There are two complete performances on youTube: in German with the title role rightly as a travesti & Opéra de Barie in French with a tenor. the Jacques Offenbach Society
I know these performances. The german production is really good, but there are some cuts on the score, and some editorial mistakes (even if it is the original Bote & Bock material). Concerning the french production… despite the poor quality of the singing and the staging, I’m not sure if they used the "traces" we have of the french libretto or they translated back the german libretto (in this case, which one : there are two libretti in german for Coscoletto).
@@musiquesetoeuvresoubliees1866 Yes. I too had my doubts about their French libretto. Surely an authentic French one exists? Did you know Jean-Christophe has a collection of Offenbach libretti (censor's copies so not final) on his website? All my translations for the stage are faithful (I'man actor/singer) but I must say my construction of the "Whittington" libretto was more concise. I later found the censor's copy (Farnie). I just found the original dialogue for the Jewels Duet for the two version of "Périchole". My guess for it was to have the Viceroy disguised as a jeweller. Meilhac and Halévy had him & Perichole playing at jewellers. I love them but I don't think the pre-original version of "la Vie" should be performed. I like the 5 act original with cuts. If Jean-Christophe worked from sketches I think the material would have been rejected in rehearsal. I think the Marseillais/ German "idea" is very weak for instance whereas the idea of Frick & Gabrielle as Germans inviting their friend "Wir wollen essen" is funny. I don't rate the "extra music" high apart from the men's after the party ensemble which could possibly be interpolated when they come back to the Baroness at Gardefeu's. Her song about the Opera House is better than the extra one but "Danish" would have to be changed to Swedish. I like the Dowager but one of the best incarnations was when she just appeared at the end of "Feu Partout". Urbain doesn't need to damage the mansion to be sacked & become a maitre-d'hotel.
@@richardduployen6429 in fact, we don’t have the original french libretto for Coscoletto. The only french sources we have is a vocal score by Offenbach himself. I know that Jean-Chistophe has a collection of censor’s libretti, he’s a friend of me. Concerning the Vie parisienne in five acts, Jean-Christophe isn’t at the origin of the project (he is in fact against it) : that’s an idea from the Palazetto Bru Zane. There are many errors in this edition (for instance, the use of the original 4th act prelude with inexistant themes or the succession of two codas in the "air du brésilien", the first abandonned by Offenbach and the second that we all know), and the orchestration is really, really bad. This project was interesting for the musicology, but it wasn’t necessary to claim that it was the "version that Offenbach wanted".
@@musiquesetoeuvresoubliees1866 I completely agree that the pre-original is a bad version. I prefer the original 5 act version with cuts (because of running time) but had to translate the second (after the Belgian in-between version) in four acts as the Music Director* preferred that (amateur production). I agree with Jean-Christophe's opposition. Ask him to write to me. I sent them my "Robinson Crusoe" & Frank Harders said they'd send me their vocal score with spaces for my words. It hasn't arrived. Bote and Bock have my English translations but I'd rather be even at rehearsals to write even more revised words if they want them. I have performed the Brazilian Pompa dos Matadores's (di corrected to dos by a Portuguese lady) Song in an audition with my own translation & music as in the published score but cutting the repeat of the refrain. We only knew the middle section from its inclusion in "Gaité Parisienne". I like cuts but not the traditional ones necessarily. I don't like "Feu Partout" at the end. (4 act version) I like the ritornello to "Voila la Vie Parisienne" & Antoine Mitchell Music Director* may have repeated it at Greenford Middlesex.
There are two complete performances on youTube: in German with the title role rightly as a travesti & Opéra de Barie in French with a tenor. the Jacques Offenbach Society
I know these performances.
The german production is really good, but there are some cuts on the score, and some editorial mistakes (even if it is the original Bote & Bock material).
Concerning the french production… despite the poor quality of the singing and the staging, I’m not sure if they used the "traces" we have of the french libretto or they translated back the german libretto (in this case, which one : there are two libretti in german for Coscoletto).
@@musiquesetoeuvresoubliees1866 Yes. I too had my doubts about their French libretto. Surely an authentic French one exists? Did you know Jean-Christophe has a collection of Offenbach libretti (censor's copies so not final) on his website? All my translations for the stage are faithful (I'man actor/singer) but I must say my construction of the "Whittington" libretto was more concise. I later found the censor's copy (Farnie). I just found the original dialogue for the Jewels Duet for the two version of "Périchole". My guess for it was to have the Viceroy disguised as a jeweller. Meilhac and Halévy had him & Perichole playing at jewellers. I love them but I don't think the pre-original version of "la Vie" should be performed. I like the 5 act original with cuts. If Jean-Christophe worked from sketches I think the material would have been rejected in rehearsal. I think the Marseillais/ German "idea" is very weak for instance whereas the idea of Frick & Gabrielle as Germans inviting their friend "Wir wollen essen" is funny. I don't rate the "extra music" high apart from the men's after the party ensemble which could possibly be interpolated when they come back to the Baroness at Gardefeu's. Her song about the Opera House is better than the extra one but "Danish" would have to be changed to Swedish. I like the Dowager but one of the best incarnations was when she just appeared at the end of "Feu Partout". Urbain doesn't need to damage the mansion to be sacked & become a maitre-d'hotel.
@@richardduployen6429 in fact, we don’t have the original french libretto for Coscoletto. The only french sources we have is a vocal score by Offenbach himself. I know that Jean-Chistophe has a collection of censor’s libretti, he’s a friend of me.
Concerning the Vie parisienne in five acts, Jean-Christophe isn’t at the origin of the project (he is in fact against it) : that’s an idea from the Palazetto Bru Zane. There are many errors in this edition (for instance, the use of the original 4th act prelude with inexistant themes or the succession of two codas in the "air du brésilien", the first abandonned by Offenbach and the second that we all know), and the orchestration is really, really bad.
This project was interesting for the musicology, but it wasn’t necessary to claim that it was the "version that Offenbach wanted".
@@musiquesetoeuvresoubliees1866 I completely agree that the pre-original is a bad version. I prefer the original 5 act version with cuts (because of running time) but had to translate the second (after the Belgian in-between version) in four acts as the Music Director* preferred that (amateur production). I agree with Jean-Christophe's opposition. Ask him to write to me. I sent them my "Robinson Crusoe" & Frank Harders said they'd send me their vocal score with spaces for my words. It hasn't arrived. Bote and Bock have my English translations but I'd rather be even at rehearsals to write even more revised words if they want them. I have performed the Brazilian Pompa dos Matadores's (di corrected to dos by a Portuguese lady) Song in an audition with my own translation & music as in the published score but cutting the repeat of the refrain. We only knew the middle section from its inclusion in "Gaité Parisienne". I like cuts but not the traditional ones necessarily. I don't like "Feu Partout" at the end. (4 act version) I like the ritornello to "Voila la Vie Parisienne" & Antoine Mitchell Music Director* may have repeated it at Greenford Middlesex.