Among the number of the latter was the dramatic piece of Voltaire, entitled La Princess de Navarre, the music by Rameau, the name of which had just been changed to that of the Fetes de Ramire.This new subject required several changes to be made in the divertissements, as well in the poetry as in the music.
A person capable of both was now sought after.Voltaire was in Lorraine, and Rameau also; both of whom were employed on the opera of The Temple of Glory, and could not give their attention to this.M.
de Richelieu thought of me, and sent to desire I would undertake the alterations; and, that I might the better examine what there was to do, he gave me separately the poem and the music.In the first place, I would not touch the words without the consent of the author, to whom I wrote upon the subject a very polite and respectful letter, such a one as was proper; and received from him the following answer:
"December 15th, 1745.
"SIR: In you two talents, which hitherto have always been separate, are united.These are two good reasons for me to esteem and to endeavor to love you.I am sorry, on your account, you should employ these talents in a work which is so little worthy of them.Afew months ago the Duke de Richelieu commanded me to make, absolutely in the twinkling of an eye, a little and bad sketch of a few insipid and imperfect scenes to be adapted to divertissements which are not of a nature to be joined with them.I obeyed with the greatest exactness.I wrote very fast, and very ill.I sent this wretched production to M.de Richelieu, imagining he would make no use of it, or that I should have it again to make the necessary corrections.Happily it is in your hands, and you are at full liberty to do with it whatever you please: I have entirely lost sight of the thing.I doubt not but you will have corrected all the faults which cannot but abound in so hasty a composition of such a very ****** sketch, and am persuaded you will have supplied whatever was wanting.
"I remember that, among other stupid inattentions, no account is given in the scenes which connect the divertissements of the manner in which the Princess Grenadine immediately passes from a prison to a garden or palace.As it is not a magician but a Spanish nobleman who gives her the gala, I am of opinion nothing should be effected by enchantment.
"I beg, sir, you will examine this part, of which I have but a confused idea.
"You will likewise consider, whether or not it be necessary the prison should be opened, and the princess conveyed from it to a fine palace, gilt and varnished, and prepared for her.I know all this is wretched, and that it is beneath a thinking being to make a serious affair of such trifles; but, since we must displease as little as possible, it is necessary we should conform to reason, even in a bad divertissement of an opera.
"I depend wholly upon you and M.Ballod, and soon expect to have the honor of returning you my thanks, and assuring you how much I am, etc."* * * * *
There is nothing surprising in the great politeness of this letter, compared with the almost rude ones which he has since written to me.He thought I was in great favor with Madam Richelieu;and the courtly suppleness, which every one knows to be the character of this author, obliged him to be extremely polite to a new-comer, until he became better acquainted with the measure of the favor and patronage he enjoyed.
Authorized by M.de Voltaire, and not under the necessity of giving myself the least concern about M.Rameau, who endeavored to injure me, I set to work, and in two months my undertaking was finished.With respect to the poetry, it was confined to a mere trifle; I aimed at nothing more than to prevent the difference of style from being perceived, and had the vanity to think I had succeeded.The musical part was longer and more laborious.Besides my having to compose several preparatory pieces, and, amongst others, the overture, all the recitative, with which I was charged, was extremely difficult on account of the necessity there was of connecting, in a few verses, and by very rapid modulations, symphonies and choruses, in keys very different from each other; for I was determined neither to change nor transpose any of the airs, that Rameau might not accuse me of having disfigured them.I succeeded in the recitative; it was well accented, full of energy and excellent modulation.The idea of two men of superior talents, with whom I was associated, had elevated my genius, and I can assert, that in this barren and inglorious task, of which the public could have no knowledge, I was for the most part equal to my models.
The piece, in the date to which I had brought it, was rehearsed in the great theater of the opera.Of the three authors who had contributed to the production, I was the only one present.Voltaire was not in Paris, and Rameau either did not come, or concealed himself.The words of the first monologue were very mournful; they began with:
O Mort! viens terminer les malheurs de ma vie.** O Death! hasten to terminate the misfortunes of my life.