Monsieur et Madame Denis
Encyclopedia
Monsieur et Madame Denis is a one-act opéra comique
with music by Jacques Offenbach
to a French
libretto
by Laurencin (Paul-Aimé Chapelle) and Michel Delaporte, first performed in 1862. The work was based on a popular vaudeville, and included a ‘chaconne’ (also quoted in the overture) which became well-known in its own right.
in 1808. Later vaudevilles with a similar subject by Anicet and Delaporte and by Brazier
and Simonnin were also successful in the French capital.
, Paris
, with Darcier and Simon making their debuts with the company. The work was later toured to Brussels and was seen at the Theater am Franz-Josefs-Kai in Vienna. The work was seen in Hamburg in May, Berlin in June and Budapest in July of 1862. The chaconne was subsequently inserted in other popular shows as a "showpiece waltz".
The overture has been recorded by Hermann Scherchen
conducting the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and by Antonio de Almeida
with the Philharmonia Orchestra. The Chaconne was recorded in 2006 by Laura Claycomb
as part of an Offenbach anthology.
Gaston d’Amboise is the ward of Monsieur and Madame Denis and hopes to marry their niece Lucile.
The Denis's maid Nanette is alone at the house, preparing for the imminent return of Monsieur and Madame Denis from St Germain.
Having abducted Lucile from her pension, Gaston arrives with her to seek his guardians’ blessing for their marriage. Nanette explains their absence, but just as they sit down to eat the Denis food and drink their wine while awaiting their arrival, guards knock at the door, the abduction having been discovered.
Gaston and Lucile have time to disguise themselves as Monsieur and Madame Denis, as the guards, led by Bellerose, enter, threatening to cart the two young lovers off to prison.
Gaston, making a brusque movement reveals his sword and his wig slips.
Bellerose leaves but returns suddenly with more soldiers.
Although the ruse has been discovered, Nanette starts serving the soldiers wine and they get drunk, then sing and dance.
Lucile sings the chaconne, and the exhausted soldiers are tied up with curtains and rope.
As Monsieur and Madame Denis arrive home the young couple run to greet them and the curtain falls.
Opéra comique
Opéra comique is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged out of the popular opéra comiques en vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent , which combined existing popular tunes with spoken sections...
with music 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....
to 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
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Laurencin (Paul-Aimé Chapelle) and Michel Delaporte, first performed in 1862. The work was based on a popular vaudeville, and included a ‘chaconne’ (also quoted in the overture) which became well-known in its own right.
Background
A ‘chanson de M et Mme Denis’ by Marc-Antoine Désaugiers (1742-93) became a popular song during the late 18th century. It was included by the Baron de Rougemont (Michel-Nicolas Balisson, 1781-1840) in his 'tableau conjugal' Monsieur et Madame Denis performed at the Théâtre des VariétésThéâtre des Variétés
The Théâtre des Variétés is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1975.-History:...
in 1808. Later vaudevilles with a similar subject by Anicet and Delaporte and by Brazier
Nicolas Brazier
Nicolas Brazier was a French chansonnier and Vaudeville playwright.-Life:Son of a boarding school master and author of school manuals, Brazier's education was however strongly neglected due to the French Revolution...
and Simonnin were also successful in the French capital.
Performance history
The premiere was on 11 January 1862 at the Théâtre des Bouffes ParisiensThéâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
The Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens is a Parisian theatre which was founded in 1855 by the composer Jacques Offenbach for the performance of opéra bouffe and operetta. The current theatre is located in the 2nd arrondissement at 4 rue Monsigny with an entrance at the back at 65 Passage Choiseul. In...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, with Darcier and Simon making their debuts with the company. The work was later toured to Brussels and was seen at the Theater am Franz-Josefs-Kai in Vienna. The work was seen in Hamburg in May, Berlin in June and Budapest in July of 1862. The chaconne was subsequently inserted in other popular shows as a "showpiece waltz".
The overture has been recorded by Hermann Scherchen
Hermann Scherchen
Hermann Scherchen was a German conductor.-Life:Scherchen was originally a violist and played among the violas of the Bluthner Orchestra of Berlin while still in his teens...
conducting the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and by Antonio de Almeida
Antonio de Almeida
Antonio de Almeida may refer to:* Antonio de Almeida , French conductor* António José de Almeida , sixth president of Portugal*Antonio de Almeida e Costa , Portuguese naval officer and politician...
with the Philharmonia Orchestra. The Chaconne was recorded in 2006 by Laura Claycomb
Laura Claycomb
Laura Claycomb is an American lyric coloratura soprano opera singer.-Background:Laura Claycomb grew up in Dallas, Texas, where she excelled in church and school choir, winning numerous youthful competitions She won a full scholarship to Southern Methodist University, where she completed two...
as part of an Offenbach anthology.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 11 January 1862 (Conductor: ) |
|---|---|---|
| Lucile du Coudrai, niece of the Denis | 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... |
Pfotzer |
| Gaston d’Amboise, godson of the Denis | soprano | Juliette Darcier |
| Nanette, servant | soprano | Simon |
| Bellerose, sergeant of the guard | 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... |
Potel |
| Guardsmen (travesty roles) | ||
Synopsis
The salon at the house of Monsieur and Madame Denis, Paris, 1750Gaston d’Amboise is the ward of Monsieur and Madame Denis and hopes to marry their niece Lucile.
The Denis's maid Nanette is alone at the house, preparing for the imminent return of Monsieur and Madame Denis from St Germain.
Having abducted Lucile from her pension, Gaston arrives with her to seek his guardians’ blessing for their marriage. Nanette explains their absence, but just as they sit down to eat the Denis food and drink their wine while awaiting their arrival, guards knock at the door, the abduction having been discovered.
Gaston and Lucile have time to disguise themselves as Monsieur and Madame Denis, as the guards, led by Bellerose, enter, threatening to cart the two young lovers off to prison.
Gaston, making a brusque movement reveals his sword and his wig slips.
Bellerose leaves but returns suddenly with more soldiers.
Although the ruse has been discovered, Nanette starts serving the soldiers wine and they get drunk, then sing and dance.
Lucile sings the chaconne, and the exhausted soldiers are tied up with curtains and rope.
As Monsieur and Madame Denis arrive home the young couple run to greet them and the curtain falls.
Musical numbers
- Overture
- Couplets (Nanette) « Hélas ! Un jour à mon tour la vieillesse »
- Duo (Lucile, Gaston) « Partir seule avec moi »
- Couplets de Bellerose « Vous voyez en moi Bellerose »
- Quatuor (Lucile, Nanette, Gaston, Bellerose) « Grand Dieu ! les voici réveillés »
- Morceau d’Ensemble « Marchons, marchons ensemble »
- Ensemble et Couplets à Boire « Versez et buvons à plein verre »
- La ChaconneChaconneA chaconne ; is a type of musical composition popular in the baroque era when it was much used as a vehicle for variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short repetitive bass-line which offered a compositional outline for variation, decoration, figuration and...
(Lucile) « Dansons la Chaconne » - Ronde du Guet « C’est la ronde qui partout veille »
- Final « En liberté je vais vous mettre »