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Opéra de Tours Presents the First Performance of Bizet's Le Docteur Miracle Using a New Edition by Hugh Macdonald

Oct. 25, 2024

Kicking off the 2025 Bizet anniversary year, on October 4 & 6, Opéra de Tours in a co-production with the Théâtre du Châtelet, Opéra de Rouen, Bru Zane France and Opéra de Lausanne, presented the first performance of Georges Bizet’s Le Docteur Miracle utilizing a new edition edited by Hugh Macdonald. The production was led by conductor Marc Leroy-Calatayud and director, Pierre Lebon. Editor Hugh Macdonald is well known for his “New Berlioz Edition," published by Bärenreiter-Verlag. Le Docteur Miracle is published by Macdonald’s own publishing house Fishergate Music, as part of the series, “Bizet’s Other Operas” which features Bizet’s works previously only available in inadequate versions. The performance material is available on hire from Bärenreiter - Alkor. 

 The series "Bizet’s Other Operas" includes the composer's lesser-known stage works and consists of five volumes, including:

1: Djamileh
2: Don Procopio
3a–b: La Jolie Fille de Perth
4: La Maison du Docteur and Le Docteur Miracle
5a–b:Ivan IV 


Scene from Bizet's Le Docteur Miracle at Wexford Festival Opera, 2019

Macdonald notes: “Although apparently never performed for nearly a century between 1857 and 1951, Le Docteur Miracle is now a popular opera, sung in many languages in many countries. It was the work with which the seventeen-year-old Bizet won a competition sponsored by Offenbach. It was performed eleven times at the Bouffes-Parisiens and well received. Composed shortly before his brilliant Symphony No. 1 in C, Le Docteur Miracle has a witty libretto by Battu and Halévy, the latter destined to be one of the librettists of Carmen. It is set in Padua, where the Podestat, or mayor, is determined not to allow his daughter to marry a soldier, knowing that she is in love with Captain Silvio. His wife sides with her daughter, although they are all deceived when the Captain disguises himself first as Pasquin, a servant, and then as Dr Miracle, a quack doctor. In the latter disguise he claims to save the Podestat from the effects of poison which the Podestat thinks was put in the omelette which the servant had cooked. Promised the hand of his daughter for saving his life, the Captain steps out of his disguise and all misunderstandings are resolved.

The music consists of an overture and six numbers, including the famous 'Omelette Quartet.' Dialogue is spoken between the numbers. The style is light and comic, with the spark of dramatic genius found in all Bizet’s music.”

Georges Bizet
Le Docteur Miracle
Opéra-comique in one act, libretto by Léon Battu and Ludovic Halévy
Hugh Macdonald, Editor
Cast: Le Podestat, bar; Véronique, his wife, soprano; Laurette, his daughter, soprano; Capitaine Silvio, tenor
2.1.2.1-2.2.3.0-timp-triangle-stt; offstage: cl.tbn.perc(from the main orchestra)
60'

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