Offenbach Perichole BRU ZANE BZ1036 [MC] Classical Music Reviews: August 2019 - MusicWeb-International

Jacques OFFENBACH (1819-1880)
La P駻ichole, Op駻a Bouffe in three acts (1868, rev. 1874, mixed version assembled by Marc Minkowski)
French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Hal騅y based on one-act play Le Carrosse du Saint-Sacrement (1829) by Prosper M駻im馥
Soloists: Aude Extr駑o, Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Alexandre Duhamel, ノric Huchet, Marc Mauillon, Enguerrand de Hys, Fran輟is Pardailh?, Olivia Doray, Julie Pasturaud, M駘odie Ruvio, Adriana Bignagni Lesca, Jean Sclavis
Chœur de L’Op駻a National de Bordeaux, Alphonse Cemin (chorus master), Les Musiciens du Louvre / Marc Minkowski
rec. live, 14/16 October 2018, Auditorium de l’Op駻a de Bordeaux, France
Full French libretto with English translation provided in the book. Cast and track listing, and book contents – at the end of review.
Op駻a fran軋is series of Bru Zane, Volume 21
BRU ZANE BZ1036 [51:40 + 51:11]

Bru Zane continues its French Opera series with Offenbach’s La P駻ichole, an op駻a bouffe in three acts. This is a timely release: we have the 200th anniversary year of the birth of this underrated French/German composer. The Bru Zane series has reached volume 21, a limited edition of 4000.

Offenbach enjoyed great success in 1867; he had productions showing at four Parisian theatres the year before completing La P駻ichole. Yet in May 1868 the tide was turning. Le ch穰eau ? Toto was unsuccessful, and a revival of Le pont des soupirs failed to inspire. Later in the year came the premi鑽es of op駻a bouffes L'?le de Tulipatan and La P駻ichole, neither of which kept a hold on the repertory. In 1874, for the revival of La P駻ichole, Offenbach revised the score considerably: three acts instead the original two acts. It was in this revised form that La P駻ichole has found favour with audiences.

In La P駻ichole there are the usual antics so typical of an op駻a bouffe, including disguise, mix-ups, mistaken identity and comic twists. La P駻ichole and her lover Piquillo are a pair of Peruvian street singers who cannot afford a marriage license. Don Andr鑚 de Ribeira, a lecherous Viceroy of Peru, wants La P駻ichole as his mistress, and makes her his lady-in-waiting. Piquillo, also employed in the Viceroy’s household, marries the veiled La P駻ichole without knowing it is she. Piquillo gets thrown into prison but the end results in an unexpected pardon from the Viceroy; the lovers are reunited.

Music director Marc Minkowski has conducted both versions of La P駻ichole. For the Op駻a National de Bordeaux production recorded here, he has assembled a mixed version based on the original 1868 score and parts of the 1874 revision. This release was recorded at live performances of stage director Romain Gilbert’s production. Minkowski conducted Les Musiciens du Louvre who are thirty-six strong and use period instruments. Although it surely applies to all audio recordings of live performances to a lesser or greater degree, having seen a brief clip of the show I think the dramatic impact of La P駻ichole is especially diminished by not seeing the actual performance. Nevertheless, there is still much pleasure to be gained from this recording. The three principal characters – La P駻ichole, Piquillo and Don Andr鑚 – are very well cast, with French-language singers.

Tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac throws himself wholeheartedly into the role of Piquillo. A highlight is the brief Rondo de bravoure - ノcoute, ? roi, je te pr駸ente, where Piquillo presents La P駻ichole to Don Andr鑚. This splendid example of Barbeyrac’s theatricalit, demonstrates his vocal clarity and projection, his high notes achieved comfortably. As femme fatale La P駻ichole, the rich-toned mezzo-soprano of Aude Extr駑o projects well, with a first-class level of expression – although her voice does not always have the smoothest delivery. La P駻ichole’s renowned ‘Tipsy’ arietta - Ah! quel d?ner je viens de faire!’ is a success. I wish I could have seen it. Best of all is her ‘Letter’ arioso to Piquillo - ヤ mon cher amant, je te jur. The mezzo tenderly reflects how it would be better to separate owing to their poverty and list of misfortunes. It is hard to forget the distinction of R馮ine Crespin’s rendition of the ‘Letter’ arioso on her 1971 release ‘Prima Donna in Paris’ on Decca.

Alexandre Duhamel as Viceroy Don Andr鑚 gives a creditable performance although it is more of an acting role. Note the ‘Incognito’ song with chorus Sans en rien souffler ? personne where Viceroy goes out on the town in disguise. Duhamel is in secure voice, with impressive diction and strong expression. Of the hit numbers, one notes La P駻ichole and Piquillo’s Le conqu駻ant dit ? la jeune Indienne, a foot-tapping ballad with its extremely catchy tune. For the same reasons, I also relish the couple’s rendition of the celebrated S馮uedille - Vous a-t-on dit souvent. Minkowski favours swift speeds. He draws a strong and expressive performance from Les Musiciens du Louvre. On occasions, within all the spirited playing there is some slight untidness but nothing too distracting. The Chœur de L’Op駻a National de Bordeaux is hard to fault. They give a strong performance throughout under chorus master Alphonse Cemin.

The sound has clarity, and is well balanced. Not surprisingly, there is some miscellaneous stage noise, and applause after some arias and at the end of each act, but it is not a problem. It serves to add to the live atmosphere.

As we have come to expect from this Bru Zane French Opera series, there is a 168-page hardback book with a full French libretto and an English translation. Four informative and well written essays are also included, as is a synopsis and full cast and track listing. My only grumble is wanting the track listing to contain the page number of its place in the libretto.

There are several studio recordings of La P駻ichole in the catalogue. My first choice remains the 1977 Strasbourg recording on Erato, featuring R馮ine Crespin, Alain Vanzo and Jules Bastin, conducted by Alain Lombard. Originally, I had the Erato release on vinyl. It is worth knowing that the performance has no spoken dialogue. I find this Minkowski recording of La P駻ichole tremendously entertaining from start to finish, and I wish I had been in the Bordeaux audience. A fitting tribute in Offenbach’s 200th anniversary year.

Michael Cookson

Cast details

Aude Extr駑o (mezzo-soprano) – La P駻ichole, street singer
Stanislas de Barbeyrac (tenor) – Piquillo, her lover
Alexandre Duhamel (baritone) – Don Andr鑚 de Ribeira, Viceroy of Peru
ノric Huchet (tenor) – Don Miguel de Panatellas, first gentleman of the bedchamber
Marc Mauillon (tenor / baritone) – Don Pedro de Hinoyosa, Mayor of Lima
Enguerrand de Hys – Premier Notaire / Le Marquis,
Fran輟is Pardailh? – Second Notaire,
Olivia Doray – Guadalena, first cousin / Manuelita, first lady in waiting
Julie Pasturaud – Berginella, second cousin / Frasquinella, second lady in waiting
M駘odie Ruvio – Mastrilla, third cousin / Ninetta, third lady in waiting
Adriana Bignagni Lesca – Brambilla, fourth lady in waiting
Jean Sclavis – A prisoner

CD / Book contents (in French and English)

Articles:
Alexandre Dratwicki - ‘The P駻icholes of Offenbach and Marc Minkowski’s version’
G駻ard Cond? - ‘La P駻ichole, step by step’
Waldemar Kamer - ‘The Spanish amours of the Second Empire’
Arnold Mortier - ‘How Offenbach rehearses’

Synopsis

Libretto - French and English

Detailed track listing