The Flames of Paris

Act one

Summer of 1792. The outskirts of Marseilles. Gaspard, a peasant, and his children, Jeanne and Jacques, come out of the forest with a cartload of firewood. They hear the sound of a horn — it is the Marquis de Beauregard, the owner of these lands, returning from the hunt. Gaspard and his children gather their bundles and hurry to leave, but do not manage to escape in time. The Marquis is angry that peasants are gathering firewood in his forest. He prepares to punish them, but upon hearing a revolutionary song, he retreats to the castle.
A band of rebels led by Philippe appears. They are heading to Paris to aid the revolutionaries. The rebels assist Gaspard and Jeanne. Peasants arrive, and Philippe encourages them to join the cause. Gaspard and his children also join the uprising. Together, they all head for Paris.
A feast in the royal palace. After dancing, the Master of Ceremonies invites everyone to a performance by the court theatre. Actors Diane Mireille and Antoine Mistral present the story of heroes struck by Cupid’s arrow. King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette enter. The officers deliver congratulatory toasts. The Marquis de Beauregard appears, and throws the tricolour flag of the rebels at the King’s feet, with the inscription ‘Peace to the huts, war to the palaces!’ Louis is asked to sign a document calling for troops to be sent to France to end the revolution. The King hesitates, but Marie Antoinette persuades him to sign. The officers draw their swords salute the royal couple.
Diane Mireille’s admirers invite the actors to join in the celebration. Mireille and Antoine improvise a short dance, which is enthusiastically received by the audience. The drunken Marquis insistently asks Mireille to dance, and she reluctantly agrees. Diana tries to stay close to Mistral, who tries to distract de Beauregard, but the Marquis roughly pushes the actor aside. Several officers take Antoine to the table. Finally Mireille finds an excuse to leave, but the Marquis follows her.
Mistral notices a forgotten document, “Address to Prussia”, on the table and reads it curiously. When the Marquis returns, he notices the paper in Antoine’s hands: unable to control himself, he takes his pistol and fatally wounds the actor. At the sound of the gunshot, Mireille runs into the hall. She kneels over Mistral and sees that he is dead. Suddenly she notices the paper clutched in his hand. Outside the windows, the sounds of the “Marseillaise” grow louder. Mireille realises why Mistral was killed. She hides the document and flees the palace.

Act two

Night. A square in Paris, where crowds of townspeople gather, armed groups from the provinces, including the Auvergne and Basques. Among the Basques is Teresa, an active participant in the street protests. The appearance of Diana Mireille interrupts the dancing. She hands the crowd a scroll with the King’s address to the Prussians, and the people realise the aristocracy’s betrayal. “Carmagnole” begins to play, and the crowd dances. Philip urges them to storm the Tuileries. With the revolutionary song “Ça ira”, the crowd marches towards the royal palace.
The people burst into the inner chambers of the palace. Philippe confronts the Marquis de Beauregard. After a fierce struggle, Philippe takes the Marquis’ sword, who then tries to shoot Philippe with a pistol, but the crowd descends upon him. The Swiss guards, the king’s last defenders, are swept away. Teresa runs in, holding a flag, but is struck down by a bullet from one of the officers. The palace is taken. The Basques, Philip and Gaspard lift Tereas’s body above their heads as the people lower their flags in mourning.

Act three

A celebration in honour of the capture of the Tuileries. The dancing of the joyful crowd is followed by performances by actors of Parisian theatres. Diane Mireille, surrounded by girls in ancient costumes, performs a dance with the tricolour flag, representing the victory of the Revolution and Liberty. Allegorical dances of Equality and Brotherhood are performed. The people shower Jeanne and Philippe with flowers, who are also celebrating their wedding day. The “Carmagnola” is heard again. As a symbol of freedom, the people carry Diane Mireille on their shoulders.