Hélène (drama)
Encyclopedia
Hélène is a drame
in four acts and five tableaux of 1891, with French
words by Paul Delair and incidental music by André Messager
.
The story, found by the author in the fait divers
of a newspaper concerns a child, Hélène, who, learning that her father has been murdered by his mother, swears vengeance; there are shades of Hamlet
. Starting with a first act march for returning soldiers, the authors of the Annales praised Messager’s incidental music
, despite echos of Gounod, Thomas
and particularly Bizet and his L'Arlésienne.
The play was first performed at the Théâtre du Vaudeville
on 15 September 1891, running for only 16 performances. The cast included Brandès in the title role, Adolphe Candé, Marie Sammary, Laroche and André Michel, and the orchestra was conducted by Gabriel-Marie.
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
in four acts and five tableaux of 1891, with French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
words by Paul Delair and incidental music by André Messager
André Messager
André Charles Prosper Messager , was a French composer, organist, pianist, conductor and administrator. His stage compositions included ballets and 30 opéra comiques and operettas, among which Véronique, had lasting success, with Les p'tites Michu and Monsieur Beaucaire also enjoying international...
.
The story, found by the author in the fait divers
News Items
News Items is a 1983 French documentary film directed by Raymond Depardon. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival....
of a newspaper concerns a child, Hélène, who, learning that her father has been murdered by his mother, swears vengeance; there are shades of Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
. Starting with a first act march for returning soldiers, the authors of the Annales praised Messager’s incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
, despite echos of Gounod, Thomas
Ambroise Thomas
Charles Louis Ambroise Thomas was a French composer, best known for his operas Mignon and Hamlet and as Director of the Conservatoire de Paris from 1871 till his death.-Biography:"There is good music, there is bad music, and then there is Ambroise Thomas."- Emmanuel Chabrier-Early life...
and particularly Bizet and his L'Arlésienne.
The play was first performed at the Théâtre du Vaudeville
Théâtre du Vaudeville
The Théâtre du Vaudeville was a theatre in Paris. It opened on 12 January 1792 on rue de Chartres. Its directors, Piis and Barré, mainly put on "petites pièces mêlées de couplets sur des airs connus", including vaudevilles....
on 15 September 1891, running for only 16 performances. The cast included Brandès in the title role, Adolphe Candé, Marie Sammary, Laroche and André Michel, and the orchestra was conducted by Gabriel-Marie.