Volume 1

Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau / Jean Jacques Rousseau.

  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Date:
1931
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau / Jean Jacques Rousseau. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    new act, the flight was less gigantic and better sustained than in “ Tasso.” The music was equally grand and the composition far superior, and, if the other two acts had been equal to this, the whole piece might have been represented with success ; but, while I was putting the last touches upon it, another undertaking interrupted its execution. [1745-1747].—During the winter after the battle of Fontenoy, several fetes took place at Versailles, and several operas were performed at the Theatre des Petites-Lcuries. Amongst these was Voltaire’s drama, La Princesse de Navarre, set to music by Rameau, which had just been revised and the title changed to Les Fetes de Ramire. This change of subject rendered several alterations necessary in the divertissements,l both in the words and music. The question was, to find someone capable of per¬ forming this two-fold task. Voltaire and Rameau being in Lorraine, where they were both engaged on the opera of Le Temple de la Gloire, and consequently unable to give their attention to it, M. de Richelieu thought of me, and proposed to me that I should undertake the task ; and, in order that I should be better able to judge what there was to be done, sent me the poem and the music separately. Before all, I was unwilling to touch the words without the author’s consent, and I wrote to him on the subject a very polite and even respectful letter, as was only proper, and received the following answer, the original of which is to be found in the packet of papers, docketed A, No. 1 : December 15th, 1745. “ Sir,—Two accomplishments, which have hitherto always been separate, are united in you. These are two good reasons why I should esteem and endeavour to love you. I am sorry, for your own sake, that you should employ these accomplishments upon a work which is none too worthy of you. Some months ago, M. de Richelieu gave me strict orders to compose, at a moment's notice, a trifling and poor sketch of some insipid and unfinished scenes, which were to be adapted to divertissements utterly unsuited to them. I obeyed most scrupulously. I worked very rapidly and very badly. I sent the miserable skit to M. de Richelieu, feeling sure that he would not make use of it, or that I should have to correct it. Happily it is in your hands ; you may do exactly what you please with it; I have entirely put it out of my sight. I have no doubt that you have corrected all the errors which must have occurred in the hasty com¬ position of a simple sketch, and that you have filled in all that was wanting. “ I remember that, amongst other stupid blunders, I have for¬ gotten to explain, in the scenes which connect the divertissements, 1 The incidental songs and dances.