French Opera Bouffe: Le Pont des soupirs

Event Information

Venue(s):
Lina Edwin's Theatre

Conductor(s):
[conductor] Bessieres

Event Type:
Opera

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
30 October 2023

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

11 Dec 1871, 8:00 PM
12 Dec 1871, 8:00 PM
13 Dec 1871, 8:00 PM
14 Dec 1871, 8:00 PM
15 Dec 1871, 8:00 PM
16 Dec 1871, 2:00 PM
16 Dec 1871, 8:00 PM

Program Details

Ads do not include the name of the theatre, although a name change has not been announced; some reviewers refer to it as “Lina Edwin’s Theatre” and others as “Mlle. Aimée’s Theatre.”

Performers and/or Works Performed

1)
Pont des soupirs, Le
Composer(s): Offenbach
Participants:  French Opera Bouffe Company;  Fernand [tenor] Noe;  J. [mezzo-soprano] Dorita;  Monsieur [tenor] Edgard;  Monsieur [baritone] Duchesne;  Marie Aimée

Citations

1)
Advertisement: New-York Times, 10 December 1871, 7.
2)
Review: New York Post, 12 December 1871, 3.
“Mlle. Aimée’s unpretending opera bouffe enterprise succeeding very well at Lina Edwin’s little theatre, ‘Le Pont des Soupirs’ contains many very pretty melodies, prominent among them being the tenor air, ‘Les Affaires sont les Affaires,’ admirably sung by M. Noe; the quaint little serenade in the first act; the charming duet for two sopranos; and the very droll music of the assassination scene, which last is one of the drollest bits of musical burlesque which even Offenbach and his libretto-writing composers ever conceived.
 
Mlle. Aimée sings, acts and dresses brilliantly, and is the life of the piece; but she has excellent support from Noe, Duchesne, and Edgard, the two latter atoning by their consummate acting for their vocal deficiencies. The orchestra is small; the chorus uneven, for the men always sing well and the women very badly.”