Grau French Opera Bouffe: Geneviève de Brabant

“At the Théâtre Francais, Geneviève de Brabant pursues its triumphal march and doesn’t appear at all disposed to stop for four or five months. In truth, I swear to you, the exorcisms of the puritans bear fruit. At Saturday’s matinée the hall was full, and, as always, the fair sex formed the immense majority. The loges, completely adorned, presented a dazzling sight, and pretty patrician hands, finely gloved, gave the signal of applause or bis more than once. Mmes Rose Bell and Desclauzas had to repeat their delightful serenade, and Carrier his verses in the second scene, and Gabel, with his colleague Bourgoin, their song of the gendarmes henceforth popular, and the four nimble huntsmen their beautiful quartet . . . .”

The two opera bouffe managers appeal to the public in different ways.  Mr. Grau, at the French Theatre, depends upon one elaborate production to attract the amusement-seekers. He has placed ‘Genevive de Brabant’ on the stage with unsurpassed magnificence, involving the presentation on the boards of nearly a hundred and fifty individuals, while the scenic effects are in every way admirable. On this one piece he stakes the success of his enterprise, and, so far, the crowded houses have given him ample encouragement.”

“Genevieve de Brabant enters on its fourth week to-night.  It seems to be a success, and attracts good audiences.”

“At the French Theatre Mr. Grau finds that ‘Genevieve’ is drawing crowded houses and that among his singers who have been less widely noticed than the leading names, Madame Guerretti is attracting special attention, from the purity of her vocal style and the charming quality of her voice. This lady is the wife of Alard, the violinist, and is a treasure that adds greatly to the success of ‘Genevieve.’ The serenade of the first act, En passant sous le fenêtre, has become a popular melodic favorite, and, with the hunters’ quartet and the Tyrolean trio, is the most admired portion of the opera.”

Received with the greatest enthusiasm every evening and at the matinee on Sat. by the largest and most refined audiences ever assembled at the Theatre Francais. To avoid the rush and consequent inconvenience at the ticket office ladies are particularly requested to procure their seats or tickets in advance at the following places down town: Peters’ Music Store, 198 Broadway, up town, Schirmer’s Music store, 701 Broadway, and at the box office.  The lobbies at the theater will be heated and opened at 11 am, so that the ladies will not be compelled to remain standing outside.

“The Buffer Opera Contest between Grau and Bateman is all in favor of Grau, whose ‘Genevieve de Brabant’ has been crowding the French Theatre ever since its opening representation. Bateman, having nothing fresh to offer the people on the western slope, is compelled to rely on operas that are becoming stale, flat and unprofitable. Grau’s theatre is better located for purposes of opera than Pike’s Opera House, and the fashionable throng to Fourteenth street in consequence of that and the superior style of performances offered. A portion of Bateman’s party are in Philadelphia this week, trying to create a diversion in favor of Bateman’s grand armer.”

“Another striking success was obtained by the two gens d’armes in ‘Genevieve’ last night, the triple encore rewarding Gabel and Bourgoin in their singing of the couplets, besides a triple call before the curtain at the close of the act. The serenade, the tenor song L’excès est un defaut, the Tyrolean trio, the hunting quartet, and the march and chorus at the end of the first act, were all redemanded by the delighted audience. The house was crowded, and it would appear that the tide of popularity is only beginning to set in towards the French Theatre. Of course ‘Genevieve de Brabant’ will retain its place on the stage for an indefinite time.”

“The public puts down its arms and pays its tribute of bravos and flowers with the greatest grace in the world. Mme Rose Bell could endow with white crowns all the rose-bushes in the state of New York with the ship loads of bouquets that she has received this week, and the noise of the applause must seem like very sweet music to all the happy interpreters of Offenbachian buffoonery.

“The audience, more fair than fallen authors generally admit, distributes the evidence of its admiration with a lot of tact. Has it ever forgotten to encore and applaud the delightful serenade, the tournament of nightingales between Mmes Rose Bell and Desclauzas, and the pretty trio of the second scene, and Carrier’s verses, and the heroic finale conveyed so well by Beckers, and this, and that (I cite randomly memory), and the lovely mountain song that Mmes Gueretti, Bageard and M. Chopin know how to have demanded again every evening, and the dancing, etc. . . . As for Pitou-Gabel and Grabuge-Bourgoin, if they don’t become deaf it’s because they have the ears . . . of gendarmes. Their entry onto the stage is always the signal for a tempest, a cyclone of bravos. The first day they encored the song of the men-at-arms, then they made them do it three times; last Saturday they made them repeat it five times. It is decidedly quite fine to be a man-at-arms, but it’s a too-exacting fate when you join it with the job of a singer. Lord audience, handle the song like power, and may the excess of your enthusiasm not render our good gendarmes wheezy.

“There’s the faithful summary of today’s situation, and nothing indicates that it’s going to be changed very soon. . . . “

“For the rest, it would seem that Offenbach has it all his own way in New York; this last vulgar fashion not only kills the chances of true opera, but keeps all music in abeyance. Thus, the Evening Post says:

“‘It is confessed in musical circles that the season just opened will hardly be as brilliant as some of its predecessors. The givers of concerts are timid and dubious. Facts prove that the public prefers the glittering gaiety of the Opera Bouffe to the more sedate attractions of the concert room. The engagement books of the leading halls show that they are not in as much demand this winter as usual.

“Of the concerts that are announced a majority are by local musicians and musical professors who will to a great extent depend for patronage upon their personal friends. They offer programmes, however, which ought to be attractive to the general public.”

“In the line of French Bouffe there is little to say that is new. At the French Theatre Mr. Grau finds that ‘Genevieve’ is drawing crowded houses, and that among his singers who have been less widely noticed than the leading names, Mme. Guerretti is attracting special attention, from the purity of her vocal style and the charming quality of her voice. This lady is the wife of Alard the violinist, and is a treasure that adds greatly to the success of ‘Genevieve.’ The serenade of the first act, En passant sour le fenêtre, has become a popular melodic favorite, and, with the hunters’ quartet and the Tyrolean trio, is the most admired portion of the opera”