Offenbach's 1867 opéra bouffe is here brought back to life in an all-singing, all-dancing staging that bursts with energy from start to finish. Laurent Pelly's production, recorded here at the Châtelet in Paris in December 2004, matches his own costumes in visual verve and an at times macabre wit... The role of the ageing autocrat with a taste for military men seems perfect for Felicity Lott at this stage of her career.