The
Palazzetto Bru Zane
label does wonderful work in historically informed recordings of French opera, with deeply researched projects presented in sumptuous books (booklet is not a strong enough word), each one numbered, with multiple in-depth essays. Yet the musical product is generally accessible and enjoyable to all. So it is with this original version of
Offenbach
's perennially popular
La vie parisienne
, which is called an operetta, although it is really sui generis. The work went through numerous changes even before its premiere; censors from the government of Napoleon III didn't take kindly to the more lowdown characters who populate the plot.
agreed to later changes that shortened the work, and indeed, the abundance of characters suggests the possibility of cuts. A Swedish couple travels to Paris, and almost as soon as they get off the train, they encounter a rogue's gallery of Parisian figures, any of whom can be excised without damaging the story too much. Yet it is wonderful to have
in its whole five-act glory, for
's musical inspiration never flags, even through a trio that involves the sound or snoring. The performances here by the
Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse
under conductor
Romain Dumas
have just the right zippy, sparkling quality, and the production attracted some big names, notably
Véronique Gens
as Métella, the kept mistress who sets the plot in motion. This album landed on classical best-seller lists in the autumn of 2024, and anyone thinking it is just a dry scholarly project need only listen to be ensnared. A Gramophone writer suggests that the album might inspire recordings of
Gilbert
&
Sullivan
with historical instruments, and indeed, that is a good idea. ~ James Manheim