View source for La caverne

{{Short description|Opera by Jean-François Le Sueur}}
{{about|the opera by Le Sueur|the opera by Méhul|La caverne (Méhul)|the album by Quebec rock band Malajube|La caverne (album)}}
{{Italic title}}
[[File:J. F. Le Sueur cropped.jpg|thumb|Jean-François Le Sueur, the opera's composer]]
'''''La caverne, ou Le repentir''''' ({{IPA|fr|la kavɛʁn u lə ʁəpɑ̃tiʁ}}, ''The Cavern, or Repentance'') is an [[opera]] in three acts by French composer [[Jean-François Le Sueur]]. It was first performed at the [[Théâtre Feydeau]], Paris, on 16 February 1793. The [[libretto]], by Alphonse François "Paul" Palat-Dercy, is based on an episode from [[Alain-René Lesage|Lesage's]] novel ''[[Gil Blas]]''. ''La caverne'' was the first opera by Le Sueur to be staged and it became one of the most popular works of the [[French Revolution|French Revolutionary era]]. The opera was notable for its innovative set design: the stage was divided horizontally, with the lower section representing the cavern of the title (a robbers' den) and the upper section showing a forest. Two levels of action were thus able to be shown simultaneously. 

== Roles ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+{{sronly|Roles, voice types, premiere cast}}
!Role
![[Voice type]]
!Premiere cast, 16 February 1793<ref>{{Almanacco|dmy=16 February 1793|match=La caverne}}</ref>
|-
|Gil Blas   
|[[tenor]]
|Jean-Baptiste-Sauveur Gavaudan 
|-
|Rolando    
|[[bass (voice type)|bass]]
|Châteaufort 
|-
|Séraphine  
|[[soprano]]
|[[Julie-Angélique Scio]]
|-
|Don Alphonse   
|tenor
|[[Pierre Gaveaux]]
|-
|Léonarde   
|soprano
|Verteuil
|-
|Roustan    
|[[baritone]]
|
|-
|Bernard
|tenor
|
|-
|Charles
|tenor
|
|-
|}

==Synopsis==
Gil Blas is captured by a robber band led by Rolando, who hold him in their den (the cavern of the title) along with the noblewoman Séraphine. Séraphine's husband comes looking for her disguised as a blind beggar but he too is caught by the robbers. Rolando repents and discovers he is Séraphine's brother. In the finale, Gil Blas, who has managed to escape, brings a rescue party, who shoot the robbers and free the prisoners.

==References==
<references />

==Further reading==
*''The Viking Opera Guide'', ed. [[Amanda Holden (writer)|Amanda Holden]] (Viking, 1993)
*[http://www.nla.gov.au/grants/haroldwhite/papers/mmcclellan.html#bm2 Details of the set design]

==External links==
*{{IMSLP|work=La caverne (Le Sueur, Jean-François)|cname=''La caverne'' (Le Sueur)}}

{{Jean-François Le Sueur}}
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[[Category:Operas]]
[[Category:1793 operas]]
[[Category:French-language operas]]
[[Category:Rescue operas]]
[[Category:Operas by Jean-François Le Sueur]]
[[Category:Operas based on novels]]
[[Category:Opera world premieres at the Opéra-Comique]]
[[Category:Adaptations of works by Alain-René Lesage]]