Aucassin et Nicolette (Le Flem opera)

Aucassin et Nicolette is a shadow puppet opera in a prologue and three acts by Paul Le Flem after the medieval "chantefable" Aucassin et Nicolette.

The music was first presented in private at the home of Pierre Aubry on 19 May 1909, then given a first public performance with medieval themed "ombres" – Chinese shadows – by Géo Dorival on 11 February 1910.^[1] The music was not presented as a fully staged opera until 1924 at the Théâtre Bériza, with Marguerite Bériza herself singing Nicolette and costumes by Ladislas Medgyes.

In Le Flem's music, the medieval theme is complemented by references to Breton music.^[2]

References

1. La Phalange: revue de littérature et d'art (1910) p. 471: "Dorival et Bordry illustrèrent le vieux Chantefable d'Aucassin et Nicolette. M. Le Flem a écrit une véritable partition que ne valent certainement pas la plupart des œuvres représentées ces dernières années sur nos scènes subventionnées."
2. Andrew Thomson, Vincent D'Indy and His World (1996) p. 138: "... le Flem's native Brittany inspired his operas Aucassin et Nicolettc and Le Rossignol de Saint Malo."