The premiere of Les bergers took place on 11 December 1865 at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris. It was generally well received by critics but did not run to great success, having to bear comparison with La belle Hélène, Offenbach's most recent hit. The work was staged, in German, in Vienna in 1866. Before the opening, Le Figaro published a letter written by Offenbach to Henri de Villemessant, setting out his artistic aims with the new work. He described the structure of the piece, as a "series of pastorals", with the first set in antiquity and working on the theme of Pyramus and Thisbe, the second set in the time and style of Watteau and Louis XV, and in the third act Offenbach "sought to represent Courbet in music". The overture contains a theme on the oboe which is the first version of "Au Mont Ida" from La belle Hélène. The first act, using the titleMyriame et Daphné, was staged as a curtain-raiser at the premiere of Massenet's Thérèse in Monte-Carlo in 1907; with Maggie Teyte in a principal role. Faris comments that the 18th-century pastiche "is skilfully done. Offenbach creates gavotte-like, courtly elegance with an austerly simple rhythmic accompaniment".
The first act takes place in a sacred wood in Arcadia. Palémon aims to commit his son Myriame to Apollo; Chryséa hopes to vow her daughter, Daphné to Diane. Myriame and Daphné are in love and with the help of Alphésibée arrange a secret meeting in a wood where hunters are pursuing a she-wolf. Myriame mistakenly believes that the hunters have killed his love and ends his life, but Éros appears and saves the young man, deciding that the two lovers will go through different ages.
In the second act they are in the park of a mansion at the time of Louis XV; Myriame is now Colin and Daphné is Annette. Éros has been sent down to the world by Jupiter in the form of a steward. The marquis returns home to his wife but both are flirting with the young couple; intrigue follows. When he is accused of presiding over disorder, the steward transforms into Éros and is protected by cupids as the curtain falls.
Act 3 – Le Bergerie réaliste (The realist pastoral)
The final act is introduced by a realist pastoral symphony. Daphné is now the shepherdess La Rouge who is intended for Nicot-la-Braise - Myriame. La Rouge's friend La Sincère has been promised to Le Menu. Meanwhile, Éros is in the form of a wily rascal, Jeannet. All are offered a wedding feast by the generous landowner Vautendon during which Jeannet tries to stir up jealousy among the lovers. In the finale Éros is perched on the fatted calf of Vautendon and the three visitors from antiquity arise into the heavens.
Recordings
Excerpts have appeared on the anthologies Ballade SymphoniqueOffenbach au menu! and Entre Nous.
