Le jongleur de Notre-Dame

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Le jongleur de Notre-Dame is an opera in three acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Maurice Léna. It was first performed in Monte Carlo on February 18, 1902.

It is based on the story of the same name by Anatole France, which was in turn based on a 12th-century medieval legend. The role of Jean the juggler was popularized in the United States by the famous soprano, Mary Garden, which, according to some sources, horrified composer Massenet, who meant the role for a tenor. Garden sang the role in much the same way that actresses of that era played Peter Pan, but there is only one role for a woman in the opera as written, and it is a silent one.

[edit] Plot (spoilers included)

The story takes place in medieval France. Jean, a juggler, (tenor) is severely taken to task by the Prior for singing vulgar songs outside the local monastery. Seeing that Jean is filled with remorse, the Prior asks him to join the order of monks. Jean does and is accepted as a fellow monk. He is befriended by the monastery's cook, Boniface (baritone) who tells him the legend of the sagebush which opened its branches to shelter the Infant Jesus as He slept. When Jean sees that the other monks are offering lavish and beautiful gifts to the newly completed statue of the Virgin Mary, he, having no real gift, resolves to do what he can do best. He sneaks into the chapel late at night and juggles before the statue until he collapses from exhaustion. The other monks enter, horrified, and are about to seize Jean to reprimand him for blasphemy, when a heavenly light begins to glow and a miracle occurs - the statue of the Virgin comes to life and blesses Jean (in some productions, she merely holds out her hands in benediction, in others she tosses him a rose, and in Anatole France's original story, she descends from her pedestal and wipes Jean's brow with a handkerchief, but in most versions of the opera, she smiles down at him). Jean at first is totally unaware of anything, but suddenly cries out that he finally understands Latin (which was, at that time, the language of the Catholic Mass). He sees the Virgin ascending to Heaven and beckoning him to follow. In ecstasy, he falls back dead. The other monks, awed by the sight, declare that they have been in the presence of a saint.

Spoilers end here.

The opera was popular in the early part of the twentieth century, due partly to Mary Garden's appearances in it, but it soon disappeared from the world's stages, as did many of Massenet's other operas. In the mid-1970's, the complete opera was recorded in stereo for the first time, and this recording, with the late tenor Alain Vanzo as Jean, was released on compact disc most recently in 2003, closely followed by a live performance of the work, again with Vanzo. This has subsequently led to new revivals of the opera in the United States, usually in more modern dress.

[edit] Non-Musical Versions

In Anatole France's story, the juggler is named Barnabas. The original story itself, without Massenet's music, has been dramatized for television several times, especially during the days of live TV. The titles used for two early versions were, respectively, Our Lady's Tumbler and The Young Juggler (the second version starring Tony Curtis).

An episode of the 1955 television series MGM Parade features the main scenes from what was apparently a forthcoming MGM filming of the story, starring Edmund Gwenn as the juggler and Hans Conried as one of the monks. Apparently this version was either canceled or never released after it was completed.

An animated short based on the story, narrated by Boris Karloff and entitled The Juggler of Our Lady, was released in 1958, and was nominated for a BAFTA award.

In 1968, the British television series Jackanory presented an adaptation of the story under the title The Little Juggler.

In 1970, an obscure, low budget, feature-length film version entitled variously The Juggler of Notre Dame , Magic Legend of the Juggler, and Legend of the Juggler was released, starring Barry Dennen in the title role, and featuring such actors as Walter Slezak, Willoughby Goddard, and Joe E. Ross.

In 1984, The Juggler of Notre Dame, an Americanized, modernized adaptation of the story, starring Carl Carlsson, a real juggler, was filmed for television in color, and co-starred Merlin Olsen and Melinda Dillon as characters created especially for this version. The late Eugene Roche played the role of the Prior, here called Father Delany.

During the Golden Age of Radio, the story was broadcast several times, usually under the title The Juggler of Our Lady, and always on the then-popular radio series Family Theater. But another adaptation featured on Family Theater was entitled Joppe the Juggler. It was broadcast during the Christmas season of 1950, and starred Wallace Ford as the juggler, with opening and closing remarks by Spencer Tracy.