Zweig MS 72

Autograph full score. Written in ink on systems of 15 to 24 staves. With corrections and additions in ink, some on inserted leaves, and a few pencil annotations also in autograph. Repeated passages are usually not entered in full and are instead indicated by numbered or lettered bars. In some numbers two staves at the foot of each page are allocated to a piano reduction of the orchestral part. A bar count is given at the end of almost all numbers, and some at least of these figures are in Offenbach’s hand. Part of the Finale to Act III is represented only by a copyist’s score with words in German (ff. 194-6). A variant version of Nos. 7-8 in vocal score is bound in at the end of Act I (ff. 70-75) and a variant, apparently discarded, ending to the Act III Finale at the end of that act (ff. 199-203). There are extensive annotations, in both ink and pencil, in other hands, including tempo indications and other apparent conductor’s markings, the insertion of spoken cues (in French and on occasion in German), instructions, presumably to copyists, concerning transposition, etc. There are many entirely blank leaves between numbers, and others that are blank save for titles or item numbers; these seem to have served as title-pages and wrappers for individual sections before the manuscript was bound. Some of the later annotations, mostly in French, relate to the collation of the manuscript and its relationship to the published French vocal score. The work was first performed at the Théatre des Variétés, Paris, 17 Dec. 1864, and in German at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, 17 March 1865. The summary list of contents of the volume which follows makes reference to the numbers given in the published French vocal score of 1865; reference is also made where appropriate to a late 19th/early 20th cent. German manuscript full score in the Hirsch Collection in British Library (Hirsch II.690):

ff. 1, 3r-5r. Introduction. Incomplete, lacking the opening; music begins (f. 3r) 10 bars before ‘Andantino’, followed by ‘All[eg]ro’. Title-page (f. 1) has on recto Offenbach’s heading ‘La belle Helene / Introduction’, with a brief pencil sketch on two staves below; verso blank.

ff. 5r-12v. No.1. Chorus, ‘Vers tes autels, Jupin’. Tempo direction ‘All[egret]to’. Title-page (f. 5) has in upper margin of recto Offenbach’s heading ‘No. 1 Introduction - 1er acte La belle Helene’; verso blank. Piano reduction of the orchestral parts partially entered on bottom two staves. Passage of 81 bars (ff. 9r-11v) lightly cancelled in pencil.

ff. 14r-17r. No. 1 bis. Chorus, ‘C’est le devoir des jeunes filles’. Tempo direction ‘Andantino’. Title-page (f. 14) has Offenbach’s heading ‘No 2 et 3’ (subsequently struck through) in the upper margin of the recto, with the later heading ‘No. 1bis - 2 - 3 - et 3bis’; verso blank. Some of the text has been struck through and new words (agreeing with the published French vocal score) added beneath. Piano reduction on bottom two staves.

ff. 18r-21r (f. 21 an insert). No. 2. Air, ‘Amours divins, Ardentes flammes’. Tempo direction ‘All[eg]ro’. 2 bars on f. 21r (first and second time bars providing for a repeat of first section of orchestral postlude) cancelled in ink. Brief cancelled texted sketch on f. 22r, otherwise blank.

ff. 23r-27r. Nos. 2 bis, followed without a break (f. 24v) by No. 3, couplets, headed ‘Chanson d’Oreste’. Tempo direction ‘All[egret]to - All[eg]ro’. Title-page (f. 23) with Offenbach’s heading ‘1er Acte No. 3’ in upper margin of recto; verso blank. Passage of 3 bars cancelled in ink on f. 25r.

f. 28r. No. 3 bis. Incomplete, the first bar only, with only the top line [flute] entered. Headed by Offenbach ‘Sortie d’Oreste’. Tempo direction ‘All[egret]to’. Apart from note in pencil in German on verso the leaf is otherwise blank.

ff. 29r-30r. Nos. 4, 5. Headed ‘Melodrame’ by Offenbach (f. 29r). Tempo marking ‘Andante Moderato - Andante’.

ff. 31r-36r. No. 6. Judgement of Paris, ‘Au mont Ida’. Tempo direction ‘All[egret]to’. Title page (f. 31) headed by Offenbach [?] ‘No 6’; verso blank.

f. 38r. No. 6 ter. Tempo marking ‘Maestoso’. Headed by Offenbach ‘avant le No. 7’ and ‘Avant l’Entrée des Rois au Ier. Acte’, and with his note ‘enchainez la marche’ at the end. Preceded (f. 37r) by the note, in another hand, ‘No. 6 bis And[an]te reprenez le No. 5’.

ff. 39r-49r. Nos. 7(A) march, 7(B) couplets for the kings, and 7bis. Tempo markings ‘All[eg]ro Marziale - All[egret]to - All[eg]ro’. Title-page (f. 39) headed by Offenbach ‘Marche - et Couplets des Rois’ in the upper margin of the recto, with a brief sketch on two staves for the revised ending of no. 7(A) below; verso blank. The end of 7(A) and opening bars of 7(B) are revised on an inserted leaf (f. 42r). Two bars cancelled in ink on f. 40v.

f. 50r and v. Nos. 7 ter - quinter. Tempo marking ‘All[eg]ro’.

ff. 52r-69v. No. 8, Act I Finale. Tempo directions ‘All[eg]ro Moderato [the second word struck through in pencil] - Andante - All[eg]ro Moderato - All[eg]ro - Moderato - Moderato - Andante - Allegro’. Revisions of two cancelled passages are on inserted portions of leaves (ff. 62r, 66r); f. 64v blank, passage of 15 bars on f. 65r, cancelled in ink. In places, notably the second Moderato, the words differ from those in the published vocal score.

ff. 70r-75v. Nos. 7-8. Variant [presumably earlier] version, both in music and words. Vocal score. Incomplete, no. 8 breaks off after 3 bars of Moderato, ‘Ce coup de tonnere’. Title-page (f. 70) headed ‘No. 7 choeur et Couplets des Rois’ and ‘No. 8 Finale’ by Offenbach on recto; verso blank.

f. 79r. [Not in published French vocal score; in Hirsch II.690.] Introduction’ (title in pencil in another hand). 12 bars, tempo direction ‘Moderato - All[eg]ro’. Preceded by title-page (f. 78) headed by Offenbach ‘No. 1. No. 2 2d. acte’ in upper margin of recto; verso blank.

ff. 80r-83v. No. 9. Entracte to Act II. Tempo direction ‘Maestoso - All[eg]ro - Moderato’.

ff. 85r-88r. No. 10. Chorus, ‘O Reine, en ce jour’. Tempo direction ‘Moderato’. Headed (f. 85r) ‘No.1 2d Acte’ by Offenbach.

ff. 89r-91r. No. 11. Invocation to Venus, ‘Nous naissons toutes soucieuses’. Tempo direction ‘All[eg]ro’. Words of two verses only, printed as vv. 2 and 3 in the published vocal score, which has a note that only these two were included at performances. Piano reduction entered partially at foot of systems.

ff. 92r-93v. No. 12. Chorus ‘Le voici, le rois des rois’. Tempo direction ‘All[eg]ro Marziale’.

ff. 94r-106v. No. 13. Scene of the Game, ‘A ce Calchas qui tremblotte’. Tempo direction ‘All[eg]ro - Lento - Andante Moderato - Allegro - Recit. - Allegro - All[eg]ro Vivo’. Title-page (f. 94) headed by Offenbach ‘No 4’ in upper margin of recto; verso blank except for later annotation. Lengthy opening section not in published vocal score, which gives the concluding recit. and Allegro, ‘Vous le voyez, j’ai trois’, only (from f. 102v). Passage of 48 bars (ff. 104r-105v) lightly cancelled in pencil.

f. 108. Leaf with numbers and spoken cue in [later hands] in upper margin of recto referring to no. 14.

ff. 109r-111v. [Not in published vocal score; not in Hirsch II.690.] Air with two verses for Paris, ‘Je la vois ... elle dort ... le vent du soir caresse sa divine beauté’. Tempo direction ‘Andante - Moderato’. Headed (f. 109r) ‘No. 5. 2d. acte’ by Offenbach; beside this the later annotation in pencil ‘Morceau supprimé dans la partition’. The first page lightly cancelled in pencil; four bars cancelled in pencil on f. 111r. Piano reduction entered partially at foot of systems.

ff. 107r, 112r-123r. No. 15. Duet, ‘C’est le ciel qui m’envoie’. Tempo direction ‘Andante - All[eg]ro - All[egret]to - All[eg]ro’. Title-page f. 112, headed in upper margin by Offenbach ‘No 6 2d acte’, below this a sketch on a single line, apparently for this or the previous number, but with text which appears in neither; verso blank except for later annotation. Words in pencil in a different hand, f. 113r and v. Cancelled passage of 8 bars, f. 122r and v. Piano reduction entered partially at foot of systems. A cancelled 6-bar sketch for the vocal lines of this number appears on f. 107r.

ff. 125r-141v. No. 16 (A, B). Act II Finale. Tempo direction ‘All[eg]ro - Andante Maestoso - All[eg]ro - Moderato - All[eg]ro très modere - All[eg]ro - Moderato - All[eg]ro Moderato - Vivo - All[eg]ro - All[egret]to - All[eg]ro’. Headed by Offenbach ‘No. 7 Final 2d Acte’ in upper margin of f. 125r. Cancelled passages of 15 bars (ff. 128r-129r), 2 bars (f. 130r) and 3 bars (f. 133v).

ff. 142r-143v. No. 17. Entracte to Act III. Tempo direction ‘Andante - All[egret]to’. At end (f. 143v) ‘enchainez l’Introduction du 3em Acte’ in Offenbach’s hand.

ff. 144r-152r. No. 18. Chorus and song of Oreste, ‘Dansons, aimons’. Tempo direction ‘All[eg]ro - Moderato - All[eg]ro’. Title-page (f. 144) headed by Offenbach ‘No 1 [altered in pencil to 18] du 3em Acte Introduction et chanson d’Oreste’ in upper margin of recto, with a brief partially erased sketch below; verso blank. Piano reduction entered at foot of systems. The Moderato section (ff. 149v-150r) lightly cancelled in pencil.

f. 154r. No. 18 bis. Melodrama. Offenbach’s heading ‘No 18 bis’.

ff. 155r-156v. No. 19. Song of Hélène, ‘La vrai, je ne suis pas coupable’. Tempo direction ‘All[eg]ro - Lento - All[eg]ro Vivo’. Piano accompaniment partially entered at foot of systems.

ff. 158r-165v. [Not in published vocal score; in Hirsch II.690.] Song of Hélène, ‘Ich schuldbe[wusst du kannst es wagen]’. Words in German. Orchestration in full, but vocal line only partially entered. Tempo direction ‘All[eg]ro - Recit - All[eg]ro - Lento - Andante - All[eg]ro - All[egret]to - All[eg]ro - All[egret]to’. Later pencil annotations include ‘Einlage 19’ (upper margin of f. 158r). No bar count at end.

ff. 168r-179r. No. 20. Trio, ‘Lorsque la Grèce est un champ de carnage’. Tempo direction ‘Moderato - All[eg]ro - All[egret]to - Maestoso - Allegro’. Title-page (f. 168) has Offenbach’s heading ‘No 3 [altered in pencil to 20] 3em Acte’ in upper margin of recto, otherwise blank; verso blank except for later annotation. Headed ‘Trio’ by Offenbach in upper margin of f. 169r. Passage of 4 bars cancelled on f. 173v. Piano accompaniment partially entered at foot of systems. Bar count entered at various points in blue crayon.

ff. 180r-187v. No. 21. Chorus and song of Paris, ‘La galère de Cythère’. Tempo direction ‘All[eg]ro Moderato - Andante - Andantino - Moderato - All[egret]to’. Title-page (f. 180) has number in later hands on recto, later annotation on verso, otherwise blank. The entire Andante of 35 bars (ff. 182r-183r), ‘O peuple de la Grèce’ for Menelas, is cancelled in ink and not in the published vocal score. Also separate passages of 9 bars heavily cancelled in ink (f. 186v), and of 4 bars (f. 187r) and 2 bars (f. 187v) both cancelled in pencil. Piano reduction partially entered at foot of systems up to f. 184r.

ff. 188r-198v, 204v. No. 22. Act III Finale. Tempo direction ‘Andantino non troppo - All[eg]ro [‘Moderato’ added in pencil] - Andantino [corrected in pencil to ‘Allegretto’] - All[eg]ro’. Title-page (f. 188) has in the upper margin of the recto Offenbach’s headings ‘3em acte No [illegible, heavily altered to 22]’ and ‘Choeur et Couplets de Paris’, the latter struck through with ‘final du 3em Acte’ written above; recto otherwise blank, verso blank. The autograph runs directly from the brief duet passage for Hélène and Paris ‘Ma fois! partons pour Cythère’ to the final general chorus, the latter represented by the vocal lines only (ff. 193v, 197r-198v); the intervening solo for Paris, ensemble, and recit. for Paris are on inserted leaves of different paper (ff. 194r-196v), written in another hand with words in German, the French words added in pencil on f. 194r. The recit. for Paris from this section, ‘Ne l’attends plus’, with the words in French, is in autograph on f. 204v. Passage of 16 bars on f. 191r and v cancelled in ink and pencil. Bar counts in blue crayon up to f. 191r; no bar count at end.

ff. 199r-203v. [Not in published vocal score; partly in Hirsch II.690.] Variant ending to Finale, the continuation of the cancelled passage on f. 191. Uses different words from the eventual version. Tempo direction, ‘All[egret]to (f. 200r) - Meme mouvement - All[eg]ro’. Words partly in pencil. Bar count in blue crayon and original numbering of bifolia both continue from f. 191.

The leaves have been cropped in binding, affecting the upper margins of some pages, particularly where headings or numbers are given, both on music- and title-pages. The following are tipped-in at the front of the volume: presentation inscription from Offenbach’s widow Herminie to Paul Gallimard, dated Paris 29 May 1886 (f. i), and a description by L. Halévy of Offenbach at work orchestrating a piece, unceasingly and with great speed, in the midst of the comings and goings of his family and friends, signed and dated 1 July 1883 (f. ii).

The French published vocal score (Paris: Gerard, 1865) indicates orchestration in some detail, and these indications agree with the scoring in this manuscript. The manuscript includes one number in Offenbach’s hand with German words, and other numbers and passages not found in the published French vocal score. There is no copy in British Library of the published German vocal score; however, much of this music appears in full or in part in a manuscript full score of German provenance and with words in German in the British Library Hirsch Collection (Hirsch II.690.); this has for example the ‘Introduction’ to Act II (f. 79r above) replacing the Entracte no. 9, includes more of no. 13 (from Lento, f. 98v above), and has the whole of the ‘Einlage’ air for Hélène after no. 19 (ff. 158-65 above). The Hirsch manuscript does not include the air for Paris ‘Je la vois’ (ff. 109-111 above); in the case of the Act III Finale it has elements from both versions found in Zweig MS 72: it follows the published French vocal score up to the recit. of Paris, which is then followed by the concluding Allegro from the variant version (ff. 202r-203v above). Although some sections at least of Zweig MS 72 appear to have been used for conducting purposes, it is clear that the manuscript was collated and assembled for binding some time after both initial composition and revision for the first performances of the German version were complete. It is not clear whether binding took place before or after the composer’s death. Before binding the manuscript must have been an assembly of loose leaves and gatherings; no doubt, as in other Offenbach operetta manuscripts, each individual number was made up of stacked (and numbered) bifolia within its own wrapper. This, and the ordering of the sections as nearly as possible to correspond to both versions, has resulted in frequent blank leaves between numbers, with the extra material from Act I placed at the end of that act.