Le roi l’a dit

Le roi l'a dit (The King Has Spoken) is an opéra comique in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet. It is a lively comedy, remarkably requiring 14 singers – six men and eight women. The libretto had first been offered in 1871 to Offenbach; the title also went through various permutations (Le Talon rouge, Si le Roi le savait, Le Roi le sait) before settling on its final name. The 1885 revival brought further modifications to the libretto.

The opera was first performed on 24 May 1873 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, and was seen there until 1900, totalling 79 performances there. The 1885 production including Lucien Fugère, Molé-Truffier and Barnolt and was conducted by Jules Danbé. The revival on 23 March 1898 was in a 2-act version by Philippe Gille. A series of performances took place at the Trianon Lyrique, Paris in December 1911.

It was seen in Antwerp in 1873, Vienna, Carlsruhe and Prague in 1874, Riga in 1876, and in Budapest, Berlin and Copenhagen in 1877, and was occasionally revived in the 20th century. On 20 December 1958, French Radio recorded Le roi l'a dit with soloists, chorus and the Orchestre Radio Lyrique de la RTF conducted by André Girard.

It was not staged in France between 1914 and 1959, when it was revived in Bordeaux under the baton of Roger Gayral, with a cast including Christine Harbell, Hélène Régelly, Louis Noguéra and André Dran, a well-received production which transferred to Paris.

Time: the reign of Louis XIV

The Marquis de Moncontour has long wished to be presented to King Louis XIV, and, having recently caught the escaped parrot of Mme de Maintenon, he is at last to have his wish fulfilled. In preparation for his audience he tries to learn the latest way of bowing, and the Marquise, her four daughters and Javotte, the maid, assist him. The old gentleman finally succeeds in making his bow to his own satisfaction, and he is put into a litter, and sent off.

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