Le postillon de Lonjumeau
Le postillon de Lonjumeau (The Postillion of Lonjumeau) is a three-act opéra comique by Adolphe Adam, with a French libretto by Adolphe de Leuven and Léon Lévy Brunswick. It is Adam’s best-known work beyond ballet and carols, praised for its lively French style, charm, and refined musical craft, with light touches of parody.
The opera features a famous tenor aria in Act 1, “Mes amis, écoutez l'histoire,” notable for its demanding high D (D5). It premiered at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 13 October 1836 and soon traveled to London (St James’s Theatre, 13 March 1837) and New Orleans (Théâtre d’Orléans, 19 April 1838). Since then it has been revived in major houses and festivals, including Berlin’s Staatsoper Unter den Linden (from 4 August 2000) and a 2004 production at the Grand Théâtre in Dijon conducted by Philippe Cambreling, with Isabelle Poulenard as Madeleine. Paris saw a notable 2019 revival at the Opéra Comique in a production by Michel Fau, with Michael Spyres in the title role.
Plot summary:
- Act 1: Chapelou, a newly married postillion, and his innkeeper wife Madeleine consult a clairvoyant who foresees happiness but hints at complications. The Paris Opera director, the Marquis de Corcy, arrives, becomes enamored of Madeleine but says nothing. He overhears Chapelou singing and invites him to join the opera company, prompting a sudden departure. Chapelou asks his friend Biju to tell Madeleine where he has gone, and the couple’s wedding night is left unsettled.
- Act 2: Ten years later, Madeleine is rich as Madame Latour, and Chapelou is a celebrated opera star. At a post-performance reception, Latour meets the Marquis again; Chapelou falls in love with his wife anew without recognizing her. He proposes, she accepts, and they marry.
- Act 3: The Marquis denounces what looks like bigamy. Madeleine appears in peasant clothes, and Chapelou finally recognizes her. She then reveals her true identity as Latour, the heiress. The Marquis arrives with the police, but Madeleine discloses the deception: the couple have married twice and vow to love each other in the simple, honest way of village life. The chorus seals the happy ending with a rousing finale.
In 1936 the opera was loosely adapted into the Austrian-Swiss comedy film The Postman from Longjumeau, directed by Carl Lamac.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 10:55 (CET).