The New “La Vie parisienne” from Palazzetto Bru Zane

Yesterday a long-awaited recording arrived on my desk-top. ‘Long-awaited’? Of course. The latest from the firm of Bru Zane, the greatest of French musical theatre organisations of our era, and the producers of the La Fille de Madame Angot which I went into delirium over a few years back. (Read more about it here.)

So, what was it this time. Chilpéric? Geneviève de Brabant? No. La Vie parisienne. Again? There have been soooo many recordings of La Vie parisienne over the years. But here is the twist in the tale. Soon after its Paris opening, the piece was largely trimmed. In fact, slimmed of a whole episode, and reduced from five acts to four. And in that shape it is still played in France.

So, what happened to the other act? Well, some countries and theatres kept it in. In what form I know not. But at home it suffered the usual fate of off-cuts until — following the 21st-century mania for sticking back in that which the authors, in their wisdom, cut out — it was reconstructed and … well was it ‘in their wisdom’ or not? Now we can judge for ourselves, for Bru Zane, in their wisdom have given us the whole five acts.

Half-baked cake
Well, a quarter of a century ago I wrote in my Musical Theatre on Record: ‘La Vie parisienne, by its nature, needs to be recorded in its entirety. The play, in this case, is every bit as important as the music, and one without the other is rather like a half-baked cake. Unfortunately, it cannot be said that there is as yet any recording which manages to marry happily the comedy and the music’.

Maybe, this time? (Opens booklet) Cry of joy. The two outstanding artists from La Fille de Madame Angot are here again. Mlle Gillet – in the role written for Zulma Bouffar, the only ‘singer’ in the original cast – and Mons Sargsyan are once more before us in major roles.

Time to press the ‘go’ button. Well, a think a nice bottle of French wine might go well with this.

Phew. It’s half time and I’ve drunk the whole bottle. It’s a long first half (2-3 acts).

First impressions. I have no comment to make on the ‘version’. These folk know more than I. It has obviously been immaculately researched and reconstructed. One expects nothing less from Bru Zane. What there is, is what we get. I shall read the whole booklet later.

Diabolically lively
I am really qualified only to comment on the performance … is it another Angot success? At half-time, not quite, but there’s time. For now, I have ingurgitated three acts, and I’m quite exhausted. It is diabolically lively (I’m sure the tempi are taken from the original score), almost lusty. (Musical director: Romain Dumas). Sometimes, rather relentlessly so. Not much gentle singing. But, there, it’s first and foremost a comedy. I’m sure the keys are original too, but it all seems terribly high for ‘actors’. And occasionally rather ‘operatic’. Which I am not quite comfortable with. How many people can fit on to the platform at the Gare de l’Ouest? If we are being ‘authentic’, how many actors (not singers) were on the books of the Palais-Royal?

However, my two adored performers, Sargsyan as Bobinet and Mlle Gillet as Gabrielle, again come out with high-flying colours, and here they are by no means alone.

Gardefeu (Marc Mauillon) is a perfect partner for Sargsyan … crisp and clear in dialogue, deliciously ringing in song … where do the French get these marvellous heirs to Amade and Devos? This pair get the show off to a grand beginning in the mostly male first act. Then the Scandiavians arrive. The Gondremarcks are clearly played for low comedy funny-voice laughs. I was reminded of Lord and Lady Allcash in Fra Diavolo. I suppose that is all right. But it was somehow a tad hefty among all that superb Offenbachian singing.

The two brothers-in-escapade are ten-gold-stars performances for me – listen to their perfect ‘Elles sont tristes les marquises’ – and so is the third joyeux luron of the piece. Pierre Derhet makes a real merry mouthful of the Brazilian’s patter song. And then he turns up as a really sparky, tuneful Frick, duetting lightsomely with Mlle Gillet in an adorable ‘Bottier et Gantière’. And then, just listen to her ‘Veuve de Colonel’!

Delicious delivery of dialogue
I feel horrible being unappreciative, again, concerning Véronique Gens as Métella. But, honestly, in spite of her delicious delivery of dialogue, I just feel that her singing voice is not suited to this sort of music. The Letter Song, in the hands of a Suzy Delair, is the highlight (for me) of the whole show. Here it, alas, is not. I would have cast Elena Galiskaya, who give a first-class rendition of the part and the music of Pauline as Métella. Mlle Gens would, perhaps, have been happier with the fun of the Baronne. Ah … ‘Votre Habit a craqué dans le dos’! Joy!

Well, interval over. Here I go on Acts 4 and 5.

More boys (yayy) – a funny voice, but ringing singing from our star supported by two more fine performers as Prosper (Carl Ghazarossian) and Urbain (Philippe Estèphe) – More Pauline, yay! – oh, she is delightful! Lots and lots of giggleworthy grotesque comedy from Mme Quimper-Karadec (Marie Gautrot) – grand ensemble work …

Then the Baronne (Sandrine Buendia) gets her turn. She seems to have stopped being Lady Allcash, and sings now in conventional ballad style. And … expression! I can see how this number could have been cut. It’s rather stuck in. Like ‘Vilja’ in Die lustige Witwe. Oh, it’s not bad, but our show is getting exceedingly long … and the comic dialogue which gives us the guts of the story is not to be missed. Here, it is delivered with enormous gusto, with the gorgon Quimper-Karadec riding above all like a Katisha on cocaine. And the ensemble (‘Ma tête’) and galop of the finale is quite delightful. I’m sorry, if I have to give up any of this, I cannot return to the 4-act version …

A marathon
The gems keep coming in the final act (an act which could easily be slimmed): the duet between Gabrielle and the Brazilian and Gabrielle’s Ronde, perfectly delivered by Mlle Gillet and the vast company assembled at the Brazilian’s party … Mlle Gens is hugely better, though rather blurty on the high notes, in her waltzing burlesque of grand opera than she was in the Letter scene … oh! this is really a jolly play! And all ends so merrily.

Well, I posited at the start of things that we were lacking a La Vie parisienne which supplied both the music and the comedy. We now undoubtedly have it. It’s a marathon if you want to listen to it all end-to-end, and I probably sha’n’t ever do so again, but this recording will join the very small number of CDs on my shelf because, not only must it remain the reference for this show, for all time, but … I just really enjoyed it, end to end. Even without Suzy Delair.

PS: If MM Meilhac and Halévy and Offenbach would like my notes on how they might take half-an-hour out of the work for lazy 21st century theatregoers, tell them to write to me.

PPS: Message to the Bru Zaners: Anne-Catherine Gillet (Frédégonde), Artavazd Sargsyan (Chilpéric) and most of this cast …. yes? pleeeease!

To read the story of the show’s international success, click here for more details.