André MESSAGER (1853-1929)
Passionnément, comédie musicale in 3 acts, (premiere Paris 1926)
(1926 Éditions Salabert)
Libretto by Maurice Hennequin with Lyrics by Albert Willemetz
Cast: Véronique Gens, Étienne Dupuis, Nicole Car, Éric Huchet,
Chantal Santon Jeffery, Armando Noguera
Münchner Rundfunkorchester/Stefan Blunier
rec. live concert performances, December 2020 Prinzregententheater, Munich
Cast, track listing and book contents at end of review
Full libretto and synopsis – Bilingual edition (English and French)
Opéra français – CD-book series of Bru Zane, Volume 28
BRU ZANE BZ1044 [77:03]
In 1926, after attending an early performance of the comédie musicale André Messager’s Passionnément (Passionately), music critic Henri Malherbe was so elated he wrote in Le Temps that Messager ‘seems to live in an enchanted world, from which sadness and fatigue are banished.’ Bru Zane has now released this world premiere recording of Passionnément produced from live concert performances in the Prinzregententheater, Munich. This recent revival confirms that Passionnément still has the ability to charm and entertain today as it did when it was first heard by Parisian audiences almost a hundred years ago. On this recording the extensive spoken dialogue of the libretto has been left out, leaving just the sung text. To help appreciate the skilful storyline in the context of the performance, all that spoken dialogue is provided in its place in the book.
Beginning in 1876 with his opérette – Les Païens, over the next fifty years Messager wrote some thirty stage works in styles that included opérette, musique de scene, comédie musicale, comédie lyrique and opéra comique plus nine ballets. In 2019 I reviewed Messager’s opérette – Les P'tites Michu, a delightful production which formed part of the Bru Zane ‘French Opera’ series and was recorded live.
Passionnément is a late work, written towards the end of Messager’s career when there were only two more stage works to come, Deburau and Coups de roulis. With this work, Messager, a master of the lighter forms, was maintaining the traditions of the opéra bouffe and opérette’. Messager set the accomplished libretto by Maurice Hennequin and the lyrics by Albert Willemetz, who initiated the project, with enticingly melodic enchantment. Premiered in 1926 at the Théâtre de la Michodière at Paris, Passionnément was a dazzling success.
As a playwright, Hennequin earned an impressive reputation chiefly with comedies and vaudevilles. His astute libretto to Passionnément concerns ‘morals and characters, in which appearances and prejudices are unmasked’. It is set in the era of the Années folles (Crazy Years) or the Roaring Twenties; we have a crooked American tycoon who is teetotal, a love-tryst pivotal to the plot, an inheritance of oil-rich land, distrust and deception, a woman in disguise, confiding in others, warning signs of dishonesty, visits to a casino, drinking French champagne which completely changes the tycoon’s personality, and a happy ending.
This richly ebullient score just breezes along thanks to the talented and mainly French roster of soloists and the expertise of conductor Stefan Blunier. Pared down for these performances to a modest twenty-four musicians, typical for a theatre production, the Münchner Rundfunkorchester demonstrates its versatility, playing with incontestable enthusiasm and prowess.
Heading the cast is Véronique Gens, a distinguished performer who has featured in a broad range of stage works notably with French Grand Opéra. Having reviewed several of Gens’ albums with relish, I would single out
Visions (review) a collection of French romantic arias for special praise. Gens has the leading role of Ketty, an American, former music-hall star who is in love with Robert, yet is married to William Stevenson, the non-drinking tycoon. Distrustful of Frenchmen, Stevenson demands that Ketty adopts the disguise of a white-haired old woman called Margaret in order to avoid attention. Gens sings beautifully, displaying her artistry and providing the subtleties to capture each mood. Standing out is Ketty’s Act III aria Ah! pourquoi vraiment les bons moments passent-ils si vite (Why does one night of love pass so quickly) as she reflects fondly on her night of passion with Robert.
The only male cast member I have encountered previously is baritone Étienne Dupuis, who sings André Thorel in the 2013 Bru Zane release of Massenet’s opera
Thérèse (1907 -
review). Here, Dupuis takes the role of charming young Frenchman Robert Perceval who has inherited land in Colorado. Undoubtedly the best-known aria from Passionnément is the act two waltz-song where Robert is missing being with Ketty (Margaret) and is anxious that his love for her should be reciprocated. Clearly savouring the celebrated waltz-song, Dupuis sings with warmth, successfully creating an entirely captivating mood.
Soprano Nicole Car is cast as Ketty’s mischievous maid Julia who has dreams of having a comfortable bourgeois life. I enjoy hearing Car’s flirtatiousness with the innuendo-laden texts to Julia’s Act I couplets L’amour est un oiseau rebelle (Love is a rebellious bird) yet I wonder if it might have been slightly bawdier. In Julia’s Act II couplets Moi, toute la vie je me la représente (I see the whole of life) she expounds to Ketty how she sees life as a department store and snaps up every bargain she can. This is an effective characterisation by Car who is well suited to the role and seems to relish every note.
Éric Huchet has the tenor role of abstemious millionaire William Stevenson who is married to Ketty. This dodgy American tycoon is out to swindle Robert by under-valuing his land which, unknown to him, is oil-filled. Although in favour of prohibition and ‘on the wagon’, Stevenson succumbs to champagne at the casino. Now inebriated, Stevenson undergoes a radical personality change, becoming honest and considerate, also agreeing to grant Ketty a divorce to marry Robert. Huchet comes over best with Stevenson’s Act III couplets Julia, il me semble (Julia, it seems to me) where the tycoon is on cloud nine following his personality transformation. Declaring how alcohol makes life beautiful, Stevenson is now looking to hook up with the maid Julia. A lyric tenor, Huchet’s distinctive and mature voice proves striking in this lighter music. It’s easy to imagine Huchet on stage throwing himself into the role of Stevenson, for which he sounds ideal.
In fine voice, too, is Chantal Santon Jeffery, a soprano who is now gaining the acclaim she deserves. Worthy of admiration is her album of French late-baroque arias
Brillez, astres nouveaux! (review). Jeffery sings the small part of Hélène, Robert’s resentful mistress, and her couplets from Act I, Pour sortir, en toute saison (For going out in any season) prove most enjoyable. With her light and attractive tone, Jeffrey delightfully exhibits her splendid diction as she expounds with humour on how a woman can always find a reason for going out shopping. Baritone Armando Noguera has the small role of Harris, captain of Stevenson’s yacht the Arabella. He doesn’t have an aria but forms part of the ensemble numbers.
This revival of Passionnément was recorded live during concert performances in 2020 at the Prinzregententheater, Munich and broadcast live on BR- Klassik radio. From what I understand to be a tricky live acoustic, the sound engineers have achieved successful results. Although it is live, I can detect only very minor stage noise and no applause has been retained. As usual, the book is a bilingual edition (English and French) and it’s hard to find fault with such detailed and extensive notes. Included is the complete libretto both sung and spoken, a synopsis and five interesting and helpful booklet essays.
Bringing its ‘French opera’ series up to volume 28, Bru Zane’s release of Messager’s feelgood musical comedy Passionnément receives my wholehearted endorsement.
Michael Cookson
Performers & Roles
Éric Huchet (tenor) – William Stevenson (American millionaire)
Véronique Gens (soprano) – Ketty Stevenson (his wife - former music-hall star)
Nicole Car (soprano) – Julia (their maid)
Étienne Dupuis (baritone) – Robert Perceval (young Frenchman the lover of Hélène)
Chantal Santon Jeffery (soprano) – Hélène Le Barrois (Robert’s mistress)
Armando Noguera (baritone) – Captain Harris (captain of the Arabella)
Book Contents (in French & English)
Alexandre Dratwicki – Drama and... passion
Christophe Mirambeau – A few remarks about ‘Passionnément’
Roland-Manuel – André Messager
André Lénéka – The true tradition of the French school
Georges de Wissant – Albert Willemetz at work
Synopsis
Full Libretto
Track List
Act 1
On board Stevenson’s yacht the Arabella sailing to France and approaching Normandy.
1. Introduction: Terre, terre droit devant nous! (Ketty, Julia, Stevenson, Harris)
2. Légende: Quand l’Éternel, au Paradis (Ketty)
3. Duo: Il ne faut pas croire aux serments des femmes (Ketty, Stevenson)
4. Couplets: Si l’Amérique est le plus grand pays du monde (Stevenson)
5. Couplets: L’amour est un oiseau rebelle (Julia)
6. Couplets: Pour sortir, en toute saison (Hélène)
7. Trio: Dès que l’âge sème sur nous des fils d’argent (Ketty, Julia, Robert)
8. Finale: Dites-vous que c’était un rêve (Ketty, Robert)
Act 2
In France at Robert house the Villa des Roses.
An elegant salon in Robert’s house the Villa des Roses
9. Trio et Couplets: Non! je n’ai pas souvenance (Ketty, Robert, Stevenson)
10. Couplets: Ah! Madame, j’ai comme un pressentiment (Hélène)
11. Duetto: Je lui ai dit (Ketty, Robert)
12. Ensemble et Chanson: Nous apportons vos valises (Ketty, Julia, Stevenson, Robert, Harris)
13. Couplets: Moi, toute la vie, je me la représente (Julia)
14. Duetto: Voulez-vous bien signer ces pièces (Stevenson, Robert)
15. Valse: Puisqu’elle ne peut elle-même (Julia, Robert)
16. Finale: Non, non, vous n’irez pas là-bas (Ketty, Julia, Robert, Harris)
Act 3
Set, as act 2.
17. Entracte
18. Couplets: J’ai lu, dans la Sainte Écriture (Julia)
19. Couplets: Oh! oui, mon bonheur fut immense (Ketty)
20. Trio: Cette nuit, la chose est trop forte (Julia, Robert, Harris)
21. Rondeau: N’imaginez pas qu’il m’en coûte (Hélène)
22. Couplets: Julia, jusqu’à cette heure il me semble (Stevenson)
23. Finale: Le bon et le doux vin de France (Ketty, Julia, Stevenson, Robert)
