Chabrier: L'etoile (The Star)

L'Étoile' did much to establish Chabrier as a major force on the Parisian stage and a creator of the French comic genre. The fanciful story is set in an imaginary kingdom and naturally ends well. However, despite the slight plot line L'Étoile is something of a pivotal work, a unique example of French 19th-century light opera, orchestrated with great sophistication and flooded with gossamer wit.