Le voyage dans la lune (operetta)

"Le voyage dans la Lune" ("A Trip to the Moon") is a "opéra-féerie" in four acts and 23 scenes by Jacques Offenbach. Loosely based on the novel "From the Earth to the Moon" by Jules Verne, its French libretto was by Albert Vanloo, Eugène Leterrier and Arnold Mortier.

It premiered on 26 October 1875 at the Théâtre de la Gaîté. The production was revived at the Théâtre du Châtelet, on 31 March 1877.

History

Genesis

The idea for the work was presented to Jacques Offenbach since he was head (directeur) of the Théâtre de la Gaîté, but due to the importance of raising the necessary money he did not take up the project. It was Albert Vizentini, the new directeur of la Gaîté, who took up the offer, and so Offenbach only intervened in the work as a musician. ["Sur le plateau, souvenirs d'un librettiste", Albert Vanloo, librairie Ollendorff, s. d. cited in "Jacques Offenbach", Jean-Claude Yon, Editions Gallimard 2000]

Albert Vanloo and Eugène Leterrier, in association with Arnold Mortier, columnist at Figaro, wrote the libretto. They were relying on the success of the novels of Jules Verne (another, the novel "Le Tour du monde en quatre-vingt jours", had been adapted for the stage at the Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin by Verne himself in 1874) and the public taste for great spectacles.

A few days after the premiere of "Voyage dans la Lune", Jules Verne complained to the editor of its similarities to his work : "Two days after the first production of Voyage à la lune " [sic] " the loans to the authors from "From the Earth to the Moon" as the point of departure and from "Centre of the Earth" as the dénouement seem to me incontestable." [BNF, Département des Manuscrits, N.A.Fr.17.004, ff 278-280 cited in "Jacques Offenbach", Jean-Claude Yon, Editions Gallimard 2000] . This affair does not seem to have continued, or may have been settled amicably. In 1877, Jacques Offenbach based "Le Docteur Ox" on another Jules Verne novel, with his agreement.

Production

[SIC : "Le Tour du Monde en Quatre-Vingts Jours"] , but which will be marked." [The Times – N° 28,457 – Wednesday, October 27, 1875.]

No expense had been spared on the scenery - the 24 majestic sets by Messrs. Cornil, Fromont and Cheret replicated places (such as the Observatory of Paris, a high-furnace, a lunar passage or a volcano) and created original architectural conceits (such as a glass palace or mother-of-pearl galleries). The use of "trucs", trap-doors and artifices accentuated the surprise-effects on the spectators. The producers even borrowed a dromedary from the Jardin d'Acclimatation. The 673 costumes were designed by Alfred Grévin, the two ballets choreographed by M. Justament. The principal roles were taken by Zulma Bouffar (in the principal boy role of Prince Caprice - reviews stated she "sang with esprit and acted with inteligence and finesse" [Le Figaro, 28 October 1875, Courrier des Théâtres] ), Christian (Vlan), Pierre Grivot (Microscope), Tissier (Cosmos) et Mlle Marcus (Fantasia). At the première, the "Ronde des Charlatans", interpreted by Zulma Bouffar and Christian, won an encore.

The success of the show, whose première raised 3,898 francs, led to the theatre's receipts passing 10,018 francs with its seventh performance [Le Figaro, 3 November 1875, Courrier des Théâtres] . "Le Voyage dans la Lune" left its mark on the year in which it first appeared : 7 Parisian winter revues 1875-1876 made reference to it ("Voyage de la Lune à Paris", "Mme Angot dans la Lune", "Le Voyage du Soleil", "Les Voyageurs pour Belleville", "Les Voyageurs pour la Lune", "Allons voir la Lune, mon gars !", "La Lune à Paris"). [Le Figaro, 3 February 1876, Courrier des Théâtres]

The rôle of "Caprice" was portrayed by Mme Peschard from 16 December 1875 until 16 February 1876, since Zulma Bouffar had to honour a two-month engagement at Saint Petersburg. From 28 February 1876, the rôle of "Popotte" returned to Thérésa. For her, Jacques Offenbach enriched the score for the 4 airs. Le Figaro noted : "Thérésa and her songs produced a great effect. There were two especially, in the third act, that she detailed with an exquisite finesse and art." [Le Figaro, 29 February 1876, La Soirée Théâtrale]

"Le Voyage dans la Lune" was also put on in London, at the Alhambra Theatre, on 15 April 1876, and at Vienna, at the Theater an der Wien, on 16 April 1876 [Le Figaro, 19 April 1876, Courrier des Théâtres] .

The last performance at the Théâtre de la Gaîté occurred on 25 April 1876 after 185 performances and 965,000 francs in ticket receipts [Le Figaro, 26 April 1876, Courrier des Théâtres] .

Revival

The work was revived at the Théâtre du Châtelet from 31 March 1877 onwards [Le Figaro, 1 April 1877, La Soirée Théâtrale] with most of the original cast. After two months, with ticket-receipts of 226,457 francs, the last night was fixed for 31 May 1877 [Le Figaro, 2 June 1877, La Soirée Théâtrale] , with its 247th performance.

Roles

ynopsis

Act I

1st scene – Prince Caprice. On some part of the Earth, on a large square in the capital, king Vlan is preparing a festival in honour of his son, prince Caprice, who has returned from a long journey undertaken for his education. On Caprice's arrival, king Vlan cedes him the crown, but Caprice refuses it, not wanting to govern or to marry but instead to have liberty, movement, air, space... The moon, then rising, gives him an idea for his next destination. He thus asks his father to get him to this unknown and unexplored place. Vlan gives in and asks Microscope, the kingdom's greatest scholar, to find a way of getting there. Microscope replies that this mission regards the Observatory.

2nd scene – At the Observatory. Questioned, the astronomers do not reply and demand a commission. Furious at this evasion, Caprice crosses them off and proposes to do the same to Microscope if he does not find a way to the moon. Microscope arranges that they meet 8 days later in his forge, and says he will find a way to the moon in the interim.

3rd scene – At the forge. The forge-workers finish their work when Vlan and Caprice arrive 8 days later. Microscope unveils his means of getting to the moon : a shell launched by a cannon. Due to the probability that the mission will go wrong, Microscope is forced to accompany Caprice. Vlan accedes to his son's insistent demands and also joins them on the trip.

4th scene – The departure. Vlan, Caprice and Microscope get into the shell. The artillery-men light the fuse and, with a huge detonation, the shell hurtles towards the moon.

Act II

5th scene – The moon. Hearing mysterious voices, we see a town with strange architecture.

6th scene – The arrival. The "sélénites" (moon-dwellers) fearfully observe a black point in the sky, and one asks another if it may be something sent by the "terriens" (Earth-people) to exterminate them. Cosmos, king of the moon, and his counsellor Cactus calm their people - science has proved that the Earth is uninhabited. With a horrendous crash, the shell crash-lands on a house and Vlan, Caprice and Microscope get out, as the "sélénites" hide. The 3 men get observe what seem a desolate planet, and their mood blackens, since only apples remain for provisions. Some "sélénites" get up, and Cosmos reappears to ask the "terriens" where they have come from. Their insolent reply makes him condemn them to prison, but Cosmos's wife Popotte and daughter Fantasia arrive. It is Fantasia's birthday, and she asks her father to take pity on the prisoners and free them as her birthday present. Cosmos accepts and proposes that the "terriens" visit his palace.

7th scene – The glass palace. Cosmos and Cactus show Vlan, Caprice and Microscope the moon's civil service. On the moon, working for the king is not a happy job and if there are no candidates the fattest person is picked.

8th scene – The mother-of-pearl galleries. Caprice courts Fantasia, but she does not understand, not knowing what love is, since it does not exist on the moon other than as a disease - when one wants to have a child, one asks oneself if there an area of commerce in which it can prosper.

9th scene – The park. Caprice, despairing of princess Fantasia and her inability to love him, eats an apple. The princess, astonished by his absence, foes to look for him. Attracted by this fruit (unknown to her), she tastes it. Calling it a "charming gift that she formerly ate on the Earth", she immediately falls in love with Caprice, sending the palace into an uproar.

10th scene – The roaming shadows.

11th scene – Cosmos's gardens. "Grand ballet of the Chimères."

Act III

12th scene – The consultation. The kingdom's doctors examine Fantasia, shut up in her chamber, mad with love. She escapes and finds Caprice. To save her, Caprice suggests making Cosmos amorous by giving him an apple-based drink. Due to her incurable sickness of love, Cosmos proposes to sell Fantasia, as is the habit on the moon when a woman ceases to please. Caprice promises Fantasia that he will buy her.

13th scene – The women market. On the moon, the women market is the equivalent of the stock-market. Microscope is charged by Caprice with buying the princess and, visiting Quipasseparla ("Who Goes There", king of the stock-market), he negotiates with him just in case the 'stock-price' goes up. Quipasseparla does not accept and is intoxicated to prevent him from participating in the sale. Vlan and Caprice arrive, dressed as charlatans. They suggest an elixir that will, among other things, slim down fat people. This elixir is very precious, and only a king is worthy of it, so Cosmos is its happy beneficiary. Cosmos tastes it and panics, believing himself poisoned - in fact, they have made him discover alcohol. Quipasseparla wins Fantasia at the sale.

14th scene – The land of the paunchy. Quipasseparla and his harem arrive in the land of the paunchy where they stop at an inn. Microscope arrives, followed by Popotte, who is in turn by Cosmos, who has fallen madly in love with her. Popotte does not return his love and so he had made her drink the elixir that will make her fall in love, but Microscope happens to be passing at that moment and she has instead fallen in love with him! Vlan and Caprice arrive in search of Fantasia. Vlan stops for dinner, whilst Caprice finds Fantasia again and flees with her. Furious at being in love and at being trumped by his wife, Cosmos arrives... The inn goes mad, Vlan and Microscope are unmasked despite their fake paunches. The royal guards go in pursuit of Caprice and Fantasia and bring them back. Quipasseparla renounces the princess. Winter immediately follows summer in this country and so they only get back to the capital under the snow. [The "Scène de la vente" in the third act parodies the number of the same name in the opéra-comique "La dame blanche", written in 1825 by Boieldieu : Source - "Jacques Offenbach", Jean-Claude Yon, Editions Gallimard 2000]

15th scene – 50 degrees below zero. "Grand ballet of the snowflakes."

Act IV

16th scene – The imprisonment of the apple-bearers. The moon-women discover love, but king Cosmos does not hear of it. Vlan, Caprice and Microscope are brought before a court and condemned "to pass five years inside an extinct volcano, where they will be wholly deprived of any kind of nourishment".

17th scene – The glacier. Brought to the top of the volcano, they take their places in a basket with Cosmos to be lowered into the crater.

18th scene – The crater. Arriving at the bottom, Popotte cuts the cord, reproaching her husband for want to cause Microscope to perish. Fantasia is found to have stowed away in the basket, wanting to die with Caprice. In this desperate situation, Cosmos promises the prisoners their liberty if they can find a way out.

19th scene – The interior of the volcano. They search for a way out amidst rumbles and detonations. The volcano begins to erupt.

20th scene – The eruption.

21st scene – The rain of ash.

22nd scene – The volcano's summit after the eruption. Caprice, Fantasia, Cosmos and Vlan laying on the ground, having fainted. Microscope has hidden in a crevice, and wakes them. Popotte rushes to them - they are saved.

23rd scene – Le clair de terre. (The earth-light - a pun on Clair de lune)

Musical numbers

Discography

No recording is commercially available of "Voyage dans la Lune" in its entirety, though extacts are available on :
* Entre Nous : Celebrating Offenbach - David Parry - Opera Music 2007 ("Ouverture, Ariette de la Princesse, Final de la neige, Ronde des Charlatans")
* Offenbach Romantique - Marc Minkowski - Archiv Produktion 2006 ("Ballet des Flocons de neige")
* Can Can - Antonio de Almeida - Philips 1987 ("Ouverture, Ballet des Flocons de neige")

Notes and references

Libretto

* [http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Le_Voyage_dans_la_Lune Le Voyage dans la Lune] (French Wikisource)