La Périchole
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| Operas by Jacques Offenbach |
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Ba-ta-clan (1855) |
La Périchole is an opéra bouffe in three acts by Jacques Offenbach. Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy wrote the French-language libretto after the novella Le Carrosse du Saint-Sacrement by Prosper Mérimée.
La Périchole's title character is based on Micaela Villegas (1748-1819), a beloved Peruvian entertainer and the famous mistress of Manuel de Amat y Juniet, Viceroy of Peru from 1761 to 1776. The name "La Périchole" is a French adaptation of a Spanish-language epithet by which Amat referred to Villegas: "La Perricholi" (the word derives from either perro, "dog," or perra, "bitch," and cholo, "of mixed blood").
The story concerns two impoverished Peruvian street-singers, too poor to afford a marriage license, and a lecherous viceroy, Don Andrès de Ribeira, who wishes to make La Périchole his mistress. Highlights include La Périchole's letter song, "O mon cher amant"; her "tipsy" aria, "Ah! quel dîner!"; and her third-act aria to Piquillo, "Tu n'es pas beau, tu n'es pas riche."
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[edit] Production history
Early productions
The work premiered, in a two-act version, on October 6, 1868, at the Théâtre des Variétés, Paris, with Hortense Schneider in the title role and José Dupuis as Piquillo. The three-act version premiered at the same theater on April 25, 1874, again starring Schneider. It also had a run in New York City at the Grand Opera House beginning on January 18, 1871.[1]
La Périchole played an important part in the development of English comic opera when, on March 25, 1875 at the Royalty Theatre in London, it played on a triple bill with Charles Collette's one-act farce Cryptoconchoidsyphonostomata and another little piece by dramatist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan called Trial by Jury. Trial became a big hit and launched the famous Gilbert and Sullivan collaboration.
The Metropolitan Opera productions
On December 21, 1956, the Metropolitan Opera premiered a production of La Périchole that used a new musical version that included several interpolations from other scores, turning the speaking role of the Old Prisoner into a singing role for a comic tenor. [1] The production was directed by Cyril Ritchard and starred Patrice Munsel in the title role, Theodor Uppman as Paquillo, and Ritchard himself as Andres. It ran for 21 performances during its first season. Munsel sang a total of 21 performances as La Périchole with the Met, including her farewell performance on January 28, 1958. Other notable exponents of the role were Teresa Stratas (16 performances), and Anna Moffo (three performances). Uppman appeared as Paquillo in all 54 performances of this production from its 1956 premiere through the last Met performance in Detroit on May 27, 1971. That performance also marked Ritchard’s Met farewell; he had sung the role of Andres in 49 of the 54 performances.
[edit] Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, October 6, 1868, (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| La Périchole, a poor street singer | Soprano | Hortense Schneider |
| Piquillo, a poor street singer | Tenor or high baritone | José Dupuis |
| Don Andrès de Ribeira, Viceroy of Peru | Baritone | Pierre-Eugène Grenier |
| Don Miguel de Panatellas, First Gentleman of the Bedchamber | Tenor | Christian, then Baron |
| Don Pedro de Hinoyosa, Mayor of Lima | Baritone | Lecomte, then Léonce |
| Guadalena, first cousin | Soprano | Legrand, then J. Grandville |
| Verginella, second cousin | Mezzo-soprano | Carlin then Lina Bell |
| Mastrilla, third cousin | Soprano | C. Renault then Schweska |
| The Marquis de Tarapote, Lord Chancellor | Spoken | Charles Blondelet |
| Manuelita, Frasquinella, Brambilla, Ninetta, ladies of the Court | Sopranos, mezzos | |
| Two notaries | Tenor/Tenor or high baritone | Bordier/Horton then Monti |
| Le Marquis de Satarem, "old prisoner" (1874) | Spoken (Tenor in the Metropolitan Opera Version) | |
| A Gaoler (1874) | Spoken | Coste |
[edit] Synopsis
- Place: Lima, Peru
[edit] Act 1
The Plaza
In the main square of Lima, outside The Three Cousins cabaret, the crowd is celebrating the birthday of Don Andrès de Ribeira, the Viceroy of Peru. Don Pedro de Hinoyosa (Mayor of Lima), Count Miguel de Panatellas (First Gentleman of the Bedchamber), and Don Andres enter in disguise. Everyone recognizes them but pretends not to. La Périchole and Piquillo, poor street singers, enter the square, trying to raise money for their marriage license. They please the crowd with romantic duets, but the acrobats entice the crowd away before they can collect any money. Piquillo sets off, hoping for better luck elsewhere while Périchole escapes hunger in sleep. The Viceroy, enchanted with her beauty, offers her a position as Lady in Waiting at the court. Persuaded by his offer of banquets, Périchole accepts and writes a loving farewell letter to Piquillo. Since all Ladies in Waiting must be married, Don Pedro and Panatellas leave to search for a husband for Périchole. They find Piquillo, who is about to hang himself after reading Périchole’s farewell letter. After plenty to drink, Piquillo agrees to marry the Viceroy’s new favorite. Périchole has also had too much to drink, but agrees to the marriage when she recognizes Piquillo. He does not recognize his veiled bride, but goes through with the marriage after warning her that he is in love with someone else.
[edit] Act 2
The Palace
The next morning, four ladies of the court gossip with the Marquis de Tarapote, Chamberlain of the Viceroy, about the Viceroy’s new favorite. Piquillo enters and is astonished to find that he is married to an unknown woman, the new mistress of the Viceroy. He demands his payment so that he can go in search of Périchole, but is told he must present his new wife to the Viceroy first. When Périchole appears, resplendent in her new court finery, Piquillo is crushed and throws her to the floor in front of the Viceroy instead of formally presenting her. Don Andres orders him to the dungeon for recalcitrant husbands.
[edit] Act 3
Scene 1: The Dungeon
In the dark and gloomy dungeon, an old prisoner enters through a trap door. After digging through the wall of his cell for twelve years with his handy pen knife, he has finally emerged, unfortunately into another cell. He retreats to his cell when Don Pedro and Panatellas bring Piquillo in. Piquillo mourns the loss of both his lover and his freedom and eventually falls asleep. Périchole enters and tells Piquillo that she has remained true to him and they renew their vows. Périchole tries to buy Piquillo’s freedom with jewels the Viceroy has given her, but the jailor is the Viceroy in disguise. He calls the guards, and the lovers are chained to the dungeon wall. But the Viceroy still has hopes of winning Périchole, and tells her to sing if she changes her mind. The old prisoner releases them from the chains and Périchole sings. When the Viceroy enters, the three prisoners chain him to the wall and escape.
Scene 2: The Plaza
The three escaped prisoners hide in The Three Cousins cabaret as the Viceroy and his soldiers search for them in the plaza. Périchole and Piquillo plead for their freedom with a ballad that flatters the Viceroy. He forgives the couple and allows Périchole to keep the jewels he has given her. Meanwhile, the old prisoner has turned out to be the long lost Marquis of Santarem. The Viceroy is happy to pardon him as well, rather than send him back to destroy more walls in prison.
[edit] Selected recordings
- Régine Crespin, Alain Vanzo, Jules Bastin, Gerard Friedmann, Jacques Trigeau, Aime Besancon, Paul Guigue, Rebecca Roberts, Eva Saurova, Germaine Baudoz, Ine Meister. Opéra du Rhin Chorus, Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Alain Lombard. Erato.
- Teresa Berganza, José Carreras, Gabriel Bacquier, Choeur et Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, cond. Michel Plasson. EMI.
- Suzanne Lafaye, Raymond Amade, Louis Noguéra, Jean-Christophe Benoit, Choeurs René Duclos, Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux, cond. Igor Markevitch. EMI.
- Jennie Tourel. Airs from La Périchole and other pieces (Offenbach, Ravel, Berlioz). Pearl.
[edit] Notes
- ^ The Met's version was prepared by Jean Morel and Ignace Strasfogel, with orchestration revised and adapted by Julius Burger. Morel, a veteran of the Opéra Comique, made his Metropolitan debut as conductor with this production. Maurice Valency provided the English translation of the libretto.
[edit] External links
- http://www.boosey.com/downloads/Perichole_frz.pdf Libretto submitted for censorship, Paris 1868
- http://www.boosey.com/downloads/Perichole_dt.pdf German libretto submitted for censorship, Vienna 1868
- MetOpera database
- A plot synopsis
- Plot summaries to several Offenbach operettas
[edit] Source
Lamb, Andrew,"La Périchole", The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
