La Navarraise (, "The Woman of Navarre") is an opera in two acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Jules Claretie and Henri Cain, based on Claretie's short story La cigarette (1890). It was first performed at Covent Garden in London on 20 June 1894, with Emma Calvé in the title role. The first performance was attended by the Prince of Wales and a command performance was then given at Windsor Castle. Flon conducted the Brussels premiere on 26 November 1894 with Georgette Leblanc in the title role, while Calvé returned for the Paris premiere by the Opéra-Comique at their temporary quarters on the Place du Châtelet (the present Théâtre de la Ville) on 3 October 1895, which led to more than 180 performances of the work by the company over the next 60 years. La Navarraise is widely agreed to be Massenet's answer to Italian verismo and was very popular in its day, often being performed on a double bill with Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana. Its popularity has waned since operatic tastes changed in the early part of the twentieth century, and today the opera is rarely performed. However, at the Wexford Festival in October/November 2013, La Navarraise was performed in a double bill with Massenet's Thérèse. It has, however, been recorded a number of times, most notably in 1975 where two versions were recorded, one with Marilyn Horne and Plácido Domingo, the other with Lucia Popp and Alain Vanzo. Roles Synopsis Place: Spain Time: Carlist War in 1874. A lowly-born girl from Navarre, Anita (La Navarraise), is in love with a soldier, Araquil. Araquil's father, Remigio, finds Anita unacceptable and insists she pay a sum of two-thousand duros as a dowry, knowing she will not be able to raise the money. Hearing this, Anita sings a song of lament while the commander Garrido sings of his hate towards the enemy Commander, Zuccaraga (after hearing of his friend's death by Zuccaraga's hands). Anita hears Garrido, and proposes that she kill Zuccaraga for a sum of two-thousand duros. Garrido, though wary and suspicious, accepts the offer. Garrido asks for her name, but she only dashes off saying "I am only the 'girl from Navarre.'" Anita is spotted going to the enemy camp by the soldier, Ramon. When Ramon hears that Araquil is looking for Anita, he (Ramon) tells Araquil that she is in the enemy camp. Ramon misinterprets this,