| Candide | |
|---|---|
 Playbill from 1974 revival | |
| Music | Leonard Bernstein |
| Lyrics | |
| Book |
|
| Basis | Candide, novella byVoltaire |
| Productions |
|
| Awards | |
Candide is anoperetta with music composed byLeonard Bernstein and lyrics primarily by the poetRichard Wilbur, based on the 1759 novellaof the same name byVoltaire.[1] Other contributors to the text wereJohn Latouche,Dorothy Parker,Lillian Hellman,Stephen Sondheim,John Mauceri,John Wells, and Bernstein himself.Maurice Peress andHershy Kay contributed orchestrations.
The operetta was first performed in 1956 with alibretto byLillian Hellman, but since 1974 it has been generally performed with a book byHugh Wheeler,[2][3] which is more faithful to Voltaire's novella. Although unsuccessful at its premiere,Candide has overcome the unenthusiastic reaction of early audiences and critics, and achieved more popularity.
Candide was originally conceived byLillian Hellman as a play with incidental music in the style of her previous work,The Lark. Bernstein, however, was so excited about this idea that he convinced Hellman to do it as a "comic operetta"; she then wrote the original libretto for the operetta. Many lyricists worked on the show: firstJames Agee (whose work was ultimately not used), thenDorothy Parker,John Latouche andRichard Wilbur. In addition, the lyrics to "I Am Easily Assimilated" were done by Leonard andFelicia Bernstein, and Hellman wrote the words to "Eldorado".Hershy Kay orchestrated all but theoverture, which Bernstein did himself.[4]
Candide first opened onBroadway as amusical on December 1, 1956, at theMartin Beck Theatre. The premiere production was directed byTyrone Guthrie and conducted bySamuel Krachmalnick. The sets and costumes were designed byOliver Smith andIrene Sharaff, respectively.[4] It was choreographed byAnna Sokolow. It featuredRobert Rounseville as Candide,Barbara Cook as Cunegonde,Max Adrian as Dr. Pangloss, andIrra Petina as the Old Lady. This production was a box office disaster, running only two months for a total of 73 performances. Hellman's libretto was criticized inThe New York Times as being too serious:[4]
When Voltaire is ironic and bland, [Hellman] is explicit and vigorous. When he makes lightning, rapier thrusts, she provides body blows. Where he is diabolical, [she] is humanitarian ... the libretto ... seems too serious for the verve and mocking lyricism of Leonard Bernstein's score which, without being strictly 18th century, maintains, with its gay pastiche of past styles and forms, a period quality.[4]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(December 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The first London production debuted at theSaville Theatre onShaftesbury Avenue on 30 April 1959 (after playing for a short time at theNew Theatre Oxford and theManchester Opera House). This production used Lillian Hellman's book with an additional credit 'assisted byMichael Stewart', and it was directed byRobert Lewis with choreography byJack Cole. The cast includedDenis Quilley as Candide,Mary Costa as Cunegonde,Laurence Naismith as Dr. Pangloss andEdith Coates as the Old Lady. The musical director was Alexander Faris.
Without Bernstein's involvement, the show underwent a series of Broadway revivals under the direction ofHarold Prince.[when?]Lillian Hellman, the author of the original book, refused to let any of her work be used in the revival, so Prince commissioned a new, one-act book fromHugh Wheeler. The sole element of Hellman's book that remained was her invented name (Maximilian) for Cunegonde's brother. (The character has no given name in Voltaire's novella, and is referred to as "Cunegonde's brother" or "the young Baron".)[citation needed]
The lyrics were worked on by the team of artists listed above. This 105-minute version, omitting over half of the musical numbers, was known as the "Chelsea version", and opened in 1973 atRobert Kalfin'sChelsea Theater Center in theBrooklyn Academy of Music, before moving to theBroadway Theatre in 1974 and running there for nearly two years, closing in 1976 after 740 performances. The 1974 Broadway revival starredMark Baker (Candide), Maureen Brennan (Cunegonde),Sam Freed (Maximilian),Lewis J. Stadlen (Dr. Pangloss), andJune Gable as the Old Lady.[5]
The Chelsea version was marked by a unique production style.Eugene Lee helped Prince make sure that the multi-scene show would not get bogged down in set changes – he created platforms for the action that allowed scenes to change by refocusing attention instead of changing scenery. Actors performed on platforms in front, behind, and sometimes between audience members. Some sat on bleachers, others on stools on the stage floor. As the story unfolded, so did the stage, with sections falling from above, opening, closing, flying apart or coming together. A 13-member orchestra played from four areas. The conductor, who wore period costume and gold braid, could be seen by audience and musicians alike on television monitors.[6]
In response to requests from opera companies for a more legitimate version, the show was expanded on the basis of Wheeler's book.[7] The two-act "opera house version" contains most of Bernstein's music, including some songs that were not orchestrated for the original production.[7] It was first performed by theNew York City Opera (NYCO) in 1982 under Prince's direction, and ran for thirty-four performances with a cast that included David Eisler as Candide, Erie Mills as Cunegonde, Deborah Darr as Paquette,John Lankston in the quintuple roles of Voltaire/Pangloss/Businessman/Governor/Gambler,Muriel Costa-Greenspon as the Old Lady, Scott Reeve as Maximilian,Don Yule as the Huntsman and Bulgarian Soldier, andJames Billings as the Judge/Father Bernard/Don Issachar/First Gambler/Maximilian's Servant.[8] The cast filmed the production for national broadcast onPBS'sLive from Lincoln Center in 1982.[9] The NYCO later recorded this version ofCandide in 1985 with the same cast with the exception of the roles of Paquette (now performed by Maris Clement) and the Old Lady (now performed byJoyce Castle).[10] This recording was awarded theGrammy Award for Best Opera Recording in 1987.[10] Opera companies around the world have performed this version, and the production has remained a staple of NYCO's repertoire with the most recent performance being given in 2019.[7]
The Australian premiere in 1982 by theNimrod Theatre Company and directed byJohn Bell at Sydney'sSeymour Centre featuredPhilip Quast in the title role.[11]
In 1988, Bernstein started working alongsideJohn Mauceri, then director ofScottish Opera, to produce a version that expressed his final wishes regardingCandide. Wheeler died before he could work again on the text, andJohn Wells was engaged. The new show was first produced byScottish Opera with the credit "Adapted for Scottish Opera by John Wells and John Mauceri". After Bernstein had attended the final rehearsals and the opening in Glasgow, he decided that the time had come for the composer himself to re-examineCandide. Taking the Scottish Opera version as a basis, he made changes in orchestration, shuffled the order of numbers in the second act, and altered the endings of several numbers. Bernstein then conducted and recorded what he called his "final revised version" withJerry Hadley as Candide,June Anderson as Cunegonde,Christa Ludwig as the Old Lady,Kurt Ollmann as Maximilian andAdolph Green as Dr. Pangloss/Martin. Deutsche Grammophon released a DVD (2006, 147 min.), in 5.0surround sound, of the 13 December 1989 recording at the LondonBarbican Centre, with a bonus video prologue and epilogue from the composer and a printed insert "Bernstein and Voltaire" by narrative collaboratorWells explaining what Bernstein wanted in this final revised version. A CD version, without Bernstein's commentary or audience applause, was also released byDeutsche Grammophon.[citation needed]
In 1993 a special version ofCandide[where?] was recorded for television with a cast that featured:Ethan Freeman (Maximilian), Doug Jones (Candide), Colleen Besett (Kunigunde), James Brookes (Voltaire), Debria Brown (alte Dame), Bärbel Müller (Paquette), Werner Hollweg (Governour), Heidi Eisenberg (Baroness), Karl Oblasser, John Capes, Denis Kozeluh. The show was performed in both English and German and featured a cast of popular West End and German theatre artists.[citation needed]
The operetta was produced byLyric Opera of Chicago and performed in theCivic Opera House, with direction by Harold Prince, opening November 26, 1994. Book adapted from Voltaire by Hugh Wheeler, lyrics by Richard Wilbur, with additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and John Latouche. This revised opera house version formed the basis for the 1997 Broadway Revival.[12]
Candide was revived on Broadway in 1997, directed again by Harold Prince in a revised version of his 1982 New York City Opera staging. The cast included:Jason Danieley (Candide),Harolyn Blackwell (Cunegonde),Jim Dale (Dr. Pangloss),Andrea Martin (Old Lady), andBrent Barrett (Maximilian).[citation needed]
In 1999, theRoyal National Theatre producedCandide, with rewrites to Wheeler's book byJohn Caird. The production featuredDaniel Evans,Denis Quilley,Alex Kelly and Beverley Klein, with musical direction by Mark Dorrell, and a recording was released on the RNT's own label.[13]
A 2003 production in Japan starredAkinori Nakagawa as Candide.
Lonny Price directed a 2004 semi-staged concert production with theNew York Philharmonic under conductorMarin Alsop. It ran for four performances, May 5–8, 2004. This production was also broadcast onPBS'sGreat Performances. The first-night performance was recorded and released as a DVD in 2005. The cast featuredPaul Groves as Candide,Kristin Chenoweth as Cunegonde,Thomas Allen as Dr. Pangloss,Patti LuPone as the Old Lady,Jeff Blumenkrantz as Maximilian, andStanford Olsen as the Governor/Vanderdendur/Ragotski with choruses from bothWestminster Choir College and theJuilliard School completing the cast. This production included two rarely sung duets between Cunegonde and the Old Lady, "We Are Women" and "Quiet", which were included in Bernstein's 1989 final revised version.[citation needed]
In 2005,Candide premiered in Poland at theGrand Theatre atŁódź (conducted by Tadeusz Kozłowski, directed byTomasz Konina).[14]
In 2006, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the creation ofCandide, theThéâtre du Châtelet in Paris produced a new production under the direction ofRobert Carsen.[15] This production later played atLa Scala in 2007 and theLondon Coliseum in 2008.
TheGoodman Theatre in Chicago in a co-production with TheShakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC mounted a revised version adapted and directed byMary Zimmerman featuringHollis Resnik (2010), Lauren Molina (Cunegonde), Geoff Packard (Candide) and Larry Yando (Pangloss). The production, staged in a vast wooden box, with Candide's travels being portrayed through the use of maps and model ships, featured significant amounts of narration adapted directly from Voltaire's novel.[16][17]
A concert performance at theHollywood Bowl in September 2010, conducted byBramwell Tovey, featuredRichard Suart as Pangloss,Frederica von Stade as the Old Lady, Alek Shrader as the title character andAnna Christy as Cunegonde.[18]
The Harold Prince/New York City Opera 1982 production was revived at the Rose Theater atJazz at Lincoln Center in January 2017 with Prince directing and a cast includingGregg Edelman as Voltaire/Dr. Pangloss and various characters,Linda Lavin as The Old Lady,Jay Armstrong Johnson as Candide,Meghan Picerno as Cunegonde, Keith Phares as Maximilian, andChip Zien andBrooks Ashmanskas.[19]
In 2015, theTeatro Comunale, Florence production, produced by Francesco Micheli, featured Keith Jameson andLaura Claycomb as Candide and Cunegonde, withRichard Suart as Pangloss andAnja Silja andChris Merritt as the Old Lady and the Governor.[20]
Also in 2015,Lindy Hume staged the work forOpera Queensland withDavid Hobson as Candide,Amelia Farrugia as Cunegonde, Bryan Probets as Pangloss,Christine Johnston as the Old Lady andPaul Kildea conducting theQueensland Symphony Orchestra.[21]
In September 2018, two performances of a production directed byMitchell Butel was staged at theSydney Opera House inSydney, Australia, with theSydney Philharmonia Choirs,[22]Sydney Youth Orchestra, and stars fromOpera Australia.Alexander Lewis played Candide, Annie Aitken was Cunegonde, and veteran actressCaroline O'Connor took the part of The Old Lady.[23]
In March 2019, Minneapolis-basedVocalEssence and Theater Latte' Da presented a semi-staged version directed by Peter Rothstein with music direction byPhilip Brunelle. Set as a 1930s radio drama, the production sold out five performances and was critically acclaimed by theSt. Paul Pioneer Press as "theCandide we've been waiting for".[24] The MinneapolisStar Tribune named it first on a list of the city's ten best classical concerts of 2019.[25]
In May 2024, a co-production by theState Theatre Company South Australia (STCSA) andState Opera South Australia was performed three times inHer Majesty's Theatre,Adelaide, under the direction of STCSA directorMitchell Butel, who also played Dr Pangloss and narrated the story. Alexander Lewis, Annie Aitken, and Caroline O'Connor reprised their roles of the 2018 Sydney version, while the cabaret artist "Hans the German" (akaMatt Gilbertson, who made his name at theAdelaide Fringe andAdelaide Cabaret Festivals[26]) played Maximilian.[27]
| Character | Original Broadway cast 1956 | Original London cast 1959 | 1st Broadway revival 1974 | New York City Opera 1982 | Scottish Opera 1988 | 2nd Broadway revival 1997 | London revival 1999 | Philharmonic concert 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voltaire/Dr. Pangloss | Max Adrian | Laurence Naismith | Lewis J. Stadlen | John Lankston Joseph McKee | Nickolas Grace | Jim Dale | Simon Russell Beale | Sir Thomas Allen |
| Candide | Robert Rounseville | Denis Quilley | Mark Baker | David Eisler | Mark Beudert | Jason Danieley | Daniel Evans | Paul Groves |
| Cunegonde | Barbara Cook | Mary Costa | Maureen Brennan | Erie Mills | Marilyn Hill Smith | Harolyn Blackwell | Alex Kelly | Kristin Chenoweth |
| Old Lady | Irra Petina | Edith Coates | June Gable | Muriel Costa-Greenspon Judith Christin | Ann Howard | Andrea Martin | Beverley Klein | Patti LuPone |
| Maximilian | Louis Edmonds | Dennis Stephenson | Sam Freed | Scott Reeve James Javore | Mark Tinkler | Brent Barrett | Simon Day | Jeff Blumenkrantz |
| Paquette | Gloria Stevens | N/A | Deborah St. Darr | Gaynor Miles | Stacey Logan | Elizabeth Renihan | Janine LaManna | |
| Governor of Buenos Aires | William Olvis | Ron Moody | Lewis J. Stadlen | John Lankston Joseph McKee | Bonaventura Bottone | Jim Dale | David Burt | John Herrera |
| Cacambo | N/A | Nickolas Grace | N/A | Clive Rowe | Michael McCormick | |||
| Martin | Max Adrian | Laurence Naismith | N/A | N/A | Denis Quilley | N/A | ||
Act 1
In the country ofWestphalia, Candide is about to be married to the lovely Cunegonde. Dr. Pangloss, Candide's teacher, expounds his famous philosophy, to the effect that all is for the best ("The Best of All Possible Worlds") The happy couple sing their marriage duet ("Oh, Happy We"), and the ceremony is about to take place ("Wedding Chorale") when war breaks out between Westphalia andHesse. Westphalia is destroyed, and Cunegonde is raped, multiple times, and seemingly killed. Candide takes comfort in the Panglossian doctrine ("It Must Be So") and sets out on his journeys.
In the public square ofLisbon ("Lisbon Fair"), the Infant Casmira, a deranged mystic in the caravan of an Arab conjuror, predicts dire happenings ("The Prediction"), leaving the public in terror ("Pray For Us"). Candide discovers Pangloss, who has contractedsyphilis, yet remains optimistic ("Dear Boy"*). TheInquisition appears, in the persons of two ancient Inquisitors and their lawyer, and many citizens are tried and sentenced to hang, including Candide and Dr. Pangloss ("The Inquisition: Auto-da-Fé"*). Suddenly anearthquake occurs, killing Dr. Pangloss, and Candide barely escapes.
Candide, faced with the loss of both Cunegonde and Dr. Pangloss, starts out forParis. He is unable to reconcile Dr. Pangloss's ideas with the bitter events that have occurred, but concludes that the fault must lie within himself, rather than in the philosophy ofoptimism ("It Must Be Me").
Cunegonde turns up alive in Paris ("The Paris Waltz"), ademi-mondaine in a house shared by a Marquis and aSultan. A party is in progress. Urged by the Old Lady, who serves as herduenna, Cunegonde arrays herself in her jewels ("Glitter and Be Gay"). Candide stumbles into the scene and is amazed to find Cunegonde still alive ("You Were Dead, You Know"). In a duel, he kills both the Marquis and the Sultan, and flees with Cunegonde, accompanied by the Old Lady.
They fall in with a band of devoutPilgrims on their way to the New World and sail with them ("Pilgrims' Procession" / "Alleluia"). Arriving in Buenos Aires, the group is brought to the Governor's Palace (where Maximilian is alive and working for the Governor), where all except Cunegonde and the Old Lady are immediately enslaved. A street cleaner appears in the person of the pessimistic Martin, warning Candide of the future. Candide and Maximilian are joyfully reunited, but when Candide states his intention to marry Cunegonde, Maximilian starts to strike him with a glove. Candide starts to strike him back, but before he actually does Maximilian drops, apparently dead. The Governor serenades Cunegonde ("My Love") and she, abetted by the Old Lady, agrees to live in the palace ("I Am Easily Assimilated"). The Old Lady urges Candide to flee, but Candide, fired by reports ofEldorado from Martin, sets off to seek his fortune, planning to return for Cunegonde later ("Quartet Finale").
Act 2
In the heat of Buenos Aires, Cunegonde, the Old Lady and the Governor display their fraying nerves ("Quiet"), and the Governor resolves to get rid of the tiresome ladies. Candide returns from Eldorado ("Eldorado"), his pockets full ofgold and searches for Cunegonde. The Governor, however, has had both Cunegonde and the Old Lady tied up in sacks and carried to a boat in the harbor. He tells Candide that the women have sailed for Europe, and Candide eagerly purchases a leaky ship from the Governor and dashes off. As the Governor and his suite watch from his terrace, the ship with Candide and Martin casts off and almost immediately sinks ("Bon Voyage").
Candide and Martin have been rescued from the ship, and are floating about the ocean on a raft. Martin is devoured by ashark, but Dr. Pangloss miraculously reappears. Candide is overjoyed to find his old teacher, and Pangloss sets about repairing the damage done to his philosophy by Candide's experiences.
In a luxurious palazzo ofVenice ("Money, Money, Money"), Cunegonde turns up as a scrubwoman and the Old Lady as a woman of fashion (Madame Sofronia) ("What's the Use?"), both working asshills for Ferone, the owner of a gambling hall. Candide and Dr. Pangloss, both wearing masks, appear and are caught up by the merriment, the wine and the gambling. Candide is accosted by a masked Cunegonde and Old Lady, who try to steal his remaining gold ("The Venice Gavotte"), but recognizes Cunegonde when her mask falls off. His last hopes and dreams shattered, he drops his money at her feet and leaves. Cunegonde and the Old Lady are fired by Ferone and Pangloss is now penniless, having been completely swindled out of all his money.
With Candide now completely disillusioned, he and Pangloss return to the ruined Westphalia. Cunegonde, Maximilian (minus his teeth) and the Old Lady appear and within them a spark of optimism still flickers. Candide, however, has had enough of the foolish Panglossian ideal and tells them all that the only way to live is to try to make some sense of life ("Make Our Garden Grow").
Act 1
The operetta begins with an overture. The chorus welcomes everyone to Westphalia ("Westphalia Chorale") and Voltaire begins to narrate his story. Candide, the illegitimate nephew of Baron Thunder-ten-Tronck, lives in the Baron's castle Schloss Thunder-ten-Tronck. He is snubbed by the Baroness and bullied by her son Maximilian. Paquette, a very accommodating serving girl, also lives in the castle. However, Candide is in love with Cunegonde, the Baroness' daughter as Maximilian, Candide, Cunegonde and Paquette find their happiness in life ("Life is Happiness Indeed"). The four discover that Dr. Pangloss, a man thought to be the world's greatest philosopher, has taught them happiness ("The Best of All Possible Worlds"). The philosopher asks his four students to summarize what they have learned ("Universal Good"). When Cunegonde spies Dr. Pangloss being physically intimate with Paquette, he explains it away as being a "physical experiment", and she decides to share the "experiment" with Candide. Professing their love to each other at a park, Candide and Cunegonde dream of what married life would look like ("Oh, Happy We"). The Baron, however, is angered at what Candide has done to Cunegonde, as he is a social inferior. Candide is promptly exiled, wandering alone with his faith and optimism to cling to ("It Must Be So"). He is then shanghaied by and into the Bulgar Army, which plots to "liberate" all of Westphalia. His escape attempt fails, and is recaptured by the Army. The Bulgar Army attacks Schloss Thunder-ten-Tronck and in the castle the Baron's family prays as the chorus joins in ("Westphalia"). However, the Baron, the Baroness, Maximilian, Paquette, Pangloss and (after being repeatedly ravished by the Bulgar Army) Cunegonde are all killed in the attack ("Battle Music"). Candide returns to the castle's ruins and searches for Cunegonde ("Candide's Lament").
Some time later, Candide becomes a beggar. He gives the last of his coins to Pangloss, who reveals that he was revived by an anatomist'sscalpel. He then tells Candide of hissyphilis condition brought on by Paquette ("Dear Boy"). A merchant offers the two employment before sailing off toLisbon. However, as they arrive, avolcano erupts and the ensuing earthquake results in the death of 30,000 people. Pangloss and Candide are blamed for the disaster, arrested as heretics and publicly tortured by order of the Grand Inquisitor. Pangloss ishanged and Candide isflogged ("Auto-da-Fé"). Candide eventually ends up inParis, where Cunegonde shares her favors (on different mutually-agreed-upon days of the week) with wealthy Jew Don Issachar and the city's Cardinal Archbishop ("The Paris Waltz"). She contemplates what she has done to survive while in Paris ("Glitter and Be Gay"). Candide finds Cunegonde and reunites with her ("You Were Dead, You Know"). However, the Old Lady, Cunegonde's companion, forewarns Cunegonde and Candide of Issachar and the Archbishop's arrival. Candide inadvertently kills both of them by stabbing them with a sword.
The three flee toCadiz with Cunegonde's jewels, where the Old Lady tells Candide and Cunegonde about her past. The jewels are stolen and the Old Lady offers to sing for their dinner ("I Am Easily Assimilated"). The French police arrive, intending to arrest Candide for murdering Don Issachar and the Archbishop. Accepting an offer to fight for the Jesuits in South America, Candide decides to take Cunegonde and the Old Lady to the New World, and the three begin their journey on a ship ("Quartet Finale").
Act 2
InMontevideo, Maximilian and Paquette, now revived and disguised as slave girls, reunite. Soon after, Don Fernando d'Ibaraa y Figueroa y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza, the governor of the city, falls in love with Maximilian, but quickly realizes his mistake and sells him to a priest. Meanwhile, Candide, Cunegonde and the Old Lady also arrive in Montevideo, where the Governor falls in love with Cunegonde ("My Love"). The Old Lady convinces Cunegonde that her marriage to the governor will support her financially ("We Are Women"). Candide soon befriends Cacambo and accepts him as his valet. Convinced by the Old Lady that the police are still after Candide for the Archbishop's murder, Candide and Cacambo flee Montevideo and eventually stumble upon a Jesuit camp and are joined by the Father and Mother Superiors ("The Pilgrims' Procession – Alleluia"). Candide soon discovers that the Mother Superior is actually Paquette and the Father Superior is Maximilian. When Candide tells Maximilian that he will marry Cunegonde, however, Maximilian angrily challenges him to a fight. However, Maximilian is once again inadvertently stabbed to death by Candide. Candide is forced to flee into the jungle as a result.
Three years later, Cunegonde and the Old Lady discuss the miseries shared by the upper classes while the Governor does not want to hear their complaints ("Quiet"). Meanwhile, Candide and Cacambo are starving and lost in thejungles. Finding a boat in the ocean, they float downriver into a cavern for 24 hours until they finally reachEldorado, the city of gold ("Introduction to Eldorado"). The two discover that the locals worship one god as opposed to three, palaces of science,rosewater and stones withcinnamon andclove scents. Dissatisfied without Cunegonde, Candide decides to leave. The locals think him foolish, but offer to help, giving him some of the town's golden sheep and constructing a lift that will guide him, Cacambo and the sheep over the mountain ("The Ballad of Eldorado"). One by one, the sheep die until only two remain. Unwilling to go back to Montevideo, Candide gives Cacambo one of the golden sheep to ransom Cunegonde, telling them that they will meet again inVenice.
Arriving inSuriname, Candide meets Martin, a local pessimist. He shows him a slave with one hand and one foot lost while harvesting sugarcane, which is the result of Europeans eating sugar; Candide is unable to convince Martin otherwise ("Words, Words, Words"). Vanderdendur, a Dutch villain, offers his ship, the Santa Rosalia, in exchange for the golden sheep. Candide is excited when he is told that theSanta Rosalia is to depart for Venice. The locals and Vandendur wish Candide a safe journey to Venice ("Bon Voyage"). However, the ship sinks and Martin drowns as a result. After reuniting with his golden sheep, Candide is picked up by agalley, meeting five deposed kings. The galley is rowed by slaves, including Pangloss, revived once again. The kings say that they will live humbly, serving both god and men, and Pangloss leads their debate ("The Kings' Barcarolle").
The ship arrives in Venice, where the Carnival festival is taking place ("Money, Money, Money"). While the kings play roulette and baccarat, Candide searches for Cunegonde. Maximilian, revived once again, is now the corrupt Prefect of Police and the town's leader. Paquette is now the town's reigning prostitute. Cunegonde and the Old Lady are employed to encourage the gamblers ("What's the Use?"). Pangloss celebrates a victory after winning roulette and spends his money on the other ladies ("The Venice Gavotte"). Candide, however, masked for the Carnival, is accosted by Cunegonde and the Old Lady (both of whom are also masked), who try to swindle him out of his money. During the exchange, all the masks come off and they are horrified to recognize each other. Seeing what Cunegonde has become, Candide's image of and belief in her is shattered ("Nothing More Than This"). Candide does not speak for several days; with what little money they have left, they purchase a small farm outside Venice and the chorus says that life is just life and paradise is nothing ("Universal Good"). Candide finally speaks and resolves to marry Cunegonde ("Make Our Garden Grow").
Though the show as a whole received mixed reviews at its opening, the music was immediately a hit. Much of the score was recorded for a successfuloriginal cast album.[28]
Theoverture toCandide soon earned a place in the orchestral repertoire. After a successful first concert performance on January 26, 1957, by theNew York Philharmonic under the composer's baton, it quickly became popular and was performed by nearly 100 other orchestras within the next two years.[29] Since that time, it has become one of the most frequently performed orchestral compositions by a20th centuryAmerican composer; in 1987, it was the most often performed piece of concert music by Bernstein.[4]
The overture incorporates tunes from the songs "The Best of All Possible Worlds", "Battle Music", "Oh, Happy We", and "Glitter and Be Gay" and melodies composed specifically for the overture.
While manyorchestrations of the overture exist, in its current incarnation for full symphony orchestra, which incorporates changes made by Bernstein during performances in December 1989, the piece requires a standard-sized contemporary orchestra ofpiccolo, twoflutes, twooboes, an E-flat and two B-flatclarinets,bass clarinet, twobassoons,contrabassoon, fourhorns, twotrumpets, threetrombones,tuba,timpani, a large but standardpercussion contingent,harp, and a standardstring section.[30] It is approximately four and a half minutes long. The theatre-sized orchestration, as in the published full score of the operetta, includes one flute doubling on piccolo, one oboe, two clarinets rotating between an E-flat, B-flat, and bass, one bassoon, two horns, two trumpets, two trombones, one tuba, standard orchestral percussion, harp, and strings. Main differences between the two are doublings and increased use of percussion effects (especially the addition of a drum roll during the opening fanfares) in the symphony orchestral arrangement. Differences between the first publication and later printings (of both orchestrations) include a slowed opening tempo (half note equal 132 instead of 152). An arrangement for standardwind ensemble also exists, composed byClare Grundman in 1991, published underBoosey and Hawkes. Peter Richard Conte has also transcribed it for theWanamaker Organ.
Dick Cavett used the "Glitter and Be Gay" portion of the overture at the midpoint of hisABC late-night TV showThe Dick Cavett Show. The song also served as his signature introduction during the years the Cavett show aired onPBS.
At a memorial concert for Bernstein in 1990, theNew York Philharmonic paid tribute to their Laureate Conductor by performing the overture without a conductor. This practice has become a performance tradition still maintained by the Philharmonic.[31]
TheNew York Philharmonic performed the Overture to Candide as part of itshistoric concert inPyongyang,North Korea, on February 26, 2008.
Cunegonde'scoloraturaaria "Glitter and Be Gay" is a favourite showpiece for many sopranos.Barbara Cook's performance of the aria at its introduction impressed audience and critics, bringing her wide recognition.[32]
This aria poses some difficulties. If sung as written throughout (alternative phrases are provided at several points in the score), there are three high E-flats (abovehigh C), twostaccato and one sustained; there are also numerous uses of high C and D-flat. Some of the florid passages are very intricate. Theatrically, it demands an elaborate comic staging, in which Cunegonde adorns herself with jewelry while singing and dancing around the stage, and has a satirical quality that is a challenge to perform.
Subsequent performers of the role of Cunegonde have included:
This aria has been performed in concert by many musical theatre and opera stars, including (in addition to those listed above):Natalie Dessay,Diana Damrau,Sumi Jo,Edita Gruberová,Renée Fleming,Simone Kermes,Roberta Peters, andDawn Upshaw.
All music by Bernstein, and lyrics by Richard Wilbur unless noted otherwise
Act 1
Scene 1: Westphalia
Scene 1A: Candide Travels to Lisbon
Scene 2: Lisbon
Scene 2A: Candide Travels to Paris
Scene 3: Paris
Scene 3A: They Travel to Buenos Aires
Scene 4: Buenos Aires
| Act 2 Entr'acte – Orchestra Scene 1: Buenos Aires
Scene 2: Venice
Scene 3: Westphalia
|
Bernstein's "final revised version", recorded in 1989:[2][34]
Act 1
| Act 2
|
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Tony Award | Best Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Irra Petina | Nominated | ||
| Best Conductor and Musical Director | Samuel Krachmalnick | Nominated | ||
| Best Scenic Design | Oliver Smith | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Irene Sharaff | Nominated | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Tony Award | Best Book of a Musical | Hugh Wheeler | Won |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Lewis J. Stadlen | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Mark Baker | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Maureen Brennan | Nominated | ||
| June Gable | Nominated | |||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Harold Prince | Won | ||
| Best Scenic Design | Franne Lee andEugene Lee | Won | ||
| Best Costume Design | Franne Lee | Won | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Hugh Wheeler | Won | |
| Outstanding Director | Harold Prince | Won | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Patricia Birch | Won | ||
| Outstanding Set Design | Franne Lee andEugene Lee | Won | ||
| Outstanding Costume Design | Franne Lee | Won | ||
| New York Drama Critics' Circle Award[35] | Best Musical | Leonard Bernstein, Richard Wilbur, Hugh Wheeler and John La Touche | Won |
| Year | Award[36] | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Laurence Olivier Award | Musical of the Year | Won | |
| Designer of the Year | Richard Hudson (for his season at the Old Vic) | Won | ||
| Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical | Patricia Routledge | Won | ||
| Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical | Nickolas Grace | Nominated | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Tony Award | Best Revival of a Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Jim Dale | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Andrea Martin | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Judith Dolan | Won | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Jim Dale | Nominated | ||
| Jason Danieley | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Andrea Martin | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Set Design | Clarke Dunham | Nominated | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Musical Revival | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Simon Russell Beale | Won | ||
| Daniel Evans | Nominated | |||
| Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Denis Quilley | Nominated | ||
| Best Theatre Choreographer | Peter Darling | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Elise andJohn Napier | Nominated | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
