Today is the birthday of Charles Lecocq (1832-1918). Lecocq’s affinity for light opera made him a natural successor of sorts to Jacques Offenbach. “La fille de Madame Angot” was a triumph when it opened in Brussels in 1872. Soon, it was wowing them not only in Paris, but also London and New York, and indeed all across Europe. In fact, it was the most successful French-language musical theater piece up through the turn of the century. In terms of box office, it managed even to outpace “H.M.S. Pinafore” and “Die Fledermaus.” Its momentum was such that it is now the only work of Lecocq that is ever performed.
The opera was given a superfluous boost in the 1940s, when choreographer Léonide Massine created a new version that found its definitive form in a production by the Sadler’s Wells Ballet. Margot Fonteyn and Moira Shearer were among the principals. The adaptation, “Mam’zelle Angot,” employs arrangements by Gordon Jacob and broadly follows the opera’s original plot. Let’s just say that it is a flighty and frothy divertissement, set in a politically charged climate following the Reign of Terror. Despite the threat of looming peril, all ends happily, with mismatched lovers paired off to everyone’s general delight.
Get an idea of what the fuss was about. It will be a boost from the roost – music from Lecocq and beyond – between 4 and 7 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.