La chatte métamorphosée en femme
Encyclopedia
La chatte métamorphosée en femme (The cat transformed into a woman) is a one-act opéra comique
of 1858 with words by Eugene Scribe
and Mélésville, and music by Jacques Offenbach
.
At the back of the stage an alcove with a divan hidden by curtains. At the front a table with a box on it, and a bird cage attached to the wall. Doors to the left and right.
Guido, a handsome bachelor, has been abandoned by all his friends since he lost his money, and Minette, his cat – for which the governor’s cook has offered three florins – is all that remains of Guido’s household. Marianne is sitting by the table knitting; she takes the white cat from her lap to the divan.
Guido returns and Marianne asks why he has not appealed to his rich uncle for financial assistance. Guido forbids her to speak his name: it was he who ruined Guido’s father, furthermore they would have to ask Schalgg, his intendant. Guido rejects this suggestion too; but Marianne suggests that his charming young cousin might help him out. Alone, Guido expresses his love for his ‘pauvre petite Minon’.
Just then, a stranger, dressed as an Indian comes to the door; it is Dig-Dig. He explains that Guido’s father did business with Indian merchants, and presents a purse with 100 florins owed to Guido’s father. Guido takes the purse and puts it in the box. Dig-Dig claims to be from Kandahar in Kashmir and has visited France and Paris where he taught dancing, astronomy and conjuring, as well as the transmutation of souls. Dig-Dig tells Guido that his cat contains the most beautiful and mischievous young girl, and he will transform the creature – using an amulet (which costs 200 florins). After an invocation to Brahma, the curtain at the rear of the room opens to reveal Minette lying on the divan, as a beautiful girl dressed in white. Guido is stunned as Minette introduces herself to him.
Marianne returns and announces that to buy food for dinner she has agreed the sale of the cat to the wife of the governor; she is astonished to see a woman in Guido’s room. He hastily claims that she is the daughter of an old friend of his father who has just arrived from England. Guido adds, that the governor’s son can come and collect the cat – if he can recognize her… During the following ensemble, Minette begins to behave more and more like a cat.
Guido is worried by this and begins to regret the change in her, and as he tries to assert himself they quarrel and she pretends to jump from the window – Guido rushes out into the street. Marianne is fed up with the commotion in the house and wants to leave, having since found the real cat shut in a cupboard. Minette now lets her in on the plot, as Guido returns without finding the cat. He asks himself “where is she?” to which Minette replies “here I am” and again moves as if to leave. Guido commands Marianne to prevent Minette from leaving, but she affects to be struck dumb.
Dig-Dig enters, but as he is also struck dumb, Guido goes to his box to find the amulet, but a white cat jumps out and runs off. Marianne and Dig-Dig reveal all: Dig-Dig is Guido’s wealthy uncle’s intendant, while Minette is the cousin whom Guido would not marry. Realising his true feelings, Guido relents and all sing a final chorus and the curtain falls to the words “Miaou!”.
Minette has an air to Brahma, full of trills, a ‘miaou’ cat song, a love duo and an eating trio.
(1837), and Henri Sauguet
's one-act La Chatte (1927).
The story is related to the original fable The Mouse Turned into a Maid
, and to La Fontaine’s fable ‘La Chatte métamorphosée en femme’.
Opéra comique
Opéra comique is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged out of the popular opéra comiques en vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent , which combined existing popular tunes with spoken sections...
of 1858 with words by Eugene Scribe
Eugène Scribe
Augustin Eugène Scribe , was a French dramatist and librettist. He is best known for the perfection of the so-called "well-made play" . This dramatic formula was a mainstay of popular theater for over 100 years.-Biography:...
and Mélésville, and music by Jacques Offenbach
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....
.
Performance history
La chatte métamorphosée en femme was first performed in Paris, at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, on 19 April 1858, and was kept in the repertory by the Bouffes-Parisiens for some time. It was revived at the 1986 Carpentras Festival, and more recently at the Théâtre de Cornouaille, Quimper and the Opéra de Rennes, in 2008.Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 19 April 1858. (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Guido, son of a merchant from Trieste | 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... |
Tayau |
| Marianne, a widow, his housekeeper | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Marguerite Macé Marguerite Macé-Montrouge Marguerite Macé-Montrouge, born Victoire Macé on 24 March 1836, died Paris 26 November 1898, became a professional actress at the age of 14, and was an early member of Offenbach's troupe, before enjoying a long stage career in Paris and elsewhere.... |
| Minette, Guido’s cat | 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... |
Lise Tautin Lise Tautin Lise Tautin , was a French soprano, associated with the opéra-bouffe in Paris in the middle of the 19th century, particularly the works of Offenbach.-Life and career:... |
| Dig-Dig | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Désiré Désiré (baritone) Désiré was a French baritone, who is particularly remembered for creating many comic roles in the works of the French operetta composer Jacques Offenbach... |
Synopsis
- The setting is Guido’s house, in Biberach, Swabia
At the back of the stage an alcove with a divan hidden by curtains. At the front a table with a box on it, and a bird cage attached to the wall. Doors to the left and right.
Guido, a handsome bachelor, has been abandoned by all his friends since he lost his money, and Minette, his cat – for which the governor’s cook has offered three florins – is all that remains of Guido’s household. Marianne is sitting by the table knitting; she takes the white cat from her lap to the divan.
Guido returns and Marianne asks why he has not appealed to his rich uncle for financial assistance. Guido forbids her to speak his name: it was he who ruined Guido’s father, furthermore they would have to ask Schalgg, his intendant. Guido rejects this suggestion too; but Marianne suggests that his charming young cousin might help him out. Alone, Guido expresses his love for his ‘pauvre petite Minon’.
Just then, a stranger, dressed as an Indian comes to the door; it is Dig-Dig. He explains that Guido’s father did business with Indian merchants, and presents a purse with 100 florins owed to Guido’s father. Guido takes the purse and puts it in the box. Dig-Dig claims to be from Kandahar in Kashmir and has visited France and Paris where he taught dancing, astronomy and conjuring, as well as the transmutation of souls. Dig-Dig tells Guido that his cat contains the most beautiful and mischievous young girl, and he will transform the creature – using an amulet (which costs 200 florins). After an invocation to Brahma, the curtain at the rear of the room opens to reveal Minette lying on the divan, as a beautiful girl dressed in white. Guido is stunned as Minette introduces herself to him.
Marianne returns and announces that to buy food for dinner she has agreed the sale of the cat to the wife of the governor; she is astonished to see a woman in Guido’s room. He hastily claims that she is the daughter of an old friend of his father who has just arrived from England. Guido adds, that the governor’s son can come and collect the cat – if he can recognize her… During the following ensemble, Minette begins to behave more and more like a cat.
Guido is worried by this and begins to regret the change in her, and as he tries to assert himself they quarrel and she pretends to jump from the window – Guido rushes out into the street. Marianne is fed up with the commotion in the house and wants to leave, having since found the real cat shut in a cupboard. Minette now lets her in on the plot, as Guido returns without finding the cat. He asks himself “where is she?” to which Minette replies “here I am” and again moves as if to leave. Guido commands Marianne to prevent Minette from leaving, but she affects to be struck dumb.
Dig-Dig enters, but as he is also struck dumb, Guido goes to his box to find the amulet, but a white cat jumps out and runs off. Marianne and Dig-Dig reveal all: Dig-Dig is Guido’s wealthy uncle’s intendant, while Minette is the cousin whom Guido would not marry. Realising his true feelings, Guido relents and all sing a final chorus and the curtain falls to the words “Miaou!”.
Minette has an air to Brahma, full of trills, a ‘miaou’ cat song, a love duo and an eating trio.
See also
Other musical works on this theme include ballets La Chatte metamorphosée en femme by Alexandre Montfort with choreography by Jean CoralliJean Coralli
Jean Coralli , born Jean Coralli Peracini, was a French dancer and choreographer and later held the esteemed post of First Balletmaster of the Paris Opera Ballet...
(1837), and Henri Sauguet
Henri Sauguet
Henri Sauguet , was a French composer. Born in Bordeaux as Henri-Pierre Poupard, he adopted his mother's maiden name as his pseudonym. His output includes operas, ballets, four symphonies , concertos, chamber and choral music and numerous songs, as well as film music...
's one-act La Chatte (1927).
The story is related to the original fable The Mouse Turned into a Maid
The Mouse Turned into a Maid
The mouse turned into a maid is an ancient fable of Indian origin that travelled westwards to Europe during the Middle Ages and also exists in the Far East. Its Classical analogue is the Aesop's Fable of "Venus and the Cat" in which a man appeals to the goddess Venus to change his cat into a woman...
, and to La Fontaine’s fable ‘La Chatte métamorphosée en femme’.