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Opera Start‑class

This article falls within the scope of WikiProject Opera, a group writing and editing Misplaced Pages articles on operas, opera terminology, opera composers and librettists, singers, designers, directors and managers, companies and houses, publications and recordings. The project discussion page is a place to talk about issues and exchange ideas. New members are welcome!OperaWikipedia:WikiProject OperaTemplate:WikiProject OperaOpera Start This article has been rated as Start-class on Misplaced Pages's content assessment scale.

Sometimes known as Joseph en Égypte

Is there a reference for the alternative name? It doesn't appear in the Elizabeth Bartlet article in Grove. --Kleinzach 15:03, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

I added a "token' one but there are multiple references to it as Joseph en Egypte. See . Voceditenore (talk) 16:49, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

See also this affiche for an 1816 performance in Calais. Re the section below, on this affiche it's described as "Opéra en 3 actes". Voceditenore (talk) 18:43, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

It looks to me as if Joseph en Égypte is actually an abbreviation of Joseph, ou Jacob et ses fils en Égypte. I think this needs checking. Up to now we've never given alternative, informal names for operas. There are lots of them of course. --Kleinzach 23:24, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

Genre: Opera in three acts?

I don't believe anyone has ever suggested that a "three act opera" is a genre, have they? Elizabeth Bartlet in Grove calls the opera a 'drame mêlé de chants', presumably following Méhul himself. Incidentally I don't think having a infobox here helps the article. As usual it's a just a trap for misinformation. --Kleinzach 15:13, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

According to Pougin, it was basically an an opéra comique, but given the biblical subject, a more "tasteful" description was used in the opening night affiche: "drame en trois actes, mêlé de chant" . Voceditenore (talk) 16:53, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

I understand it's basically an opéra comique, but the policy has always been to follow the composer's designation, like Grove. The implication of the lead is that Méhul either didn't endorse the designation or he removed it later. What evidence is there for thia? Elizabeth Bartlet simply calls it a 'drame mêlé de chants' with no qualification.--Kleinzach 21:59, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

Copied from WP Opera talk page where, confusingly, debate on this is also being carried out:

is explicit: 'the genre (opera, or a more specific sub-genre, e.g. operetta, zarzuela, etc.), the number of acts, the composer, '. Thus, the genre here is simply 'opera'; the number of acts (per the guidance) is not part of the genre. You can either specify the no. of acts in as separate line of the box (if you really must), or you can leave it in the text of the article. --Smerus (talk) 19:05, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

I don't agree with this at all. It makes nonsense of all the work done in the past to provide accurate descriptions in opera articles (and in this case the List of operas by Méhul). Where did this concept of opera as the genre and opéra comique (or whatever) as sub-genre come from? It's historically illiterate. --Kleinzach 22:10, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

I'm only citing the existing guidelines (with which this box seems inconsistent)! Let's discuss the guidelines in the proper place, of course.--Smerus (talk) 07:05, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

Speaking of which.....a brief reading of this brief article showed, among other things, clunky writing, over- and under-linking, repetition of information (some of it false), and text under inappropriate headings. I have tried to correct these issues. It does suggest however, that work on the articles themsleves is rather more important and necessary that messing about with ancillary features.--Smerus (talk) 21:29, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

I checked Wild & Charlton's book. According to their entry the livret (Duval) has Drame mêlé de chants and the score (Méhul) has opéra, which I believe we can translate as "opera". The ms livret has the title Joseph en Égypte. Certain editions call it an opéra biblique. They also confirm that it was "inspired" by Omasis, a tragedy by Baour-Lormian. --Robert.Allen (talk) 23:34, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

In the past we haven't translated 'opéra', but I'm also wondering about this. Is there more background here? Maybe we need a more detailed performance history? --Kleinzach 23:53, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

I have no problem with not translating opéra. It's close enough to English, that I don't think anyone should have trouble understanding it. --Robert.Allen (talk) 03:17, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

Actually I was wondering if there are different versions? Perhaps with and without dialogue? --Kleinzach 04:30, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

From my quick look at contemporary sources yesterday, it appears that it may have also been performed as an oratorio without the spoken dialogue. Casaglia's documentation of the premiere calls it the "first version", but doesn't list any subsequent performances of the opera, so not much help as to what or how many different versions there were. Voceditenore (talk) 08:21, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

Foreign language performances are also mentioned. This is not the only opera with multiple genre descriptions. In the past we have simply noted the genre description of the first performance, unless we can detail different versions, in which case we obviously give the genre descriptions for each of them. --Kleinzach 08:59, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

Infobox

Joseph
opéra comique by Étienne Méhul
Étienne Méhul, the composer of Joseph
Other title	Joseph en Égypte
Librettist	Alexandre Duval
Language	French
Premiere	17 February 1807 (1807-02-17) by Opéra-Comique at Théâtre Feydeau, Paris

The main contributor to this article is Folantin, who I believe is still infobox-sceptic. I've also done work on Méhul (List of operas by Méhul) and I think this box (in contrast to the lead) is confusing for the reader. Judging by the project discussion, Robert.Allen and Smerus are not pro-box either. So why is it here? Only because of the relentless pressure of one single editor? And what about Voceditenore? Does she support putting boxes on all the opera articles? I'd like to know if this is the beginning of a whole series of problems on these articles. I support removal. --Kleinzach 23:08, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

I do not support adding infoboxes to all articles, nor do I plan to add any myself, although I can still see a few cases where one might be useful. Since infoboxes of any kind are neither required nor prohibited, and given the reaction here, yes it probably will mean discussions like this on every page to which one is added or proposed. But on past form, attempts to add an infobox or propose one on the talk page (and the ensuing time-sink) will keep happening regardless of what the opera project has in its article guide. Please see Misplaced Pages talk:WikiProject Opera#Infobox redux for more, especially on the background. Voceditenore (talk) 08:14, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

This is the first time I've seen this box in action. IMO, the unclear 'genre' field and the strange 'other title' field (for subtitles?) are problems. Also the 'premiere' field (hitherto unmentioned) confuses company and theatre (in contrast to the lead which explains perfectly clearly by the Opéra-Comique . . . at the Théâtre Feydeau). Kleinzach 08:49, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

I would support the wish to have more specific fields for company, theatre, structure, - please take these concerns to the template talk, but remember that KISS was a main design feature. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 13:03, 25 June 2013 (UTC)

I linked the List of operas by Méhul in the navbox now, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 13:08, 25 June 2013 (UTC)

• Support - I support restoring Template:Méhul operas and removing Template:Infobox opera --Robert.Allen (talk) 23:38, 23 June 2013 (UTC)
• Support removal per project discussions. Nikkimaria (talk) 00:50, 24 June 2013 (UTC)
• Support removal and restoration of Méhul template, as above.--Smerus (talk) 07:03, 24 June 2013 (UTC)
• Retain the infobox for the convenience of our readers and data reusers; refactor the Méhul template using {{navbox}}. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 12:41, 25 June 2013 (UTC)
• Have an infobox, but it's too early to vote, let's first see how it can be improved (see project talk). The navbox is at the bottom, - as not everybody who voted above seems to have noticed. Why have two navboxes? - Please: let's distinguish between the infobox for this particular opera, criticism of the template (at the template talk), and dislike of an infobox in general (at the project talk), --Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:52, 25 June 2013 (UTC)
• Comment Clearly the consensus here is for removing the box. Gerda Arendt please remove the box from the talk page above, as per your promise that you would not use this tactic again after the complaints about the infobox you put on the Richard Wagner talk page. --Kleinzach 13:34, 25 June 2013 (UTC)
•  Done I have now replaced the infobox with the navbox — on the article. --Kleinzach 13:40, 25 June 2013 (UTC)

1. Cite error: The named reference EnEgypte was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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