Madame l'archiduc
Encyclopedia
Madame l’archiduc is an opéra bouffe
, or operetta
in three acts, by Jacques Offenbach
, with a French
libretto by Albert Millaud first performed in Paris in 1874.
After a slow start Madame l’Archiduc had an opening run of 100 performances. It was seen in Vienna in 1875 and London in 1876. Highlights of the score include the quartet in cod-English for the count, countess and young couple in Act 1, an ‘alphabet’ sextet for Marietta, Giletti and the conspirators in Act 2, and a polka for the arrival of the dragoons.
Four conspirators meet to discuss the plot to do away with the archduke Ernest. Giletti and Marietta, servants at an inn are getting married. The count of Castelardo, who is in a conspiracy against the archduke, arrives at the inn with his young wife, trying to disguise themselves. When the hostelry is surrounded by the archduke’s dragoons, led by the short captain Fortunato, Giletti and Marietta are persuaded by the count to accept 10,000 ecus to pass themselves off as the count and countess of Castelardo. Arrested by Fortunato, the young couple are sent of to the Castelardo palace.
Giletti and Marietta meet the conspirators, who explain to Giletti that he must assassinate the archduke, but try to escape at his arrival. The archduke Ernest, who introduces himself as the most original of all archdukes, after condemning the plotters to death, is overwhelmed by the beauty of Marietta. He abdicates in her favour, but she then makes the conspirators her ministers – thus allowing his ministers in turn to become plotters.
Fortunato must carry out the orders of the new ruler, who wishes to prevent Ernest from getting into her room incognito that night. The archduke is caught and only saves his skin by revealing his identify to Fortunato, who allows him to escape, only to then turns his attentions on the supposed countess. Giletti appears, being sent on his way to be ambassador to Naples, with a sealed letter setting out his credentials, which states "hold on to this idiot as long as possible". The archduke, who has now decided to conspire against Marietta, has met at the inn another beautiful girl – who turns out to be the real countess. He retakes his crown, gives 10,000 ecus to Giletti and Marietta (who use it to buy up the inn), and dispatches the count to Naples with the same, re-sealed, letter.
Opéra bouffe
Opéra bouffe is a genre of late 19th-century French operetta, closely associated with Jacques Offenbach, who produced many of them at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens that gave its name to the form....
, or operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
in three acts, by Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
, with a French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
libretto by Albert Millaud first performed in Paris in 1874.
After a slow start Madame l’Archiduc had an opening run of 100 performances. It was seen in Vienna in 1875 and London in 1876. Highlights of the score include the quartet in cod-English for the count, countess and young couple in Act 1, an ‘alphabet’ sextet for Marietta, Giletti and the conspirators in Act 2, and a polka for the arrival of the dragoons.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 31 October 1874 |
|---|---|---|
| Marietta | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Anna Judic Anna Judic Anne Marie-Louise Damiens, stage name Anna Judic was a French comic actress. Her ménage à trois proved the inspiration for that in the 1880 Émile Zola novel Nana.-Life:... |
| Fortunato, captain of the archduke’s dragoons | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Laurence Grivot Laurence Grivot Laurence Grivot, born Marie Laurent, Versailles in 1843, died Thomery on 5 June 1890, was a French operetta singer and actress. She was the wife of Pierre Grivot.-Life and career:... |
| La Comtesse | soprano | Perret |
| Giacometta | soprano | Godin |
| The Archduke Ernest | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Daubray Daubray (actor) Michel René Thibaut, known by his stage-name Daubray, born Nantes 7 May 1837, died Paris 10 September 1892 was a leading French actor and singer in operetta, active mainly in Paris but who also appeared around Europe.-Life and career:... |
| Giletti | tenor | Habay |
| Le Comte | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Fugère |
| Innkeeper | tenor | Homerville |
| Riccardo | baritone | Desmonts |
| Beppino | Maxnère | |
| Scoevola, a conspirator | tenor | Pierre Grivot Pierre Grivot Pierre-Antonin-François Grivot, born Paris in 1834 , died 1912, was a French singer and actor who enjoyed a long career in Paris, in both operetta and opéra comique. His wife was the actress and singer Laurence Grivot.-Life and career:... |
| Coclès, a conspirator | baritone | Scipion |
| Thémistocle, a conspirator | tenor | Jean-Paul |
| Lycurgue, a conspirator | bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C... |
Guyot |
| Piano-dolce, a minister | tenor | Courcelles |
| Andantino, a minister | tenor | Durand |
| Tutti-frutti, a minister | bass | Maxnère |
| Chi-lo-sa, a minister | bass | Rivet |
| Chorus: waiters, waitresses, dragoons, servants, ladies and gentlemen of the court | ||
Act 1
Scene : an innFour conspirators meet to discuss the plot to do away with the archduke Ernest. Giletti and Marietta, servants at an inn are getting married. The count of Castelardo, who is in a conspiracy against the archduke, arrives at the inn with his young wife, trying to disguise themselves. When the hostelry is surrounded by the archduke’s dragoons, led by the short captain Fortunato, Giletti and Marietta are persuaded by the count to accept 10,000 ecus to pass themselves off as the count and countess of Castelardo. Arrested by Fortunato, the young couple are sent of to the Castelardo palace.
Act 2
Scene : the palace of CastelardoGiletti and Marietta meet the conspirators, who explain to Giletti that he must assassinate the archduke, but try to escape at his arrival. The archduke Ernest, who introduces himself as the most original of all archdukes, after condemning the plotters to death, is overwhelmed by the beauty of Marietta. He abdicates in her favour, but she then makes the conspirators her ministers – thus allowing his ministers in turn to become plotters.
Act 3
Scene :Fortunato must carry out the orders of the new ruler, who wishes to prevent Ernest from getting into her room incognito that night. The archduke is caught and only saves his skin by revealing his identify to Fortunato, who allows him to escape, only to then turns his attentions on the supposed countess. Giletti appears, being sent on his way to be ambassador to Naples, with a sealed letter setting out his credentials, which states "hold on to this idiot as long as possible". The archduke, who has now decided to conspire against Marietta, has met at the inn another beautiful girl – who turns out to be the real countess. He retakes his crown, gives 10,000 ecus to Giletti and Marietta (who use it to buy up the inn), and dispatches the count to Naples with the same, re-sealed, letter.