FULL Le Financier et le Savetier (Offenbach) Opéra de Barie 2011
Information on the Performance
- Work Title: Le Financier et le Savetier
- Composer: Offenbach Jacques
- Libretto: Hector Crémieux, Edmond About Libretto Text, Libretto Index
- Venue & Opera Company: Barie, France
- Recorded: August 2011
- Type: Staged Opera Live
- Singers: Claire Baudoin, Audrey Hostein, Didier Claveau, Michel Ballan
- Conductor:
- Orchestra: Arnaud Oreb, PIANO
- Stage Director: Daniel Darc
- Costume Designer:
Information about the Recording
- Published by: Jean-marc Choisy
- Date Published: 2011
- Format: Streaming
- Quality Video: 3 Audio:3
- Subtitles: yessubs, frsubs, gensubs
- Video Recording from: YouTube FULL VIDEO
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE
Le financier et le savetier (The financier and the cobbler) is a one-act opérette bouffe of 1856 with words by Hector Crémieux and Edmond About, and music by Jacques Offenbach, based on the poem by La Fontaine. In 1842 Offenbach had set The Cobbler and the Financier (Le Savetier et le Financier) among a set of six fables of La Fontaine.
Le financier et le savetier was first performed in Paris, at the refurbished Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, on 23 September 1856, and ran into 1857. In 1858 it was performed by the company at Bad Ems. At the Carltheater in Vienna it was staged as Schuhflicker und Millionär in January 1859. A complete recording of Keck’s critical edition was made in 2007.
Having all the powers, or almost, because our financier still has a thorn in his side: Larfaillou his neighbor, cobbler by trade, has a crush on his daughter Aubépine and above all bothers her daily with his constant singing coming from his neighboring shop.
He can’t stand them anymore. “Back off sir, back down.”
Having been told the fable of La Fontaine and having learned the morals of the Savetier and the financier, Bélazor, our man, decides just like in the story to give a lot of money to this Larfaillou to make him insomniac. It was during a reception at his home that he took the opportunity to put his project into action by giving one hundred crowns to Larfaillou.
But the young man does not behave as expected. The Stock Exchange, the functioning of which Aubépine explained to him, being closed at this late hour, he will decide to play this money that fell from the sky to make his fortune and conquer Aubépine. The course of this evening and Larfaillou’s luck will give a completely different outcome than that hoped for by our Financier Bélazor who will end up completely stripped.
You will particularly appreciate in this operetta Aubépine’s verse on the Stock Exchange, which has not aged a bit, as well as the charming duet with Larfaillou: “But as much as a prince, I am in love”. Then will come the decline and descent into hell of Belazor.
This work is a little lyrical gem, which contrary to what is written on the score, is not really of the food genre. This work is fresh and fun. You absolutely have to come and taste it like a glass of champagne full of sparkle and lightness.