Released 1983 Artist Léo Ferré Producer Léo Ferré | Length 2:17:42 Release date 1983 Label EPM Musique | |
 | ||
Recorded April 10 to 20, July 10, 1983
Regson Studio, Milan L'Opéra du pauvre
(1983) Léo Ferré au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
(1984) Genres Chanson, Jazz, Spoken word Similar Léo Ferré albums, Chanson albums | ||
L'Opéra du pauvre (English: Poor's Opera) is a piece for voices and orchestra formalized by Léo Ferré as a quadruple concept album released in 1983. This dreamlike and wry plea in favor of the Night, symbol of imagination and subversiveness for Ferré, synthesizes all aspects of the French poet and musician.
Contents
History
L'Opéra du pauvre comes from a "lyrical" ballet titled The Night, written in 1956 at the request of choreographer and dancer Roland Petit, within the Revue des Ballets de Paris. The piece was abandoned by Petit after a few performances (critics being severely negative). Ferré published the libretto same year at La Table Ronde Editions. This work stayed then on the shelf for twenty-six years.
It was after the triple LP Ludwig - L'Imaginaire - Le Bateau ivre was released in 1982, that Léo Ferré decided to dedicate his upcoming year to bring The Night back to life. As time had passed, Ferré had accumulated a lot of material, and he chose to enrich his original text and score with elements from various sources, thus creating a new Baroque work of much larger scope (it would take four LP to hold this whole new version).
Roles
Léo Ferré changes his voice and acts all parts.
Synopsis
The Night is accused of having murdered the Lady Shadow, who is missing. The opera depicts Night's trial by the "day people", allegorized by animals. The judge is a raven, prosecutor is a cock and Night's attorney is an owl. Witnesses, all night owls for some reason of their own, are called to the bar and try to save the Night.
Personnel
Production
Songs
1Tableau I 'La salle d'audience'45:04
2Tableau II 'Le bar discothèque'32:55
3Tableau 3 - La salle d'audience41:32