On 7 April 1923, Ciboulette premiered at the Théâtre des Variétés in Paris, and, as one of Reynaldo Hahn’s most elegant and refined works, it is considered one of the last masterpieces of French operetta. The story tells of the pretty market gardener Ciboulette who, after an encounter with a fortune teller, decides to throw herself into a hedonistic future. She comes across a whole collection of Parisian characters, but true love eventually triumphs as the prophecy is fulfilled. Although Hahn wrote other works in this genre none of them would match Ciboulette’s success. This Opéra Comique production has been acclaimed by BBC Music Magazine for a cast that was ‘impeccable.' REVIEW: It’s possible that this nonsense might be performed more plausibly if the production and direction were toned down, but director Michael Fau’s version is certainly credible. The cast is excellent in pulling off this farce. Julie Fuchs has a lovely voice that is put to good use, and her comedic performance is excellent. Julian Behr’s Antonim is quite the simpleton with a beautiful voice. Everyone else sings the songs nicely and acts their parts in the cartoonish way required. The set design is very effective, with drops and outlined stage scenery that adds to the cartoon characters. The costume designs are certainly amusing with weird hoop dresses for the women in the Spanish cabaret sequence that have to be seen to be believed. The chorus and orchestra are also very good—as are the 16 x 9 widescreen picture and DTS 5.1 sound. There are subtitles in 5 languages including English. The booklet has cast pictures and commentary in French and English. Sit back and enjoy the music and the silliness. -- American Record Guide
