While Molière's music and theatre had already engaged in dialogue in Le Poème Harmonique in the most intimate of ways, here they merge in a spectacular union of lyricism and farce.
The reform of Italian opera in the 18th century was largely inspired by French theatre, and Molière resonated on opera stages.
Comprising three singing characters and a fourth silent character, accompanied by a small orchestra, L'Avare is an intermezzo (the most famous example of which remains Pergolesi's La serva padrona, protagonist of the famous Querelle des Bouffons in 1752). Salvi, the librettist, who had already drawn inspiration from Molière's theatre (from Le Bourgeois gentilhomme in L'artigiano gentiluomo and from Le Malade imaginaire in Il malato immaginario), succeeded in remaining faithful to the spirit of Molière's comedy without losing any of its comic force, even though the work was reduced from five to three acts and was entirely sung.
Gasparini's music illustrates this delightful libretto in the most expressive and immediately appealing way possible.
Comprising three singing characters and a fourth silent character, accompanied by a small orchestra, L'Avare is an intermezzo (the most famous example of which remains Pergolesi's La serva padrona, protagonist of the famous Querelle des Bouffons in 1752). Salvi, the librettist, who had already drawn inspiration from Molière's theatre (from Le Bourgeois gentilhomme in L'artigiano gentiluomo and from Le Malade imaginaire in Il malato immaginario), succeeded in remaining faithful to the spirit of Molière's comedy without losing any of its comic force, even though the work was reduced from five to three acts and was entirely sung.
Gasparini's music illustrates this delightful libretto in the most expressive and immediately appealing way possible.
