Cigarette is a romantic light opera with music by Joseph Haydn Parry, book by "Barry Montour" and lyrics by "Warham St. Leger". In fact the libretto was by his brother, David Mendelssohn Parry. It was produced on 15 August 1892 at the Theatre Royal, Cardiff, and in September at the Lyric Theatre, London.

Dramatis Personæ

MIDI Files

ACT I  -  Vineyard of the Château de Montrouget.

• No. 1 - Introduction and Chorus of Grape Pickers - "Again the vintage time is here, is here, is here, the glory of the sunny year, 'tis vintaqe time once more..."
• No. 2 - Vineyard Song - Violette - "Once on a hot September day, a mother sent her little lad abroad to stray, on mischief bent.  Wings of a silver sheen he wore..."
• No. 3 - Chorus and Dance - "Now the year is full of cheer, fun and frolic reigning; tenfold mirth from the earth for our toil regaining.  Lads and lasses full of glee..."
• No. 4 - Trio - Babette, Nicotine and Benzoline - "It's a circumstance deplorable if e'er a girl adorable is made the common object of two suitors' loving hopes! ..."
• No. 5 - Song - Countess - "Love is a myth of idle heart, a dream of Folly's brain;  it only lives in ouls apart - they lose it who attain.  'Tis like a looking glass..."
• No. 6 - Song - Claude - "Love that in splendour rose in our way, made the years ever one morn of May, when she, my darling, crown'd me with bliss..."
• No. 7 - Duet - Violette and Claude - "Dark is our day that dawn'd so fair, cloudy the skies above.  Yet if the trouble I may share, it is not grief but love..."
• No. 8 - Song - Cigarette - "We are the favourites of fortune in our own dashing way. Life may be merry, tho' a short one, if you don't save your pay..."
• No. 9 - Finale Act I - "I will join the army.  Babette will be mine. ... I enlist, Babette will be mine. ... My life I will not waste in vain repining, nor doom my love..."

ACT II  -  Village Green and Convent School.

• No. 9a - Introduction
• No. 10 - Vesper Hymn - Abbess and Girls - "Miles crucis paululum, nune labore solvitur, lucis laudans Dominum noctis umbra volvitur.  Tecta circumvolitant..."
• No. 11 - Song - Violette - "My heart breaks not although the years can bring no joy to me;   I will not mar with hopeless tears love's sacred memory..."
• No. 12 - Soldiers' Chorus - "Hurrah!  hurrah, for the Eagles victorious, that set all the world in a fright;  and, hurrah!  hurrah, for the Regiment glorious..."
• No. 13 - Song - Cigarette and Soldiers - "When trouble and sorrow are pressing a soldier who's down on his luck, when he can't find the bread for his messing..."
• No. 14 - Duet - Nicotine and Benzoline - "When you hear the Postman's knock, it gives your nerves a shock when you're looking for a loving little letter..."
• No. 15 - Goodnight Chorus - "The peaceful light of moon and star that greets us from on high looks down on many a grave afar where fallen comrades lie..."
• No. 16 - Song - Cigarette - "All through the silent night, watching beside thee in thy sleep, from ev'ry ill I'll guard thee, from ev'ry ill I'll guard thee..."
• No. 17 - Finale Act II - "Oh, my heart is weary, yes so weary with this endless pain. Oh! that death would set me free!  But see! the vintage! how wildly they dance!"

ACT III  -  Reception Chamber in the Marquis de Portale's Château.

• No. 18 - Intro. & Gavotte - "Happy hours of grace and joy,  what is past can ne'er annoy. If the present pleasure bring, all untroubled we can sing..."
• No. 19 - Song - Marquis - "As once the moments flew, the hours in pleasure fly.  As in life's morning new the gallant days gone by.  That time has come again..."
• No. 20 - Song - Cigarette - "'Twas here, here I saw and lov'd him first;  'twas here the tree began to grow that into fairest blossom burst, and ripen'd into fruit..."
• No. 21 - Duet - Nicotine and Benzoline - "Brother in affliction shed the liquid tear, let us sniff and snuffle - what do we go here? ... Life will be all Sundays..."
• No. 22 - Song - Claude - "Home!  Still unchang'd and fair!  As once again I stand where boyhood's heart found ev'rywhere a realm of fairyland."
• No. 23 - Duet - Violette & Claude - "From darkest hours of pain when hope fell like a wither'd rose, dead joys revive again and love's sweet promise brightly glows..."
• No. 24 - Finale - "Home!  Back to the battles fierce and gory, till I'm old and grey, till the flag with its honours tells the story of my fighting day..."

Illustrated Music Cover

External Links

Vocal Score at IMSLP

Page modified 7 October 2016