Significant French Operas
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Le Grande Duchesse de Gérolstein
Opéra bouffe in 3 acts & 4 scenes
Music by Jacques Offenbach
Libretto by
Henri Meilhac
& Ludovic Halévy
First Performance: Théâtre des Variétés, Paris, April 12, 1867
Cast:
Les Grande Duchess Mezzo soprano
Fritz Tenor
Wanda Lyric coloratura
soprano
General Boum Buffo bass or baritone
Baron Puck Tenor
Prince Paul Buffo tenor or
baritone
Iza, Olga Sopranos
Amelie, Charlotte Mezzo sopranos
Baron Grog
Nepomuc
Chorus: SATTBB
Background
Synopsis
Baron Puck and General Boum have been managing the affairs of Gerolstein for the early-orphaned Duchess. To occupy he mind until her marriage to Prince Paul, a weakling who they would welcome, Puck and Boum arrange a big parade. But the Duchess takes a fancy to the common soldier, Fritz, and keeps postponing her wedding. Ignoring Fritz's confessed attachment to the peasant girl Wanda, the Duchess creates him Baron of Vermouth-von-bock-bier, Count of Avail-vintt-katt-schopp-vergiss-mein-nicht, and makes him commanding general of the army for the imminent war against her neighbors. The victorious general returns and marries his Wanda. Then he retires with her to the Red Room, assigned to him by the Duchess because a secret passage connects it with her own apartments. The Duchess, outraged, joins a plot by Puck, Boum, and Prince Paul. The bridal night is successfully ruined, the groom thoroughly beaten up and returned to his former grade of private and his former status as commoner. The Duchess, after another short flirtation - with Ambassador von Grog, who turns out to be married and the father of four children - restores Puck and Boum to their positions and resignedly settle down to married life with Prince Paul.
Libretto
Links
Last updated: January 09, 2008