellous opera - definitely deserves
to be heard