Louise is an opera in four acts by Gustave Charpentier to an original French libretto by the composer. The opera depicts Parisian working-class life. However the city itself is in many ways the true star of this very atmospheric work - invoked at various points during the opera. A French example of verismo opera, it tells the story of the love between Louise, a seamstress living with her parents in Paris, and Julien, a young artist. It is the story of a young girl's desire for freedom. This 1976 recording stars Ileana Cotrubas and Placido Domingo. Georges Pretre conducts.
