Une Parisienne

Variously titled La Parisienne and Une Parisienne, Parisienne, this Franco-Italian co-production is one of Brigitte Bardot's best vehicles. The daughter of the Premier of France (no, not DeGaulle!), La Bardot is married to Henri Vidal, the premier's chief aide. When Vidal shows signs of straying from his marital vows, Bardot decides to fight fire with fire. She enchants visiting nobleman Charles Boyer, who invites her to a romantic rendezvous on the Riviera. The outraged Vidal tracks down the would-be lovers, only to discover that nothing has happened-both Bardot and Boyer fell victim to head colds, and spent the weekend sneezing rather than smooching.

'The rehearsals for La Vie parisienne are almost driving me insane', wrote librettist Ludovic Halevy a few days before the work's first performance. The artists of the Palais-Royal company were struggling with some of the musical numbers Offenbach had written for them. Under pressure, composer and librettists had to simplify, cut, rewrite and sometimes even abandon some of their most successful inspirations. The international success of the final score soon ensured the hundreds of pages reluctantly deleted by Offenbach were well and truly forgotten. Now the research of the Palazzetto Bru Zane team has uncovered all this musical material, making it possible to present the world premiere recording. Listeners can now enjoy a delightful Diplomatic Trio, a Seduction Quintet, a Roadsweeper's Song, an air for Urbain, the Fabliau of the Baroness, and more. The team of fourteen soloists assembled under the baton of Romain Dumas benefits from the glittering sonorities of the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, which previously recorded Offenbach's 'other' Vie parisienne back in… 1976.

L’icône de la Frenchwoman, la femme française, plus particulièrement la Parisienne, est un objet de consommation mondialisé. Cette figure majeure de la mythologie est applaudie et enviée dans le monde entier pour son allure, sa silhouette, son esprit, sa culture, sa séduction. Elle est aussi une mère parfaite, toujours patiente, flanquée d’enfants bien élevés…