Maurice Lapeyrre, dit Peyrla

Maurice Lapeyrre was born very likely around 1860. His name first appeared in newspapers in 1882 with the composition "Havanaise" published by Editions Jouve in Paris. In this context he is called a "young composer". In 1892 a newspaper calls him a "professeur de piano". In the following years Maurice Lapeyrre made his mark as a composer of chansons that we sung in the different cabarets and revues in Paris. Beside that he also worked as a pianist in these venues. It seems that around 1905 Maurice Lapeyrre created his stage name "Peyrla". In 1906 he is also mentioned as the editor of the music magazine "La Musique francaise et etrangere". Maurice Lapeyrre died on 11 February 1924 in Paris (France).

L'auberge du lapin tricolore

In my possession are some documents belonging to the operetta bouffa "L'auberge du lapin tricolore" by Maurice Lapeyrre. The libretto was written by Eugene Lemercier. I could not find any information when the work was composed, there is only one newspaper article from 1922 that mentions the work as part of the output of Eugene Lemercier. The documents in the archive are a handwritten piano reduction, very likely in the hand of Maurice Lapeyrre as well as orchestral parts done by the copyist Georges Garnier. In addition there are handwritten parts for the singing/reciting roles as well as two autograph librettos by Eugene Lemercier. Curiously there is also an autograph sketch of this libretto by Raphael May, a now little known but quite active writer and poet in Paris at the turn of the century. The name Raphael May does not appear on the other documents so it is unclear in which connection he is regarding the creation of the work.