French Opera Bouffe: La belle Hélène

Marie Aimée benefit on Thursday evening. 

“It is a long time since the first notes of this sparkling opera of Offenbach’s (in our estimation the best he ever wrote) charmed the ears of the metropolitan public. Coming immediately after ‘La Grande Duchesse,’ and rendered by Bateman’s matchless company at the Français, it took the town by storm. No better evidence that the days of opéra bouffe are gone by could be afforded than the chilling reception accorded to this opera last night. Aimée portrayed the naughty Grecian queen with more irresistible abandon and winning coquetry than even Tostée, and certainly she has a superior voice. Persini proved a far better Orestes than De Felcourt, and Valter’s Calchas was inexpressibly funny. The other characters—Menelaus, Ajax, Achilles and Paris—were rendered quite ineffective by the parties to whom they were entrusted, and poor Duchesne has deteriorated in voice and action so much that we could hardly recognize his Agamemnon. Still there was enough of the old sparkle about the opera to rouse the old enthusiasm; but the people looked on in silence and, what might be construed, indifference. Only once did Aimée force an encore from the statues in front, and that was by her inimitable version of the conjugal lesson, ‘Un Mari Sage.’ Even the brilliant waltz that closes the second act was received in silence. On Thursday Aimée had a benefit which was very largely attended, and on which occasion she appeared for the first time in ‘La belle Hélène.’ Mme. Bageard also sang in an act from ‘Favorita.’”