ANDRÉ WORMSER, a French composer
(1851-1926) made a great success with his musical play in dumb-show, The Prodigal Son. It is a modern, fanciful setting of an old story.
Pierrot, for love of Phrynette, robs his parent and flees with her. Disaster follows. Pierrot comes down in the world, steals money for his Phrynette, and comes home to find she has gone off with a richer lover. Finally he returns to his poor old broken-hearted parents and exists as a soldier to redeem his good name ; and so the curtain falls.
The music to this little drama is lyrically charming and graceful.