Bateman French Opera: La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein

“With unabated enjoyment the audience welcomed Offenbach’s delicious morceau of fun and music, ‘La Grande Duchesse,’ on Monday night. Mlle. Tostée, although suffering still from a little huskiness, and embarrassed sometimes with a slight cough, sang all the piquant parts of the opera quite acceptably, and whatever deficiencies there may have been in voice were amply compensated for in the exquisite acting which has given a character to ‘The Grande Duchesse,’ as produced on a New York stage that perhaps none of the many theatres in which it is now being produced in Europe can excel. The music has become as familiar as household words to every ear, and will long remain a floating melody in the community until the other operas of Offenbach, which Mr. Bateman is about to produce, shall have banished the charms of ‘La Grande Duchesse’ to control us with something more captivating. For the present, however, the ‘Duchess of Gerolstein’ holds that frequenters of the French theatre in chains that they would willingly throw off.”

Notes change of prima donna, debut of Mme. Fleury Longchamps.

“Still another Grand Duchess in the field! Last night Mlle. Longchamps took Tostée’s place, the latter being indisposed. The new aspirant to the ducal honors of Offenbach acted with animation and spirit, and threw much coquetryand vivacity into the merry rôle. Considering that it was the first time she ever essayed the character in public, her rendering of it gives promise of her being a fair substitute for Mlle. Tostée whenever that plaguey affection of the throat deprives us of this inimitable actress. As for Mlle. Longchamps’ voice, fortunately, Offenbach is very moderate in his demands for vocal ability, and, although in her case it is rather limited, yet there is sufficient sparkle and éclat in it for the part. The acting of General Boum, Prince Paul and Baron Puck in the conspirators’ scene is a remarkable contrast to what may be witnessed in some of our leading American theatres. Every little detail of tone, gesture and action is so carefully studied by these three admirable actors that there is nothing left for suggestion, and yet they contrive to introduce some new features each night. It would be worth the while of some of the managers of the theatres to send their soi disant stars to learn what true acting is from those artistes. There is one department of ‘La Grande Duchesse’ that sadly needs improvement. The leader of the orchestra seems to have but few ideas of the responsibility of his position beyond drowning the vocal parts with the full power of the orchestra, hurrying the choruses through at such a rate that the voices and instruments are more frequently dissonant than harmonious, and imperatively cutting short the best points in the songs of the principal characters. It is a common complaint in our theatres that the orchestra is the last thing a manager thinks of, and that the poorest materials are placed in the hands of an incompetent leader to distort operatic or dramatic music in all kinds of shapes. Surely, it is time to put a stop to it.”

“Last evening Mlle. FLEURY LONGCHAMPS made her appearance at the French Theatre in the rôle of the Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein—a rôle sufficiently difficult in itself, but rendered more so for any new applicant for public applause by the great success of Mlle. TOSTEE, one of the four artistes to whom the character of the Grande Duchesse has belonged. To this number we must now add a fifth—Mlle. LONGCHAMPS. Her success last night, even with the impression of Mlle. TOSTÉE fresh upon the minds of the audience, was marked and decided.  She has a very clear and sweet contralto voice, well cultivated and finely modulated, and her style of acting is natural and refined, and full of delicate touches.  At first, somewhat nervous and hesitating, she acquired confidence as the play progressed, and long before the close of the first act her success was confirmed.  Her rendering of the saber song was admirable, and excited great applause and an encore.  In the interview between the Grand Duchess and Fritz in the second act—a scene easily vulgarized—her acting was beyond all praise— piquant, yet with nothing that could offend the most fastidious taste; and in the dance that concludes this act she displayed a graceful abandon that was perfectly charming, and which was greeter with the heartiest applause. Mr. BATEMAN and the public are certainly to be congratulated on the discovery of a new Grand Duchess who is worthy to be named with those who have made OFFENBACH’S charming opera a general favorite wherever it has been played.”

“This is the same lady, who, under the name of Madame Fleury, is familiar to frequenters of the Academy of Music.  Of her success in a new line of character we cannot say very much.  She looks pretty as the erratic duchess; she acts with sufficient animation; and she sings some of the music neatly and in good taste; but she manifests no remarkable dramatic talent, and her voice is thin and weak.  She was not quite at her ease last night, and will no doubt improve.”

At the French Opera the “Duchess” is still going, and Tostee seems to be well again. It is said that Madame Fleury from the Italian Opera might be the next prima donna at the French Opera.

“Mlle Tostée being indisposed anew, Mlle Felcourt replaced her Wednesday at the French Theater. Thursday, M. Bateman produced a new Grand Duchess in the person of Mme Longchamps Fleury. We prefer Mlle de Felcourt to her, and what we desire above all is that the malign influence that has weighed for a long time on Mlle Tostée’s health will disappear as quickly as possible.”