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Opéra comique in 3 acts
Libretto by Adolphe de Leuven & Léon-Lévy Brunswick
World premiere: October 13 1836, Opéra-Comique, Paris
Dialogue: Hans Walter Richter & Mareike Wink
Production acquired from the Tirol Festival in Erl
Sung in French with German & English surtitles
Introductory talks (in German) begin in the Holzfoyer 30 mins before curtain up, and appear here shortly after opening night
There's a chamber music concert at 11am on March 9 inspired by this work.
Conductor Beomseok Yi / Takeshi Moriuchi (April 9 & 12)
Chapelou / Saint Phar Francesco Demuro
Madeleine / Madame de Latour Monika Buczkowska / Ava Dodd (April 9 & 12)
Bijou / Alcindor Joel Allison / Barnaby Rea (March 23, April 9 & 12)
Marquis de Corcy Jarrett Porter
Bourdon Morgan-Andrew King°
Rose Gabriel Wanka
Louis XV Wolfgang Gerold
°Member of the Opera Studio
Paris. The singer down to sing Castor in Castor und Pollux at the Royal Opera pulled out and finding a stand-in’s proving difficult. It looks like that the production will be cancelled, until Louis XV, himself, orders that a replacement be found … Act 1 The innkeeper, Madeleine, and postilion, Chapelou, are having a big wedding. Out of earshot, they confess doubts they had before taking their vows: Madeleine turned down the opportunity of leading a life of leisure with her wealthy aunt in the Île-de-France; Chapelou decided to ignore Mother Grabille's prediction that happiness lay in store for him in Paris, not Lonjumeau. He also found it very hard to take his leave from his bachelor life, even though he loves Madeleine ... The Marquis de Corcy turns up, stranded in Lonjumeau. He hopes the smith Bijou can repair a wheel on his coach so he can continue on his way quickly to find a replacement singer. The wedding guests are sticklers for tradition: Chapelou has to sing the ‘The Postilion’s Romance’ before joining Madeleine on their wedding night. The marquis is blown away when he hears him: this is the voice he’s been looking for. He predicts a brilliant career for him in Paris and urges him to come with him. Chapelou demurs, then agrees. Bijou, who heard everything, wants to follow suit. Before setting off for Paris he tells confounded Madeleine that her new husband has left with the Marquis to seek his fortune in the city. Act 2 Paris, 10 years later. Chapelou, now St Phar, is the principal singer at the Royal Opera. Bijou, alias Alcindor, the lead singer in the chorus. Madeleine, her aunt’s sole heir, and has risen in rank to Madame de Latour. Singers from the Royal Opera are to perform an intermezzo the Marquis de Corcy wrote in her honour in Madame de Latour’s premises. (Madeleine, who finds the Marquis' advances tiresome, has recognised Chapelou ...) But the overworked singers take to the barricades, refusing to sing. When Chapelou finds out that their benefactress is the lovely lady in the proscenium box he’s fancied for ages, he quickly back pedals. He finally meets her face to face and confesses his love. Then receives a letter from his ‘rightful Madeleine Birotteau’, claiming he abandoned her. Chapelou gets jittery, saying no when asked if he’s married. Madeleine intends to take revenge on her husband, who she still loves. She proposes to him, as Madame de Latour, certain that Chapelou, who’d be elevated in society by this marriage, will say yes. Which he does. Chapelou und Bijou wonder how to find a fake priest to perform a sham marriage so Chapelou won’t be committing bigamy. But Madeleine, alias Madame de Latour, has sent her maid Rose for the chaplain … Act 3 »Madame de Latour« and »St Phar« are married. Bijou panics when he finds out that a real priest performed the marriage ceremony. He and his chum Bourdon beg Chapelou to flee, to escape the death penalty. But Chapelou seems paralysed. Madeleine, with Rose’s help, goes one step further, by speaking to him as »Madame de Latour« and »Madeleine«. Chapelou tries in vain to pacify both wives, until he’s arrested by the royal guard. Madeleine reveals her true identity and admits to giving her husband the runaround. Chapelou promises not to have any more flirtations. United again, they look forward re-embarking on life as a married couple.
Coachman Chapelou gets an offer he can’t refuse, on his wedding day: The intendant of the Royal Opera wants to sign him up for the French King’s »smaller scale entertainments« … How will Chapelou’s newly wedded wife Madeleine react? Does a great singing career beckon the coachman in Paris? Will the bride and groom ever meet again?
Adolphe Adam’s sparkling Opéra comique was an international box office hit after its world premiere in Paris in 1836: People whistled the catchy tunes along streets in European capitals and quoted punchlines from the dialogues in taverns. Even Richard Wagner sometimes hummed the well-known »Postillion song«, with its spectacular high D, when he couldn’t sleep at night. The score of this all but forgotten, masterful comedy, reveals cleverly crafted ensemble and chorus numbers in addition to fiendishly high notes and coloratura.
Hans Walter Richter and Kaspar Glarner set this charming, heart-warming piece in a late baroque world of theatre, quoted in the libretto, allowing its timeless humour and wonderful theatrical parodied sidekicks come to life with much love and attention to detail.
