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Overview

Synopsis

Offenbach’s comic retelling of how the Trojan war began treats the legend with more than a pinch of salt. The ridiculous plot follows Paris’s wooing of the beautiful Helene. She has been promised to him by the goddess Venus, despite being married to King Menelaus. Disguised as a shepherd, Paris steals her heart with his good looks and intelligence, by winning a contest of wits. Disguised as a slave he gains access to her bedroom and steals a kiss while she believes herself to be dreaming. Then finally, disguised as the High Priest of Venus, he steals Helene herself, with her husband cheering them on. He takes her off to Troy and thus begins the Trojan war.

The often anachronistic humor and down-to-earth characters really bring this story alive, and Offenbach’s frothy score keeps audiences bouncing along right to the very end.

Show Information

Music
Jacques Offenbach
Libretto
Ludovic Halevy , Henri Meilhac
Category
Opera
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1864
Genres
Comedy, Parody, Historical/Biographical
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Sparta, before the Trojan War, Ancient Times
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
Some Dance
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
Professional Opera, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Early Teen, Late Teen, Elderly Characters, Large Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Paris

Lead

Male

Tenor

Calchas

Lead

Male

Bass

Helene

Lead

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano

Menelaus

Supporting

Male

Tenor

Agamemnnon

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Ajax I

Supporting

Male

Tenor

Ajax II

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Oreste

Supporting

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Tenor

Loena

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Parthenis

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Bacchis

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Achilles

Featured

Male

Tenor

Philocome

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Euthycles

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Chorus

Ensemble

Either Gender

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

Songs

Act One

  • Introduction
  • No. 1a Chorus ‘Vers tes autels, Jupin’
  • No. 1b Chorus of the Young Girls ‘C’est le devoir des jeunes filles’ - Hélène, Chorus
  • No. 2 Aria ‘Amours divines, ardentes flammes’ - Helene, Chorus
  • No. 3 Couplets ‘Au cabaret du labyrinthe’ - Oreste, Calchas, Parthenis, Loena, Chorus
  • No. 3b Exit of Oreste ‘Tzing la la’ - Oreste, Chorus
  • No. 4 Melodrama and Dialogue ‘Quoi?’ - Calchas, Paris
  • No. 5 Melodrama and Dialogue ‘Homme de vingt ans’ - Calchas, Paris
  • No. 6 The Judgement of Paris ‘Au mont Ida’ - Paris
  • No. 7a March ‘Voici les Roise de la Grèce’ - Chorus
  • No. 7b Couplets of the Kings ‘Ves Roise remplis de vaillance’ - Ajax I, Ajax II, Oreste, Calcas, Chorus, Achille, Menelaus Agamemnon
  • No. 8 Finale ‘Gloire, gloire!’ - Oreste, Parthenis, Loena, Menelaus, Achille, Ajax I, Ajax II, Agamemnon, Calchas, Chorus, Paris, Helen

Act Two

  • No. 9 Entr’acte
  • No. 10 Chorus ‘O Reine, en ce jour’ - Helene, Bacchis, Chorus
  • No. 11 Invocation to Venus ‘On me nomme Helene la blonde’ - Helene
  • No. 12 March of the Goose ‘Le voici, le Roi des Rois’ - Helene, Bacchis, Oreste, Achille, Ajax I, Ajax II, Agamemnon, Calchas
  • No. 13 Scene and game of the goose ‘Vous le voyez, j’ai trois’ - Helene, Baccis, Oreste, Achille, Ajax I, Ajax II, Agamemnon, Calchas
  • No. 14 Couplet ‘En couronnes tressons les roses’ - Oreste, Chorus
  • No. 15 Duet of Dreams ‘C’est le Ciel qui m’envoie’ - Helene, Paris
  • No. 16a Final ‘A moi, Roise de la Grèce’ - Helene, Oreste, Bacchis, Paris, Menelaus, Achille, Ajax I, Ajax II, Agamemnon, Calchas, Chorus
  • No. 16b Couplets ‘Un mari sage’- Helene, Oreste, Bacchis, Paris, Menelaus, Achille, Ajax I, Ajax II, Agamemnon, Calchas, Chorus

Act Three

  • No. 17 Entr’act
  • No. 18a Chorus ‘Dansons, aimons’ - Chorus, Oreste
  • No. 18b Rondo ‘Venus, au fond de nos ames’ - Oreste, Partheins, Loena, Achille, Chorus
  • No. 19 Couplets ‘La vrai! Je ne suis pas’ - Helene
  • No. 20 Patriotic Trio ‘Lorsque la Grece’ - Menelaus, Agamemnon, Calchas
  • No. 21a Chorus ‘La galere de Cythere’ - Chorus
  • No. 21b Tyrolese with Choir ‘Et tout d’abord, o vile multitude’ - Paris, Oreste, Parthenis, Loena, Menelaus, Achille, Ajax I, Ajax II, Agamemnon, Calchas, Chorus
  • No. 22 Finale ‘Elle vient, c’est elle’ - Oreste, Parthenis, Loena, Achille, Paris, Ajax I, Ajax II, Agamemnon, Calchas, Helene

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.

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Guide Written By:

Wendy Silvester

Wendy Silvester

Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.