French Opera Bouffe: La Grande duchesse de Gérolstein

The title role to be shared by three prima donnas, a different one in each act.

“The management of the Grand Opera House proposes to astonish the patrons of opéra bouffe by presenting three prime donne in the same rôle in the same evening. Mlle. Persini plays the title rôle in the first act of ‘La Grande Duchesse,’ Montaland in the second and Silly in the third. We can imagine the dismay of Fritz and Boum finding a fresh Grand Duchess every time they go on stage.”

“The experiment of giving one opera with three different prima donnas, who appear in alternate acts, succeeds very well in attracting the curious. The trifling prettinesses of Offenbach’s music do not allow much scope for distinctive characterization, and so each prima donna seems very much like her predecessor; but the experiment is not devoid of interest.”

“What’s the use of ‘Boum’ the night before the elections? It may be powder wasted, and yet ‘Boum’ on Monday night was mightily exalted, honored, as he was, by three grande duchesses and two Fritzes. The first Grande Duchesse was Persini; the second, Montaland, and the third, Silly; each in one act. The first was elegant, graceful, gracious and spirituelle; the second, a full blown dazzling and irresistible and generous coquette; the third, a rattling, rollicking queen of the army, resolved upon fun and a jolly night of it. Persini won the general approval of the house from her neat and delicate acting and her fine singing; Montaland commanded admiration from her womanly attractions and her gorgeous array; while Silly, from her genuine democratic rendering of the feminine idea of ‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity,’ was encored again and again, and yet again; and was pronounced by acclamation the queen of the mountaineers. Persini, in singing, was really Grande Duchesse; Montaland, in person, filled the part to admiration, while Silly was completely successful in showing that the whole affair from first to last was only a Parisian extravaganza, a rattle-trap, nigger minstrel farce done in French. Girrebeuk, as the first Fritz, was very funny, but a little too much of the simpleton to meet the cause of his rapid promotion to the head of the army. Gausins, as the second Fritz, was nearer the mark, but a little too monotonous for the stirring events of his fall from grace and power. General Boum (Antony) was first rate; Prince Paul (Hittemans) very fair, but not sufficiently interested in Fritz. The same may be said of Wanda; but altogether the cast was good and was smoothly executed. We had the introduction of an original incidental ballet—something extra—which was liberally applauded, though it contributed rather to lengthen than to strengthen the representation. With the strong force, operatic and ballet, now at this house, an act or two from two or three different operas, each with a different cast, would make a good bill for a change.”

“The largest audience assembled at any place in the city last night was that gathered at the Grand Opera House. Offenbach’s ‘Grand Duchesse’ certainly maintains its vitality remarkably well. It does not approach the ‘Perichole’ of the same composer in point of musical grace, nor does it even equal ‘Genevieve de Brabant;’ but its melodies are as popular as any of the present day, and the exaggerated but harmless fun of the plot always gives amusement.

“Three prima donnas took part. In the first act the Duchesse was personated by Persini, who sings very fairly, is young, piquant and sprightly, without being coarse—altogether, a most fascinating and charming little singer for light operas; in the second, by Montaland, who can smile more sweetly than she can sing, but whose ease of manner on the stage enables her to show off to the best advantage her tiny tea-spoonful of voice; and in the third act, by Silly, who has a more pronounced style and a richer voice than either of her predecessors, and who, in the drinking song, won a triple encore.  

“There were two tenors—M. Girrebeuck, of Mr. Grau’s last opera bouffe troupe and M. Gausins, a more recent importation. Both were satisfactory, though comparisons are in favor of the former. Duchesne, the original Gen. Boum, and Varlet, the original Grog, brought back pleasant reminiscences of the early furore created by the ‘Grande Duchesse’ in the days when opera bouffe was a novelty. As to the part of Prince Paul, Leduc has left an impression which no later representative of the part has been able to efface.”

“At the Grand Opera House quite a novelty in the cast of the ‘Grand Duchess’ and ‘Le Petit Faust’ was given during the past week. The three prima donnas appeared in each opera upon the same evening—a change being made in each act. The ‘Grand Duchess’ was sung on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and the changes of cast were as follows:--On Monday the role of the Duchess was sung in act first, by M’lle. Persini; in act second, by M’lle. Montaland; and in act third, by M’lle. Silly. On Wednesday, in act first, by M’lle. Persini; in act second, by M’lle. Silly; and in act third, by M’lle. Montaland. On Friday the changes were the same as on Monday. On Saturday M’lle. Montaland sung the entire role of the Duchess, and Mons. Girrebeuk sung the entire role of Fritz.” Rampage by Col. Fisk and the firing of a number of people.