Composer Benjamin Godard | Language French | |
Librettists Paul Armand Silvestre, Victor Capoul Similar Grisélidis, Henry VIII, Mignon, Le roi d'Ys, Hérodiade | ||
Jocelyn (Op. 100) is a four-act opera by Benjamin Godard, set to a French libretto by Paul Armand Silvestre and the tenor Victor Capoul. Based on the poem by Alphonse de Lamartine, the action takes place in Grenoble and the surrounding mountains during Corpus Christi at the close of the 18th century. The score bears a dedication "A mon ami Daniel Barton".
This opera is remembered for Godard's most enduring composition, the tender berceuse (lullaby) for tenor, "Oh! ne t'éveille pas encore" commonly known in English as Angels Guard Thee.
Jocelyn premièred on 25 February 1888 at Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Belgium with Pierre-Émile Engel creating the title role. A production with a new cast, including Capoul in the title role, opened in Paris at the Théâtre-Lyrique-National on October 13 of the same year.
Recordings
The popular Berceuse has been recorded by many tenors, including Capoul, John McCormack, Beniamino Gigli, Edmond Clément, Richard Crooks, Nicolai Gedda, Jussi Björling and Plácido Domingo, as well as by the cellist Pablo Casals.