About the work
Joseph is an opéra comique in three acts by Étienne-Nicolas Méhul, with a libretto by Alexandre Duval, based on the biblical story of Joseph, who is sold into Egypt by his brothers and later meets them again there. It premiered on 17 February 1807 at the Théâtre Feydeau in Paris.
Plot
Years after being sold by his own brothers, Joseph rules Egypt unrecognised as viceroy. A famine drives his family into the country; Joseph recognises his brothers and his aged father Jacob, tests their remorse and finally reveals who he is.
Cultural significance
Méhul received the Prix décennal for Joseph, and the work quickly spread to Germany, Austria, Hungary, Russia and beyond. Apart from the boy Benjamin, sung by a woman in a trouser role, every part is written for a male voice — one of the very few operas with no adult female role. Joseph remained Méhul's most frequently performed stage work.