Le Droit d'Aînesse

Le Droit d'Aînesse ("The Birthright") is a French opéra bouffe[1] in three acts by composer Francis Chassaigne (1847-1922)[2] with a French libretto by Eugène Leterrier and Albert Vanloo.

(In French the title would normally be written Le droit d'aînesse and the composer also known as Francis Chassaigne or François Chassaigne)

The original text

The French original text was published in Paris by E. Gérard in 1880[3] and it premiered on 27 January 1883, at the Théâtre des Nouveautés in Paris.[4]

Translations and adaptations

The English-language version of the libretto, titled Falka (after the name of the principal female character), was translated and adapted by Henry Brougham Farnie (1836–1889)[5].

Falka premiered at the Royal Comedy Theatre, London in 1883, the Casino Theatre, New York, 1884 and was followed by productions throughout the English-speaking world.

Performance history in South Africa

Sources

Cecil A. Smith and Glenn Litton. 1987. Musical Comedy in America: From The Black Crook to South Pacific, From The King & I to Sweeney Todd. Routledge (reprinted 2013)[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Chassaigne

https://archive.org/details/ledroitdanesse00chas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_droit_d%27a%C3%AEnesse

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antique-Comedy-Theatre-Romance-45MAR1/dp/B0014H2NGM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Brougham_Farnie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op%C3%A9ra_bouffe

D.C. Boonzaier. 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: p. 413.

Go to ESAT Bibliography