It premiered at the Théâtre Lyrique, Paris, on 15 January 1858. As the work uses spoken dialogue and verse taken directly from Molière's play, the Comédie-Française tried unsuccessfully to block performance of the opera. It was revived at the Opéra-Comique in 1872, 1886, 1902 and 1938; was seen in Hamburg, Stockholm and Warsaw in 1862; and in England between 1865 and 1891. On 25 November 1978 the opera received its 100th performance at the Opéra-Comique, conducted by Sylvain Cambreling and with Jean-Philippe Lafont, Jocelyne Taillon and Jules Bastin among the cast.
| Original Name | Le médecin malgré lui |
| Librettist | Jules Barbier; Michel Carré (after Molière's play "Le Médecin malgré lui") |
| Date of composition | 1858 |
| Premiered | 1858, January 15th (Théâtre Lyrique) in Paris, France |
| Type | Opera |
| Spoken language | French |
| Instruments |
Chorus/Choir
- Woodcutters, musicians, peasants
Orchestra Voice (Baritone) - Sganarelle, a woodcutter ('fagotier') Voice (Tenor) - Léandre, Lucinde's lover Voice (Mezzo-Soprano) - Martine, Sganarelle's wife Voice (Mezzo-Soprano) - Jacqueline, Lucas' wife Voice (Soprano) - Lucinde, Géronte's daughter Voice (Bass) - Géronte, a wealthy bourgeois Voice (Baritone) - Valère, Géronte's valet Voice (Tenor) - Lucas, Géronte's servant Actor - Monsieur Robert |
| Autotranslations beta |
Charles Gounod: The Doctor in spite of himself/ The Mock Doctor Charles Gounod: The Doctor in spite of himself/ The Mock Doctor Charles Gounod: The Doctor in spite of himself/ The Mock Doctor |