La Mascotte

La mascotte (The Mascot) is an opéra comique by Edmond Audran. The French libretto was by Alfred Duru and Henri Charles Chivot. The story concerns a farm girl who is believed to bring good luck to whoever possesses her, so long as she remains a virgin. The title as translated into English initiated the use of the word mascot in the English language to mean an animal, human, or thing which brings luck.

It was first performed at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens in Paris on 29 December 1880. It was very popular and 1,000 performances were given in just five years. It was revived at the Bouffes Parisiens in 1883 and 1889 and produced at other Paris theatres up until the 1930s and again in 1944; a film was made in 1935 with Germaine Roger, Lucien Baroux, Lestelly and Dranem.

It was translated into English and staged at Abbey's Park Theatre in New York City on 5 May 1881, and in Brighton, England on 19 September the same year.

The Universal (Decca) Studios recording made in 1956 in Antony, France, conducted by Robert Benedetti, is available on CD.

Rocco, a 17th-century farmer, is cursed by bad luck. To bring him good fortune, his brother invites Bettina, a country girl, to be Rocco's mascot, believing that she can bring good luck to whoever possesses her, so long as she remains a virgin. Pippo, Rocco's shepherd, falls in love with Bettina. Prince Laurent then invites Bettina to live at his castle. When the prince tries to force the maiden to marry him, Pippo helps Bettina to escape from the castle. Laurent is now cursed with bad luck, as he is overthrown and war breaks out. Pippo marries Bettina believing that their children will inherit her ability to bring good luck.

The title was French slang derived from the Provençal term mascoto, meaning sorceress or sortilege. The best-known number of its tuneful score is the Act 1 duet for Bettina and Pippo," the duet of the sheep and the turkeys" ("J'aime bien mes dindons" / "I love my turkeys much"), in which she tells him that she loves him more than her beloved turkeys, whose cries she imitates, while he imitates the cries of his beloved sheep.

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