Cercle de l’Harmonie soirée of drama and dance

Event Information

Venue(s):

Conductor(s):
Adolphe Gaffre

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
7 July 2016

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

28 Oct 1866

Program Details

No venue or time provided in citation.

Additional performers included M. Naumbourg and M. Kinzler.

Program included the following non-musical works:

Monsieur va au cercle
Tous les homes sont des trompeurs
Mort de Gilbert, La
Sylphides, Les

Performers and/or Works Performed

Citations

1)
Review: Courrier des États-Unis, 30 October 1866.

There isn’t a more justified name than that of the Cercle de l’Harmonie. This society, formed just a few months ago and already solidly stable, has resolved the problem of establishing among our French colony in New York—scattered, not to say divided, until now—a place in common which, for those of good will, shall only grow stronger day by day. The third soirée of drama and dance, given last Sunday, was charming on all points; it’s more than a success, it’s a triumph. The performance space, quite small, was full of ball-gowns, flowers, ribbons, rice-powder and beauty. The performance was excellent, and we doubt that a society [amateur?] production could be better anywhere—much better than the first two, which were already quite satisfactory. One can give only praise, not criticism. The pieces were well chosen; they were well acted. Monsieur va au cercle and Tambour battant made quite a show. Mlle Solange, a bit intimidated in the first one by an unfamiliar audience, regained her aplomb in the second, and performed with a good deal of appropriateness and superiority. Mlle Solange has made progress and will make a good place for herself on our stage if the fits of youth don’t go to her head too much. Mlle Juliette carried her role with a high hand [a pun on “tambour battant”]; she has the spirit of one possessed; she speaks correctly, cleanly, firmly, she sets the stage on fire, she fans the flames; here eyes would suffice to set everything aflame. Compliments also to M. Naumbourg, a music-lover for sure, who sang the ditty: Tous les homes sont des trompeurs, in collaboration with Mlle Juliette.

That’s not all. M. Kinzler moved the audience with the monologue from La Mort de Gilbert, a very sad and slightly monotonous poem, which he knew how to animate and render touching. The [musical] accompaniments that dialogued with the poem were very successful; they did honor to the composer, M. A. Gaffré, the excellent director of the Society’s orchestra.

Finally, so that the festivity would lack nothing, so that all the genres would have their place in the footlights, there was ballet; ballet less numerous in personnel, less brilliant in production than Niblo’s Black Crook, but very pleasant nonetheless. A beautiful person who has the devil in her, Mlle Lizzie Whelplew, danced, with a warm spirit, first a military passage, than another one a bit more aerial, depicting a program under the collective title of Les Sylphides. The sylphs were all represented by Mlle Lizzie Welplew [sic], who made up the deficiency through [her] vivacity; she has beautiful eyes, beautiful shoulders, beautiful legs and almost as much gracefulness as fortitude. She probably would have been applauded more than she was if there had been only men in the room.

In sum, one must have three words to describe the effect of the soirée: very good—very good; very good!

Nothing to mention about the ball, if it weren’t that there were many pretty ladies, that is to say they were charming; like the last time, it lasted until five o’clock in the morning. Only the dawn parted us—in saying: au revoir—till next month.