| Tom Jones | |
| Type: | Opéra comique |
| Image Upright: | 0.9 |
| Librettist: |
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| Language: | French |
| Based On: | Henry Fielding's The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling |
| Premiere Location: | Comédie-Italienne, Paris |
Tom Jones is a comédie mêlée d'ariettes, a kind of opéra comique, by the French composer and chess champion François-André Danican Philidor which first appeared at the Comédie-Italienne, Paris, on 27 February 1765. Its French libretto, by Antoine-Alexandre-Henri Poisenet and Bertin Davesne, is loosely based on the 1749 novel by Henry Fielding.
The opera was initially a failure but Philidor had the libretto revised by Michel-Jean Sedaine and this new version, first performed on 30 January 1766, proved one of the most popular opéras comiques of the late 18th century. It was produced in a number of other countries, and translated into German, Swedish and Russian.
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 27 February 1765 (Conductor:) |
|---|---|---|
| Monsieur Western | bass | Joseph Caillot |
| Madame Western, his sister | mezzo-soprano | Bérard |
| Sophie, his daughter | soprano | Desglands |
| Honora, her companion | soprano | Marie-Thérèse Laruette-Villette |
| Allworthy, their neighbour | baritone | Antoine Trial |
| Tom Jones, his ward | tenor | Clairval (Jean-Baptiste Guignard) |
| Blifil, Allworthy's nephew | tenor | Jean-Louis Laruette |
| Quaker Dowling | spoken | |
François-André Danican Philidor: Tom Jones, Lausanne Opera and Le Sinfonietta de Lausanne