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- Meyerbeer, Giacomo
Duration: 5 minutes
Description: Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791–1864) composed his grand opera LE PROPHÈTE between 1836 and 1849, with a libretto by Eugène Scribe. Premiered at the Paris Opéra on April 16, 1849, the work epitomized Meyerbeer’s mastery of French grand opera, combining large-scale choral and orchestral forces with lavish staging and deep political overtones. Set in 16th-century Münster, the opera tells the story of John of Leiden, a reluctant revolutionary who becomes a tragic “prophet-king.” Among its most celebrated moments is the “Coronation March” (“Marche du Sacre”), heard during the Act IV coronation scene. Brilliantly scored with resplendent brass and organ, the march captures the opulent ceremonial grandeur that defined Meyerbeer’s style. While LE PROPHÈTE itself is rarely performed today, the “Coronation March” has lived on in concert halls and ceremonial occasions, admired for its regal power and as one of the finest examples of 19th-century operatic pageantry. Instrumentation: 2+Picc.2.2.4: 4.4.3.1: Timp.Perc(2-3): Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set). Reprint edition.