❦  The Encyclopedia of Classic Opera
Opera·Almanac
Opera in the Repertoire · Romantic

La Roussotte

Music by Hervé · libretto by Q723648 · premiered 1881 · at Théâtre des Variétés

La Roussotte (The Redhead) is a French vaudeville-opérette in three acts with a prologue. The words were written by Henri Meilhac, Ludovic Halévy, and Albert Millaud, and the music composed by Hervé, Charles Lecocq, and Marius Boullard. It was first performed on 28 January 1881 at the Théâtre des Variétés in Paris with Anna Judic in the title role. Although not quite as successful as Niniche (1878) or Mam'zelle Nitouche (1882), it was given over a hundred times in its first run, and Judic performed it around the world on tour as part of her repertoire.

Text from the Wikipedia article "La Roussotte", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

About the Composer

Hervé is a French masculine given name of Breton origin, from the name of the 6th-century Breton Saint Hervé. The common latinization of the name is Herveus (also Haerveus), an early (8th-century) latinization was Charivius. Anglicized forms are Harvey and Hervey. Its Old Breton form was Huiarnviu (cf. Old Welsh Haarnbiu ), composed of the elements hoiarn ("iron", modern Breton houarn, cf. Welsh haearn) and viu ("bright", "blazing", modern Breton bev). Its common Celtic form would have been *isarno-biuos or *-ue(s)uos. Recorded Middle Breton forms of the name include Ehuarn, Ehouarn, Houarn. The name of the 6th-century saint is recorded in numerous variants, including forms such as:…

Text from the Wikipedia article "Hervé", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Read the full biography →

Other Operas by Hervé