![Jacques Offenbach by Nadar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Jacques_Offenbach_by_Nadar.jpg)
''Monsieur et Madame Denis'' is a one-act
opéra comique
''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular '' opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent (and to a l ...
with music by
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach (, also , , ; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the Romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera '' ...
to a French
libretto
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
by
Laurencin
Laurencin, real name Paul-Aimé Chapelle, (10 January 1806 - 9 December 1890) was a French playwright and librettist.
He authored numerous theatre plays, vaudevilles and operettas, most of them in collaboration. '' Le 66'' and '' Monsieur et ...
(Paul-Aimé Chapelle) and
Michel Delaporte
Pierre Michel Delaporte (5 September 1806 – 30 September 1872) was a 19th-century French playwright, painter, lithographer and political caricaturist.
Short biography
He was educated in Amiens and in 1824 became a student of Jean-Baptiste R ...
, 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 Variétés
The Théâtre des Variétés is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7–8, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1974.
History
It owes its creation to the theatre director Mademoiselle ...
in 1808. Later vaudevilles with a similar subject by Anicet and Delaporte and by
Brazier
A brazier () is a container used to burn charcoal or other solid fuel for cooking, heating or cultural rituals. It often takes the form of a metal box or bowl with feet. Its elevation helps circulate air, feeding oxygen to the fire. Braziers h ...
and Simonnin were also successful in the French capital.
Performance history
The premiere was on 11 January 1862 at the
Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens
The Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens () is a Parisian theatre 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 ...
, Paris, with Darcier and Simon making their debuts with the company.
[Martinet A. ''Offenbach, sa vie et son oeuvre.'' Dentu et Cie, Editeurs, Paris, 1887.] The work was later toured to Brussels and was seen at the Theater am Franz-Josefs-Kai in Vienna.
[Yon, Jean-Claude. ''Jacques Offenbach.'' Éditions Gallimard, Paris, 2000.] The work was seen in Hamburg in May, Berlin in June and Budapest in July 1862. The chaconne was subsequently inserted in other popular shows as a "showpiece waltz".
[Gänzl K. ''The Encyclopaedia of the Musical Theatre.'' Blackwell, Oxford, 1994.]
The overture has been recorded by
Hermann Scherchen
Hermann Scherchen (21 June 1891 – 12 June 1966) was a German conductor.
Life
Scherchen was born in Berlin. Originally a violist, he played among the violas of the Bluthner Orchestra of Berlin while still in his teens. He conducted in Riga ...
conducting the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and by
Antonio de Almeida with the Philharmonia Orchestra. The Chaconne was recorded in 2006 by
Laura Claycomb
Laura Claycomb (born August 23, 1968) is an American lyric coloratura soprano singer.
Background
Claycomb was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, but grew up in Dallas, where she excelled in church and school choir, winning numerous youth competitio ...
as part of an Offenbach anthology.
Roles
Synopsis
''The salon at the house of Monsieur and Madame Denis, Paris, 1750''
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.
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
Chaconne
A chaconne (; ; es, chacona, links=no; it, ciaccona, links=no, ; earlier English: ''chacony'') is a type of musical composition often used as a vehicle for variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short rep ...
(Lucile) « Dansons la Chaconne »
* Ronde du Guet « C’est la ronde qui partout veille »
* Final « En liberté je vais vous mettre »
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monsieur et Madame Denis
Operas by Jacques Offenbach
French-language operas
Operas
Opéras comiques
One-act operas
1862 operas