Jean.
Jeannette.
Thomas.
Petit Pierre.
[Chorus of peasants.]
The scene is laid in a French country village; time, the last century.
Nothing could be simpler than the story of Massé's little opera, "Les
Noces de Jeannette" ("The Marriage of Jeannette"), which was first given
in this country in 1861, with Clara Louise Kellogg and M. Dubreul in the
two principal parts, and twenty-five years later was a favorite in the
repertory of the American Opera Company, under the direction of Theodore
Thomas, who produced it as an after piece to Delibes' two-act ballet,
"Sylvia." The story concerns only two persons. Jean, a boorish rustic,
falls in love with Jeannette and proposes marriage. On the wedding-day,
however, he suddenly changes his mind, and just as the notary hands him
the pen to sign the contract, takes to his heels and runs home. Jeannette
follows him up to demand an explanation, and pretends that she will not
force him to marry her. In lieu of that she asks him to sign another
contract from which she will withhold her name just to show that he was
willing to do so. She furthermore promises publicly to reject him. When
he has signed the new contract, she suddenly changes her mind also, and
declares they are man and wife. In his fury Jean breaks up nearly
everything in the house before he goes to sleep. The next day in his
absence Jeannette provides new furniture from her own store, places
things to rights again, sets the dinner, and awaits Jean's return. When
he comes back again, he is in more tractable mood, and seeing what
Jeannette has done acknowledges her as his wife.
This simple story the composer has framed in a dainty musical setting,
the principal numbers being the song "Others may hastily marry," sung by
Jean after his escapade; Jeannette's pretty, simple melody, "From out a
Throng of Lovers"; Jean's vigorous and defiant "Ah! little do you fancy";
the graceful song by Jeannette, "Fly now, my Needle, glancing brightly";
her brilliant and exultant song, "Voice that's sweetest"; and the
spirited unison male chorus, "Ring out, Village Bells," that closes this
refined and beautiful work.