Les Deux Journées, ou Le Porteur d'eau

Libretto by Jean Nicolas Bouilly (F)

4S,2T,6B,actor; mixed chorus;
2(=picc).2.2.2-3.0.1.0-timp-strings; SD on stage

In Paris and the nearby village Gonesse, 1647

In an effort to deprive parliament of the power it only recently regained, Cardinal Mazarin has put a bounty on the head of its president, Count Armand. Besieged by a raging crowd and Mazarin’s soldiers, Armand and his wife Constance are rescued by Mikéli, a water carrier who happens to be passing by and who intervenes with both cunning and courage. He hides the two of them from the search parties in his house. Mikéli’s son, Antonio, recognises Armand as the man who saved him from hunger and cold many years ago. Antonio’s forthcoming marriage to Angélina, the daughter of the rich tenant Sémos in Gonesse, offers an opportunity to get the persecuted couple safely out of Paris. While Constance uses the passport of Antonio’s sister, Marcélina, Armand is hidden away in Mikéli’s water barrel. When the sentries on guard become suspicious, Mikéli diverts their attention and puts them on the wrong track.
Outside the city, however, the situation remains precarious as soldiers are roaming about the area. When Constance arouses suspicion and is caught out, Armand assists her, holding his gun at the ready. Both of them are arrested, and during their interrogation, Armand’s name escapes the mouth of the frightened Constance. Now all hope seems lost. Back in Paris, however, Mikéli sparks off a movement that eventually leads the queen to issue a reprieval for Armand, which means that the marriage of Antonio and Angélina can finally take place.

Dramatic