''Mirette'' is an

opéra comique ''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular '' opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent (and to a l ...

in three acts composed by

André Messager André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty opéras comiques, opérettes and other stage works, among whi ...

, first produced at the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy Pal ...

, London, on 3 July 1894. ''Mirette'' exists in two distinct versions. The first version of the libretto was written in French by

Michel Carré Michel Carré (20 October 1821, Besançon – 27 June 1872, Argenteuil) was a prolific French librettist. He went to Paris in 1840 intending to become a painter but took up writing instead. He wrote verse and plays before turning to writing libr ...

but this was never performed. English lyrics were written by

Frederic E. Weatherly Frederic Edward Weatherly, KC (4 October 1848 – 7 September 1929) was an English lawyer, author, lyricist and broadcaster. He was christened and brought up using the name Frederick Edward Weatherly, and appears to have adopted the spelling 'F ...

, and English dialogue based on the Carré libretto was written by

Harry Greenbank Harry Greenbank (11 September 1865 – 26 February 1899) was an English author and dramatist best known for contributing lyrics to the successful series of musicals produced at Daly's Theatre by George Edwardes in the 1890s. Life and career Ha ...

. This first English version of the opera ran for 41 performances, closing on 11 August 1894. This was the shortest run of any opera produced at the Savoy Theatre under the management of

Richard D'Oyly Carte Richard D'Oyly Carte (; 3 May 1844 – 3 April 1901) was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer, and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era. He built two of London's theatres and a hotel empire, while also estab ...

. The second version, advertised as a "new version with new lyrics by

Adrian Ross Arthur Reed Ropes (23 December 1859 – 11 September 1933), better known under the pseudonym Adrian Ross, was a prolific writer of lyrics, contributing songs to more than sixty British musical comedies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ...

," ran for 61 performances, from 6 October 1894 to 6 December 1894. Both versions essentially tell the same story, with the second version emphasising comedy over the romance of the first version. The music has been mostly forgotten. However, one song ("Long ago in Alcala") became very popular in the United States in the early years of the twentieth century, though it was not credited as being from ''Mirette''. The piece featured Savoy regulars including

Courtice Pounds Charles Courtice Pounds (30 May 1861 Gänzl, Kurt"Pounds of Pyes, or mea culpa No. 2" Kurt Gänzl's blog, 4 May 2018. Note that hibirth registrationis in central London in the third quarter of 1861 – 21 December 1927), better known by the sta ...

(Picorin), Rosina Brandram (Marquise), Scott Russell (Bertuccio), Emmie Owen (Zerbinette),

Florence Perry Florence Perry (13 July 1869 – 19 December 1949) was an English opera singer and actress best known for her performances with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Biography Florence Julia Perry was born in London in 1869. Her first professional ...

(Bianca),

R. Scott Fishe Robert Scott Fishe (12 February 1871 – 31 August 1898) was an English operatic baritone and actor best remembered for creating roles in the 1890s with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company. As a boy, Fishe was a chorister with the Chapel Royal ...

(Gerard de Montigny), and

Walter Passmore Walter Henry Passmore (10 May 1867 – 29 August 1946) was an English singer and actor best known as the first successor to George Grossmith in the comic baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Passmo ...

(Bobinet). Richard Temple joined in the revised version, as did the experienced singer Florence St. John, who made her Savoy debut in the work.

Background

Genesis and production

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which '' H.M.S. ...

's '' Utopia Limited'' was playing more weakly than its producer,

, had expected, and he anticipated that he would need a new work for the

for the summer of 1894. Messager was enjoying a growing international reputation, and Carte had already produced Messager's opera ''

La Basoche ''La Basoche'' is an opéra comique in three acts, with music by André Messager and words by Albert Carré. The opera is set in Paris in 1514 and depicts the complications that arise when the elected "king" of the student guild, the Basoche, is ...

'' at his Royal English Opera House in 1891–92. Carte commissioned Messager to write ''Mirette'', his first opera for British audiences. Later Messager works would prove to be more successful in England, including ''

The Little Michus ''Les p'tites Michu'' (The Little Michus) is an opérette in three acts, with music by André Messager and words by Albert Vanloo and Georges Duval (journalist), Georges Duval. The piece is set in Paris in the years following the French Revolutio ...

'' (1897), '' Véronique'' (which became a hit in London in 1904, six years after its 1898 Paris premiere), and '' Monsieur Beaucaire'' (1919, based on the novel by

Booth Tarkington Newton Booth Tarkington (July 29, 1869 – May 19, 1946) was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his novels ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' (1918) and '' Alice Adams'' (1921). He is one of only four novelists to win the Pulitzer ...

). The libretto for ''Mirette'' was written in French by Carré. Some of the music was composed before Weatherly translated and rewrote the lyrics and Greenback translated the dialogue. To assist Messager in what was for him (at the time) an unfamiliar idiom, he enlisted the help of the songwriter

Hope Temple Hope Temple, born as Alice Maude Davis (27 December 1859 – 10 May 1938) was an Irish songwriter and composer. She was also known as Mrs André Messager. Life Alice Davis was born in Dublin, Ireland, and was known professionally as Hope Templ ...

, ''née'' Dotie (Alice Maude) Davis, who later became his second wife. She may even have written some of the songs; but though Messager acknowledged her help, it is not clear what, if anything, she contributed to the text. The

Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and the ...

lists her as possible co-author; Messager's biographer Benoit Duteurtre unequivocally names her as such.Wagstaff, John and Andrew Lamb
"Messager, André"
''Grove Music Online'', Oxford Music Online, accessed 15 March 2018 The original version of ''Mirette'' opened at the

, London, on 3 July 1894 and closed on 11 August 1894. It draws heavily on Balfe's opera ''

The Bohemian Girl ''The Bohemian Girl'' is an Irish Romantic opera composed by Michael William Balfe with a libretto by Alfred Bunn. The plot is loosely based on a Miguel de Cervantes' tale, ''La Gitanilla''. The best-known aria from the piece is " I Dreamt I Dw ...

'' (1843) and uses various shopworn theatrical devices and conventions, including the gypsy background (featured in ''The Bohemian Girl'' as well), a romance across class and station, the desertion of the bride at her betrothal ceremony, and the antics of the comedian. These would have been very familiar to London audiences at the time. Furthermore, this romantic type of opera was out of place at the Savoy Theatre, which was the home of

and their unique kind of less sentimental

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a n ...

."The Call Boy", ''Judy: or The London Serio-comic Journal'', 18 July 1894, p. 28 Carte asked the popular lyricist

to rewrite the piece with as much emphasis on comedy as possible. Ross reduced the romantic parts (though he retained the Mirette-Gerard-Picorin-Bianca story) while boosting the comic part of Bobinet for Passmore, making the role of the Marquise lighter, and emphasising past Savoy successes by strengthening the subplot regarding the past love between the Marquise and the Baron. He also rewrote existing lyrics and introduced more opportunities for dance numbers. Though

had created smaller roles in ''

Jane Annie ''Jane Annie, or The Good Conduct Prize'' is a comic opera written in 1893 by J. M. Barrie and Arthur Conan Doyle, with music by Ernest Ford, a conductor and occasional composer. When the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership disbanded after the ...

'' and '' Utopia Limited'', the role of Bobinet was his first real starring part. Later in 1894, Passmore named his new daughter Mirette, perhaps in acknowledgement of his success in this breakout role. The cast changes, including adding another Savoy favourite, Richard Temple, as the Baron and engaging the soprano Florence St. John as Mirette. The revised version opened on 6 October 1894 and ran for 61 performances, until 6 December.Rollins and Witts, p. 14

Reception

The early reviews for ''Mirette'' were mixed at best. ''Evening News and Post'' wrote that "There has been nothing at the Savoy for a long time prettier or more elaborate in a spectacular way than ''Mirette'', and it would be ungenerous to grumble at the quality of the humour when it affords such a feast of beauty for eye and ear."Early reviews of ''Mirette''
at The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive (2008) ''The Globe'' disagreed: "English audiences have been accustomed to expect something more in the librettos of comic operas than a mere dishing-up of old situations and conventional characters.... The story is singularly destitute of interest or originality." ''Daily Graphic'' was disappointed by both the libretto and the music, while ''The Stage'' thought that "Messager's music is invariably characterised by smooth melody and graceful expressiveness, but in ''Mirette'' one feels that a little variation from these commendable qualities would now and again be welcome." ''Vanity Fair'' called the plot "feeble" and "trivial", ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...

'' unfavourably compared the piece with earlier Savoy operas, and ''Daily Telegraph'' complained: "It does not appear that the composer is gifted with the keen sense of humour which works written for the Savoy have often exemplified. In the merriest situations, his strains refuse to laugh, and flow on elegantly, with perfect blandness and good breeding." The reviewer in the magazine '' Judy'' wrote, "Despite the poor book, the poorer lyrics, and the poorest dialogue,—despite, too, the desperately unfunny funny man—Mirette must not be neglected. Messager's music more than compensates one for these defects; and I shall not be surprised to hear of business at the Savoy going swimmingly". After the rewrite, ''Mirette'' fared better with the critics. ''Daily Telegraph'' now wrote, "''Mirette'' quickly made a host of new friends. Applause ruled long and loud; in fact, the outburst of enthusiasm which followed the final descent of the curtain brought with it a reminder of the palmy days when the Gilbert-Sullivan alliance was at its strongest." ''The Globe'' proclaimed that "The new version is in every respect so immeasurably superior to its predecessor that there is now very little in the work with which to find fault." ''Morning Advertiser'' recommended that the public pay a "speedy visit to the Savoy", and ''The Era'' noted, "The presence of Miss Florence St John has caused the other performers to act and sing with greater animation". The piece was remembered fondly by some Savoyards. In 1906, as a professor of singing and stage manager at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...

, Richard Temple was asked to direct a work from his earlier career for the first performance of the Cambridge University Operatic Club, at the

Scala Theatre The Scala Theatre was a theatre in Charlotte Street, London, off Tottenham Court Road. The first theatre on the site opened in 1772, and the theatre was demolished in 1969, after being destroyed by fire. From 1865 to 1882, the theatre was ...

. He was asked to select a piece "from which students would learn the craft of worthwhile light opera." Instead of choosing ''The Mikado'' or ''The Yeomen of the Guard'', for instance, he chose ''Mirette''.

Roles and casts

The original cast names are followed by the revival cast names if different:Mirette cast lists
at The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive (2001) *Mirette, a gypsy maiden ( soprano) – Maud Ellicott; Kate Rolla *Gerard de Montigny, nephew of the Marquise ( baritone) –

Scott Fishe Robert Scott Fishe (12 February 1871 – 31 August 1898) was an English operatic baritone and actor best remembered for creating roles in the 1890s with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company. As a boy, Fishe was a chorister with the Chapel Royal. ...

*Picorin, a gypsy, in love with Mirette (

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors i ...

) –

*Bianca, daughter of the Baron Van Den Berg ( soprano) –

*The Marquise de Montigny (

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typical ...

) – Rosina Brandram *Francal, the gypsy chief (

bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing thre ...

) – Avon Saxon; John Coates *The Baron Van Den Berg (

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gu ...

) – John Coates; Richard Temple *Bobinet, a gypsy (comic baritone) –

*Bertuccio, another gypsy ( baritone) – Scott Russell *Zerbinette, a gypsy girl ( mezzo-soprano) (so named in the revised version; in the original, the character is unnamed) – Emmie Owen *Max, Gerard's gamekeeper (speaking role) (original version only) – Herbert Ralland *The Burgomaster ( baritone) (original version only) – John Coates *The Notary ( baritone) (original version only) – Herbert Ralland ''Notes'': *Emmie Owen played Mirette in August while Ellicott went on her long-awaited honeymoon. *Kate Rolla was replaced as Mirette first by Elaine Gryce and then by Florence St. John *The first version of ''Mirette'' is the only

Savoy Opera Savoy opera was a style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century, with W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as the original and most successful practitioners. The name is derived from the Savoy Theatre, which ...

where an actor played more than one (named) part in London (although roles in ''

Utopia, Limited ''Utopia, Limited; or, The Flowers of Progress'', is a Savoy opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was the second-to-last of Gilbert and Sullivan's fourteen collaborations, premiering on 7 October 1893 for a ...

'' were doubled on tour). John Coates played both Baron Van Den Berg and the Burgomaster. Herbert Ralland played both Max and the Notary.

Synopsis

The scene is

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

in 1785. Mirette is a

foundling Foundling may refer to: * An abandoned child, see child abandonment * Foundling hospital, an institution where abandoned children were cared for ** Foundling Hospital, Dublin, founded 1704 ** Foundling Hospital, Cork, founded 1737 ** Foundling Hos ...

living among the

Gypsies The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sig ...

. At the beginning of the opera, the gypsy chief Francal asks Mirette to choose among the gypsy bachelors for a husband, but she is unable to choose, despite the fact that Picorin, one of the gypsy crew, is in love with her. She believes instead that she is destined for a better life and dreams that her unknown parents are of the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...

. The Gypsies have camped on the property owned by the Marquise de Montigny. Mirette falls asleep by the campfire and wakes to find Gerard, nephew of the Marquise, standing over her. Gerard is entranced by her beauty, and she finds herself similarly attracted. However, he leads the arrest of the Gypsies for trespassing. Mirette and Picorin are taken to the chateau of the Marquise to become servants in her household. In act two, Mirette is discovered one month later in the service of the world-weary Marquise, who is planning the engagement party for Gerard and Bianca, the convent-raised daughter of the Baron Van Den Berg. Gerard's attraction to Mirette has grown to infatuation. When the guests gather for the signing of the marriage contract, the Marquise commands Mirette to sing and dance a bohemian dance as the evening's principal entertainment and as a way to point out the vast differences in station between Mirette and Gerard, thus killing any infatuation they may have for each other. During the dance, during which Francal and the other Gypsies join in the chorus, Gerard cannot take his eyes off Mirette, a fact noticed by Bianca and all the guests. However, the Marquise manoeuvres Bianca into Gerard's close company, humiliating Mirette, who escapes from the chateau with the other Gypsies. Just as he is about to sign the marriage contract, Gerard hears the Gypsies singing in the distance. He throws down his pen and rushes madly from the scene. (In the revised version of the opera, Gerard runs off with Mirette and the Gypsies to live the colourful life of a bohemian.) Act three finds Mirette and Picorin at a village fair three weeks later. Picorin is still unable to express himself; the two indulge in a nicely conceived duet where they cover their emotions for each other behind eating a meal uncomfortably. Gerard, the Marquise, Bianca, and the Baron are all also at the fair. (In the revised version of the opera, Gerard is at the fair in Mirette's company, doing a bad job as a gypsy performer.) Mirette realizes that Bianca loves Gerard and arranges for the two of them to reconcile. She also realizes the extent of her love for Picorin, and the two of them also arrange to wed. (In the revised version of the opera, not only do Mirette and Picorin and Gerard and Bianca end up together; the Marquise and the Baron, lovers of old, are also on their way to the altar.) The humour of the opera is concentrated in the character of Bobinet, one of the gypsy crew. In the revised version of the opera, Bobinet is paired with Zerbinette, another gypsy.

List of musical numbers in the first version

;Act I *No. 1. "Ha, ha! A splendid story!" (Bertuccio, Mirette, Picorin, Francal and Chorus) *No. 2. Bohemian Song: "The home of the Zingari!" (Mirette and Chorus) *No. 3. "Dost thou remember still the day?" (Francal and Chorus) *No. 4. "Ha ha! It's quite amusing!" (Mirette and Chorus) *No. 5. "Look, look, I say! Here's Bobinet!" (Chorus) *No. 6. "The Song of the Duck" (Bobinet and Chorus) *No. 7. "When I was young, I went a-dreaming" (Picorin) *No. 8. "Long ago in Alcala" (Bobinet) *No. 9. "She is asleep! Ah, how fair is she!" (Gerard and Mirette) *No. 10. "Oh, we've been up and we've been down" (Chorus) *No. 10a. Burglary Song, "Oh, we've been visiting our friends" (Francal and Chorus) *No. 11. Act 1 Finale: "Good evening, gentlemen!" (Burgomaster, Bobinet, Max, Francal, Picorin, Mirette, Gerard, Soldiers and Gypsies) ;Act II *No. 12. Old Ballad, "So forward through the fading light" (Mirette) *No. 13. "If love were calculation" (Gerard) *No. 14. "Hast thou forgot the hour we met?" (Gerard and Mirette) *No. 15. "Now for the programme" (Marquise and Bobinet) *No. 16. "When Noah went aboard the ark" (Bobinet) *No. 17. "But yesterday in convent grey" (Bianca) *No. 18. "Life is a fairyland, with wonders hung" (Marquise) *No. 19. "Obedient to your kind command" (Chorus) *No. 19a. "Our best congratulations" (Marquise, Gerard, Bianca, Francal, Mirette, Chorus) *No. 20. "Who is like the Zingara" (Mirette and Chorus) *No. 20a. Dance - Bobinet and Zerbinette *No. 21. Act 2 Finale "Take your places all" (Notary, Bobinet, Gerard, Marquise, Mirette and Chorus) ;Act III *No. 22. "Oh, the light of the golden weather" (Chorus) *No. 22a. "Walk up, walk up, and see the show" (Mirette, Picorin and Chorus) *No. 23. "Here's the news of the day" (Bobinet and Chorus) *No. 24. "That night you went away" (Bianca and Mirette) *No. 25. "Come, march along, and make a din" (Chorus) *No. 26. "So the past is dead in your fickle heart" (Marquise) *No. 27. "What! breakfast really ready, sir?" (Mirette and Picorin) *No. 28. "Yes, it is past! the dream is done" (Gerard) *No. 28a. "Does he remember the words he has spoken?" (Bianca and Gerard) *No. 29. Act 3 Finale "When the gay ring-a-ding of the bells" (Bobinet and Chorus)

List of musical numbers in the second version

;Act I *No. 1. "From Egypt's royal line" (Bertuccio, Francal, Zerbinette and Chorus) *No. 2. "The good old earth in the age of gold" (Bertuccio and Chorus) *No. 3. "The Song of the Duck" (Bobinet and Chorus) *No. 4. "We have missed the voice of our little queen" (Chorus, Bertuccio, Francal and Mirette) *No. 4a. Bohemian Song "Roaming on with never a rest" (Mirette and Chorus) *No. 5. "When winter gales were loud and winter snows were flying" (Francal and Chorus) *No. 6. "Ha! ha! ha! ha! it’s so amusing" (Mirette and Chorus) *No. 7. "Now stars above the forest glimmer" (Picorin) *No. 8. "Long ago in Alcala" (Bobinet) *No. 9. "Up a tree!" (Bobinet, Gerard, Baron) *No. 10. "Nay, do not fly from me!" (Gerard and Mirette) *No. 11. "We’ve called as pillagers" (Chorus) *No. 12. Pantomime Dance (Zerbinette, Picorin and Francal) *No. 13. Act 1 Finale "Though the wood is very dark" (Baron, Bobinet, Mirette, Gerard, Picorin, Gypsies and Soldiers) ;Act II *No. 14. Old Ballad "So forward through the fading light" (Mirette) *No. 15. "In quiet convent closes the rosebud maidens grow" (Gerard) *No. 16. "Don't mind me!" (Gerard, Mirette and Picorin) *No. 17. "The programme I’ll discuss with you" (Marquise and Bobinet) *No. 18. "But yesterday, in convent gray" (Bianca) *No. 19. "When Noah sailed his good old Ark" (Baron, Gerard and Picorin) *No. 20. "Obedient to your kind command" (Chorus) *No. 20a. Fan Song, "When Eve was mistress Adam" (Marquise and Chorus) *No. 21. Act 2 Finale "We come, Madame la Marquise" (Chorus) **"Once a cavalier of Spain loved a maid of low degree" (Mirette and Chorus) **"Gerard, this is really scandalous" (Ensemble) ;Act III *No. 22. "Oh, the light of the golden summer" (Chorus) *No. 23. Long Bow Song, "Good William Tell was a mighty one" (Bobinet, Zerbinette and Chorus) *No. 24. "Our recent circumstances have been really so unpleasant" (Zerbinette, Marquise, Picorin, Bobinet and Baron) *No. 25. "There was once a pretty peasant" (Mirette) *No. 26. "Hurrah! Hurrah! for the merry yeomen" (Chorus) **Dance - Bobinet and Zerbinette *No. 27. "Ah, Monsieur le Baron!" (Marquise and Baron) *No. 28. Act 3 Finale. "Oh! the pride of the Belgian bowmen" (Mirette, Picorin, Francal, Bobinet, Zerbinette and Chorus)

Notes

Sources

* *

External links

at the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mirette Operas by André Messager English-language operas English comic operas 1894 operas Operas Libretti by Michel Carré