Le Rival de Lui-même

Le Rival de Lui-même ("his own rival") can refer to any of two works:

The original texts

Le Rival de Lui-même by Carolet (1732)

An opéra comique in one act by Carolet (i.e. Denis Carolet, ??-1740) was first performed in 1732 in Paris at the Opera Comique à la Foire Saint-Laurent with musical by Jean-Claude Gillier (1667-1737)[1]. The text was published in Le theatre de la foire, ou L'opera comique (volume 9: pp. 84-)[2] in 1734.

Le Rival de Lui-même by La Chaussée (1746)

A French "comédie nouvelle in 1 act, in verse, preceded by a prologue, with entertainments", written by Pierre-Claude Nivelle de La Chaussée (1692–1754)[3], first performed by the Comédie-Française on 20 April, 1746, and published by Prault fils in the same year.

Translations and adaptations

Denis Carolet's version of Le Rival de Lui-même appears to have been the text translated/adapted into Dutch as De Medeminnaar van Zichzelven (lit. "the co-lover of himself", i.e. "his own rival") by Marten Westerman (1775-1852)[4].

Described as a vaudeville or "blyspel met zang in één bedryf" (a "comedy in one act with singing"), the text was published in Rotterdam by J. Hofhout en Zoon, 1800 and by J.C. van Kesteren in 1820. No author given in the latter case, though the Google E-book version lists it as a work by Carolet.

The Dutch play was apparently was first performed in The Hague in 1805 and later Westerman's Dutch version was twice performed at the Koninklijke Nederduitsche Schouwburg (Royal Dutch Theatre), The Hague (in 1820 and 1828).

Performance history in South Africa

1868: Performed in Dutch as De Medeminnaar van Zichzelven in Paarl on 26 May by an unnamed company (referred to by Bosman simply as "plaaslike jong liefhebbers" - i.e. "local young amateurs"), without any author or venue being mentioned either.

Sources

Facsimile version of the Denis Carolet text, in the collection Le theatre de la foire, ou L'opera comique. (Volume 9), chez L'Honoré et Chatelain, 1734, Google -Ebook[5]

https://www.theatre-classique.fr/pages/bio/auteurs.htm

https://operone.de/komponist/gillier.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-Claude_Nivelle_de_La_Chauss%C3%A9e

Facsimile version of the 1800 edition of the Dutch text by Hofhout, Google E-book[6]

Gerd Aage Gillhoff. 2013. The Royal Dutch Theatre at the Hague 1804–1876. Springer:p.203[7]

D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: p.444

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