Composer: Jacques Offenbach
Performer: Chantal Santon-Jeffery, Antoinette Dennefeld, Tassis Christoyannis, Véronique Gens, Éric Huchet, Loïc Félix, Matthieu Lécroart, Anaïs Constans, Patrick Kabongo, François Piolino, Yoann Dubruque, Raphaël Brémard, Jérôme Boutillier, Antoine Philippot, Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Diana Axentii, Chœur de Radio France
Orchestra: Orchestre National de France
Conductor: Markus Poschner
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Bru Zane
Catalogue: BZ1039
Release: 2020
Size: 1.04 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Maître Péronilla
CD 01
Acte I
01. Ouverture
02. Choeur. “Roulez, sonnez et faites rage”
03. Sérénade. “Hélas, ma petite cousine”
04. Dialogue et sortie. “Veux-tu te taire”
05. Dialogue. “Ah ! Mon petit Frimouskino !”
06. Couplets et Duetto. “En la comblant de gâteries”
07. Dialogue. “Attention ! Voici l’oncle Péronilla !”
08. Couplets du chocolat. “Oui, je le dis, et m’en fais gloire”
09. Dialogue. “Exiger la signature !”
10. Ballade de la belle Espagnole. “Il était un joli jeune homme”
11. Dialogue. “Tiens ! Mais, je ne la connaissais pas”
12. Entrée, Couplets et Dialogue. “Manoëla !”
13. Choeur.” Amis et parents”
14. Dialogue. “Mesdames et messieurs”
15. Présentation des frères Vélasquez. “Vélasquez major !”
16. Dialogue. “Monsieur le notaire !”
17. Choeur de sortie.”Amis et parents”
18. Dialogue. “Au revoir, mon cher Guardona !”
19. Mélodrame. “Dix heures !”
20. Romance et Dialogue. “Quand j’ai dû, la mort dans l’âme”
21. Terzetto. “Quelle est donc cette joie ?”
22. Dialogue et Mélodrame. “Tu vas me dire enfin…”
23. Choeur, Mélodrame et Dialogue. “La cloche sonne”
24. Choeur et Dialogue. “Buvons à plein bord”
25. Finale. “Ah ! Ah ! Ah ! Ah !”
CD 02
Acte II
01. Entracte
02. Mélodrame et Couplets des Petits Valets. “Tiens ! Déjà minuit !”
03. Dialogue et Reprise du choeur. “Caramba ! Je vous y prends”
04. Rondeau. “Je pars, je vais, je vole”
05. Dialogue. “Tiens, tiens…”
06. Ensemble du souper. “Je rage, soupons tout de même”
07. La Malaguenia. “D’où viens-tu, chanson nouvelle ?”
08. Dialogue. “Je n’y tiens plus”
09. Ensemble. “Il se fait tard”
10. Dialogue. “Eh ! Bien, messieurs mes gendres ?”
11. Quatuor. “Sortez avec précaution”
12. Dialogue. “C’est ma soeur qui va rager !”
13. Chœur des Alguazils et Mélodrame. “Ouvrez, au nom de la loi !”
14. Couplets de Manoëla. “Petit papa, protégez-moi”
15. Finale. “Allons, allons, il faut partir !”
Acte III
16. Entracte
17. Chœur. “De l’audience enfin voici le jour !”
18. Chanson militaire. “Toujours fidèle à la consigne”
19. Dialogue. “Eh bien ! Voilà le grand jour ! Le jour du procès !”
20. Romance et Dialogue. “Assurément j’ai confiance”
21. Choeur. “Marchons au pas”
22. Dialogue. “Voici le tribunal !”
23. Couplets du Maître à chanter. “On nous sépare, on nous accable”
24. Dialogue. “C’est… ca… ca… captivant !”
25. Finale. “Le contrat !”
There is more Spain in Offenbach’s brain than in Spain itself’, said a journalist entranced by Maître Péronilla. Understandably so, given the charm and humour of this operetta in which no fewer than twenty-two characters are kept busy unravelling a preposterously complicated love story. And the libretto is all the better for having been penned by the composer himself.
Castanets, tambourines and triangle merrily punctuate one of Offenbach’s last scores, which multiplies impressive vocal ensembles while not renouncing intimate numbers of great poetry. Our world premiere recording features specialists of this repertory such as Éric Huchet and Loïc Félix, but also opera singers more unexpected in this context – including Véronique Gens – who audibly delight in letting their hair down in such joyful company, ably supported by the talents of the Orchestre National de France and the Choeur de Radio France.
The sheer scope of Jacques Offenbach’s output is striking, encompassing about 100 operettas and comic operas, as well as various other works. Maître Péronilla was composed in 1878, just three years before Offenbach’s death, and with new trends of comic opera in the air. Yet he finished five more before the end, and there is absolutely no flagging of inspiration evident; the opera is full of tunes that will leave the listener humming. Maître Péronilla, which apparently receives its world recorded premiere here, was termed an opera bouffe; the generic designations for Offenbach’s works had fuzzy boundaries, but this is a bit more expansive than many of the works called operettas, with three acts, plenty of irresistible choruses, and a large cast conveying a variety of musical styles.
The Spanish-flavored, unwanted-marriage-based plot serves as a vehicle for this parade of styles, and the action is expertly handled, propelling the action forward even as the performers here take all the dialogue passages. Consider the Act II Entr’acte, which will have listeners on the edge of their seats, wanting the story to resume. This live recording from 2019 was a production of the Bru Zane Center, a specialist group that seeks out neglected French works, but it has some star power, with soprano Véronique Gens as the bride-to-be’s unmarried older sister, and the Orchestre National de France kept nicely in check by conductor Markus Poschner. The cast works well as an ensemble; there are no weak voices, and the pacing is superb. This is, in short, a real find, and one that will leave the listener amazed anew at Offenbach’s inexhaustible melodic invention. Even Arthur Sullivan tended to run out of ideas after a while, and he only wrote 14 operettas.