Les Brigands, Jacques Offenbach
Title | Les Brigands |
English Title | The Bandits |
Composer | Jacques Offenbach |
Librettists | Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy |
Language | French. Dutch and English translation available |
Genre | Opéra-bouffe, comic opera (three acts) |
First performance | 10 December, 1869, Théâtre des Variétés Paris |
Time of action | 18th century |
Place of action |
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Main parts |
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Prominence of chorus | Very large |
Orchestra | 1 flute, 1 piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani/percussion, strings. Behind the scenery: 1 French horn (and trumpets). |
Special demands | A great many soloists. Treasurer should be able to sing in falsetto. Fragoletto is a trouser rôle. Several times the chorus is split up. |
Full score and orchestral parts | Orchestral parts and full score available |
Level | Not difficult, but long and scenically rather complicated |
Length | 3 acts, at least 2½ hours in all |
Music | One of Jacques Offenbach’s best works. Splendid soli; many duets, trios and grand ensembles; magnificent finales |
Story |
Ingenious comical plot. Chief brigand Falsacappa intends to modernize his trade: no more small business, but grand-scale robberies. He plans a highly complicated campaign which, though giving rise to a lot of comic confusions, runs smoothly for a while but goes hopelessly wrong in the end. Moral: the true bandits are to be found not in the forest but in the leading circles of society.
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Costumes | Robbers, peasant-women, carabineers, inn-personnel, Spanish and Italian lords and ladies, courtiers etc. |
Note | |
Pictures | |
Link | Wikipedia |
< Boccaccio | Track | Les Cloches de Corneville >