The Paris Understudy: A Novel

“enjoyable summer reading for opera fans.”

The story of Auriéle Thiele’s The Paris Understudy could have been the basis for an opera by Giacomo Puccini or, more likely, one of Puccini’s lesser contemporaries, Umberto Giordano or Francesco Cilea. It is a tale of self-absorbed divas who suffer under sadistic Nazis in Paris during World War II. The leading characters are larger than life and not quite credible, but the story will entertain some opera lovers who have a taste for camp.

Thiele’s tale begins in 1936 in Paris when reigning diva Madeleine Moreau is asked to judge a vocal competition at the conservatory. Young soprano Yvonne Chevalier is obviously the best singer, which is a good reason for ruthless, self-absorbed Madeleine to make sure she doesn’t win. Madeleine keeps Yvonne under her control by making her her understudy. Since Madeleine never cancels, Yvonne never gets to sing.

Two years later, Madeleine is offered the role of Isolde at Bayreuth, the Mecca for Wagnerians. It’s 1938, the Nazis are beginning their takeover of Europe, and Madeleine discovers that Hitler, Wagner’s greatest fan, will be in attendance. Madeleine understands that singing for Hitler would be toxic and concocts a reason to cancel, allowing her understudy Yvonne to triumph as Isolde. Unfortunately, a photograph circulates of Yvonne sitting at the Führer’s feet at a post-performance reception.

After the Nazis take over Paris, a Nazi culture minister forces the Paris Opera to make Yvonne their reigning diva instead of Madeleine. To rescue her son from a Nazi prison camp, Yvonne becomes the lover of the culture minister. Later, when her son gets into more political trouble, Yvonne is forced to become the mistress of a brutal Gestapo officer. Puccini’s diva, Floria Tosca, knew how to handle such tyrants. Needless to say, Yvonne is not very popular in postwar France.

Through all this, Yvonne and Madeleine have a complicated relationship. Madeleine understands how Yvonne has become trapped but can’t help enjoying her rival’s dilemmas. Madeleine’s husband and conductor, switches his professional loyalty to Yvonne and, to further his career, collaborates with the Nazis.

In her epilogue, Thiele mentions that Yvonne’s story is based on the life of a real soprano, Germaine Lubin, who was photographed sitting at Hitler’s feet.

Thiele has done her homework on European singers of the period. Opera fans might catch some gaffes. It is unlikely that a leading soprano would alternate the coloratura acrobatics of Lucia di Lammermoor with the heavier demands of Wagner’s heroines. Siegfried does not appear in Wagner’s Die Walküre.

Thiele’s flat style does not match the high drama of her story. Perhaps it would take music to do her narrative justice. Nonetheless, The Paris Understudy will be enjoyable summer reading for opera fans.