French Opera Bouffe: La Jolie Parfumeuse: Annual Benefit of the French Benevolent Society

“During the performance Mlle. Aimée has volunteered to introduce two of her favorite songs, one in English and one in Spanish.” 

“Mlle. Aimée performed at the Academy of Music last evening in ‘Lo Jolie Parfumeuse,’ the representation being for the benefit of the Société Française de Bienfaisance. ‘La Jolie Parfumeuse’ is one of Offenbach’s newest achievements, and the music did not impress us very strongly, but the story is amusing; some of the ‘situations’ are capital, and clever and spirited acting and the agreeable singing of the company worked wonders. It is a great pleasure to witness Mlle. Aimée’s performances, and the fact that she had been absent for some months and was about to depart at once, turned what would have been under all circumstances a kindly greeting into a welcome of exceptional cordiality. Long travel and hard work, it was soon ascertained, have not impaired her vivacity, nor dimmed her merry eye, nor broken her clear and strong voice. She was as thoroughly at home on the stage of the Academy as at the Lyceum Theatre, and her portrayal of Rose Michon did not suffer either in color or animation from the surroundings. When ‘La Jolie Parfumeuse’ is represented on the return of the troupe in the Spring it will be worth a review. At present it needs no further reference than has been made to it above. The second act is the best—neither in the Spring nor now shall we attempt to describe the more than equivocal imbroglio it illustrates—but the third afforded most delight by the introduction of a Spanish and two English songs, which Mlle. Aimée sang with so much effect that her English verses had to be repeated again and again. A large and fashionable audience, composed mainly of French residents, enjoyed the entertainment, which terminated as merrily as could be desired, and will doubtless bring a handsome sum of money into the coffers of the Société.”

“The French Benevolent Society held their annual benefit last night at the Academy before a very large audience. Mlle. Aimée and her entire company appeared in Offenbach’s opera ‘La Jolie Parfumeuse,’ which was presented on this occasion for the first and, it is to be hoped, for the last time in this city. It may be considered too late in the day to declaim against the general naughtiness of libretti of opéra bouffe, but there are limits even to it, and those limits are shamelessly transgressed in ‘La Jolie Parfumeuse.’ It was thought that no lower depth of indecency could be reached than in ‘La Timbale d’Argent’ and ‘Les Cent Vierges,’ but this last work puts them to the blush. There is no disguise or even polished wit to sugar-coat the broad indecency of the dialogue and situations. The story, as far as presentable, may be briefly told as follows [synopsis follows]. The music has the true Offenbachian ring about it, but it is of the patchy order, mainly made up of selections from ‘La Perichole,’ ‘Les Brigands,’ ‘Les Bayards,’ ‘Le Pont des Soupirs,’ and ‘Les Cent Vierges.’ Mlle. Aimée certainly acted and sang the title rôle without losing a single point intended by the librettist or composer. Her first aria, ‘Y’a des gens,’ was delivered with that effect that may be termed as the beau ideal of chic, and from that part of the opera to the end she became the central figure. Kolletz, as Poirot, the friend of the wicked godfather, made a hit in the rollicking finale of the first act. The chorus and orchestra, under the direction of Signor Operti, did their portion of the work in the most satisfactory manner.”