Mirette (opera)
Encyclopedia
Mirette is an opéra comique
in three acts composed by André Messager
, first produced at the Savoy Theatre
, London, on 3 July 1894.
Mirette exists in two distinct versions. The first version of the libretto was written in French
by Michel Carré
but this was never performed. English lyrics were written by Frederic E. Weatherly, and English dialogue based on the Carré libretto was written by Harry Greenbank
. This first English version of the opera ran for only 41 performances, closing on 11 August 1894. This was the shortest run of any opera produced at the Savoy Theatre under the management of Richard D'Oyly Carte
. The second version, advertised as a "new version with new lyrics by Adrian Ross
," ran strongly for 61 performances, from 6 October 1894 to 6 December 1894 but was withdrawn because a new opera by Arthur Sullivan
, The Chieftain
, was ready to open.
Both versions essentially tell the same story, with the second version emphasizing comedy over the romance of the first version. The music has been mostly forgotten. However, one song ("Long ago in Alcala") became very popular in the United States in the early years of the twentieth century, though it was not credited as being from Mirette. The piece featured Savoy regulars Courtice Pounds
(Picorin), Rosina Brandram
(Marquise), Scott Russell
(Bertuccio), Emmie Owen
(Zerbinette), Florence Perry
(Bianca), R. Scott Fishe
(Gerard de Montigny), and Walter Passmore
(Bobinet). Richard Temple joined in the revised version, as did the experienced singer Florence St. John
, who made her Savoy debut in the work.
's Utopia Limited was playing more weakly than its producer, Richard D'Oyly Carte
, had expected, and he anticipated that he would need a new work for the Savoy Theatre
for the summer of 1894. Messager was enjoying a growing international reputation, and Carte had already produced Messager's opera La Basoche
at his Royal English Opera House in 1891-92. Carte commissioned Messager to write Mirette, his first opera for British audiences. Later Messager works would prove to be more successful in England, including The Little Michus
(1897), Véronique
(which became a hit in London in 1904, six years after its 1898 Paris premiere), and Monsieur Beaucaire
(1919, based on the novel by Booth Tarkington
).
The libretto for Mirette was written in French by Carré. Some of the music was composed before Weatherly translated and rewrote the lyrics and Greenback translated the dialogue. To assist Messager in what was for him (at the time) an unfamiliar idiom, he enlisted the help of songwriter Hope Temple, née Dotie (Alice Maude) Davis (1859-1938), who later became his wife. She may even have written some of the songs; but though Messager acknowledged her help, she is not credited on any source and it is unknown what, if anything, she contributed to the score.
The original version of Mirette draws heavily on Balfe's opera The Bohemian Girl
(1843) and uses various shopworn theatrical devices and conventions, including the gypsy background (featured in The Bohemian Girl as well), a romance across class and station, the desertion of the bride at her betrothal ceremony, and the antics of the comedian. These would have been very familiar to London audiences at the time. Furthermore, this romantic type of opera was out of place at the Savoy Theatre, which was the home of Gilbert and Sullivan
and their unique kind of less sentimental comic opera
.
Carte asked popular lyricist Adrian Ross
to rewrite the piece with as much emphasis on comedy as possible. Ross reduced the romantic parts (though he retained the Mirette-Gerard-Picorin-Bianca story) while boosting the comic part of Bobinet for Passmore, making the role of the Marquise lighter, and emphasizing past Savoy successes by strengthening the subplot regarding the past love between the Marquise and the Baron. He also rewrote existing lyrics and introduced more opportunities for dance numbers. Though Walter Passmore
had created smaller roles in Jane Annie
and Utopia Limited, the role of Bobinet was his first real starring part. In the fall of 1894, Passmore named his new daughter Mirette, perhaps in acknowledgement of his success in this breakout role. Cast changes, including adding another Savoy favourite, Richard Temple, as the Baron and engaging the soprano Florence St. John
as Mirette, turned Mirette into something of a success. It was still going strong when it was withdrawn to make way for a new Sullivan opera, The Chieftain
.
unfavourably compared the piece with earlier Savoy operas, and Daily Telegraph complained: "It does not appear that the composer is gifted with the keen sense of humour which works written for the Savoy have often exemplified. In the merriest situations, his strains refuse to laugh, and flow on elegantly, with perfect blandness and good breeding."
After the rewrite, Mirette fared better with the critics. Daily Telegraph now wrote, "Mirette quickly made a host of new friends. Applause ruled long and loud; in fact, the outburst of enthusiasm which followed the final descent of the curtain brought with it a reminder of the palmy days when the Gilbert-Sullivan alliance was at its strongest." The Globe proclaimed that "The new version is in every respect so immeasurably superior to its predecessor that there is now very little in the work with which to find fault." Morning Advertiser recommended that the public pay a "speedy visit to the Savoy", and The Era noted, "The presence of Miss Florence St John has caused the other performers to act and sing with greater animation".
The piece was remembered fondly by some Savoyards. In 1906, as a professor of singing and stage manager at the Royal College of Music
, Richard Temple was asked to direct a work from his earlier career for the first performance of the Cambridge University Operatic Club, at the Scala Theatre
. He was asked to select a piece "from which students would learn the craft of worthwhile light opera." Instead of choosing The Mikado or The Yeomen of the Guard, for instance, he chose Mirette.
Notes:
in 1785. Mirette is a foundling
living among the Gypsies. At the beginning of the opera, the gypsy chief Francal asks Mirette to choose among the gypsy bachelors for a husband, but she is unable to choose, despite the fact that Picorin, one of the gypsy crew, is in love with her. She believes instead that she is destined for a better life and dreams that her unknown parents are of the nobility
. The Gypsies have camped on the property owned by the Marquise
de Montigny. Mirette falls asleep by the campfire and wakes to find Gerard, nephew of the Marquise, standing over her. Gerard is entranced by her beauty, and she finds herself similarly attracted. However, he leads the arrest of the Gypsies for trespassing. Mirette and Picorin are taken to the chateau of the Marquise to become servants in her household.
In act two, Mirette is discovered one month later in the service of the world-weary Marquise, who is planning the engagement party for Gerard and Bianca, the convent-raised daughter of the Baron Van Den Berg. Gerard's attraction to Mirette has grown to infatuation. When the guests gather for the signing of the marriage contract, the Marquise commands Mirette to sing and dance a bohemian
dance as the evening's principal entertainment and as a way to point out the vast differences in station between Mirette and Gerard, thus killing any infatuation they may have for each other. During the dance, during which Francal and the other Gypsies join in the chorus, Gerard cannot take his eyes off Mirette, a fact noticed by Bianca and all the guests. However, the Marquise manoeuvres Bianca into Gerard's close company, humiliating Mirette, who escapes from the chateau with the other Gypsies. Just as he is about to sign the marriage contract, Gerard hears the Gypsies singing in the distance. He throws down his pen and rushes madly from the scene. (In the revised version of the opera, Gerard runs off with Mirette and the Gypsies to live the colourful life of a bohemian.)
Act three finds Mirette and Picorin at a village fair three weeks later. Picorin is still unable to express himself; the two indulge in a nicely conceived duet where they cover their emotions for each other behind eating a meal uncomfortably. Gerard, the Marquise, Bianca, and the Baron are all also at the fair. (In the revised version of the opera, Gerard is at the fair in Mirette's company, doing a bad job as a gypsy performer.) Mirette realizes that Bianca loves Gerard and arranges for the two of them to reconcile. She also realizes the extent of her love for Picorin, and the two of them also arrange to wed. (In the revised version of the opera, not only do Mirette and Picorin and Gerard and Bianca end up together; the Marquise and the Baron, lovers of old, are also on their way to the altar.)
The humour of the opera is concentrated in the character of Bobinet, one of the gypsy crew. In the revised version of the opera, Bobinet is paired with Zerbinette, another gypsy.
Act II
Act III
Act II
Act III
Opera Comique
The Opera Comique was a 19th-century theatre constructed in Westminster, London, between Wych Street and Holywell Street with entrances on the East Strand. It opened in 1870 and was demolished in 1902, to make way for the construction of the Aldwych and Kingsway...
in three acts composed by André Messager
André Messager
André Charles Prosper Messager , was a French composer, organist, pianist, conductor and administrator. His stage compositions included ballets and 30 opéra comiques and operettas, among which Véronique, had lasting success, with Les p'tites Michu and Monsieur Beaucaire also enjoying international...
, first produced at the Savoy Theatre
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre opened on 10 October 1881 and was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte on the site of the old Savoy Palace as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan,...
, London, on 3 July 1894.
Mirette exists in two distinct versions. The first version of the libretto was written in 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...
by Michel Carré
Michel Carré
Michel Carré was a prolific French librettist.He went to Paris in 1840 intending to become a painter but took up writing instead. He wrote verse and plays before turning to writing libretti. His libretto for Mirette was never performed in France but was later performed in English adaptation in...
but this was never performed. English lyrics were written by Frederic E. Weatherly, and English dialogue based on the Carré libretto was written by Harry Greenbank
Harry Greenbank
Harry Greenbank was an English author and dramatist best known for contributing lyrics to the successful series musicals produced at Daly's Theatre by George Edwardes in the 1890s.-Life and career:...
. This first English version of the opera ran for only 41 performances, closing on 11 August 1894. This was the shortest run of any opera produced at the Savoy Theatre under the management of Richard D'Oyly Carte
Richard D'Oyly Carte
Richard D'Oyly Carte was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era...
. The second version, advertised as a "new version with new lyrics by Adrian Ross
Adrian Ross
For the NFL player see Adrian Ross Arthur Reed Ropes , better known under the pseudonym Adrian Ross, was a prolific writer of lyrics, contributing songs to more than sixty British musical comedies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
," ran strongly for 61 performances, from 6 October 1894 to 6 December 1894 but was withdrawn because a new opera by Arthur Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado...
, The Chieftain
The Chieftain
The Chieftain is a two-act comic opera by Arthur Sullivan and F. C. Burnand based on their 1867 opera, The Contrabandista. It consists of substantially the same first act as the 1867 work with a completely new second act...
, was ready to open.
Both versions essentially tell the same story, with the second version emphasizing comedy over the romance of the first version. The music has been mostly forgotten. However, one song ("Long ago in Alcala") became very popular in the United States in the early years of the twentieth century, though it was not credited as being from Mirette. The piece featured Savoy regulars Courtice Pounds
Courtice Pounds
Charles Courtice Pounds , better known by the stage name Courtice Pounds, was an English singer and actor known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and his later roles in Shakespeare plays and Edwardian musical comedies.As a young member...
(Picorin), Rosina Brandram
Rosina Brandram
Rosina Brandram was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for creating many of the contralto roles in the Savoy operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company....
(Marquise), Scott Russell
Scott Russell (actor)
Harry Henry Russell, better known as Scott Russell , was an English singer, actor and theatre manager best known for his performances in the tenor roles with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company...
(Bertuccio), Emmie Owen
Emmie Owen
Emmie Owen was an English opera singer and actress, best known for her performances in soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company...
(Zerbinette), Florence Perry
Florence Perry
Florence Perry was an English opera singer and actress best known for her performances with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.-Biography:...
(Bianca), R. Scott Fishe
R. Scott Fishe
Robert Scott Fishe was an English operatic baritone best remembered for creating roles in the 1890s with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company.-Early career:...
(Gerard de Montigny), and Walter Passmore
Walter Passmore
Walter Henry Passmore was an English singer and actor best known as the first successor to George Grossmith in the comic baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company....
(Bobinet). Richard Temple joined in the revised version, as did the experienced singer Florence St. John
Florence St. John
Florence St. John , was an English singer and actress of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras famous for her roles in operetta, musical burlesque, music hall, opera and, later, comic plays.-Life and career:...
, who made her Savoy debut in the work.
Genesis and production
Gilbert and SullivanGilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
's Utopia Limited was playing more weakly than its producer, Richard D'Oyly Carte
Richard D'Oyly Carte
Richard D'Oyly Carte was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era...
, had expected, and he anticipated that he would need a new work for the Savoy Theatre
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre opened on 10 October 1881 and was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte on the site of the old Savoy Palace as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan,...
for the summer of 1894. Messager was enjoying a growing international reputation, and Carte had already produced Messager's opera La Basoche
La Basoche
La Basoche is an opéra comique in three acts of 1890, with music by André Messager and a French libretto by Albert Carré.-History:Messager's 1889 opérette Le mari de la reine at Bouffes-Parisiens was a disappointment, and the composer and his wife were struggling to afford even basic necessities...
at his Royal English Opera House in 1891-92. Carte commissioned Messager to write Mirette, his first opera for British audiences. Later Messager works would prove to be more successful in England, including The Little Michus
The Little Michus
Les p'tites Michu is an opérette in three acts, composed by André Messager. The libretto was by Albert Vanloo and Georges Duval.Dismayed by the Paris reception for his 1896 piece, Le Chevalier d’Harmental, Messager retreated to London vowing to write no more...
(1897), Véronique
Véronique (operetta)
Véronique is an opéra comique or operetta in three acts composed by André Messager. The French libretto was by Georges Duval and Albert Vanloo...
(which became a hit in London in 1904, six years after its 1898 Paris premiere), and Monsieur Beaucaire
Monsieur Beaucaire (operetta)
Monsieur Beaucaire is a romantic opera in three acts, composed by André Messager. The libretto, based on the 1900 novel by Booth Tarkington, is by Frederick Lonsdale, with lyrics by Adrian Ross...
(1919, based on the novel by Booth Tarkington
Booth Tarkington
Booth Tarkington was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novels The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice Adams...
).
The libretto for Mirette was written in French by Carré. Some of the music was composed before Weatherly translated and rewrote the lyrics and Greenback translated the dialogue. To assist Messager in what was for him (at the time) an unfamiliar idiom, he enlisted the help of songwriter Hope Temple, née Dotie (Alice Maude) Davis (1859-1938), who later became his wife. She may even have written some of the songs; but though Messager acknowledged her help, she is not credited on any source and it is unknown what, if anything, she contributed to the score.
The original version of Mirette draws heavily on Balfe's opera The Bohemian Girl
The Bohemian Girl
The Bohemian Girl is an opera composed by Michael William Balfe with a libretto by Alfred Bunn. The plot is loosely based on a Cervantes tale, La Gitanilla.The opera was first produced in London at the Drury Lane Theatre on November 27, 1843...
(1843) and uses various shopworn theatrical devices and conventions, including the gypsy background (featured in The Bohemian Girl as well), a romance across class and station, the desertion of the bride at her betrothal ceremony, and the antics of the comedian. These would have been very familiar to London audiences at the time. Furthermore, this romantic type of opera was out of place at the Savoy Theatre, which was the home of Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
and their unique kind of less sentimental comic opera
Comic opera
Comic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
.
Carte asked popular lyricist Adrian Ross
Adrian Ross
For the NFL player see Adrian Ross Arthur Reed Ropes , better known under the pseudonym Adrian Ross, was a prolific writer of lyrics, contributing songs to more than sixty British musical comedies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
to rewrite the piece with as much emphasis on comedy as possible. Ross reduced the romantic parts (though he retained the Mirette-Gerard-Picorin-Bianca story) while boosting the comic part of Bobinet for Passmore, making the role of the Marquise lighter, and emphasizing past Savoy successes by strengthening the subplot regarding the past love between the Marquise and the Baron. He also rewrote existing lyrics and introduced more opportunities for dance numbers. Though Walter Passmore
Walter Passmore
Walter Henry Passmore was an English singer and actor best known as the first successor to George Grossmith in the comic baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company....
had created smaller roles in Jane Annie
Jane Annie
Jane Annie, or The Good Conduct Prize is an opera written in 1893 by J. M. Barrie and Arthur Conan Doyle, with music by Ernest Ford, a conductor and occasional composer....
and Utopia Limited, the role of Bobinet was his first real starring part. In the fall of 1894, Passmore named his new daughter Mirette, perhaps in acknowledgement of his success in this breakout role. Cast changes, including adding another Savoy favourite, Richard Temple, as the Baron and engaging the soprano Florence St. John
Florence St. John
Florence St. John , was an English singer and actress of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras famous for her roles in operetta, musical burlesque, music hall, opera and, later, comic plays.-Life and career:...
as Mirette, turned Mirette into something of a success. It was still going strong when it was withdrawn to make way for a new Sullivan opera, The Chieftain
The Chieftain
The Chieftain is a two-act comic opera by Arthur Sullivan and F. C. Burnand based on their 1867 opera, The Contrabandista. It consists of substantially the same first act as the 1867 work with a completely new second act...
.
Reception
The early reviews for Mirette were mixed at best. Evening News and Post wrote that "There has been nothing at the Savoy for a long time prettier or more elaborate in a spectacular way than Mirette, and it would be ungenerous to grumble at the quality of the humour when it affords such a feast of beauty for eye and ear." The Globe disagreed: "English audiences have been accustomed to expect something more in the librettos of comic operas than a mere dishing-up of old situations and conventional characters.... The story is singularly destitute of interest or originality." Daily Graphic was disappointed by both the libretto and the music, while The Stage thought that "Messager's music is invariably characterised by smooth melody and graceful expressiveness, but in Mirette one feels that a little variation from these commendable qualities would now and again be welcome." Vanity Fair called the plot "feeble" and "trivial", The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
unfavourably compared the piece with earlier Savoy operas, and Daily Telegraph complained: "It does not appear that the composer is gifted with the keen sense of humour which works written for the Savoy have often exemplified. In the merriest situations, his strains refuse to laugh, and flow on elegantly, with perfect blandness and good breeding."
After the rewrite, Mirette fared better with the critics. Daily Telegraph now wrote, "Mirette quickly made a host of new friends. Applause ruled long and loud; in fact, the outburst of enthusiasm which followed the final descent of the curtain brought with it a reminder of the palmy days when the Gilbert-Sullivan alliance was at its strongest." The Globe proclaimed that "The new version is in every respect so immeasurably superior to its predecessor that there is now very little in the work with which to find fault." Morning Advertiser recommended that the public pay a "speedy visit to the Savoy", and The Era noted, "The presence of Miss Florence St John has caused the other performers to act and sing with greater animation".
The piece was remembered fondly by some Savoyards. In 1906, as a professor of singing and stage manager at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, Richard Temple was asked to direct a work from his earlier career for the first performance of the Cambridge University Operatic Club, at the Scala Theatre
Scala Theatre
The Scala Theatre was a theatre in London, sited on Charlotte Street, off Tottenham Court Road, in the London Borough of Camden. The first theatre on the site opened in 1772, and the theatre was demolished in 1969, after being destroyed by fire...
. He was asked to select a piece "from which students would learn the craft of worthwhile light opera." Instead of choosing The Mikado or The Yeomen of the Guard, for instance, he chose Mirette.
Roles and casts
The original cast names are followed by the revival cast names if different:- Mirette, a gypsy maiden (sopranoSopranoA 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...
) – Maud Ellicott; Kate Rolla - Gerard de Montigny, nephew of the Marquise (baritoneBaritoneBaritone 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...
) – Scott Fishe - Picorin, a gypsy, in love with Mirette (tenorTenorThe 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...
) – Courtice PoundsCourtice PoundsCharles Courtice Pounds , better known by the stage name Courtice Pounds, was an English singer and actor known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and his later roles in Shakespeare plays and Edwardian musical comedies.As a young member... - Bianca, daughter of the Baron Van Den Berg (sopranoSopranoA 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...
) – Florence PerryFlorence PerryFlorence Perry was an English opera singer and actress best known for her performances with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.-Biography:... - The Marquise de Montigny (contraltoContraltoContralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
) – Rosina BrandramRosina BrandramRosina Brandram was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for creating many of the contralto roles in the Savoy operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.... - Francal, the gypsy chief (bass-baritoneBass-baritoneA bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende...
) – Avon Saxon; John CoatesJohn Coates (tenor)John Coates was a leading English tenor, who sang in opera and oratorio and on the concert platform. His repertoire ranged from Bach and Purcell to contemporary works, and embraced the major heldentenor roles in Richard Wagner's operas... - The Baron Van Den Berg (bass) – John CoatesJohn Coates (tenor)John Coates was a leading English tenor, who sang in opera and oratorio and on the concert platform. His repertoire ranged from Bach and Purcell to contemporary works, and embraced the major heldentenor roles in Richard Wagner's operas...
; Richard Temple - Bobinet, a gypsy (comic baritoneBaritoneBaritone 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...
) – Walter PassmoreWalter PassmoreWalter Henry Passmore was an English singer and actor best known as the first successor to George Grossmith in the comic baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.... - Bertuccio, another gypsy (baritoneBaritoneBaritone 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...
) – Scott RussellScott Russell (actor)Harry Henry Russell, better known as Scott Russell , was an English singer, actor and theatre manager best known for his performances in the tenor roles with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company... - Zerbinette, a gypsy girl (mezzo-sopranoMezzo-sopranoA 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...
) (so named in the revised version; in the original, the character is unnamed) – Emmie OwenEmmie OwenEmmie Owen was an English opera singer and actress, best known for her performances in soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company... - Max, Gerard's gamekeeper (speaking role) (original version only) – Herbert Ralland
- The Burgomaster (baritoneBaritoneBaritone 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...
) (original version only) – John Coates - The Notary (baritoneBaritoneBaritone 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...
) (original version only) – Herbert Ralland
Notes:
- Emmie Owen played Mirette in August while Ellicott went on her long-awaited honeymoon.
- Kate Rolla was replaced as Mirette first by Elaine Gryce and then by Florence St. JohnFlorence St. JohnFlorence St. John , was an English singer and actress of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras famous for her roles in operetta, musical burlesque, music hall, opera and, later, comic plays.-Life and career:...
- The first version of Mirette is the only Savoy OperaSavoy operaThe Savoy Operas denote a style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century, with W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as the original and most successful practitioners. The name is derived from the Savoy Theatre, which impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte built to house...
where an actor played more than one (named) part in London (although roles in Utopia, LimitedUtopia, LimitedUtopia, Limited; or, The Flowers of Progress, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was the second-to-last of Gilbert and Sullivan's fourteen collaborations, premiering on 7 October 1893 for a run of 245 performances...
were doubled on tour). John Coates played both Baron Van Den Berg and the Burgomaster. Herbert Ralland played both Max and the Notary.
Synopsis
The scene is FlandersFlanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
in 1785. Mirette is a foundling
Child abandonment
Child abandonment is the practice of relinquishing interests and claims over one's offspring with the intent of never again resuming or reasserting them. Causes include many social and cultural factors as well as mental illness. An abandoned child is called a foundling .-Causes:Poverty is often a...
living among the Gypsies. At the beginning of the opera, the gypsy chief Francal asks Mirette to choose among the gypsy bachelors for a husband, but she is unable to choose, despite the fact that Picorin, one of the gypsy crew, is in love with her. She believes instead that she is destined for a better life and dreams that her unknown parents are of the nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
. The Gypsies have camped on the property owned by the Marquise
Marquise
A marquise is a French noblewoman ranking above a countess and below a duchess, and is usually the wife of a marquis. The British equivalent is a marchioness and the Spanish equivalent is a marquesa....
de Montigny. Mirette falls asleep by the campfire and wakes to find Gerard, nephew of the Marquise, standing over her. Gerard is entranced by her beauty, and she finds herself similarly attracted. However, he leads the arrest of the Gypsies for trespassing. Mirette and Picorin are taken to the chateau of the Marquise to become servants in her household.
In act two, Mirette is discovered one month later in the service of the world-weary Marquise, who is planning the engagement party for Gerard and Bianca, the convent-raised daughter of the Baron Van Den Berg. Gerard's attraction to Mirette has grown to infatuation. When the guests gather for the signing of the marriage contract, the Marquise commands Mirette to sing and dance a bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
dance as the evening's principal entertainment and as a way to point out the vast differences in station between Mirette and Gerard, thus killing any infatuation they may have for each other. During the dance, during which Francal and the other Gypsies join in the chorus, Gerard cannot take his eyes off Mirette, a fact noticed by Bianca and all the guests. However, the Marquise manoeuvres Bianca into Gerard's close company, humiliating Mirette, who escapes from the chateau with the other Gypsies. Just as he is about to sign the marriage contract, Gerard hears the Gypsies singing in the distance. He throws down his pen and rushes madly from the scene. (In the revised version of the opera, Gerard runs off with Mirette and the Gypsies to live the colourful life of a bohemian.)
Act three finds Mirette and Picorin at a village fair three weeks later. Picorin is still unable to express himself; the two indulge in a nicely conceived duet where they cover their emotions for each other behind eating a meal uncomfortably. Gerard, the Marquise, Bianca, and the Baron are all also at the fair. (In the revised version of the opera, Gerard is at the fair in Mirette's company, doing a bad job as a gypsy performer.) Mirette realizes that Bianca loves Gerard and arranges for the two of them to reconcile. She also realizes the extent of her love for Picorin, and the two of them also arrange to wed. (In the revised version of the opera, not only do Mirette and Picorin and Gerard and Bianca end up together; the Marquise and the Baron, lovers of old, are also on their way to the altar.)
The humour of the opera is concentrated in the character of Bobinet, one of the gypsy crew. In the revised version of the opera, Bobinet is paired with Zerbinette, another gypsy.
List of musical numbers in the first version
Act I- No. 1. "Ha, ha! A splendid story!" (Bertuccio, Mirette, Picorin, Francal and Chorus)
- No. 2. Bohemian Song: "The home of the Zingari!" (Mirette and Chorus)
- No. 3. "Dost thou remember still the day?" (Francal and Chorus)
- No. 4. "Ha ha! It's quite amusing!" (Mirette and Chorus)
- No. 5. "Look, look, I say! Here's Bobinet!" (Chorus)
- No. 6. "The Song of the Duck" (Bobinet and Chorus)
- No. 7. "When I was young, I went a-dreaming" (Picorin)
- No. 8. "Long ago in Alcala" (Bobinet)
- No. 9. "She is asleep! Ah, how fair is she!" (Gerard and Mirette)
- No. 10. "Oh, we've been up and we've been down" (Chorus)
- No. 10a. Burglary Song, "Oh, we've been visiting our friends" (Francal and Chorus)
- No. 11. Act 1 Finale: "Good evening, gentlemen!" (Burgomaster, Bobinet, Max, Francal, Picorin, Mirette, Gerard, Soldiers and Gypsies)
Act II
- No. 12. Old Ballad, "So forward through the fading light" (Mirette)
- No. 13. "If love were calculation" (Gerard)
- No. 14. "Hast thou forgot the hour we met?" (Gerard and Mirette)
- No. 15. "Now for the programme" (Marquise and Bobinet)
- No. 16. "When Noah went aboard the ark" (Bobinet)
- No. 17. "But yesterday in convent grey" (Bianca)
- No. 18. "Life is a fairyland, with wonders hung" (Marquise)
- No. 19. "Obedient to your kind command" (Chorus)
- No. 19a. "Our best congratulations" (Marquise, Gerard, Bianca, Francal, Mirette, Chorus)
- No. 20. "Who is like the Zingara" (Mirette and Chorus)
- No. 20a. Dance - Bobinet and Zerbinette
- No. 21. Act 2 Finale "Take your places all" (Notary, Bobinet, Gerard, Marquise, Mirette and Chorus)
Act III
- No. 22. "Oh, the light of the golden weather" (Chorus)
- No. 22a. "Walk up, walk up, and see the show" (Mirette, Picorin and Chorus)
- No. 23. "Here's the news of the day" (Bobinet and Chorus)
- No. 24. "That night you went away" (Bianca and Mirette)
- No. 25. "Come, march along, and make a din" (Chorus)
- No. 26. "So the past is dead in your fickle heart" (Marquise)
- No. 27. "What! breakfast really ready, sir?" (Mirette and Picorin)
- No. 28. "Yes, it is past! the dream is done" (Gerard)
- No. 28a. "Does he remember the words he has spoken?" (Bianca and Gerard)
- No. 29. Act 3 Finale "When the gay ring-a-ding of the bells" (Bobinet and Chorus)
List of musical numbers in the second version
Act I- No. 1. "From Egypt's royal line" (Bertuccio, Francal, Zerbinette and Chorus)
- No. 2. "The good old earth in the age of gold" (Bertuccio and Chorus)
- No. 3. "The Song of the Duck" (Bobinet and Chorus)
- No. 4. "We have missed the voice of our little queen" (Chorus, Bertuccio, Francal and Mirette)
- No. 4a. Bohemian Song "Roaming on with never a rest" (Mirette and Chorus)
- No. 5. "When winter gales were loud and winter snows were flying" (Francal and Chorus)
- No. 6. "Ha! ha! ha! ha! it’s so amusing" (Mirette and Chorus)
- No. 7. "Now stars above the forest glimmer" (Picorin)
- No. 8. "Long ago in Alcala" (Bobinet)
- No. 9. "Up a tree!" (Bobinet, Gerard, Baron)
- No. 10. "Nay, do not fly from me!" (Gerard and Mirette)
- No. 11. "We’ve called as pillagers" (Chorus)
- No. 12. Pantomime Dance (Zerbinette, Picorin and Francal)
- No. 13. Act 1 Finale "Though the wood is very dark" (Baron, Bobinet, Mirette, Gerard, Picorin, Gypsies and Soldiers)
Act II
- No. 14. Old Ballad "So forward through the fading light" (Mirette)
- No. 15. "In quiet convent closes the rosebud maidens grow" (Gerard)
- No. 16. "Don't mind me!" (Gerard, Mirette and Picorin)
- No. 17. "The programme I’ll discuss with you" (Marquise and Bobinet)
- No. 18. "But yesterday, in convent gray" (Bianca)
- No. 19. "When Noah sailed his good old Ark" (Baron, Gerard and Picorin)
- No. 20. "Obedient to your kind command" (Chorus)
- No. 20a. Fan Song, "When Eve was mistress Adam" (Marquise and Chorus)
- No. 21. Act 2 Finale "We come, Madame la Marquise" (Chorus)
- "Once a cavalier of Spain loved a maid of low degree" (Mirette and Chorus)
- "Gerard, this is really scandalous" (Ensemble)
Act III
- No. 22. "Oh, the light of the golden summer" (Chorus)
- No. 23. Long Bow Song, "Good William Tell was a mighty one" (Bobinet, Zerbinette and Chorus)
- No. 24. "Our recent circumstances have been really so unpleasant" (Zerbinette, Marquise, Picorin, Bobinet and Baron)
- No. 25. "There was once a pretty peasant" (Mirette)
- No. 26. "Hurrah! Hurrah! for the merry yeomen" (Chorus)
- Dance - Bobinet and Zerbinette
- No. 27. "Ah, Monsieur le Baron!" (Marquise and Baron)
- No. 28. Act 3 Finale. "Oh! the pride of the Belgian bowmen" (Mirette, Picorin, Francal, Bobinet, Zerbinette and Chorus)