LA BELLE HÉLÈNE
Operetta in three acts by Jacques Offenbach (1819-80)
Libretto by Henri Meilhac & Ludovic Halévy
First performed on 17 December 1864 in Paris
CAST
Hélène, Queen of Sparta - Felicity Lott
Paris, son of King Priam, King of Troy- Yann Beuron
Agamemnon, King of Argos - Laurent Naouri
Ménélas, King of Sparta - Michel Sénéchal
Calchas, High Priest of Jupiter - François Le Roux
Oreste, son of Agamemnon - Marie-Ange Torodovitch
Achille, King of Phthiotis - Eric Huchet
Ajax I, King of Salamis - Alain Gabriel
Ajax II, King of Locris - Laurent Alvaro
Chorus of the Musiciens du Louvre
Les Musiciens du Louvre
Conductor - Marc Minkowski
Recorded live at Théatre Musical de Paris - Châtelet
Sung in French, with English subtitles
Background
Staged and costumed by Laurent Pelly, with sets by Chantal Thomas and choreography by Laura Scozzi, this production of La Belle Hélène never forgets for one moment that Offenbach's parody of the origins of the Trojan war - clearly recognisable in his day as a satire on the moral laxity of Second Empire high society - is, above all, a supreme manifestation of his comic genius. From start to finish it combines a musically superb performance with a stream of visual humour that flows from Pelly's core idea that the action takes place in the imagination of a sleeping, sex-starved, suburban housewife.
Felicity Lott is magnificent as the woman who gets into bed beside her somnolent old husband and dreams of being the most beautiful woman in the world, entangled in amorous adventures with the virile young Paris, tastily portrayed by Yann Beuron. And just as dreams do not respect the normal limitations of logic, time and place, so her nighttime fantasies combine the everyday with the mythical, and muddle up Greece, ancient and modern. A hilarious mix of disparate elements sees the chorus by turns in classical tunics and robes and as camera-toting trippers tramping round the archaeological sites of the Aegean, before throwing off their togs to soak up the sun on the sea-shore. The ancient heroes - mere figures of fun without the hint of menace present in Offenbach's original - have helmets topped off with broomheads, pillows in place of breastplates and make their first entrance on luggage trolleys pushed by SNCF porters. When Hélène and the 'shepherd' Paris sing their dream love duet in Act 2, a flock of sheep comes on to be counted. The bed on which their tryst takes place is a key focus throughout the piece - located in the bedroom in the first act, on an archaeological site in the second, and flown in as the ship in which Paris finally carries off his prize in the third. The production explodes with gaiety and invention throughout and is as innocently filthy as only the French can manage.
SYNOPSIS
Act I - Sparta
Preparations are underway for the celebration mourning Adonis. The population is laying gifts in front of the altar, but Calchas, the High Priest, is disappointed with the mass of flowers as he wants oxen and sheep for Jupiter, who is in a bad disposition. Hélène of Sparta appears, accompanied by the mourners of Adonis. On this anniversary of the death of the handsome young Adonis, they implore Venus: "Love is dying, love is dead ... We must have love!" Remaining alone with Calchas, Hélène confides that she is obsessed with Paris, whom Venus has promised the most beautiful woman in the world - and that means her! Calchas sends Hélène away and then bars Oreste, who has entered with two women of easy virtue, from the temple. As he is preparing a sacrifice, a shepherd arrives and then a dove carrying a letter. Venus has written to Calchas, ordering that Paris must meet Hélène. Dumbfounded, Calchas recognises the shepherd as Paris, son of King Priam. Hélène then appears and falls madly in love with Paris at first sight. The encounter is short as the celebrations are beginning. The kings of Greece, the two Ajaxes, the hot-headed Achilles and King Ménélas are all there for the "day of intelligence", but it is the shepherd who is triumphant in the competition to find the sharpest mind. He then reveals himself, explains his parentage and is awarded the prize by a quaking Hélène. Ménélas then invites him to dinner. Paris wants to be alone with Hélène and Calchas arranges it for him, with a simulated thunderbolt and improvised prophet ordering the King to spend a month high in the mountains of Crete.
Act II - Hélène's apartment
Hélène originally tries to resist her attraction to Paris. The kings pass Hélène and disappear nearby to play snakes and ladders. Hélène doubles the number of slaves guarding her door. She asks Calchas for a dream in which she sees Paris. As she falls asleep, Paris enters her bedroom disguised as a slave. Calchas leaves them to be alone together. On seeing Paris, Hélène thinks she is dreaming and the two begin to kiss. Unfortunately, they are interrupted by Ménélas, who unexpectedly returns. He is seething with rage and calls for the kings to come. However much they explain that a husband should not return home without warning, he does not listen. The seducer is sent to Troy, but threatens that he will return.
Act III - A beach in Nauplia where the kings are on holiday
Venus takes her revenge by forcing an erotic frenzy on the people of Greece. Agamemnon and Calchas, confused and shivering in their bathing costumes, are dismayed. The bacchanalia must stop. Ménélas, as King, must forget being a husband and give away his wife as the gods wish. However, Ménélas has a different idea. He has invited the High Priest of Venus from Cythera to make amends on their behalf. The priest arrives on a boat and announces that only if Hélène goes with him to Cythera on a short journey will Venus absolve them. Ménélas accepts. Hélène recognises Paris and resists, but is finally swayed by popular request and they sail away. Hélène now belongs to Paris, thus precipitating the Trojan War.
