Act One

The setting of the first act of Le Postillon de Lonjumeau takes place in the French village of Longjumeau in 1766. Chapelou, post-horse rider of Lonjumeau, has just married Madeleine, proprietress of the village tavern. After their friends have left the wedding ceremony and celebration, Chapelou and Madeleine reveal to one another that they have both been to consult the oracles of soothsayers to divine the future of their union; Madeleine to a hunchbacked shepherd, and Chapelou to an old witch. The results on both sides predict disaster for the marriage, but under the circumstances they agree to ignore this advice. Madeleine goes off to attend to her patrons, and Biju, a fellow rider and a rival to Chapelou for Madeleine's affections, enters. A testy conversation ensues between Chapelou and Biju, but they are interrupted by the arrival of the Marquis de Corcy. He is the director of the Royal Opera in Paris and is having a bad day: he is both short a singer for a production of Castor and Pollux and in need of a wheelwright, as one of the wheels has fallen off his carriage. As he waits, peasants encourage Chapelou to sing his song of the mail carriage. It is a difficult number that requires a high tenor, and Chapelou carries it off with ease and aplomb. The Marquis is elated by Chapelou's performance and offers to make him a singing star in Paris, but makes it a condition that he leave immediately. Chapelou resists, but the Marquis is not prepared to take no for an answer. Chapelou departs with the Marquis, and when Madeleine finally appears, Biju gleefully informs her that Chapelou has just abandoned their union on their wedding night.

Act Two

The business of the second act takes place ten years later in Paris, and everyone's name changes, with the exception of the Marquis. Madeleine has come into a considerable fortune, thanks to the bequest of a wealthy aunt. She is no longer called Madeleine but is now Madame de Latour, and the action is set in her spacious Paris apartment. Despite Biju's intrigue, she is still in love with Chapelou, who is now known as Saint-Phar, a famous singer at the Opera. Biju, now Alcindor, is the leader of the Opera chorus. An opera rehearsal is to be held shortly in the apartment, and Madame de Latour indicates that she is about to play a trick on the celebrated "widower" Saint-Phar. As the Marquis arrives to lead the rehearsal, Madame de Latour departs.

Saint-Phar reluctantly sings a romance that turns out so well that everyone in the company decides to leave for dinner, save Alcindor, who steps forward to sing a number of his own after the rest are gone. Saint-Phar begs Alcindor to leave, however, for he is desperately in love with Madame de Latour and plans to throw himself at her feet. He notes the resemblance between her and Madeleine but is too dim to make the connection. When she appears, Saint-Phar professes his love for her, and she confronts him with a letter from his "wife" Madeleine. He protests that he is unmarried, and she offers to marry him later that evening. He agrees, but the Marquis overhears Saint-Phar's plot to have the wedding carried out by one of the boys in the chorus, rather than a priest, just to be on the safe side. The Marquis relays the plot to Madame de Latour, who merely arranges to have a real priest substituted for the fake, eating her revenge cold.

Act Three

The first scene of Act Three takes place in a wedding chamber. Alcindor lays the whole story out to the Marquis, who can't wait to see Saint-Phar hang for bigamy. Saint-Phar sings happily of his triumph with Madame de Latour in the aria "A la noblesse, je m'allie," and then Alcindor arrives with the bad news. Saint-Phar is thunderstruck and becomes virtually apoplectic when "Madeleine" (Madame de Latour in her peasant garb) enters to accuse him of marrying another. Saint-Phar drops his torch, plunging the stage into darkness. In the dark, Madame de Latour carries on a conversation between herself and "Madeleine" by disguising her voice, convincing Saint-Phar that the two women are having an argument. The lights come up, and the Marquis arrives with soldiers to take the unlucky Saint-Phar to his doom. At this point Madame de Latour reveals the ruse and tells the soldiers that the crime Saint-Phar has committed is not one of bigamy, but of marrying the same woman twice. The Marquis storms out in a blind rage, and Saint-Phar pledges to Madame de Latour that he will leave the stage for her, just as he had left her for the stage at their initial wedding.

© All Music Guide

Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.