Andromaque (opera)

Grétry was regarded as the leading composer of opéra comique of his time and Andromaque was his only tragic opera for the Académie Royale de Musique.

The director of the Académie, Anne-Pierre-Jacques de Vismes du Valgay, had in fact initially intended the libretto of Iphigénie en Tauride for Grétry before handing it to Gluck.

Grétry was unhappy with this turn of events and so, in compensation, de Vismes offered him the chance to set an adaptation of Racine's Andromaque (1667).

The Académie Royale de Musique originally intended to perform Andromaque in May 1778, but a dispute arose with the Comédie-Française theatre, which claimed it had exclusive rights to Racine's play.

Once this quarrel was resolved, the Académie rescheduled the premiere for April 1780 but again had to postpone it when the soprano Rosalie Levasseur, who was due to play the title role, fell ill.

In this work there is nothing but shrill and tedious noise, and all the failings of Gluck without the presence of what redeems them to some extent, that is to say, expressive pieces and an understanding of theatrical effect."

This second version was performed in 1781 to greater success, but its run was cut short by a serious fire at the opera house and Andromaque was never revived in France.

The Greeks, led by Oreste (who is in love with Hermione) want to put Andromaque and Hector's son Astyanax to death to prevent him ever taking revenge for the fall of Troy when he grows up.