Bagatelle (Offenbach)

Overview

Bagatelle is a one-act opéra-comique (often called an operetta) by Jacques Offenbach with a libretto by Hector Crémieux and Ernest Blum, first produced at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens on 21 May 1874 under the composer's direction (Wikipedia, "Bagatelle (opera)"; BnF catalogue record of the libretto, Choudens and Tresse, 1874). Anna Judic created the title role of Bagatelle, a café-concert star; the maid Finette, her clarinettist lover Pistache and an eighteen-year-old admirer, Georges de Planteville, complicate her boudoir until she returns the young man's love (Wikipedia).

Marie and this work

• 20-21 May 1874, Paris. "On donne demain aux Bouffes Bagatelle avec Judic, nouvelle œuvre d'Offenbach. Pas une seule place, hélas !" (019.0297). On the evening of the 21st (the first night) a box is found after all (019.0304), after a day of family grievances.
• 20 June 1874. She is taken to see it again, in a second-tier box, and disguises herself in a plain black dress and veil (020.0369).
• 21 February 1875, Nice. At the Nice theatre: "Les Pauvres de Paris et Bagatelle. Pauvre Bagatelle défigurée et méconnaissable" with Laffite and Alain; the house is empty (030.0051). Back home, with the vocal score on the piano that she remembers "voir naître aux Bouffes", she sings and thinks of the Duke (030.0052).

Not this work

Marie's pet dog Bagatelle appears in 027.0251, 042.0057, 043.0248 and 068.0712 and is not related to the operetta (see the Bagatelle dog entry, people/mentioned/BAGATELLE_DOG.md). The Parc de Bagatelle is also a different entity (places/parks/BAGATELLE.md).

Sources

• Wikipedia, "Bagatelle (opera)").
• BnF catalogue record cb30285716w (libretto, 1874); libretto on Wikisource; IMSLP.