Located in the UK
Located in the USA
Located in Europe
- Kirke Mechem
Tartuffe (1980)
- G Schirmer Inc (World)
- 2(pic).2.2(bcl).2+cbn/2.1[in C].1.0/timp(perc).perc/hp/str
- 1111/1110/perc/hp/str (min 1.1.1.1.1)
- Optional chorus
- Baritone, Bass, Mezzo soprano, high Baritone, Soprano, Tenor, Soprano, Mezzo soprano, silent role
- 2 hr 10 min
- Libretto by the composer after Molière. German translation by Thomas Martin.
- Chinese, English, German, Russian
- 15th June 2025, The Hillside Club, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- 22nd June 2025, Legion of Honor, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
Programme Note
Cast List
TARTUFFE, a hypocrite: Baritone
ORGON, a wealthy Parisian: Bass
ELMIRE, Orgon's second wife: Mezzo-soprano
MARIANE, Orgon's daughter: Soprano
DORINE, Mariane's maid: Soprano
DAMIS, Orgon's son: High Baritone
VALÈRE, Mariane's fiancé: Tenor
MME. PERNELLE, Orgon's mother: Mezzo-soprano
FLIPOTE, Mme. Pernelle's maid: Silent
Synopsis
Tartuffe, a religious hypocrite, insinuates his way into Orgon's house and tries to marry his daughter. Orgon's wife, Elmire, sees through Tartuffe and plots to trick him into seducing her in order to open Orgon's eyes. Tartuffe, however, takes control of the house and wants to get the owner arrested, members of the family disguise themselves as officials of the crown and drive Tartuffe away.
With over 400 performances in more than 100 productions since its 1980 San Francisco Opera premiere, Tartuffe has become one of the most popular operas ever written by an American.
In its "20th-century Classics" series, the Vienna Kammeroper's production of Tartuffe was a triumph in its Austrian premiere May 2, 2002. From September to January the opera played in three cities in Germany to ovations and excellent reviews, as it did in a three-year repertory run at the Mussorgsky National Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia. It has been translated into German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and most recently into Czech for the National Theater in Prague.