L'amour masqué explained

L'amour masqué
Composer:André Messager
Librettist:Sacha Guitry
Language:French
Premiere Location:Théâtre Édouard VII, Paris

L'amour masqué is a comédie musicale in three acts with music by André Messager and a French libretto by Sacha Guitry, based on the work by Ivan Caryll.[1] It was originally to be called J'ai deux amants – the title of a song for Elle in act 1. Messager's orchestration, on a smaller-scale than usual, was necessitated by the size of the pit at the Théâtre Édouard VII, and modelled on the pit bands which played for silent films of the time.[2]

Performance history

L'amour masqué was first performed at the Théâtre Édouard VII, Paris, on 15 February 1923. It was later revived in Lyon, in Paris in 1970 (with Jean Marais and Florence Raynal), and at the Opéra-Comique in 2004.

Roles

RoleVoice typePremiere cast,[3]
29 September 1928
(Conductor: André Messager)
Lui spoken roleSacha Guitry
Le baronbaritoneAndré Urban
L'interprètebaritoneLouis Maurel[4]
Un monsieurbaritoneHenry Garat
Le Maharadjah de HounkbaritonePierre Darmant[5]
Elle sopranoYvonne Printemps
Première servantesopranoMarthe Ferrare
Deuxième servante sopranoMarie Dubas
Une dame sopranoReine Bernede
Une dame sopranoSuzanne Duplessis
Une damesopranoDuval

Synopsis

Paris, early 1900s

Act 1

Elle, charming and beautiful, is about to celebrate her twentieth birthday; she is not in love with her two rich suitors, the Baron Agnot and the Maharadjah, but takes advantage of their generosity. Her heart has been won by a young man – Lui – whose portrait she had found at a photographers. The baron, whose wife is unfaithful, would marry her, but Elle puts him off. The Maharadjah asks her to hold a ball.Finally, Lui comes to retrieve the photograph; as he not that young, he makes her believe that the photo is his son, as whom he will appear, in disguise, at the ball to which Elle invites him.

Act 2

The masked ball. Elle's two servants are dressed identically, disguised as Elle (but with a distinctive item which distinguishes them for their mistress) when they go off with her suitors, the Baron and the Maharadjah. The eight other guests (four women and four men) also pair off. Lui arrives, masked; Elle will give way to the man whom she takes to be the son of her morning visitor.

Act 3

Everyone – including Elle and Lui – appears to have taken advantage of the night. Lui reappears, with his mask, not sure how he may sort out the situation and reveal his trick. He brings a farewell letter from his son, but Elle, in sadness, does not open it. However, a prick of a rose thorn, from the previous night, makes Elle realise the identity of her lover. Despite the age difference, she does not worry about one who seemed so young in the intimacy of the night – she has two lovers in the same person: the father and son.

Recordings

Notes and References

  1. Wagstaff J. "André Messager". In: The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Macmillan, London and New York, 1997.
  2. Traubner R. Operetta: a Theatrical History. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1983.
  3. http://comedie-musicale.jgana.fr/index.htm L'encyclopédie multimedia de la comédie musicale théâtrale en France (1918–1940)
  4. According to Amadeus Almanac, this role was sung by Pierre Darmant.
  5. According to Amadeus Almanac, this role was sung by Louis Maurel.
  6. Morin P. Hommage à André Messager. Notes for Cascavelle CD Vel 3074, 2003.
  7. Web site: L'Amour Masqué .