Giroflé-Girofla

Overview

Giroflé-Girofla is an opéra bouffe in three acts with music by Charles Lecocq and a libretto by Albert Vanloo and Eugène Leterrier. It was first given at the Théâtre des Fantaisies-Parisiennes, Brussels, on 21 March 1874, and in Paris at the Théâtre de la Renaissance on 11 November 1874 (Wikipedia, "Giroflé-Girofla"; IMSLP). Set in 13th-century Spain, it tells of twin brides, one of whom is abducted by pirates; the other twin must pose as both until the first is rescued. Lecocq wrote it as a deliberately far-fetched follow-up to La Fille de Madame Angot (Wikipedia).

The Paris production at the Renaissance ran for some 220 performances and was one of the most profitable musical productions of the 1870s; it was played across Europe, the Americas and Australia (figure unsourced).

Marie and this work

Giroflé-Girofla is the "family play" of Marie's Nice winter of 1875 and gives her a whole system of nicknames.

• 9 February 1875, Nice. At the Théâtre Français (Nice) with her aunt; the second act is ending as they arrive (029.0262).
• 12 and 30 May 1875. "Girofla" already serves as a name for the young Émile d'Audiffret (032.0418); on 30 May her relatives imagine her "enlevée par les pirates comme dans Giroflé-Girofla" (033.0357).
• 30 September 1875, Nice. For the return of the popular actor Duplessis the theatre gives Giroflé-Girofla, "la pièce de famille comme dit Fiouloulou" (045.0319), because the group's nicknames come from it. Marie goes again on 4 October ("J'adore Giroflé-Girofla, plus on la voit, plus c'est amusant", 046.0101; the friends present a bouquet tied with blue and pink ribbons, "Giroflé-Girofla", 046.0094), on 12 October with the whole party (046.0368) and notes on 27 October that missing an evening is a first (048.0123). On 26 October she says it will become her favourite, like Alice de Nevers (048.0059).
• Nicknames. "Girofla" is Émile d'Audiffret, the man who courts and then drops her; "Giroflé" is Olga Sapogenikoff (see Olga Sapogenikoff). The code name runs from 1875 to 1879 (e.g. 062.0549, 064.0460, 068.0102, 077.0038, 084.0270). In Russia she even calls her father's friend Pacha "presque un Girofla pour ma correspondance" (066.0530).
• Girofla's lament. She cites "la complainte de Girofla" (the abandoned heroine's plaintive song) as a prophecy of her own abandonment (055.1001, 056.0524 with footnote, 071.0185). In 038.0274 she sings "Ma belle Girofla" (LAN: a song from the operetta), and on 13 July 1876 she recites "les vers sur Girofla" (063.0207), verses of her own on the nickname.
• 9 December 1876, Nice. A new performance, which she calls a "pièce historique", with Mme Anitchkoff bringing all her children; between acts the talk turns to Audiffret (067.1476-1477, footnote). On 11 December she watches Girofla arrive in the third act (067.1537).
• 19 January 1877. "Tout en lisant 'Girofla'" (068.0731), probably the score or libretto.
• 5 May 1881, Paris. She includes it in a list of operettas, "Barbe Bleue, la Belle Hélène, Orphée, Giroflé-Girofla", which she finds "insipide" (091.0564).

Open points

• 084.0270 ("la tour de ce pauvre Girofla qui est en Chine", 21 February 1879) uses the nickname for a person; the "Chine" detail is unexplained. Compare the "Tour Audiffret" of 045.0434.
• 088.0153 (12 May 1880, Paris): Marie joins Rosita and her governess "à Giroflé-Girofla"; this most likely means a performance, but is not certain.
• Most later occurrences of "Girofla" are only Audiffret's nickname and not references to the operetta; this page records the work and the code, the person belongs to his own entry.

Sources

• Wikipedia, "Giroflé-Girofla"; IMSLP work page (first performance, librettists).
• Libretto: Internet Archive, Tresse & Brandus edition, 1874 (linked above).