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Overview

Synopsis

Orphée and his wife Eurydice have grown apart. Orphée’s love of his violin, and of a local shepherd girl, have pulled him away from his wife, and she has sought companionship with the young Aristée, a shepherd who lives next door. However, all is not as it seems. Aristée is actually Pluton, the god of the underworld, in disguise. He has plans to take Eurydice back to the underworld to be his wife, and when she gets bitten by a snake he fakes her death and takes her with him. Orphée rejoices that he is rid of Eurydice, until L’Opinion Publique puts him straight; it is not appropriate to be happy that his wife has been stolen by the god of the underworld, he must go to the underworld to fetch her back.

Meanwhile, the gods on Olympus hear that a mortal woman has been stolen from her husband by a god, and all blame Jupiter. To set the story straight, and with every intention of ensuring that husband and wife are reunited, he takes all of the gods on a day trip to the underworld, where he is transformed into a fly to find and rescue Eurydice. She has quite forgotten about her husband, and agrees to escape with Jupiter, until Pluton spoils their plans. Jupiter lets Eurydice return to Earth with her husband, with one condition: he must not look back at her on their journey out. As they walk, Jupiter sends a lightning bolt at Orphée, and he turns around. Instantly Eurydice disappears. Jupiter has decided neither he nor Pluton can have her, and he transforms Eurydice into a bacchante.

Made infamous by it’s risque Galop Infernal, more commonly known as Offenbach’s Can-can’, this hilarious farce loosely disguises an important satirical commentary on French society. It remains popular with audiences today for its excellent melodies, and timeless humor.

Show Information

Music
Jacques Offenbach
Libretto
Ludovic Halevy , Hector-Jonathon Crémieux
Category
Opera
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
4
First Produced
1858
Genres
Comedy, Fairy Tale/Fantasy
Settings
Period, Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Mythological, The Underworld, Ancient Greece, Olympus
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Medium
Dancing
Musical Staging
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
Professional Opera, College/University, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen, Elderly Characters, Large Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Pluton / Aristée

Lead

Male

Tenor

Jupiter

Lead

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Orphée

Lead

Male

Tenor

Eurydice

Lead

Female

Soprano

John Styx

Supporting

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Mercure

Supporting

Male

Tenor

Diane

Supporting

Female

Soprano

L’Opinion Publique

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Venus

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Cupidon

Supporting

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Treble/Boy Soprano

Junon

Supporting

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano

Minerve

Featured

Female

Soprano

Morphèe

Featured

Male

Tenor

Cybèle

Featured

Female

Soprano

Pomone

Featured

Female

Soprano

Flore

Featured

Female

Soprano

Cérès

Featured

Female

Soprano

Amour

Featured

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Minos

Featured

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Éaque

Featured

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Rhadamante

Featured

Male

Bass

Bacchus

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Mars

Featured

Male

Bass, Baritone

Cerbère

Featured

Either Gender

Non-singer

Chorus

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto

Songs

There are two versions of this opera which are both still regularly performed, and often combined. Please refer to the Context section for more information. A breakdown of both editions is given below.

1858 2-Act Version

Overture

Act 1

Scene 1

Scene 2

  • Entr’acte

  • Choeur du sommeil "Dormons, dormons" – Chorus

  • ‘Je suis Cupidon’ – Cupidon, Vénus

  • ‘Par Saturne, quel est ce bruit’ - Jupiter, Chorus

  • ‘Quand Diane descend dans la plaine’ - Diane, Chorus

  • ‘Aux armes, dieux et demi-dieux!’ - Diane, Vénus, Cupidon, Jupiter, Pluton, Chorus

  • Rondeau des métamorphoses ‘Pour séduire Alcmène la fière’ - Diane, Cupidon, Vénus and Chorus

  • ‘Il approche! Il s'avance!’ - Pluton, Les dieux, L'Opinion publique, Jupiter, Orphée, Mercure, Cupidon, Diane, Vénus

  • ‘Gloire! gloire à Jupiter ... Partons, partons’ Pluton, Les dieux, L'Opinion publique, Orphée, Jupiter, Mercure, Vénus, Cupidon, Diane

Act 2

Scene 1

  • Entr’acte

  • ‘Quand j'étais roi de Béotie’ - John Styx

  • Duo de la mouche ‘Il m'a semblé sur mon épaule’ - Eurydice, Jupiter

  • Finale ‘Bel insecte à l'aile dorée’ - Eurydice, Pluton, John Styx

Scene 2

  • Entr’acte

  • ‘Vive le vin! Vive Pluton!’ – Chorus

  • ‘Allons ! ma belle bacchante’ - Cupidon

  • ‘J'ai vu le Dieu Bacchus’ - Eurydice, Diane, Vénus, Cupidon, Chorus

  • Menuet et Galop ‘Maintenant, je veux, moi qui suis mince et fluet … Ce bal est original, d'un galop infernal’ - Tutti

  • Finale ‘Ne regarde pas en arrière’ - L'Opinion publique, Jupiter, Les dieux, Orphée, Eurydice

1878 4-Act Version

Overture

Act 1

  • Choeur des bergers ‘Voici la douzième heure’ - Chorus

  • ‘Conseil municipal de la ville de Thèbes’ - Chorus

  • ‘Qui je suis?’ - L’Opinion publique

  • Couplets du berger joli ‘La femme dont le coeur reve’ - Eurydice

  • Duet ‘Ah! C’est ainsi!’ - Orphée, Eurydice

  • Ballet Pastoral

  • ‘Moi, je suis Aristée’ - Aristée

  • ‘La mort m'apparaît souriante’ - Eurydice, Aristée

  • ‘Libre! O bonheur’ - Orphée, Chorus

  • ‘C’est l’Opinion publique’ - L’Opinion publique, Orphée, Chorus

  • Valse des petits violonistes ‘Adieu maestro’ - Orphée, Chorus

  • ‘Viens! C’est l’honneur qui t’appelle!’ - L’Opinion publique, Orphée, Chorus

Act 2

  • Entr’acte

  • Choeur du sommeil ‘Dormons, dormons’ – Chorus

  • ‘Je suis Vénus’ – Cupidon, Vénus, Mars

  • Divertissement des songes et des heures ‘Tzing, tzing tzing’ - Morphée, Chorus

  • ‘Par Saturne, quel est ce bruit’ - Jupiter, Chorus

  • ‘Quand Diane descend dans la plaine’ - Diane, Chorus

  • ‘Eh hop! eh hop! place à Mercure’ - Mercure, Junon, Jupiter

  • Air en prose de Pluton ‘Comme il me regarde! - Pluton

  • ‘Aux armes, dieux et demi-dieux!’ - Diane, Vénus, Cupidon, Jupiter, Pluton, Chorus

  • Rondeau des métamorphoses ‘Pour séduire Alcmène la fière’ - Diane, Minerve, Cybèle, Pomone, Vénus, Flore, Cérès, Chorus

  • ‘Il approche! Il s'avance!’ - Pluton, Les dieux, L'Opinion publique, Jupiter, Orphée, Mercure, Cupidon, Diane, Vénus

  • ‘Gloire! gloire à Jupiter ... Partons, partons’ Pluton, Les dieux, L'Opinion publique, Orphée, Jupiter, Mercure, Vénus, Cupidon, Diane

Act 3

  • Entr’acte

  • ‘Ah! quelle triste destinée!’ - Eurydice

  • ‘Quand j'étais roi de Béotie’ - John Styx

  • ‘Minos, Eaque et Rhadamante’ - Minos, Eaque, Rhadamante, Bailiff, Cerbère

  • ‘Nez au vent, oeil au guet’ - Policemen

  • ‘Allons, mes fins limiers’ - Cupidon, Policemen

  • Cupidon’s Couplets ‘Pour attirer de fond de sa retraite’

  • ‘Le beau bourdon que voilà’ - Policemen

  • Duo de la mouche ‘Il m'a semblé sur mon épaule’ - Eurydice, Jupiter

  • Finale ‘Bel insecte à l'aile dorée’ - Pluton, John Styx, Les Enfants, Cupidon

Act 4

  • Entr’acte

  • ‘Vive le vin! Vive Pluton!’ – Chorus

  • ‘Allons ! ma belle bacchante’ - Cupidon

  • ‘J'ai vu le Dieu Bacchus’ - Eurydice, Diane, Vénus, Cupidon, Chorus

  • Menuet et Galop ‘Maintenant, je veux, moi qui suis mince et fluet … Ce bal est original, d'un galop infernal’ - Tutti

  • Finale ‘Ne regarde pas en arrière’ - L'Opinion publique, Jupiter, Les dieux, Orphée, Eurydice

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

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Guide Written By:

Wendy Silvester

Wendy Silvester

Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.