CANDIDE (OPERETTA)

'''Candide''' (1956) is a comic operetta by Leonard Bernstein, based on the novella of the same name by Voltaire. The original libretto was written by Lillian Hellman. It has existed in many versions since its original inception but is now generally performed with a book by Hugh Wheeler. The primary lyricist was Richard Wilbur. Other contributors to the text were John Latouche, Dorothy Parker, Lillian Hellman, Stephen Sondheim, and Leonard Bernstein. Hershy Kay, John Mauceri, and Maurice Peress contributed orchestrations.

Contents

Origins

Performance history

Musical numbers

Characters

Notable elements

Trivia

References

Bibliography

External links

Origins

''Candide'' was originally conceived by Lillian Hellman as a play with incidental music in the style of her previous work ,''The Lark''. Bernstein, however, was so excited about this idea that he convinced Hellman to do it as a "comic operetta"; she did the original book for the operetta. Many lyricists worked on the show: first James Agee, then Dorothy Parker, John Latouche and Richard Wilbur. In addition, the lyrics to "I Am Easily Assimilated" were done by Leonard and Felicia Bernstein, and Hellman wrote the words to "Eldorado". Hershy Kay orchestrated all but the overture, which Bernstein did himself.^[1]

Performance history

''Candide'' first opened on Broadway as a musical on December 1, 1956. The premiere production was directed by Tyrone Guthrie and conducted by Samuel Krachmalnick. The sets and costumes were designed by Oliver Smith and Irene Sharaff, respectively.^[1]
It was choreographed by Anna Sokolow. It featured Robert Rounseville as Candide, Barbara Cook as Cunegonde, Max Adrian as Dr. Pangloss, and Irra Petina as the Old Lady. While this production was a box office disaster, running only two months for a total of 73 performances, much of the score was recorded on an original cast album, which became a cult hit and kept the memory of the show alive. Hellman's libretto had been criticized in a ''The New York Times'' review as being too serious. ^[1]
Without Bernstein's involvement, the show underwent a series of Broadway revivals under the direction of Harold Prince, previously known for, among other work, producing the first run of ''Fiddler on the Roof''. Lillian Hellman, the author of the original book, refused to let any of her work be used in the revival, so Prince commissioned a new, one-act book from Hugh Wheeler. (The sole element of Hellman's book that remained was her invented name for Cunegonde's brother: "Maximilian." The character has no given name in Voltaire's novella.) The lyrics were worked on by the team of artists listed above. This 105-minute version, omitting over half of the musical numbers, was known as the "Chelsea version", and opened in 1973 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, before moving to Broadway and running there for nearly two years.
In response to requests from opera companies for a more legitimate version, the show was expanded based on Wheeler's book. The two-act "opera house version" contains most of Bernstein's music, including some songs that were not orchestrated for the original production. It was first performed by the New York City Opera in 1982 under Prince's direction, and ran for thirty-four performances. Since then, opera companies around the world have performed this version. The production continues to be a staple of New York City Opera's repertoire, with performances underway in Spring 2005.
In 1988, by which point Hellman had died, Bernstein started working alongside John Mauceri to produce a version that expressed his final wishes regarding ''Candide''. He thought that in recent versions too much had been jettisoned or amended, with songs given to different characters and/or put in the wrong context. The new show was first produced by Scottish Opera and then, after a few more minor changes, Bernstein conducted and recorded what he called his "final revised version" with Jerry Hadley, June Anderson, Christa Ludwig, and Adolph Green.
Ten years later, when the Royal National Theatre in the UK decided to produce ''Candide'', another revision was deemed necessary and Wheeler's book was rewritten by John Caird. This book stuck far closer to Voltaire's original text than any previous version. The songs remained largely as Bernstein intended, bar a few more tweaks from Sondheim and Wilbur. This, the "RNT version", was a major success and has been performed a number of times since.
''Candide'' was revived on Broadway in 1974 (see above) and again in 1997, directed both times by Harold Prince. Lonny Price directed a 2004 semi-staged concert production with the New York Philharmonic under conductor Marin Alsop. It ran for four performances, May 5–8, 2004. This production was also broadcast on PBS's Great Performances. The cast featured Paul Groves as Candide, Kristin Chenoweth as Cunegonde, Sir Thomas Allen as Dr. Pangloss, Patti LuPone as the Old Lady, with choruses from both Westminster Choir College and the Juilliard School completing the performance cast. This production included the rarely sung duet between Cunegonde and the Old Lady, "We Are Women".
In 2006, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the creation of ''Candide'', the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris produced a new production under the direction of Robert Carsen. The production was to move to Milan's Teatro alla Scala in 2007 and to the English National Opera in 2008. The production transforms the proscenium into a giant 1950s-era TV set, and has Voltaire, appearing as the narrator, changing channels between certain scenes. Carsen sets the action in a 1950s-1960s world, with an American slant commenting on contemporary world politics. This production was filmed and broadcast on Arte. For an open-house day in French opera houses on February 17, 2007, this video was projected in high definition on a screen filling the proscenium of the Théâtre du Châtelet. The production was harshly criticized in the monthly magazine ''American Record Guide'' for mangling the style and intentions of the operetta.
''Candide'' has overcome its initial unenthusiastic reaction and achieved enormous popularity. It is very popular among major music schools as a student show because of its wonderful music and the spectacular opportunities it offers to talented student singers.

Musical numbers

;Act I ★ Overture ★ Life Is Happiness Indeed ★ The Best of All Possible Worlds ★ Oh, Happy We ★ It Must Be So ★ Battle ★ Candide's Lament ★ Lisbon Fair / The Inquisition ★ It Must Be Me ★ Paris Waltz ★ Glitter and Be Gay ★ You Were Dead, You Know ★ Pilgrims' Procession ★ My Love ★ I'm Easily Assimilated ★ Quartet

;Act II ★ Quiet ★ We Are Women ★ Eldorado ★ Bon Voyage ★ What's the Use? ★ Venice Gavotte ★ No More Than This ★ Make Our Garden Grow

Characters

★ Candide (tenor)

★ Voltaire/Pangloss (baritone, but occasionally played by a non-singing actor in a style similar to Rex Harrison's in ''My Fair Lady'')

★ Maximilian (baritone, but can be played as a tenor)

★ Cunegonde (soprano)

★ Paquette- (alto in versions of the musical from 1974 on. Although a major character in Voltaire's novella, she is a walk-on part with only one line in the 1956 stage version.}

★ Old Woman (alto)

★ Cacambo (tenor)

★ Martin (baritone. Doubles with Pangloss in the 1956 version and some later versions.)

Notable elements

''Candide'' is most famous for its popular overture which is often performed alone as a concert piece. In 1987, it was the most often performed piece of concert music by Bernstein.^[1] Cunegonde's coloratura aria Glitter and Be Gay is a favourite showpiece for many sopranos.

Trivia

A version of the wordless vocalise in "Glitter and Be Gay" has long been the theme song for TV and radio talk-show host Dick Cavett. The tune was used at the midpoint of his ABC late-night TV show and became his signature introduction during the years the Cavett show aired on PBS.

References

1. Bernstein, a biography, , Joan, Peyser, Beech Tree Books, ,
2. Bernstein, a biography, , Joan, Peyser, Beech Tree Books, ,
3. Bernstein, a biography, , Joan, Peyser, Beech Tree Books, ,
4. Bernstein, a biography, , Joan, Peyser, Beech Tree Books, ,

Bibliography

★ Leonard Bernstein, Lillian Hellman, and Richard Wilbur et al. ''Candide: Original Broadway Cast Recording.'' Columbia Soundtracks, 1957.

External links

★ ''Candide'' at Internet Broadway Database

★ Live, Laugh, Love: Candide

★ A Guide to Leonard Bernstein's Candide

★ Great Performances: Leonard Bernstein's "Candide" in Concert

★ June Anderson sings "Glitter and Be Gay", Leonard Bernstein conducting, London, 1989.

★ Natalie Dessay sings "Glitter and Be Gay", 2007, TV show.

★ ''International Herald Tribune'' article on 2006 Théâtre du Châtelet production