Vert-Vert
Vert-Vert is an opéra comique in three acts by Jacques Offenbach, with a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Charles Nuitter, first performed on 10 March 1869 at the Paris Opéra-Comique.
[3] In 1832 a comédie-vaudeville was mounted by Virginie Déjazet at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal with some success and it was this which then led to the opéra-comique of 1869; while the libretto is credited to Meilhac and Nuitter, Halévy, Leuven and Pittaud de Forges also had a hand in it, the latter two having created the vaudeville over 30 years before.
[5] All these lyric works were inspired by the Gresset poem of 1734 – A pious parrot kept by the Visitandines Sisters of Nevers, Vert-Vert speaks like a good Christian.
On arrival in Nantes the bird swears like a sailor and the nuns, horrified, send the parrot back to Nevers where it is almost impossible to make it relearn Latin.
Offenbach's third creation for the Opéra-Comique was more successful than his first two – Barkouf (1860) was only seen seven times and never revived, Robinson Crusoé (1867) reached 32 performances before closing, while Vert-Vert ran for 58 nights.
[8] Capoul was highly praised for his singing (his first act romance was encored), although his female admirers were disappointed that he had shaved off his mustaches for the production.
[8] A German production conducted by the composer had some success at the Carltheater, Vienna in February 1870, entitled Kakadu, adapted by Julius Hopp.
This was conducted by David Parry, with a translation by him; Robert Murray took the title role, and the cast also included Yvonne Howard, Mark Wilde and Fflur Wyn.
[5] Jean-Christophe Keck has made a performing critical text of Vert-Vert; the world premiere was in June 2002 in the Marmorsaal, Bad Ems with soloists, chorus and Ensemble Orchestral de Mosan conducted by Jean-Pierre Haeck.
The gardener of the Convent of Saint-Rémy, Binet is digging a grave as the girls of the pensionat enter in funeral cortege mourning the death of Vert-Vert, their much-loved pet parrot.
A young man, Valentin, nephew of the director and brought up in the convent, gives an oration for the burial, despite the fact that he could not abide the bird.
When he lets slips an oath, Vert-Vert confesses that in fact he has learnt to drink, curse and flirt, demonstrating this to the horrified Mademoiselle Paturelle and the thrilled girls.
Complete recording with dialogue : Thora Einarsdottir (Mimi), Ann Taylor (Emma), Lucy Crowe (Bathilde), Toby Spence (Valentin), Mark Le Brocq (Binet), Mark Stone (Le Comte d'Arlange), Anne-Marie Owens (Mademoiselle Paturelle), Franck Leguérinel (Baladon), Loïc Félix (Chevalier de Bergerac), Jennifer Larmore (La Corilla), Sébastien Droy (Bellecour), Franck Lopez (Maniquet), Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, David Parry – Opera Rara, 2010
