La Esmeralda: In Conclusion

La Esmeralda is an admirable failure. 

I don't think it deserves to be as forgotten as it has been. While it doesn't hold the candle to the original book thanks in part to some questionable artistic licensing, as well as local censorship, it does have its moments. Frollo's monologue and Quasimodo's aria are the highlights. They are the highlights because they show the characters as characters instead of cardboard cutouts made to move the plot along.

The original libretto is in the public domain, but because La Esmeralda is so rarely preformed, it's extremely difficult to find it print. Finding it online is a bit easier, but even then, most versions are going to be in French.The only English translation I could find was in a collection of Hugo's dramatic works. The translation there is a bit spotty, but it was the best I could find.

La Esmeralda was forgotten shortly after closings. On the rare occasion that it was revived, it was often very abridged. In honor of Victor Hugo's 200th birthday the opera was preformed at the Théâtre-Opéra in Besançon with a piano accompaniment. It is really weird to see.

It had some influence on early adaptations to some degree, with Phoebus being a hero and Frollo teaming up with Clopin to develop an evil scheme (A strange subplot witch had so little impact I chose not to include it in my summery).

It's interesting to note that La Esmeralda was referenced in the 1956 film adaptation of the story. An old beggar woman sings a portion of the opera as Esmeralda is prepared for the execution. It's a cute little homage.

I think the problem, ultimately, is with expectation. Would the general audiences of 1836 want to accept a person with physical disabilities as a hero? Would they want to see -God forbid- a clergymen as a villain, and a villain that we are meant to sympathize with? Would they accept the handsome cavalier as an antagonistic type? This may be speculation on my part, I will admit, but consider it.

For such an early adaptation, it's not bad, but it leaves a lot to be desired. And considering the talent behind it, it really should have been a lot better.

Review of the Music of La Esmeralda

This is probably going to be the most difficult part of the review. I don't listen to a lot of opera in my free time, so take this with a grain of salt.

Louise Bertin

I enjoyed the music of La Esmeralda.

The music was done by a young woman named Louise Bertin. She and Hugo became good friends and had worked on this opera on and off since shortly after the publication of Notre Dame de Paris. Louise was the daughter of very important people who owned a newspaper which became very unpopular with certain parts of the community.

After the failure of La Esmeralda, she never wrote another opera.

The music was so controversial during its run that it resulted in angry shouts from the audience.

Hector Berloiz

Apparently, certain elements of the music were derivative from the famous composer Hector Beloiz. The derivativeness was at its height during Quasimodo's "Aria of the Bells", which resulted in outraged cries of: 

"It's by Berloiz! It's by Berloiz!" 

Now, for the purpose of this review, I listened to a bit of Berloiz. While I can see the similarities, I'm not enough of an opera enthusiast to truly be an authority. 

I think the music is effective and at times, like in "Aria of the Bells", genuinely great. A lot of it just sort of blends together, but perhaps that's just how opera works. Like I said, I'm not an authority.

I also think that the music improves on the libretto. It just feels more lively and passionate, but it's still far from being perfect.

(The majority of my opinions regarding the music of La Esmeralda are based on the 2008 recording of it, as it is the most readily available. It is possible that the original music sounded different, but it is a bit unlikely.)

Next: Conclusion

Review of the Plot and Characters of La Esmeralda

I find it very strange that an adaptation written by the original author would differ so much from the source material.

Sure certain elements are there. Scenes like Phoebus' stabbing and Frollo's confession are often verbatim from the novel. There's a lot that differs, however, mostly in regards to characterization, but that's an issue we'll touch upon later on.

La Esmeralda differs  primarily from the novel in terms of tone and characterization.

Nicolas Levasseur, who played Claude Frollo

I find it even more strange that an adaptation by the original author could be so soulless compared to its source material. 

Compromises were made as a result of censorship at the time. Notre Dame was placed on the banned books list by the Catholic Church, which is why the title was changed to La Esmeralda.

Fair enough.

This also meant, unfortunately, that Claude Frollo could not be a priest. This was done, like the title
change, to avoid controversy. This is a problem, as it offers little insight as to why he is so determined, and so insane to have Esmeralda.

It makes him come across as a one dimensional "jealous lover type".

However, Hugo kept the word in his printed libretto, so at least there's that.

Even then, Frollo's turmoil is not explored very well.

Quasimodo's costume design by Louis Boulanger

Quasimodo is also a shadow of his former self. First of all, he's hardly in it. There's almost no depth to him, except for a fleeting moment in the show's highlight song "Aria of the Bells", but that feels more or less out of character. In the context of the opera, Quasimodo is either and "Igor" to Frollo's "Frankenstein", or a sad sack with scoliosis. To see him suddenly as a sympathetic figure who loves all but himself is out of place.

This is an even bigger problem when he saves Esmeralda at the end. Why does he do it? Well, if we go by the book, it's because Esmeralda showed him kindness during his torture. That does occur here, but it doesn't seem to leave much of an impact on Quasimodo. If there was a scene, even a short scene, where he would have mentioned his gratitude or something it would have been it a bit more clear.

But no, he just saves the damsel in distress, that's it.  His scenes with her in the bell tower, some of the most important scenes in the novel, are cut.

Quasimodo is nothing but a plot device in this version.

Cornelie Falcon as Esmeralda

As for our heroine, the titular La Esmeralda, she's not particularly well rounded either. To be fair, Esmeralda wasn't the most complex character in the book, but that was her charm. A simple girl who loves dancing. 

That doesn't really translate very well to the stage. She's just sort of bland and one dimensional.  Again though, like Quasimodo, there are little hints of depth, like in her opening monologue.

This isn't really followed up on. You can make the argument that her death by a broken heart is a callback to this, but that's a bit of a stretch.

Adolphe Nourrit, who played Phoebus

Probably the biggest change of character is Phoebus. In the novel, Phoebus is rude, boisterous, and uncaring. Here, he's the exact opposite. Bold, idealistic, willing to leave the noble aristocratic life to be with a Gypsy girl. A martyr in the end. This sort of Phoebus is one that is imitated numerous times in early adaptations.

Victor Hugo aknowleges the changes in the preface to the original libretto. He says that changes were made to make the story work on the stage, but he kept as much of the original story as possible intact.

If this was his intention, well, I guess he failed.

The novel was a sprawling historical epic, the opera is a fancy romance story. Our leads are not a morose hunchback or a bigoted priest, but rather two blandly attractive people who love each other literally till "death do us part".

I don't want to make it sound like the problems with La Esmeralda stem from changes to the book. That would be silly. All I'm saying is that, if you're going to make changes, it is best to follow through on them. La Esmeralda does not do that for the most part. Esmeralda and Phoebus, as they are here, aren't neccesarily bad characters, but they are rather boring characters. Esmeralda especially is just flat, and as a main focus, that IS a problem.

The plot itself is fairly straight forward, as I have previously described. Everything regarding characters like Gudule and Gringoire is cut. While they are missed, they would be out of place here, so it's fair. At times it can get a bit confusing as to what is going on. The same goes for a lot of the themes, although Hugo does keep the theme of fatality. Fatality, supposedly what inspired the originally story, is shoehorned in here. It's the final word, which would be powerful had the story led up to it. Phoebus and Esmeralda die and Frollo just shouts it abruptly. He mentions fate several times in the story. Mentions it, that's the problem, it's not developed.  The libretto, despite being written by Hugo, is fairly short on details and description. If you didn't read the novel, I'm sure certain things that go unexplained might be a bit puzzling.

One thing I do like, is that certain scenes are almost word for word from the book. Nice touch, if you take it out of context at least.

Much like the characterization, the plot stands in the shadow of its literary origin.

Next: Review of the music of La Esmeralda

La Esmeralda: The Plot

The story begins in the Court of Miracles, where the outcasts of Paris are celebrating a festival. Claude Frollo, the archdeacon (In the original version at least), watches in despair as the beautiful Gypsy Esmeralda dances.

Just then Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell ringer, is being paraded as the Pope of Fools. Frollo puts a stop to this, viewing it as "profanation," and despite resistance from the crowd the two of them leave. Frollo discusses his plan to abduct Esmeralda, and forces an ever obedient Quasimodo to join him. He has obsessed over Esmeralda for some time, and has fallen from his priestly virtues.

 As night falls, and Esmeralda passes by, the plan is put into action. The plan is unsuccessful however, when Quasimodo is arrested by several soldiers, including the dashing Captain Phoebus. Phoebus and Esmeralda strike each other's fancy, and, as a gift, Phoebus gives her his scarf.

The next day, for his attempted kidnapping, Quasimodo is being punished on the pillory in the town square. The unsympathetic crowd responds to his cries of "Water" by telling the hunchback to "Be accursed!". Quasimodo is eventually pitied by of all people, Esmeralda, who offers him a drink despite the malice of the public.

After this, Phoebus is being prepared for his marriage to the elegant Fleur de Lys, but he has his heart set on the gypsy, which brings distress to Fleur and the entire nobility. Esmeralda is invited to dance, showing off her new scarf, horrifying Fleur de Lys. The scarf had been her gift to Phoebus, and seeing it in someone else's possession makes her feel betrayed. She end the others turn against Phoebus.

Later, outside of a tavern, Phoebus brags to his men about Esmeralda. They are going to be together that night, a thought which enrages the jealous Frollo. Frollo warns Phoebus about Esmeralda, but his words fall on deaf ears. 

Esmeralda is ecstatic to see Phoebus, and the two lovers converse. From a hidden area, Frollo leaps out and stabs the captain with a dagger.

Esmeralda is convicted of the crime and arrested. In her cell, Frollo arrives, confessing to her his obsession. He offers her freedom in exchange for Esmeralda being his lover. Esmeralda rejects the hateful priest, vowing that it will be better in heaven with Phoebus than on eartch with Frollo.

Quasimodo rings the bells of Notre Dame. He admits that he loves everything around him, the bells, the cathedral, but he regards himself as "Uncouth, ill made." 

The public gathers around the town gibbet to watch Esmeralda's execution. From the heights of the church descends Quasimodo. Who rescues Esmeralda, crying "Sanctuary!" over and over. The people rejoice, but Frollo protests, stating that "Notre Dame can save none but Christians!" Quasimodo holds his ground.

Phoebus returns on his horse, proving that Esmeralda is innocent and Frollo is guilty. Phoebus' words save Esmeralda, though, from his wounds, he dies in her arms. Esmeralda dies also, but of a broken heart. Frollo, arrested, cries out "Fatalité!" a word repeated by the people.

Next: A review of the plot

An Introduction

Hello, readers.

The goal of this blog, in short, is to analyze and spread awareness of Victor Hugo's 1831 masterpiece Notre Dame de Paris (Often translated into English as The Hunchback of Notre Dame). I'll be reviewing everything from films, stage dramas, and musicals which base themselves on the iconic story.

In terms of critique of Hunchback, there's a lot left to do. There's the excellent Hunchblog of Notre Dame, and various reviews here and there, but by and large, there's a lot of uncovered ground, and that's where I hope to come in.

My first review, which I hope to post soon, will be of La Esmeralda, an 1836 operatic adaptation by Louis Bertin and Victor Hugo himself, which famously (And disastrously) closed after only 6 performances.