Cigarette

A Light romantic opera in 3 acts. Music by J[oseph] Haydn Parry; Book by Barry Montour; Libretto and Lyrics by Warham St. Leger

Theatre Royal, Cardiff - 15 Aug. 1892 at the Lyric Theatre, London September, 1892 (112 perfs)

Scenes and settings

• ACT I - Vineyard of the Château de Montrouget.
• ACT II - Village Green and Convent School.
• ACT III - Reception Chamber in the Marquis de Portale's Château.

Musical Numbers

• No. 1 - Introduction and Chorus of Grape Pickers - "Again the vintage time is here, is here, is here, the glory of the sunny year, 'tis vintaqe time once more..."
• No. 2 - Vineyard Song - Violette - "Once on a hot September day, a mother sent her little lad abroad to stray, on mischief bent. Wings of a silver sheen he wore..."
• No. 3 - Chorus and Dance - "Now the year is full of cheer, fun and frolic reigning; tenfold mirth from the earth for our toil regaining. Lads and lasses full of glee..."
• No. 4 - Trio - Babette, Nicotine and Benzoline - "It's a circumstance deplorable if e'er a girl adorable is made the common object of two suitors' loving hopes! ..."
• No. 5 - Song - Countess - "Love is a myth of idle heart, a dream of Folly's brain; it only lives in souls apart - they lose it who attain. 'Tis like a looking glass..."
• No. 6 - Song - Claude - "Love that in splendour rose in our way, made the years ever one morn of May, when she, my darling, crown'd me with bliss..."
  No. 7 - Duet - Violette and Claude - "Dark is our day that dawn'd so fair, cloudy the skies above. Yet if the trouble I may share, it is not grief but love..."
• No. 8 - Song - Cigarette - "We are the favourites of fortune in our own dashing way. Life may be merry, tho' a short one, if you don't save your pay..."
• No. 9 - Finale Act I - "I will join the army. Babette will be mine. ... I enlist, Babette will be mine. ... My life I will not waste in vain repining, nor doom my love..."
• No. 9a - Introduction
• No. 10 - Vesper Hymn - Abbess and Girls - "Miles crucis paululum, nune labore solvitur, lucis laudans Dominum circumvolitant..."
• No. 11 - Song - Violette - "My heart breaks not although the years can bring no joy to me; I will not mar with hopeless tears love's sacred memory..."
• No. 12 - Soldiers' Chorus - "Hurrah! hurrah, for the Eagles victorious, that set all the world in a fright; and,  hurrah! hurrah, for the Regiment glorious..."
• No. 13 - Song - Cigarette and Soldiers - "When trouble and sorrow are pressing a soldier who's down on his luck, when he can't find the bread for his messing..."
• No. 14 - Duet - Nicotine and Benzoline - "When you hear the Postman's knock, it gives your nerves a shock when you're looking for a loving little letter..."
• No. 15 - Goodnight Chorus - "The peaceful light of moon and star that greets us from on high looks down on many a grave afar where fallen comrades lie..."
  No. 16 - Song - Cigarette - "All through the silent night, watching beside thee in thy sleep, from ev'ry ill I'll  guard thee, from ev'ry ill I'll guard thee..."
• No. 17 - Finale Act II - "Oh, my heart is weary, yes so weary with this endless pain. Oh! that death would set me free! But see! the vintage! how wildly they dance!"
• No. 18 - Intro. & Gavotte - "Happy hours of grace and joy, what is past can ne'er annoy. If the present pleasure bring, all untroubled we can sing..."
• No. 19 - Song - Marquis - "As once the moments flew, the hours in pleasure fly. As in life's morning new the gallant days gone by. That time has come again..."
• No. 20 - Song - Cigarette - "'Twas here, here I saw and lov'd him first; 'twas here the tree began to grow that into fairest blossom burst, and ripen'd into fruit..."
• No. 21 - Duet - Nicotine and Benzoline - "Brother in affliction shed the liquid tear, let us sniff and snuffle - what do we go here? ... Life will be all Sundays..."
• No. 22 - Song - Claude - "Home! Still unchang'd and fair! As once again I stand where boyhood's heart found  ev'rywhere a realm of fairyland."
• No. 23 - Duet - Violette & Claude - "From darkest hours of pain when hope fell like a wither'd rose, dead joys revive again and love's sweet promise brightly glows..."
• No. 24 - Finale - "Home! Back to the battles fierce and gory, till I'm old and grey, till the flag with its honours tells the story of my fighting day..."

Cast

• MARQUIS DE PORTALE (an Old French Nobleman)
• CLAUDE (his Son)
• MONSIEUR BASTIAN (a Friend of the Marquis)
• SERGEANT MOUSTON (195th Regiment)
• GASTON (a Peasant, afterwards a Private in the 195th Regiment)
• JUSTIN (the Marquis's Major Domo)
• BENZOLINE (a foolish Peasant, afterwards a Private in the 195th Regiment)
• NICOTINE (a Village Braggart, afterwards a Private in the 195th Regiment)
• CIGARETTE (Vivandière of the 195th Regiment)
• VIOLETTE (Daughter of Comtesse de Montrouget)
• COMTESSE DE MONTROUGET (a Neighbour of the Marquis)
• BABETTE (Violette's Companion)
• MADAME DE VAURICOURT (a Friend of the Marquis)
• LADY SUPERIOR OF THE CONVENT SCHOOL
• MOTHER LOU-LOU (Portress of the Convent School)
• JULIE - Peasant Girl
• CLARISSE - Peasant Girls