Les brigands (The Bandits) is an opéra bouffe, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Opéra bouffe (plural, opéra bouffes) is a genre of late 19th century French operetta, closely associated with Jacques Offenbach, who produced many of them at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens that gave its name to the form. ... Jacques Offenbach (20 June 1819 – 5 October 1880), composer and cellist of the Romantic era, was one of the originators of the operetta form. ... A libretto is the complete body of words used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. ... Henri Meilhac (February 21, 1831 - 1897), French dramatist, was born in Paris. ... Ludovic Halévy (January 1, 1834 - May 8, 1908), French author, was born in Paris. ...

Les brigands was first performed at the Théâtre des Variétés, Paris on 10 December 1869. This version was in three acts. A four-act version was subsequently prepared for the Théâtre de la Gaîté on 25 December 1878. The piece achieved great success as the Second Empire came to an end. Only the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in the following months dampened audience enthusiasm. The piece also played in New York at The Grand Opera House in 1870-71.^[1] City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 6 days remaining in the year. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The canonical example of Second Empire style is the Opéra Garnier, in which Neo-Baroque meets Neo-Renaissance. ... Combatants Second French Empire North German Confederation allied with south German states (later German Empire) Commanders Napoleon III Otto Von Bismarck Helmuth von Moltke the Elder Strength 400,000 at the beginning of the war 1,200,000 Casualties 150,000 dead or wounded 284,000 captured 350,000 civilian...

Meilhac and Halévy's libretto is cheerfully amoral in that it presents theft as a basic principle of society, not an aberration. The forces of law and order are represented by the bumbling carabinieri, who always arrive too late to capture the thieves, and whose exaggerated attire delighted the Parisian audience during the premiere. Les brigands has a more substantial plot than many of the Offenbach operettas that integrates the songs more completely into the story. In addition to policemen, financiers come in for some satiric treatment. The Carabinieri is the shortened (and common) name for the Arma dei Carabinieri, an Italian military corps of the gendarmerie type with police functions, which also serves as the Italian military police. ...

The music of the piece influenced Bizet in writing Carmen, and the librettists for this work supplied Bizet's libretto.^[2] Georges Bizet (October 25, 1838 – June 3, 1875), was a French composer of the romantic era best known for his opera Carmen. ... Poster from the 1875 premiere of Carmen Carmen is a French opera by Georges Bizet. ...

English versions

The piece was translated in three acts as The Brigands by English dramatist W. S. Gilbert and published by Boosey in 1871 but was not performed until 9 May 1889 at the Casino Theatre, New York City, starring Edwin Stevens as Falsacappa (the brigand chieftain), Lillian Russell in the role of Fiorella, Fred Solomon as Pietro (the brigand lieutenant), Henry Hallam[1] as the Duke, and Fanny Rice as Fragoletto.^[3] with an American tour thereafter. Its London premiere was on 2 September 1889 at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth, again starring Russell. It was then presented at the Avenue Theatre in London, beginning 16 September 1889 and then on tour, starring Hallam Mostyn as Falsacappa, H. Lingard as Pietro, Frank Wensley as Fragoletto, Agnes Dellaporte as Fiorella, Marie Luella as the Princess of Granada (a captive of the brigands), and Geraldine St. Maur[2] as Fiametta.^[4] Sir William Schwenck Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (November 18, 1836 – May 29, 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist and illustrator best known for the fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (130th in leap years). ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... New York, NY redirects here. ... Lillian Russell (Helen Louise Leonard) (December 4, 1860 - June 6, 1922) was an American actress and singer. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Plymouth is a city of 243,795 inhabitants (2001 census) in the south-west of England, or alternatively the West Country, and is situated within the traditional and ceremonial county of Devon at the mouths of the rivers Plym and Tamar and at the head of one of the world...

Gilbert was displeased with his own work and attempted to prevent its performance in London - fortunately unsuccessfully.^[5] He also objected to new songs inserted in the piece but written by another lyricist.^[6] 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 gavottes and musical romps in three-quarter time. Many of the characters and situations in the piece are echoed later in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance and The Gondoliers. In British society, a drawing room is a room in a house where visitors may be entertained. ... A gavotte dance in Brittany, France, 1878 The gavotte (also gavot or gavote) originated as a French folk dance, taking its name from the Gavot people of the Pays de Gap region of Dauphiné, where the dance originated. ... W. S. Gilbert Arthur Sullivan Librettist William Schwenck Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842–1900) collaborated on a series of fourteen comic operas in Victorian England between 1871 and 1896. ... Poster announcing the copyright performance at the Bijou Theatre, Paignton The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ... The Gondoliers, or The King of Barataria, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ...

An earlier English version by H. S. Leigh was 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.^[7]

Synopsis

Fragoletto, a young farmer, is captured by Italian brigands, lurking in the Alps. He falls in love with Fiorella, the daughter of the bandit chief, Falsacappa. Falsacappa intends to move up from small robberies to grand-scale ones. To prove himself, Fragoletto becomes involved in Falsacappa's complicated plot to make a big score which involves intercepting the marriage between the Princess of Granada (whom they capture) and the womanizing Prince of Mantua (the Duke). Falsacappa substitutes Fiorella's portrait for that of the Princess and provides his own wedding delegation to Mantua. Eventually, matters are sorted out, the brigands are revealed and pardoned, and Fragoletto marries his beloved Fiorella. The lesson: the true bandits are to be found not in the forest but in the leading circles of society.

Roles

In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice. ... A bass (or basso in Italian) is a male singer who sings in the deepest vocal range of the human voice. ... Baritone (French: baryton; Deutsch: Bariton; Italian: baritono) is most commonly the type of male voice that lies between bass and tenor. ... Look up soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Musical numbers

• Overture

Act I

• No. 1 A - Choir Des Brigands: 'Le Cor Dans La Montagne'
• No.1 B - Couplets Des Jeunes Filles: 'Deja Depuis Une Grande Heure'
• No.1 C - Couplets De Falsacappa: 'Qui Est Celui Qui Par Les Plaines'
• No.1 D - Strette
• No.1 Bis - Melodrame;
• No.2 - Couplets De Fiorella: 'Au Chapeau Je Porte Une Aigrette'
• No.3 - Morceau D'ensemble: 'Nous Avons Pris Ce Petit Homme'
• No.4 - Couplets De Fragoletto: 'Quand Tu Me Fis L'Insigne Honneur...'
• No.4 Bis - Choir De Sortie: 'Nous Avons Pris Ce Petit Homme'
• No.5. Rondo: 'Apres Avoir Pris A Droite'
• No.6 - Saltarelle: 'Ce Petit Est Un Vrai Luron'
• No.7 - Finale A - Choir De Reception: 'Pour Cette Ceremonie'/B - 'Jure D'avoir Du Courage... Vole...Vole'/C - Orgie: 'Flamme Claire'/D - Choir Des Carabiniers: 'Nous Sommes Les Carbiniers'/E - Strette: 'Flamme Claire'

Act II

• Entracte
• No.9 - Choir: 'Les Fourneaux Sont Allumes'
• No.10 - Canon: 'Soyez Pitoyables'
• No.11 - Duetto Du Notaire: 'He! La! He! La!'
• No.12 - Trio Des Marmitons: 'Arrete-toi Donc, Je T'en Prie'
• No.13 - Choir Et Melodrame: 'A Nous, Hola!'
• No.14. Choir Et Couplets De L'ambassade: 'Dissimulons, Dissimulons... Nous Avons Ce Matin...'
• No.15 - Chor, Melodrame Et Scene, Couplets: 'Entrez-La!... Grenade, Infante Des Espagnes...Jadis Vous N'Aivez Qu'une Patrie'
• No.16 - Couplets De Fiorella: 'Vraiment Je N'en Sais Rien'
• No.17 - Finale: Choir, Ensemble, Scene: 'Entrez-la!... Tous Sans Trompette Ni Tambour... Quels Sont Ces Cris?...'

Act III

• No.18: Entracte
• No.19 - Chor De Fete Et Couplets Du Prince: 'L'aurore Parait... Jadis Regnait Un Prince'
• No.20 - Couplets Du Caissier: 'O Mes Amours, O Mes Maitresses'
• No.21. Morceau D'ens: Voici Venir La Princesse'
• No.22 - Finale: 'Coquin, Brigande, Traitre...'

Recordings

This work has been recorded a number of times:^[8]

• John Eliot Gardiner recorded the three-act version with chorus and orchestra of the Opéra de Lyon for EMI in 1988 (CD 7 49830 2).
• Gilbert's English version was recorded by Ohio Light Opera in 2004, Albany Records, ASIN: B00022FWVS.^[9]
• There is a German version by Ernst Dohm, Die Banditen, which was recorded and released in 2002 on the Capriccio label, Catalog: 60090. Conductor, Pinchas Steinberg.

Gardiner conducting Sir John Eliot Gardiner CBE (born April 20, 1943, Fontmell, Dorset, England) is an English conductor. ... Opéra National de Lyon is an opera company in Lyon, France which performs in the Nouvel Opéra, a modernized version in 1993 of the original 1831 opera house. ... The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is an English music company comprising the major record company, EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Brook Green in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based on Charing Cross Road, London. ... The Ohio Light Opera was founded as a cultural and educational endeavor by the College of Wooster in 1979 and is the only professional company in the United States entirely devoted to operetta. ... Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst (or Ernest) Dohm, born Elias Levy Dohm, pseudonym is Karlchen Mießnick (b. ... Pinchas Steinberg (born 1945 in Israel) is an Israeli conductor. ...

Notes

1. ^ Info from IBDB database
2. ^ Analysis of several Offenbach pieces
3. ^ Complete cast information
4. ^ Adams, William Davenport. A Dictionary of the Drama, Chatto & Windus (1904)
5. ^ Letter from Gilbert to the London Times of 16 September 1889
6. ^ Gilbert's letter to the Times of 7 November 1889
7. ^ Adams, William Davenport. A Dictionary of the Drama, Chatto & Windus (1904)
8. ^ List of recordings
9. ^ Information about OLO recording of Les brigands

Chatto and Windus has been, since 1987, an imprint of Random House, the publishers. ... Chatto and Windus has been, since 1987, an imprint of Random House, the publishers. ...

References

• Synopsis, roles and other information about the operetta
• Profile of the operetta
• Information about the story
• Adams, William Davenport. A Dictionary of the Drama, Chatto & Windus (1904)
• Crowther, Andrew. "The Brigands" in W.S. Gilbert Society Journal, Ed. Brian Jones, Vol. 2, No. 16: Winter 2004, pp. 508-09

Chatto and Windus has been, since 1987, an imprint of Random House, the publishers. ...

External links

• W. S. Gilbert's letter to the London Times of 16 September 1889
• Les Brigands at the IBDB database
• Profile of the operetta from All Music Guide