Puss in Boots (opera) facts for kids
Puss in Boots is a fun, short opera-fairytale for children. It has three acts and four scenes. The famous composer César Cui wrote the music in 1913. Marina Stanislavovna Pol' wrote the story, which is called the libretto.
The opera first opened in Rome in 1915. It was called Il gatto con gli stivali there. Later, in 1961, a new version was made in the Soviet Union. By the 1970s, it became very popular in East Germany as Der gestiefelte Kater. You can even find a recording of it from 1999, made for radio!
Who are the Characters?
The opera features several interesting characters:
- The Cat: The clever main character.
- Jean: The youngest son of the miller. He becomes the Marquis de Carabas.
- Middle Son of the miller
- Oldest Son of the miller
- King
- Princess: The King's daughter.
- The Ogre: A powerful, scary creature.
- The Princess' girlfriends, courtiers, reapers, hay-makers, and the ogre's servants. These are played by the chorus.
What's the Story?
The story of the opera follows the classic fairytale by Perrault very closely. It starts with some music before the singing begins. There are also special dances throughout the show.
The story is about a clever cat who helps his poor owner, Jean. Jean is the youngest son of a miller and has only inherited the cat. The cat promises to make Jean rich and famous.
The cat tricks the King into believing Jean is a wealthy nobleman, the Marquis de Carabas. He arranges for Jean to meet the Princess. The cat also tricks a powerful Ogre. The Ogre can change into different animals. The cat challenges the Ogre to turn into a mouse. When the Ogre becomes a mouse, the cat quickly eats him!
This allows Jean to take over the Ogre's castle and lands. The King is impressed and allows Jean, the "Marquis de Carabas," to marry the Princess. Thanks to the smart Puss in Boots, Jean lives happily ever after.
Listening to the Opera
You can find recordings of Puss in Boots to listen to.
- One recording is from a 1948 radio performance. It features different singers and actors for the parts. This version was released by Aquarius Classic in 2018.
- Another recording is from 1999. It's a radio play version from Germany, featuring the Young Opera of the Staatsoper Stuttgart.
See also
In Spanish: El Gato con Botas (Cui) para niños
