Mirette (opera)

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Operas and operettas
by André Messager

Mirette (1894)
Les p'tites Michu (1897)
Véronique (1898)
Monsieur Beaucaire (1919)
v • d • e

Mirette is an opéra comique in three acts composed by André Messager, first produced at the Savoy Theatre, London, on July 3, 1894.

Mirette exists in two distinct versions. The first version of the libretto is credited as being written in French by Michel Carré, with English lyrics by Frederick E. Weatherly and English dialogue by Harry Greenbank. This version ran for only 41 performances, closing on August 11, 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 October 6, 1894 to December 6, 1894.

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 original run 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), as well as the well-known Florence St. John, who made her Savoy debut.

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[edit] Background

Gilbert and Sullivan'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 1998 Paris premiere), and Monsieur Beaucaire (1919, based on the novel by Booth Tarkington).

The libretto for Mirette was written in French by Carré, and some of the music was composed before Weatherly translated and rewrote the lyrics and Greenback did the same for 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 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 Sullivan's The Chieftain.

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. [1]

[edit] Roles

  • Mirette, a gypsy maiden (soprano)
  • Gerard de Montigny, nephew of the Marquise (baritone)
  • Picorin, a gypsy, in love with Mirette (tenor)
  • Bianca, daughter of the Baron Van Den Berg (soprano)
  • The Marquise de Montigny (contralto)
  • Francal, the gypsy chief (bass-baritone)
  • The Baron Van Den Berg (bass)
  • Bobinet, a gypsy (comic baritone)
  • Bertuccio, another gypsy (baritone)
  • Zerbinette, a gypsy girl (mezzo-soprano) (so named in the revised version; in the original, the character is unnamed)
  • Max, Gerard's gamekeeper (speaking role) (original version only)
  • The Burgomaster (baritone) (original version only)
  • The Notary (baritone) (original version only)

Note: The first version of Mirette is the only Savoy Opera where an actor played more than one (named) part. John Coates played both Baron Van Den Berg and the Burgomaster. Herbert Ralland played both Max and the Notary.

[edit] Synopsis

The scene is Flanders 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. However, 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 maneuvers 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 colorful 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 humor 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.

[edit] See also

Savoy Opera

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Tillett

[edit] References

[edit] External links