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Les brigands (, The Bandits) is an opéra bouffe, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Meilhac and Halévy's libretto lampoons both serious drama (Schiller's play The Robbers) and opéra comique ( Fra Diavolo and Les diamants de la couronne by Daniel Auber). The plot is cheerfully amoral in its presentation of theft as a basic principle of society rather than as an aberration. As Falsacappa, the brigand chieftain, notes: "Everybody steals according to their position in society." Libretto: "Sans doute !... il faut voler selon la position qu'on occupe dans la société... c'est élémentaire." Act 2, scene 3. The piece premiered in Paris in 1869 and has received periodic revivals in France and elsewhere, both in French and in translation.
Les brigands has a more substantial plot than many Offenbach operettas and integrates the songs more completely into the story. The forces of law and order are represented by the bumbling carabinieri, whose exaggerated attire delighted the Parisian audience during the premiere. In addition to policemen, financiers receive satiric treatment. The satire counterpoints lively musical romps and the frequent use of Italian and Spanish rhythms; "Soyez pitoyables" is a true canon, and each act finale is a well-developed whole. A 1983 New York Times article theorized that the music of the piece influenced Bizet in writing Carmen and noted that the librettists for this work supplied Bizet's libretto,Hughes, Allan. "Recordings; Rare Works Display Offenbach's Varied Gifts", The New York Times, 27 March 1983, accessed 22 August 2013 but standard Offenbach references do not mention any such influence.See major studies of Bizet by Winton Dean (Winton, Dean. Bizet, J M Dent & Sons, London, 1978), Mina Curtiss (Curtiss M. Bizet and his world, Vienna House, New York, 1974), and Jean-Claude Yon (Yon, Jean-Claude. Jacques Offenbach, Éditions Gallimard, Paris, 2000), and extended essays on Carmen by Susan McClary (McClary, Susan. Georges Bizet: Carmen, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1992).
Paris revivals included 1885 with Léonce and Dupuis from the original cast, 1900 with Marguerite Ugalde, Mathilde Auguez and Dupuis and the same year with Tariol-Baugé, at the Gaîté-Lyrique in 1921 with Andrée Alvar, Raymonde Vécart and Jean Périer, and at the Opéra-Comique in 1931 with Marcelle Denya, Emma Luart, Dranem and Louis Musy.Gänzl, Kurt and Andrew Lamb, Gänzl's Book of the Musical Theatre, The Bodley Head, London, 1988
More recent revivals have been produced at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 1978 directed by Peter Ustinov, Peter Ustinov Foundation, Achievements , retrieved 23 August 2013 at the Opéra de Lyon in 1988 (then recorded by EMI),"Jacques Offenbach: Les Brigands", in Kaminski, Piotr. Mille et Un Opéras, Fayard, 2003, p. 1083 1992 at Amsterdam Opera and 1993 at the Opéra Bastille (produced by Jérôme Deschamps and Macha Makeïeff), and then at the Opéra-Comique in 2011. " Les Brigands trouvent leurs aises à l'Opéra-Comique", Le Monde review, 28 June 2011
Gilbert was displeased with his own work, which he had created merely to secure the British copyright, and he attempted to prevent its performance in London, without success. Letter from Gilbert to The Times of 16 September 1889 He also objected to new songs inserted in the piece but written by another lyricist. Gilbert's letter re: Gilbert v. Boosey to The Times, 8 November 1889, p. 10 Gilbert's arch lyrics pleased operetta audiences, who were delighted to accept a rough-and-tumble pirate band speaking impeccable drawing room English while describing dastardly deeds to and musical romps in three-quarter time. Many of the characters and situations in the piece are echoed in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance (1879) and The Gondoliers (1889).
Meanwhile, another English version by H. S. Leigh had been presented at the Globe Theatre in London under the name Falsacappa, beginning on 13 September 1875. Camille Dubois starred as Fragoletto, Julia Vokins was the Princess of Granada and Nelly Bromley was the Prince of Popoli. This version had also been given an 1871 performance in London.
His daughter Fiorella has fallen for the young farmer Fragoletto, whose farm the gang recently raided, and she is beginning to have doubts about their calling. She shows Piétro, the second-in-command a small portrait she has had painted of herself.
Fragoletto is brought in by some of the brigands, not unwillingly, as he asks for Fiorella's hand, and to join the band. Falsacappa agrees on condition that Fragoletto prove himself.
Fiorella is left with Piétro, and a handsome stranger enters. He – fascinated by her – has lost his way. When Piétro goes to find help, she decides to warn him – in fact the Duke of Mantua – to flee. Fragoletto arrives with an intercepted message about the union of the Duke and the Princess of Granada, setting out the promise to the Spaniards of a large dowry instead of the debt owed to them. Falsacappa frees the messenger, replacing the princess's portrait in the briefcase with that of his daughter. Fragoletto has earned his place in the band; as the gang celebrate their new member they hear the sound of the boots of the carabinieri approaching, but they pass by without noticing the gang, and the brigands resume their celebration of their plans.
The band plan to disguise themselves as cooks and waiters; then, when the Mantuans arrive, they will capture them in turn and re-disguise themselves as Mantuans, so that when the Granadans arrive they will surprise them, don their clothes and hasten to the Mantuan court to present Fiorella as the princess whose associate (Pietro in disguise) is worth three millions. Fiorella claims her reward: Fragolettos's hand and the disguising begins.
When the Mantuan party arrive, led by the Baron de Campotasso and accompanied by the carabinieri they fall into the trap, but the brigands have little time to switch clothes again before the Granadan delegation reaches the inn. After a Spanish dance, the Granadans are greeted by Falsacappa as the captain of the carabinieri and Piétro as the Baron de Campotasso. Gloria-Cassis asks about the three million payment but then Fragoletto and Fiorella (as the innkeeper and his lover) enter. The Granadans become confused when told to retire to bed (at two in the afternoon) but do as they are told. Once out of their clothes, the brigands go for them for the next disguise.
However the innkeeper escapes his bonds and cries for help, but the brigands prevail over the carabinieri who, locked in the cellars, have helped themselves to the wine. The brigands head off towards Mantua.
When the fake Granadan delegation arrives led by Falsacappa, the Duke is delighted to see Fiorella again, and she recognizes him as the stranger lost in the mountains. Fiorella, playing the princess of Grenade introduces Fragoletto as her page.
When Falsacappa asks for the money it emerges that the treasurer has squandered the dowry. Falsacappa is furious, but just then the Mantuans, swiftly followed by the Granadans abandoned at the inn, arrive, along with the carabineri. The real princess introduces herself. The brigands admit who they are but when Fiorella enters in her costume from Act 1 and reminds the Duke that she saved him from the brigands, he agrees to an amnesty and they swear to lead good lives from then on.
Act 2
Act 3
Roles
+
!Role
!Voice type
!Premiere cast, 10 December 1869
Conductor: Jacques OffenbachAdolphe de Valladolid tenor Henri Venderjench 'Cooper' Antonio, treasurer to the Duke tenor Léonce Barbavano bass Daniel Bac Baron de Campo-Tasso tenor Charles Blondelet Carmagnola tenor Gobin Comte de Gloria-Cassis tenor Gourdon Domino tenor Bordier Duc de Mantoue baritone Constant Lanjallais Falsacappa, the brigand chief tenor José Dupuis Fiorella, his daughter soprano Marie Aimée Fragoletto, a farmer mezzo-soprano Zulma Bouffar La Duchesse soprano A Régnault Pipa, wife of Pipo soprano Léonie Pipetta, daughter of Pipo soprano Fanny Génat Pipo, a landlord tenor Boulange Piétro, the brigand lieutenant tenor Jean-Laurent Kopp La Princesse de Grenade soprano Lucciani Zerlina soprano Julia H. Bianca soprano Oppenheim Fiametta soprano Bessy Ciccinella soprano Douard Marquise soprano Gravier Chief of the carabinieri baritone Louis Baron Preceptor bass Videix Chorus: Brigands, Carabinieri, Peasants, Cooks, Pages of the Mantuan court,
Lords and Ladies of the Grenadan court, Pages of the Princess, Lords and Ladies of the Mantuan court.
Synopsis
Act 1
A wild rocky place
The brigands assemble at dawn, but some of them complain to Falsacappa that they cannot live properly on the rewards of their work. He promises an imminent and profitable venture. The marriage of the Princess of Grenade with the Duc de Mantoue has been announced, and the band will be there.
Act 2
An inn on the frontier
The Mantuan delegation is heading for Pipo's inn on the border of Italy and Spain on the road from Granada to Mantua. Posing as beggars the bandits come to the inn; they quickly overwhelm the hotel staff horrified to be victims of the infamous Falsacappa.
Act 3
A great hall at the court of Mantua
The Duke is taking advantage of his last hours before marriage bidding farewell to his mistresses. The portrait he has received of his bride reminds him of the peasant girl who assisted him in the mountains (and for whom he has been searching ever since). The Duke is also keen to pay off his debt of three million little knowing that his treasurer Antonio has been spending the ducal money on women of his own.
Musical numbers
Act 1
Recordings
This work has been recorded a number of times: Recordings on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk/CLOFBRIG.HTM
Further reading
External links
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