Ninette

Ninette is an opéra comique in three acts by Charles Lecocq and words by Charles Clairville Jr, Eugène Hubert, G. Lebeaut and Ch. de Trogoff. It was first performed at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris, on 28 February 1896.

Synopsis
Act I: Place Royale

The setting is Paris in 1640. Cyrano de Bergerac, the famous poet and duellist, loves and is loved by Ninon de l'Enclos (Ninette), a famous Parisian beauty. The two have exchanged letters, each containing vows of eternal fidelity, and they have agreed that if either breaks their pact he or she must return the promissory note to the other.

At the Place Royale, the fashionable Paris square, Cyrano gets into a quarrel with a young provincial gentleman, Gontran de Chavennes, who has just arrived in Paris for the first time. Gontran has made the acquaintance of Diane de Gassion, daughter of the eminent marshal. The young couple have fallen in love with each other, and have arranged to meet in Paris, at the Place Royale. Diane having been entrusted by her father to the care of a fussy old guardian, Mélicerte, Gontran has come to make a formal request for her hand, but unluckily he asks Cyrano to show him his way, and the latter, taking offence at an innocently meant remark, starts a sword fight, and Gontran is wounded.

The watchman appears and Cyrano starts a hasty escape. As he does so he sees his beloved Ninette coming to the aid of the wounded Gontran, whom she takes to her house. Diane arrives at the same time. Both she and Cyrano misread the situation and imagine that there is some romantic attraction between Ninon and Gaston. Diane and Cyrano are so furious with jealousy that they impulsively agree to marry each other. He wants to marry her immediately, but Diane makes it a condition that they wait thirty days, during which he must not fight anybody.

Mélicerte appears on the scene and Cyrano asks him for the hand of his ward. At this point the authorities catch up with the duellists, and Cyrano is sent to fight in the army and Gontran is taken to the Bastille.

Act II: Ninon's house

By her influence in high quarters Ninon is able to secure Gontran's release. She has taken a distinct fancy to him, and Cyrano is half forgotten. In Gontran's honour she gives a brilliant fête. Cyrano, in accordance with their pact, comes to return Ninon's billet doux, and she is ready to surrender his in exchange, but at this critical moment they both realise that they have never ceased to love each other. Gontran's affection for Diane has not cooled in the least, and despite her jealousy she remains in love with him.

Act III: Picpus, near Paris

The thirty days have almost elapsed and Cyrano has duly restrained himself from duelling, in accordance with his undertaking. By the terms of their agreement, he and Diane must now marry each other. Neither now wishes to go ahead, but both feel that honour requires it.

Ninon takes matters in hand. She conceals Cyrano so that he may overhear a tender meeting between Diane and Gontran which she has arranged at her house. Once Cyrano realises, to his relief, that Diane still remains in love with Gontran, he takes the obvious step to free her from engagement to him: he fights a duel. He crosses swords with his drunken friend Rouffignac, who has chosen this convenient moment to pick a fight. By duelling, Cyrano breaches the conditions of his engagement, and the two couples are free to marry their true loves.

Musical numbers
Act 1


 * "Bourgeois, soldats, seigneurs" - chorus
 * "Ah! la bonne plaisanterie" - Diane, chorus
 * "Place, place, place" - Ninon, Lignères, Miraval, Civrac, Montagnan, chorus
 * "Vous m'aimez tous" - Ninon, chorus
 * "Cela me plait" - Ninon, Cyrano
 * "Jaloux de vous" - Ninon, Cyrano
 * "J'ai pris, avec ma malle" - Gontran
 * "Au nom du Roi" - L'Exempt, Cyrano, Rouffignac, chorus
 * "Allons, tenez-vous en repos" - Ninon, Gontran, Diane, Cyrano
 * "Soldats valeureux" - Cyrano, Rouffignac, Gontran, Mélicerte, Diane, chorus
 * "La guerre et l'amour" - Cyrano, L'Exempt, Gontran, Diane, Mélicerte, chorus

Act 2


 * "Mouzon est une ville forte" - Rouffignac, chorus
 * "C'est de doux mots" - Gontran
 * "Tant de charmes" - Diane, Ninon
 * "C'est qu'elle est charmante" - Ninon, Cyrano
 * "Trahison" - Diane, Ninon, Gontran, Mélicerte, Cyrano
 * "Pour écouter les vers" - Ninon, Gontran, Cyrano, Lignères, chorus
 * "Un beau mousquetaire" - Ninon, Gontran, Cyrano, Diane, Rouffignac, Montfleury, Mélicerte, chorus



Act 3




 * "Trente jours sont passés" - Diane, Mélicerte, Cyrano
 * "De votre serin, ô Sylvie" - Mélicerte
 * "C'est Ninette" - Cyrano
 * "Sens tarder davantage" - chorus
 * "Deux fiancés" - Ninon, chorus
 * "Ah! que s'aimer" - Diane, Gontran
 * "Allez, monsieur" - Ninon
 * "Ah! Ninette" - Ninon, Diane, Cyrano
 * "Tout ce que je souhaite" - Ninon, chorus