The music faculty of the Université de Montréal presents Jacques Offenbach’s La vie parisienne, produced by the university’s opera workshop and orchestra . Offenbach’s opéra-bouffe premiered in 1866 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris. At a time when opera was considered to be the total spectacle, the ultimate entertainment, La vie parisienne was a grand success: 265 performances in Paris, from October 1866 to July 1867, the year of the International Exposition. A century and a half later? The work still sees performances, and is in fact an essential touchstone for music departments.

“We owe to Jacques Offenbach the establishment of operetta as an international lyric genre whose evolution, through Johann Strauss Jr., Franz Lehár and Arthur Sullivan, led to the musical of the 20th century.,” explains Jean-François Rivest, musical director of this UdeM production. “La vie parisienne, with a delightful libretto by his lifelong collaborators Meilhac and Halévy, is a hilarious, entertaining and delicate opera bouffe. The social satire unfolds with great wit and finesse, unlike broad comedy of the ‘slap in the face’ variety.”

ARTISTS
Atelier d’opéra de l’Université de Montréal
Orchestre de l’Université de Montréal
Jean-François Rivest, musical director
Robin Wheeler, opera workshop director
Alain Gauthier, stage director

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