Title   Les Brigands (The Brigands) Composer   Jacques Offenbach (1819 - 1880) Librettists   Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy Genre   Opéra-bouffe, comic opera (three acts). First performance   Théâtre des Variétés Paris, 10 December, 1869. Time of action   18th century. Place of action   Italian mountainous landscape An inn on the road from Granada to Mantua The Duke of Mantua's palace. Main parts   Ernesto Falsacappa tenor     Fiorella, his daughter soprano     Fragoletto, her lover mezzo-soprano     Treasurer comic tenor Prominence of chorus   Very large. Orchestra   1 flutes, 1 piccolo, 2 oboe, 2 clarinet, 2 bassoon, 4 French horn, 2 trumpet, 3 trombone, kettle-drums, percussion, strings. Behind the scenery: 1 French horn (and trumpets). Special demands   A great many soloists. Treasurer should be able to sing in falsetto. Fragoletto is a trousers-rôle. Several times the chorus is split up. Full score and orchestral parts   Orchestral parts and full score available. Level   Not difficult, but long and scenically rather complicated. Length   3 acts, at least 2½ hours in all. Music   One of Offenbach's best works. Splendid soli; many duets, trios and grand ensembles; magnificent finales. Story   Ingenious comical plot. Chief brigand Falsacappa intends to modernize his trade: no more small business, but grand-scale robberies. He plans a highly complicated campaign which, though giving rise to a lot of comic confusions, runs smoothly for a while but goes hopelessly wrong in the end. Moral: the true bandits are to be found not in the forest but in the leading circles of society. Costumes   Robbers, peasant-women, carabineers, inn-personnel, Spanish and Italian lords and ladies, courtiers etc.