description La belle Lurette Overview
La belle Lurette is an opéra bouffe by French composer Jacques Offenbach, one of his final stage works left incomplete at the time of his death in October 1880. The work was completed and premiered posthumously, joining other late Offenbach compositions such as Les contes d'Hoffmann that were finished after the composer's passing. The piece follows the comic operetta tradition for which Offenbach became famous in 19th-century Parisian theatrical circles.
help La belle Lurette FAQ
What is La belle Lurette?
La belle Lurette is a three-act French opéra-comique or opéra bouffe associated with Jacques Offenbach. Its central character is a beautiful Parisian laundress whose romantic and social entanglements drive the plot.
Why was La belle Lurette completed after Offenbach’s death?
Offenbach died in October 1880 before the work’s orchestration was complete. His colleague Léo Delibes helped finish the score, allowing the work to receive a posthumous premiere.
When and where did La belle Lurette premiere?
The work premiered at Paris’s Théâtre de la Renaissance on October 30, 1880. That premiere occurred only weeks after Offenbach’s death.
How does La belle Lurette relate to Offenbach’s other operettas?
It belongs to Offenbach’s late stage output, alongside works such as Les contes d’Hoffmann, although the two works differ in tone and form. Unlike the completed earlier successes of Orphée aux enfers and La belle Hélène, La belle Lurette reached the stage in a posthumously completed form.
explore Explore More
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
