▁ly rique ▁or ▁opera ▁in ▁four ▁acts ▁( origin ally ▁five ) ▁and ▁five ▁table aux ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁composer ▁André ▁Mess ager . ▁The ▁libre tto ▁by ▁Gast on ▁Ar man ▁de ▁C ail lav et ▁and ▁Robert ▁de ▁Fl ers ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁Alfred ▁de ▁Mus set ' s ▁ 1 8 3 5 ▁comedy ▁Le ▁Ch and el ier . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁performed ▁by ▁the ▁Op éra - Com ique ▁at ▁the ▁S alle ▁F av art ▁in ▁Paris , ▁on ▁ 5 ▁June ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁and ▁remained ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁regular ▁re pert ory ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁In ▁recent ▁years ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁rev ived ▁in ▁several ▁produ ctions ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁other ▁countries . ▁ ▁The ▁opera ▁has ▁no ▁spoken ▁dialog ue ▁and ▁compr ises ▁completely ▁s ung ▁rec itative ▁and ▁a rias . ▁Fort un io , ▁cl erk ▁to ▁the ▁lawyer ▁Ma ître ▁André , ▁becomes ▁the ▁de co y ▁for ▁an ▁affair ▁between ▁Jac qu eline ▁– ▁the ▁lawyer ' s ▁wife ▁– ▁and ▁Cla var o che , ▁an ▁army ▁officer , ▁ ▁Fort un io ▁falls ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁Jac qu eline ▁before ▁discover ing ▁what ▁is ▁going ▁on ▁between ▁her ▁and ▁the ▁officer . ▁Event ually ▁she ▁falls ▁for ▁Fort un io ' s ▁innoc ent ▁charm ▁and ▁sends ▁Cla var o che ▁away . ▁ ▁Background ▁Alfred ▁de ▁Mus set ' s ▁play ▁Le ▁Ch and el ier ▁was