''Les saltimbanques'' (''The Acrobats'') is an

opéra-comique The Opéra-Comique () is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular Théâtre de la foire, theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief riva ...

in three acts, libretto by

Maurice Ordonneau Maurice Ordonneau (18 June 1854 – 14 November 1916) was a French dramatist and composer. The son of a merchant of eau de vie, Ordonneau was a prolific author in creating theatrical works. He composed, often with the collaboration of other playw ...

, music by

Louis Ganne Louis-Gaston Ganne (5 April 1862 in Buxières-les-Mines (Allier) – 13/14 July 1923 in Paris) was a conductor and composer of French operas, operettas, ballets, and marches. Biography Ganne was born in the Auvergne region of France and grew up ...

, first performed at the Théâtre de la Gaîté, Paris, on 30 December 1899. In the third act a ballet entitled ''Les Bohemiennes'' was danced by Julia Duval, Briant, the women of the corps de ballet and a troupe of acrobats, Les Manzoni.

Roles

Synopsis

Suzanne was abandoned as a child and taken in by Malicorne, director of a circus. She is friend with Paillasse (who loves her), Grand-Pingouin (who is also attracted to her), and Marion (who is Grand-Pingouin's lover). Suzanne is pursued by soldiers but rescued by a young officer, André, and the attraction between them is immediate. The brutal Malicorne abuses Suzanne one time too many, and she escapes with Paillasse, Grand-Pingouin, and Marion. Suzanne and her friends have formed a little troupe called "Les Gigoletti". They are invited to perform at the Castle of the Count des Étiquettes, who is André's uncle. However, Malicorne happens to be there as well, recognises them and wants them arrested on the pretext they own him money. The Count pays the sum just as André arrives. Suzanne sings a song she has learned in childhood, which is in fact a song the Count has composed and that nobody knows. From this song, it is discovered that she is his long lost daughter. Being of high birth, she and André can be married, but she also feels sorrow that she will be leaving her friends.

Discography

* ''Les saltimbanques'' –

Mady Mesplé Mady Mesplé (7 March 1931 – 30 May 2020) was a French opera singer who was considered the leading coloratura soprano of her generation in France, and sometimes heralded as the successor to Mado Robin, with ''Lakmé'' by Delibes becoming her si ...

, Éliane Lublin, Raymond Amade, Dominique Tirmont, Claude Calès,

Jean-Christophe Benoît Jean-Christophe Benoît (18 March 1925 – 21 February 2019) was a French baritone, who enjoyed a long career in France and francophone countries on the stage, the concert platform and radio and television. He was born in Paris into a professional ...

– Choeurs René Duclos, Orchestre de l'Association des Concerts Lamoureux, Jean-Pierre Marty –

EMI Classics EMI Classics was a record label founded by Thorn EMI in 1990 to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogues for internationally distributed classical music releases. After Thorn EMI demerged in 1996, its recorded mus ...

, 1968. * ''Les saltimbanques'' – Janine Micheau,

Michel Roux Michel Roux, OBE (; 19 April 1941 – 11 March 2020), also known as Michel Roux Snr., was a French chef and restaurateur working in Britain. Along with his brother Albert Roux, Albert, he opened Le Gavroche, which subsequently became the first ...

, Robert Massard, Geneviève Moizan – Orchestra,

Pierre Dervaux Pierre Dervaux (born 3 January 1917 in Juvisy-sur-Orge, France; died 20 February 1992 in Marseilles, France) was a French operatic conductor (music), conductor, composer, and pedagogue. At the Conservatoire de Paris, he studied counterpoint and ha ...

– Accord 465868-2 * ''Les saltimbanques'' (abridged) – Liliane Berton, Claude Devos, Freda Betti, Lucien Lovano, Guy Godin, Pierre Germain – Raymond Saint Paul Choirs and Orchestra conducted by

Jules Gressier Jules Gressier, (24 June 1897, in Roubaix (Nord-Pas-de-Calais) – 27 June 1960, in Aix-les-Bains (Rhône-Alpes)Théâtre des Champs-Élysées The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...

, Paris, April 1953, Pathé (DTX 30.141)

References

Sources

* ''Le guide de l'opéra'', R. Mancini & J.J. Rouveroux, (Fayard, 1986) * Pristine Classical, https://www.pristineclassical.com/products/paco031 {{DEFAULTSORT:Saltimbanques, Les 1899 operas Compositions by Louis Ganne French-language operas Operas Opéras comiques Acrobats Works about entertainers