Marquis de Marsillac.
Hector, his nephew.
Marquis d' Aubigné, King's chamberlain.
Bombardine, his henchman.
Louis XIV.
Mons. l'Abbé.
Nanon, mistress of the Golden Lamb.
Ninon de l'Enclos, a famous beauty.
Mme. de Frontenac, }
Countess Houliers, } Ninon's friends.
Gaston.
Mme. de Maintenon, King's mistress.
[Country relatives, peasants, soldiers, courtiers, ladies, etc.]
The scene is laid in Paris; time of Louis the Fourteenth.
The first act opens at the inn of the Golden Lamb, near the gates of
Paris, kept by Nanon, who has become so famous for her wit and beauty
that the Marquis de Marsillac, director of the Royal Theatre, takes his
nephew Hector there to see her. Thither also goes Ninon de l'Enclos,
the famous beauty, to get a sight of Nanon, who, she suspects, has
attracted the attentions of her own lover, the Marquis d'Aubigné. She is
told that Nanon is to be married to Grignan, the drummer, and returns to
the city with her suspicions allayed. Grignan, however, is in reality the
Marquis, who, in the disguise of a drummer, intends to abduct Nanon.
After a serenade to her she surprises him with a proposal of marriage;
but when everything is ready for the ceremony, the Marquis secures his
own arrest by his Colonel on account of a duel. While grieving over the
arrest, Nanon receives a ring and some friendly assurances from Gaston,
the page of Ninon de l'Enclos, and thereupon turns to her for help in
rescuing the supposed Grignan from death, which is the penalty for
duelling.
The second act opens in Ninon's salon. Marsillac, his nephew, and an
Abbé, who is one of Ninon's lovers and confessor of Mme. de Maintenon,
are present at a ball, likewise D'Aubigné, who is reproached by Ninon for
having remained away so long and forgotten her birthday. To escape
embarrassment he sings to her the same serenade he had sung to Nanon.
Shortly afterwards Nanon arrives to seek Ninon's aid in saving Grignan.
In the mean time D'Aubigné, jealous of Hector, because he pays court both
to Nanon and Ninon, challenges him, and they hurry into the latter's
garden and settle their quarrel with the sword. During their absence
Marsillac, who has noted Grignan's serenade, also sings it, accompanied
by the musicians of the court chapel, but is only laughed at for his
trouble. When D'Aubigné returns from the duel, he is asked to clear up
the mystery of this song; but before he can do so the guard, who has seen
the duel, enters and arrests Hector, who has been wounded and refuses to
give the name of his opponent.
The third act opens in the private chapel of Mme. de Maintenon, where the
Abbé sings to her the same serenade in the form of a hymn. Marsillac
appears to ask for Hector's pardon, and receives it when it appears that
D'Aubigné was the challenging party. D'Aubigné thereupon congratulates
her upon her birthday with the serenade, and Marsillac repeats it. Ninon
and Nanon next appear to intercede for their lovers, D'Aubigné and
Grignan. The King presents Nanon with the life of Grignan, and she in
turn, recognizing Grignan, presents the pardon to Ninon. Touched by her
generosity, Grignan offers Nanon his hand, and Mme. de Maintenon, who is
somewhat uneasy at the King's evident admiration for Nanon, gives her
consent and she is made Marquise d'Aubigné.
The music of "Nanon" is gay and brilliant throughout. The principal
numbers are the serenade, a minstrel's song, as it is usually designated,
"Ah! what a Joyful Day is this; I am so Full of Glee," which is heard in
various forms in all three acts; the opening drinking-choruses; Nanon's
ballad, "Once before this Tavern straying"; the jolly chorus of the
country relatives, "Here we come in Troops of Dozens, Uncles, Nephews,
Aunts, and Cousins"; Gaston's ballad, "All that Frenchmen now will heed";
Hector's song, "Young appearing," in the second act; and the lively
concerted finale of the last act.