Frédégonde
Frédégonde is an 1895 French opera ("drame lyrique") in five acts with music by Ernest Guiraud, Camille Saint-Saëns, and Paul Dukas and a libretto by Louis Gallet based on Augustin Thierry's "Récits des temps mérovingiens" (1840). The opera was incomplete upon Guiraud's death in 1892. He had only composed the first three acts (in short score), and these were subsequently fully orchestrated by Paul Dukas. The music for the fourth and fifth acts and the ballet in the third act was composed by Saint-Saens. "Frédégonde" was premiered by the Opéra at the Palais Garnier in  Paris on 18 December 1895. The "mise-en-scène" was by Alexandre Lapissida, the costumes were designed by , and the choreography was by Joseph Hansen. The set designers for Act 1 were Philippe Chaperon and his son, Émile Chaperon; Act 2, Eugène Carpezat; Act 3, and Alexandre Bailly; and Acts 4 and 5, Amable. The opera only received nine performances, with the last on 14 February 1896. Guiraud's music was considered foreign to his style, and, although the music by Saint-Saens was deemed better, the result was a work that was very uneven. Recordings. "Frédégonde" was scheduled for  revival by Theater Dortmund in May 2021 in partnership with the Palazzetto Bru Zane but cancelled due to the corona pandemic. The opera was finally performed and live streamed on November 20, 2021 with further performances.