SYNOPSIS

Act One

Louise’s Home

CD 1 [1] Prélude

The scene reveals the plainly furnished living-room of a Parisian working-class family. A window opens onto a balcony and, almost touching it, is the balcony of an adjoining house. Standing on this neighbouring balcony is the young poet, Julien. [2] It is an early evening in April, and Julien sings of gaiety and freedom, a song in praise of Paris which is also a serenade to Louise. Standing on her own balcony, Louise joins her young admirer, who tells her that, having received no reply to his first letter to her parents, he has written again, asking for her hand. If her parents refuse, she must keep her promise to elope with him. Louise denies that she has ever promised to run away with him; she loves her parents too much to elope without their consent. [3] While they are remembering their first awareness of each other and a few brief, secret meetings, Louise’s mother returns from the market. She listens cynically to their declarations of love and, losing patience, drags Louise away, pushing her into the kitchen. Julien laughs mockingly and returns to his studio, while Louise and her mother quarrel bitterly, [4] the mother scornfully mimicking Julien’s declarations of love.

[5] The father returns home, bringing with him Julien’s second letter. Dressed in humble working clothes, he sinks wearily into a chair, reading the letter but making no comment. Supper is placed on the table, and the family sits down to eat. The mother complains bitterly that while the father has to work hard for a living, year after year, good-for-nothing young bohemians do nothing all day but write poems and make love. The father is more philosophical: it is true that he works hard, but he finds real happiness in his home and his family. [6] When supper is over, he re-reads Julien’s letter, which is very persuasive, and suggests to his wife that they have been too strict with the young couple. She replies furiously that if Julien ever enters her house, she will leave and, when Louise protests, slaps her face in an outburst of temper. [7] The father calms his daughter, telling her that she is too young and inexperienced to know what is best – and that she must forget Julien. As the dusk gathers, he asks Louise if she will read the evening paper to him. Sitting in the lamplight, Louise reads of the brilliant spring season and the gaiety of Paris.

Act Two

Scene 1: A Street in Montmartre

[8] It is very early morning outside the building where Louise works as a seamstress. [9] in the pale light, various workers are starting their day: a rag-picker, a street-sweeper, a milk-woman setting up a stall, various vegetable vendors, policemen and others. In contrast to their poverty, a man in full evening dress, covered with a long, black cloak, strolls past, teasing one of the girls. This Noctambulist explains that he is “The Pleasure of Paris”, with a mission to bring gaiety and pleasure to those who have lost the joy of living. When he leaves, an old rag-picker curses the stranger who, he says, is the scoundrel that, many years earlier, had seduced his daughter and persuaded her to run off with him.

[11] As it grows lighter, Julien appears with a group of his young bohemian friends, telling them about the girl who works in the building before them. His friends strike up a comic serenade in her honour, but they leave when Julien warns them that it is time for Louise to appear. [12] He waits behind, hiding himself and, moments later, CD 2 [3] Louise arrives watchfully chaperoned by her mother. Other young seamstresses enter the building and, when she is assured that Louise is safe, the mother leaves. [4] As soon as she has gone, Julien runs into the building, and brings Louise out. She is frightened and reluctant, but Julien argues with great eloquence. She is a woman, he says, and must not allow her golden youth to be imprisoned. She has a will as strong as her parents’ and an equal right to happiness. More than half-persuaded, despite her love for her father, Louise promises to join Julien, then runs back into the workshop. [5] A second-hand clothes merchant walks slowly down the street, calling his wares and, in the distance, one hears the street cries of Paris.

Scene 2: Inside the Workshop

[6] The room is filled with seamstresses, young and old, who keep up a lively chatter, despite warnings from the forewoman, as they work at their sewing-machines. Louise sits slightly apart from the other girls and when they notice her silence, they tease her, accusing her of being in love. Louise denies this, but the others pay no attention, talking more and more of love, much to her embarrassment. [8] Their attention is distracted by the sound of music coming from the street outside. Julien and his friends have returned to serenade Louise. The sewing-girls, unaware that Louise is the object of the serenade, are delighted by the entertainment offered by the handsome young man, but as his song becomes more passionate, they become bored and start to mock him, shouting down his ardent words. Only Louise has remained at her table, becoming more and more agitated. Suddenly, she rises to her feet, dropping her work, and tells the other girls that she is not feeling well. Before they can help her, she runs out of the workshop. [9] The girls again go to the window to watch her departure and, amid peals of delighted laughter, discover that she has run off with Julien.

Act Three

A Hill-top in Montmartre

[10] Julien and Louise are now living together in a little cottage with a garden overlooking the city of Paris. The lovers are in the garden and, as twilight falls, [11] Louise sings of the great happiness that love has brought her since the day she gave herself to Julien. [12]-[14] As darkness falls and the lights of Paris twinkle in the background, they sing a passionate duet of love and of Paris, the city that has joined them together and that represents their love for each other. They embrace ecstatically and go slowly into the house.

CD 3 [1] Their friends, the citizens of Montmartre, now arrive to decorate all the houses with lanterns, festoons and flags. A merry throng fills the scene, singing praises of love and of Paris. Julien and Louise appear at the door of the cottage to join their neighbours and, [2] in the midst of the crowd, the Noctambulist — “The Pleasure of Paris” — appears, this time dressed in a brightly coloured masquerade costume with jester’s cap and bells as “The King of the Fools”. In a ceremony of mock solemnity, the crowd chooses Louise to be crowned as “Muse of Montmartre”. There is a brilliant chorus praising youth and joy, which ends suddenly with the appearance of Louise’s mother. [4] A dark, tragic figure, strongly contrasted with the merrymakers, she tells Julien that she has not come to cause trouble. She and her husband have accepted the loss of their only child, but the father is now very ill, and only a great joy can save his life. A rag-picker, wandering by, sings of a father who lost his daughter to the city. Julien asks the mother whether she will allow Louise to return to him, and the mother promises that she will. With great reluctance, Louise agrees to go home with her mother for a few days.

Act Four

Louise’s Home

[5] Louise is sewing by the window, her mother working in the kitchen, while the father sits disconsolately by the table, broken by sorrow and illness. [6] His wife tries to cheer him, pointing out that they have a better view of the city now that Julien’s house next door has been torn down, but he refuses to be comforted. Describing himself as a beast of burden, he complains bitterly that it is hard enough to be a working man without having also to bear the ingratitude of the child for whom he has sacrificed so much. He curses the man who has robbed him of his only joy in life. [8] The mother calls to Louise to help her in the kitchen, but they soon quarrel again. [9] She returns to the living-room to say goodnight to her father, who holds her in his arms, singing an old lullaby which he had sung to her as a child. Speaking to her as though she were a child, he suggests that she should remain with them permanently. [10] As the father tries to warn her of the disaster of returning to Julien, Louise becomes more and more angry. She pulls away from his grasp and declares passionately that her parents can never win her back by denying her the love and freedom which are rightfully hers.
Her excitement grows, and she calls on Paris itself to come to her aid. The father grows angry, but Louise sings brazenly of her love for Julien. Furious, her father throws open the door and, with a dramatic gesture, tells her to go. For a moment, Louise is frightened, but as her father’s rage overtakes him, she runs to the door and escapes. [13] Moments later, the father comes to his senses, and he stumbles to the open doorway, calling his daughter back, but there is no answer. He staggers back into the room, weak and exhausted, then turns to the window, shaking his fist at the city skyline and crying out in anger and despair.