Paul Burani (born Urbain Roucoux; Paris, 26 March 1845 – Paris, 9 October 1901), was a French author, actor, songwriter and librettist.

Paul Burani

He had a short career as an actor at the Théâtre de Belleville and in the French provinces, after which he directed a journal, Le Café-Concert. At the commencement of his career as a songwriter he used the name Burani, an anagram of his first name.

Works

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He collaborated on libretti for the following operas:

  • Le Droit du seigneur (with Maxime Boucheron), music by Léon Vasseur - 1878[1]
  • Le Billet de logement (with Boucheron), Vasseur - 1879
  • La Barbière improvisée (with Jules Montini), Joseph O'Kelly - 1882
  • Le Petit Parisien (with Boucheron), Vasseur - 1882
  • François les bas-bleus (with Ernest Dubreuil and Eugène Humbert), André Messager - 1883
  • Le Mariage au tambour (after Alexandre Dumas), Vasseur - 1886
  • Le roi malgré lui (with Emile de Najac), Emmanuel Chabrier - 1887[2]
  • Ninon de Lenclos (with Blavet), Vasseur, 1887
  • Le Puits qui parle (with Beaumont), Edmond Audran - 1888
  • Le Prince soleil (with Hippolyte Raymond), Vasseur - 1889
  • Le Commandant Laripete (with Silvestre, Valabrigue), Vasseur - 1892
  • Le Cabinet Piperlin (with Raymond), Hervé - 1897
 
La Reine des Halles at the Théâtre de la Comédie-Parisienne (1881)

Le Sire de Fisch Ton Kan was a popular song during the Paris Commune (1871), with words by Paul Burani and music by Antonin Louis, which denounced Napoléon III who was leading France to military disasters; the song contains many plays on words.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Lamb A. Léon Vasseur. In: The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Macmillan, London and New York, 1997.
  2. ^ Delage, R. Emmanuel Chabrier. Fayard, Paris, 1999.
  3. ^ Duneton C. Histoire de la chanson française. Seuil, Paris, 1998. ISBN 978-2-02-017285-1, ISBN 978-2-02-017286-8.