: The Standard Light Operas Their Plots and Their Music by Upton George P George Putnam - Operas Stories plots etc.; Operetta

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PAGE ADAM The Postilion of Lonjumeau 15 AUBER Fra Diavolo 19 The Crown Diamonds 22 AUDRAN Olivette 26 The Mascot 29 BALFE The Bohemian Girl 33 The Rose of Castile 36 BELLINI La Sonnambula 40 BENEDICT The Lily of Killarney 43 BOIELDIEU La Dame Blanche 47 CELLIER Dorothy 50 CHASSAIQUE Falka 52 DeKOVEN Robin Hood 57 Maid Marian 60 Rob Roy 63 The Fencing-Master 67 DELIBES Lakm? 70 DONIZETTI The Daughter of the Regiment 73 Don Pasquale 76 Linda 78 The Elixir of Love 81 EICHBERG The Doctor of Alcantara 84 FLOTOW Martha 87 Stradella 90 GEN?E Nanon 93 GOUNOD Mirella 97 HUMPERDINCK Hansel and Gretel 100 JAKOBOWSKI Erminie 103 LECOCQ Girofle-Girofla 106 La Fille de Madame Angot 109 L?RTZING Czar and Carpenter 113 LUDERS King Dodo 116 The Prince of Pilsen 118 MASS? Paul and Virginia 121 Queen Topaze 124 The Marriage of Jeannette 126 MILL?CKER The Beggar Student 128 The Black Hussar 131 NESSLER The Trumpeter of S?kkingen 134 NICOLAI The Merry Wives of Windsor 138 OFFENBACH The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein 141 La Belle H?l?ne 145 Orpheus 148 PLANQUETTE The Chimes of Normandy 152 RICCI Crispino 155 ROSSINI The Barber of Seville 158 SOLOMON Billee Taylor 161 SOUSA El Capitan 164 STRAUSS The Merry War 167 The Queen's Lace Handkerchief 169 Queen Indigo 171 Die Fledermaus 174 STUART Florodora 177 SULLIVAN Cox and Box 180 Trial by Jury 182 The Sorcerer 185 H. M. S. Pinafore 188 The Pirates of Penzance 193 Patience 196 Iolanthe 200 Princess Ida 203 The Mikado 206 Ruddygore 209 The Yeomen of the Guard 213 The Gondoliers 216 SUPP? Fatinitza 220 Boccaccio 224 The Beautiful Galatea 227 THOMAS Mignon 230 WALLACE Maritana 233 Lurline 236

THE STANDARD LIGHT OPERAS.

ADAM, ADOLPHE CHARLES.

The Postilion of Lonjumeau.

PERSONAGES.

Chapelou, postilion. Madeleine, mistress of the inn. Marquis de Courcy, opera manager. Bijou, village blacksmith. Boudon, chorus leader.

The scene of the opera is laid in Lonjumeau, a French village, and Paris; time of Louis the Fifteenth.

The sprightly opera "The Postilion of Lonjumeau" is characterized by grace and elegance of treatment, fascinating rhythm, and odd contrasts in effects. Its plot is very dramatic, and affords ample scope for humorous action. The opening scene of the first act introduces us to the wedding of Chapelou, the postilion, and Madeleine, mistress of the inn. During the merriment which follows, the Marquis de Courcy, Superintendent of the Paris Grand Opera, whose carriage has broken down, makes his appearance, seeking the aid of a wheelwright. He hears Chapelou singing, and is so pleased with his voice that he offers him a position in the opera. Chapelou after some persuasion accepts, entreats Bijou, the village blacksmith, to look after Madeleine, and goes off with the Marquis in quest of artistic glory. Bijou informs Madeleine of Chapelou's baseness, and the act closes with her denunciations of him, in which she is enthusiastically assisted by the female members of the wedding-party.

The second act opens in Paris. Madeleine has inherited a fortune from an aunt, and makes her appearance in the gay city as a rich and noble lady, under the assumed name of Madame de la Tour. The Marquis de Courcy, who is in love with her, at her request brings Chapelou, who is now a famous tenor known as St. Phar, Bijou, the Lonjumeau blacksmith, who is primo basso under the name of Alcindor, and the operatic chorus to her ch?teau for a rehearsal. St. Phar, not wishing to sing, pleads a cold, but when he learns that he is in the apartments of Madame de la Tour he consents, and the rehearsal goes off finely. Left alone with his hostess, he proposes to her and is accepted, but as he is already married he arranges that Boudon, the chorus leader, shall play the part of priest. The Marquis, who overhears the conspiracy, informs Madame de la Tour, who sends for a real priest and accompanies St. Phar to the altar, where they are married for the second time.

In the third act St. Phar, who fears that he will be hanged for committing bigamy, finds a happy escape from his troubles. The Marquis, furious because he has been rejected by Madame de la Tour in favor of an opera singer, seeks revenge, but his plans are thwarted. A humorous scene ensues, in which St. Phar is tormented by Alcindor and the wedding-party, as well as by the Marquis, who is now reconciled. Finally, upon being left alone in a darkened room with Madame de la Tour, she also aggravates him by personating two characters, singing from different sides of the apartment in the voice of the Madame and that of Madeleine. The d?nouement ensues when she appears to him as the veritable Madeleine of Lonjumeau, whither the joyous pair return and are happy ever after.

The principal music of the first act is a romanza for soprano, "Husband ever Dear," leading into a dance chorus; the famous Postilion's Song with whip-snapping accompaniment; and a balcony serenade by Madeleine. The second act opens with a long and well-written aria for soprano, which is followed by the rehearsal scene,--a clever bit of humorous musical writing. In the course of this scene the tenor has a characteristic aria, preceded by a clarinet obligato, and the basso also has one running down to G, in which he describes with much gusto the immunities of a basso with a "double G." A duet follows for soprano and tenor with a cadenza of extraordinary length, the act closing with a finale in the conventional Italian style.

The third act opens with a long clarinet solo, the refrain of which is heard in the close of the act. This is followed by a "Good Night" chorus in mazurka time. The tenor then has an aria followed by a comic trio, which in reality is a duet, as the soprano is personating two singers with different voices. A duet and finale close the opera, the music of which is of just the class to be popular, while the action is so sustained in its humor as to make the bright little opera a favorite wherever heard.
ng by Commander Wouldri AUBER, DANIEL FRAN?OIS ESPRIT.

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