Cast
Mimi - Thora Einarsottir, Emma - Ann Taylor, Bathilde - Lucy Crowe,
Valentin/Vert-Vert - Toby Spence, Binet - Mark Le Brocq, Le Comte
d'Arlange - Mark Stone, Mademoiselle Paturelle - Anne-Marie Owens,
Baladon - Franck Leguerinel, Chevalier de Bergerac - Loic Felix, La
Corilla - Jennifer Larmore, Bellecour - Sebastien Droy, Friquet -
Franck Lopez. Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, David
Parry - conductor
About this recording The
word inexhaustible might have been coined to describe the prolific
creativity of Jacques Offenbach, who effectively created the new genre
of operetta in Paris in the mid-19th century.
Opera Rara's association with Offenbach's music goes back to the company's revival of his 1867 opera-comique, Robinson Crusoe (ORC7), and the creation of a new piece, Christopher Columbus
(ORC2), with a libretto by Don White, drawing on a host of the
composer's scores. In 2007, Opera Rara resumed its exploration of the
huge output of Mozart of the Champs-Elysses with Entre Nous:
Celebrating Offenbach (ORR243), a collection of excerpts from more than
20 of the composer's lesser-known scores.
Now Opera Rara presents a complete recording of the delectable comic opera in 3 acts, Vert-Vert,
which was the follow-up to Robinson Crusoe at the Opera Comique and one
of five stage works Offenbach produced in 1869 alone. Toby Spence, who
starred in ENO's scintillating La Belle Helene, takes the role
of the charming young man nicknamed Vert-Vert after the deceased
favourite parrot of the pupils at a girls' boarding-school and Jennifer
Larmore is cast as the exotic singer, La Corilla. With a libretto by
Henri Meilhac and Charles Nuitter, this witty, sophisticated and subtle
work is sure to enchant all Offenbach fans.
The 2-disc set is
accompanied by the most beautiful and informative booklet, which
includes a complete libretto with English translation and background
notes by distinguished writer and broadcaster, Patrick O'Connor.
Sound clip: Vert-Vert (Toby Spence) having arrived in Nevers is seduced by the actress La Corilla (Jennifer Larmore)
