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 (1843-1884)[3] and Albert Vanloo (1846-1920)[4].

(In French the title would normally be written Le droit d'aînesse. The composer is also known as "François Chassaigne" or " Francisque Chassaigne".)

The original text

The French original text was published in Paris by E. Gérard in 1880[5] and it premiered on 27 January 1883, at the Théâtre des Nouveautés in Paris.[6]

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)[7].

Falka premiered at the Royal Comedy Theatre, London on 29 October 1883, at the Casino Theatre, New York, in 1884 and was followed by productions throughout the English-speaking world.

Performance history in South Africa

1902-3: Performed by the Mouillot-De Jong Company, at the Opera House, Cape Town, as part of a season of musical comedy and light opera beginning in December of 1902 and running into 1903.

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)[8]

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Leterrier

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

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.

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