Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (1782-1871): Les Diamants de la Couronne

Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (1782-1871): Les Diamants de la Couronne
Comic opera in three acts
on a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges
First performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 6 March 1841

Filmed during the performances of December 1999 at the Théâtre Impérial de Compiègne

Ghyslaine Raphanel, Catarina
Mylène Mornet, Diana
Christophe Einhorn, Don Enrique
Armand Arapian, Rebolledo
Dominique Ploteau, Don Sebastien
Paul Médioni, Comte de Campo Mayor
Nicolas Gambotti, Mugnoz
Sébastien Lemoine, Barbarigo

Choirs Cori Spezzati
Olivier Opdebeeck, director

Orchestre de Picardie
Edmon Colomer, conductor

Artistic direction, staging, and film director: Pierre Jourdan

Sets and costumes: Jean-Pierre Capeyron
Lighting: Thierry Alexandre

Director of musical studies: Christophe Durrant
Vocal coach: Hélène Blanic

Restored, upscaled and remastered in Altea Media Studios using careful use of Artificial Intelligence software and complete sound and picture remastering, under Michel Swierczewski's artistic direction.

SYNOPSIS

Act 1. Don Henrique de Sandoval, nephew of the Count of Campo Mayor, lost in the mountains, inadvertently stumbles on the workplace of a band of smugglers and counterfeiters, led by the beautiful Catarina. She protects him when her lieutenants, Rebolledo and Mugnoz, propose to do away with him, but he is sworn to secrecy. Although she and her ostensible uncle Rebolledo regard all court society as fools, Henrique falls in love with her and tries to persuade her to give up her outlaw life, but to no avail. When the band is surrounded by soldiers, the smugglers escape, disguised as monks, while Catarina leaves through a subterranean passage.

Act 2. Henrique is told of the smugglers’ escape at the home of the Alcalde, to whose daughter Diana, his cousin, he is affianced. Henrique risks a scandal by not marrying the daughter of the Count of Campo Mayor, but Diana in any case loves Don Sébastien d’Aveyro, a young officer and Henrique's friend. A carriage breaks down outside and its occupant, the Countess of Villaflor, enters; Henrique immediately recognizes Catarina. He begs her again to give up her misspent life, and further pledges his love; she rebuffs him but gives him a ring as token of her affection. The Alcalde rushes in with the news that the crown jewels have been stolen and recognizes Henrique's new ring as one of them. Catarina overhears this and flees in the Alcalde's carriage.

Act 3. Henrique and his friends are at Lisbon to attend the coronation of the new Queen of Portugal. Rebolledo enters, dressed as a count. Henrique, alarmed, goes to warn the Queen and finds Catarina, who, it transpires, is herself the queen in disguise. She then discloses herself as the new Queen, and explains that since the treasury was depleted of money, she arranged for the sale of the crown diamonds, covered it up by a supposed robbery, and secretly had the crown diamonds replaced with counterfeit gems. She brings the lovers Diana and Sébastien together, and herself chooses Henrique for her husband.