Poorhouse International: Catalogue results

hard-rule
TITLE: Barbe-bleue - Bluebeard
Director: Vincent Massip

Genre: Opera

Format: HD

Composer: Jacques Offenbach

Contributors: Stage Director: Laurent Pelly; Conductor: Michele Spotti, Cast: Yann Beuron,

Company: Telmondis

Runtime: 120' minutes.

ID: 405.

hard-rule

SYNOPSIS

 

Ludovic Halévy's and Henri Meilhac's brilliant libretto for Barbe-bleue rewrites Perrault's story as follows: Saphir and Fleurette are living as shepherds loving each other. In reality Fleurette is Hermia, the daughter of King Bobèche and Saphir a prince, who has disguised himself to be near his beloved Fleurette. Bluebeard who had recently poisoned his fifth wife sends his alchemist Popolani to the village to find a virginal young peasant to become his sixth wife. He chooses Boulotte who is anything but virginal, but Bluebeard is delighted. However when he catches sight of Fleurette he orders Popolani to administer Boulotte a strong sleeping potion as he has already done with the earlier wives. While Fleurette has been finally recognized by her father, King Bobèche, and is preparing to marry her prince, Bluebeard tries to interfere, but is stopped in his tracks by the arrival of Boulotte, who had woken up the other wives and led them to the castle in the disguise of gypsies. Bluebeard has no choice but to finish his days with the streetwise Boulotte. Needless to say that the censor did not spot the subtext which provides acerbic criticism of the high society of the Second Empire and Napoleon III. himself.

Also available: Reiner E. Moritz' documentary about Jacques Offenbach celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the composer.