La bonne d'enfant
Encyclopedia
La bonne d'enfant is an opérette bouffe, in one act by Jacques Offenbach
to a French
libretto
by Eugène Bercioux.
It was first performed at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
, Paris
on 14 October 1856. Offenbach's early operettas were small-scale one-act works, since the law in France limited musical theatre works (other than grand opera
) to one-act pieces with no more than three singers and, perhaps, some mute characters.http://www.musicals101.com/operetta.htm In 1858, this law was changed, and Offenbach was able to offer full-length operettas, beginning with Orpheus in the Underworld
.
The piece was seen in 1857 at the St James's Theatre in London, and in Vienna in 1862 with Tostée
as Dorothée; it was subsequently produced there in Hungarian.
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
to a 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...
libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Eugène Bercioux.
It was first performed at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
The Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens is a Parisian theatre which was founded in 1855 by the composer Jacques Offenbach for the performance of opéra bouffe and operetta. The current theatre is located in the 2nd arrondissement at 4 rue Monsigny with an entrance at the back at 65 Passage Choiseul. In...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 14 October 1856. Offenbach's early operettas were small-scale one-act works, since the law in France limited musical theatre works (other than grand opera
Grand Opera
Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterised by large-scale casts and orchestras, and lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on or around dramatic historic events...
) to one-act pieces with no more than three singers and, perhaps, some mute characters.http://www.musicals101.com/operetta.htm In 1858, this law was changed, and Offenbach was able to offer full-length operettas, beginning with Orpheus in the Underworld
Orpheus in the Underworld
Orphée aux enfers is an opéra bouffon , or opéra féerie in its revised version, by Jacques Offenbach. The French text was written by Ludovic Halévy and later revised by Hector-Jonathan Crémieux....
.
The piece was seen in 1857 at the St James's Theatre in London, and in Vienna in 1862 with Tostée
Lucille Tostée
Lucille Tostée , was a French soprano, associated with opéra-bouffe in Paris and the USA in the mid-19th century, particularly in the works of Offenbach.-Life and career:...
as Dorothée; it was subsequently produced there in Hungarian.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, October 14, 1856 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Dorothée, a nanny | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Garnier |
| Gargaillou, a chimney sweep | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Michel |
| Mitouflard, a fireman | bass | Dubouchet |
| Bourgeois | Delaquis | |