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 >