2025 is the bicentenary of the birth of the singer, librettist and composer Hervé [Louis-Auguste Florimond Ronger (1825-1892)], a man responsible for a wide selection of opérette and opéra-bouffe that have rather dropped out of the repertoire. Now, Palazzetto Bru Zane has its eye on them.
His opéra-bouffe, Le petit Faust, originally written in 1869 will receive a new production conducted by Sammy El Ghadab and directed by Sol Espeche with performances the Autumn at Opéra de Tours, Opéra de Reims and in Paris.
The work premiered a mere three months after Gounod’s Faust was finally performed (in its Grand Opera version) at the Paris Opéra. In this new version, Marguerite – not as pure and innocent as the Germanic Gretchen – wreaks havoc at the boarding school to which she is brought by her brother Valentin. She seduces Dr Faust, the elderly professor who has accepted her as a pupil. Méphisto – a breeches role, taken by a light soprano – rejuvenates Faust, and the lovers end up in Hell, doomed to be together forever. Hervé does quote from Gounod, but what impressed critics at time was his inventiveness in parodying the style of the original and its various situations.
To compliment this, in Venice, Palazzetto Bru Zane is celebrating Folies parisiennes with a sequence of concerts exploring Hervé’s music alongside Roger, Offenbach, Lecocq, Messager, Boileau, Saint-Saens, Chaminade and many more, from a song recital from Anaïs Merlin, soprano and Maguelone Parigot, piano to operetta for piano, two hands to The Accordion in France with Félicien Brut.
As if that weren’t sufficient Folies, Offenbach’s Robinson Crusoe returns in a new production at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees with Mark Minkowski conducting Les Musiciens du Louvre, and directed by Laurent Pelly, featuring Lawrence Brownlee, Julie Fuchs and Laurent Naouri. Other performances include Offenbach’s La Perichole in Saint-Étienne, Charles Silver’s operatic version of Sleeping Beauty which first premiered in Marseille in 1902, and is also revived at Saint-Étienne. And Christian Lacroix’ production of the original version of Offenbach’s La Vie parisienne comes to Versailles.
Later in the season, Bru Zane turns its attention to the pianist, publisher and composer Louise Farrenc, who died 150 years ago, with a cycle of concerts in Venice in March 2026. Other novelties include a concert performance of Augusta Holmès’ four-act drame lyrique, La Montagne Noire (setting her own libretto) in Bordeaux.
Full details from the Palazzetto Bru Zane website.
