French Theatre

“Tomorrow evening the company will give ‘Le Maitre de Chapelle,’ and the dramatic company will perform Dumas’s comedy in one act, of ‘Le Mari de la Vevoe,’ and a vaudeville – ‘La Consigne est de Roufler,’a varied and attractive bill.”

“In spite of the threatening appearance of the weather last evening there was a pretty large and a truly fashionable audience at the Theatre Francais on the occasion of the second night of the opera comique. Le Maitre de Chapelle, an amusing and clever little trifle in one act by the celebrated Ferdinando Paer, in which there are only three characters, was presented. In it M. Wilhelm, the baritone of Messrs. Juignet & Drivet’s troupe made his debut and achieved a triumph of the most unequivocal kind. He possesses a baritone voice of rare quality, powerful, bell like, and modulated to give color to every expression of sentiment, and trained in the most finished and perfect manner. We have had no baritone before him who can at all be compared to him, and his impersonation of the old Kappelmeister was equal to his singing. The rôle was a very trying one, and in the hands of any but an accomplished artist would have been an utter failure. There are three characters in the opera – Barnabe, maître de chapelle; Benetto, his nephew, and Gertrude, his servant. The scene is had in a town in Germany during the wars of Napoleon. There is hardly any plot worth while speaking of, as the play is intended only to illustrate the peculiarities and the every day life of the old Kapellmeister, and what is stranger in an Italian operatic composer, to burlesque Italian opera. Gertrude, who was charmingly represented by Mlle. Laurentes, frightens both the uncle and nephew almost out of their wits by informing them that the French are entering the town; and again, [illeg.] their conditions of mortal terror, reassures them by stating that the alarming announcement was only a joke on her part. Barnabe then commences a rehearsal of his latest composition, which is a grand Italian opera. In this M. Wilhelm was excellent. His comic directions to the orchestra and [illeg.] of the various instruments, and his thoroughly artistic rendering of a grand scena and aria drew down the house in the most complete sense of the word. Even in the middle of the long and fatiguing rehearsal of his grand opera, most of which he went through unassisted, he could hardly pause to take breath without being greeted with a tumult of applause. He summoned Gertrude after some time to represent the heroine in the aforesaid grand opera, to which she very reluctantly and with many expressions of appropriation and intense disgust, consented. Her light, pleasing voice appeared to even greater advantage than in Les Mousquetaires, and her arch, naïve and coquettish manner made her a deserving participant in the applause that was lavished on her master. This work, the only French Opera composed by Paer, was worthy of the commendations bestowed upon it by Napoleon, and it is thoroughly enjoyable. M. Edgard had little to do or sing as Benetto, and he deserves praise for making so much of a trifling part. All the artists introduced so far in opera comique have been acceptable, and many of them are already favorites with the public. The audience that attended the French theatre last evening was evidently critical and discriminating and the applause was, therefore, genuine. M. Predigam conducted the orchestra with skill and success, and that important feature in the opera was faultless. The opera was preceded by Le Mari de la Veuve, a comedy in one act, in which MM. Scribot and Camel [sic] and Mlles. Saunier, Camel [sic] and Thorey made their appearance. They were all four called before the curtain at the close of the comedy. The vaudeville also, La consigne est de rontier, which succeeded the opera, was received with like expressions of appropriation and enjoyment. The success which has attended the opening nights of Messrs. Juignet & Drivet’s company incontestably shows that with such artists, such an orchestra and such a chorus, we may confidently look forward to a brilliant season of opera comique, comedy and vaudeville. Halevy’s excellent and picturesque work, Les Mousquetaires de la Reine, will be repealed on Saturday night.”