Opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini

Libretto - Giuseppe Adami

First performance - 27 March 1917, Grand Theatre de Monte Carlo (Théâtre du Casino), Monte Carlo

This production is the first full performance of this opera in Bulgaria and in Ruse.

Main characters:

MAGDA DE SIVRI, soprano
LIZETTE, soprano
RUGERO LASTUC, tenor
Prunier sings, tenor
RAMBALDO FERNANDES, patron saint of Magda, bass-baritone
PERISHO, bass-baritone
GOBIN, tenor
CREBEYON, bass-baritone
IVET, soprano
BIANCA, soprano
SUZI, mezzo-soprano
ICONOM, bass
VOICE, soprano

Bourgeois, students, artists, elegant ladies and gentlemen, grizzlies, florists and dancers, waiters.

First act
Magda de Sivri welcomes guests to her salon in the home of her generous patron, the banker Rambaldo Fernandez. The poet Prunier discusses his understanding of love with the guests. It is poetic, sentimental and romantic. The ladies present greet his reflections with delicate derision and only Magda supports him. Prunier begins to sing his last song. The verses tell the story of Doretta, who has rejected the courtship of a wealthy suitor because she values true love. He breaks off his song, but Magda offers to finish the verses by continuing, coming to an exciting romantic ending about the fiery love between Doretta and a student. The guests are ecstatic with the ending of the story and her performance, but Magda's friends mock her for her idealism. Rambaldo intervenes in the conversation and ostentatiously gives Magda an expensive necklace. Magda accepts it but insists on the strength of her romantic views. Lisette, the maid, enters and announces the arrival of a strange young man from the country who wants to see Rambaldo. Magda agrees to let him in, and Rambaldo orders that he be invited as well.
Magda is left alone with her friends. They praise Rambaldo's generosity. But Magda assures that money is not everything to her. She tells how, as a very young girl, she once danced in the ballroom of the Boullier restaurant. It was there that she first fell in love with a young man, but she has never met him since.
The girlfriends are disappointed with the ending of the story and suggest it to Prunier as a subject for a poem. The conversation digresses to the topic of chiromancy and Prunier demonstrates his skills. He looks at Magda's hand and says that she, like a swallow, dreams of flying away to the sun and happiness.
Lizette introduces Ruggero. He brings for Rambaldo a letter from his father, who is an old friend of the banker. Magda likes the young man at first sight. He is quite different from the people who surround her. The guests begin to discuss where it is best for Ruggero to spend his first evening in Paris, and decide to go with him to the Boullier restaurant.
At first, Magda plans to stay home alone and tells Lizette that she is free to spend the evening as she wishes. Then she thinks about Prunier's prediction and decides to follow them. She goes out to change.
Prunier returns to take Lizette to the Boullier. Lisette dresses, takes Magda's hat, and they leave. Magda appears, disguised as a grizzette. Singing the song for Doretta, she sets off for the "Boullier", eager and hopeful for adventure.

Second act
Restaurant "Boullier"
The restaurant is packed with students, artists, grizzlies and florists. They flirt, sing and dance. Ruggero enters. He is embarrassed by the frivolous atmosphere and hurries to sit at a more distant table. Magda appears and spots the lonely Ruggero. Brushing aside the banter of the drunken youths, she makes her way to his table. She apologizes to Ruggero and says she wants to get away from her worshippers. Ruggero offers her to stay at his table. He does not recognize the disguised Magda. They talk and Ruggiero is charmed by Magda's modest and well-mannered behavior, inviting her to dance. As Magda and Ruggiero dance, Lisette and Prunier enter the restaurant. They quarrel because Prunier wants Lizette to behave like a lady. After the waltz ends, Magda and Ruggiero return to their table, the waltz reminding Magda of her first love infatuation. Ruggiero asks Magda for her name; she introduces herself as Paulette. Prunier and Lisette walk by and Lisette recognizes Magda. Magda signals to Prunier not to give her away and he convinces Lizette that she has confessed. To be more convincing, he introduces Lizette to Magda. Lisette is confused by Magda's appearance. The two couples raise a toast to love together.
Rambaldo enters the restaurant and sees Magda and Ruggero. Prunier notices this, orders Lisette to get Ruggiero and get him away from Magda, and tries to entertain Rambaldo himself. But Rambaldo is in no mood to listen to jokes and ignores Prunier. He demands an explanation from Magda about her appearance. She tells him she has nothing to add to what he sees. Rambaldo insists that she go with him. Magda refuses. She declares that she loves Ruggero and regrets hurting Rambaldo in this way. Rambaldo leaves and Magda is left alone.
Dawn is breaking. Ruggero returns to Magda. She shares her fears about the future. Ruggiero embraces her, they decide to leave Paris and start a new life. They leave the restaurant together, but Magda worries that she is cheating on Ruggiero.

Third act
Villa on the Cote d'Azur
It's been a few months since Magda and Ruggiero have been together. The love idyll is marred by the poverty in which they find themselves. Ruggiero shares with Magda his dream of having a family and a child with her. He writes a letter to his mother asking for her blessing to marry Magda and also for help to pay off his debts. Magda is touched but also troubled. Ruggero is unaware of her past as Rambaldo's metress, and she is unsure whether to tell him about it.
Prunier and Lisette arrive. They, as always, quarrel and quarrel. This time the topic is Lisette's bad performance on the stage of a music hall in Nice. Prunier tells Magda about Lisette's failed performance as a singer. Lisette is desperate, she wants to hide from the public eye and begs Magda to take her back as her maid. Magda agrees. Prunier expresses his surprise that Magda can feel happy away from Paris and mentions that her patron would like her to return to him. Prunier then arranges to meet Lisette that evening and leaves the villa.
Ruggero comes with a letter from his mother. She writes that she will be happy to bless his marriage, since his chosen one possesses the virtues he has described to her. Magda can no longer hide the truth from Ruggero. She tells him about her past. Ruggiero is ready to forgive everything. Magda has firmly decided that she does not want to cause grief to his parents and will never be his wife. Ruggero earnestly begs her to stay with him, but she decides to leave him. Magda returns to her former life with Rambaldo. Lisette accompanies her.