The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-19 00:00:00

COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.

This house re-opened last night, under the ma-
nagement of Mr. J. Russell, with an English version of

Ofienbaab's La Grande Duchesie de

translated by Mr. Charles Kenney.
This piece, first produced in Paris (at the Venetia) in
April last, has had a sitcoms there beyond even that of the
most popular of the previous productions of a composer
who, whatever his merits, has unquestionably a power of
fascination over a large portion of the public of the day.
Not even his Orphie aux Enfcrs (►Rail), or his more recent
La Belle Hit ne (1861-5), made such a hit as this last of his
productions, which has reached most of the cities of Ger-
many, is being played in New York, and now finds its way
hero in an English &imitation. A deliberate perusal of the
original French edition of the music and the libretto
leaves us in a state of some wonder at the enormous suc-
cess of this piece, granting all the power of such adventi-
tious aid as the piquancy of French acting can give even
to the smallest productions. If the literary portion of the
piece is intended as a satire on the pettiness of some Ger-
man States, on military rank and skill, and social diatinc-
, lions, the satire seems to us somewhat shallow—if merely
as a purposeless piece of broad burlesque, or uproarious
farce, its length is too prolonged and its extrava-
gance too great to he justified by the amount of in-
herent fun which it contains. An impossible Grand
Duchess of a small German State, swaggering about
among her soldiers, now seating herself on a drum,
now taking drink from the hands of the vivandieres, cast-
ing an eye of favour on a stupid lout of a common soldier
(Fritz), and promoting him in a series of rapid sentences
through every grade up to that of general and comman-
der-in-chief in an impending battle with the " enemy"
(indefinitely stated), the said lout of a soldier in love with
a pretty young country lass (Wanda), and jealous of his
general (Boom), whom he supersedes by the freakish favour
of the Grand Duchess; the victory gained by the new
commander over the enemy inebriated by ► vast quantity
of wine and liquor, purposely placed in their way to be
stolen by them—a melodramatic plot by the courtiers
for the assassination of the new favourite, who, however,
remains insensible to the Duchess's partiality mid
persists in marrying his pantie, the humble Wanda ; the
transference of the Duchess's light affections to the Baron
Grog, who in turn rejects them, being already married ;
and the ultimate acceptance by this outrageously impossi-
ble (lecher of the hand of the meek Prince Paul, who has
been her suitor from the first—the disgrace of Fritz, who
is deprived of all his honours and appointments in a de-
soending scale, by a series of rapid sentences similar to
three in which they were conferred, the Duchess consoling
herself in acceptance of the Prince Paul with the senti-
ment, as translated, " When what we've got our hearts on
we can't get, on what we have our hearts we fain must
set." ("Quand on n'a pas ce que l'on sine, it taut aimer es
quo l'on a")—such are the leading incidents, scarcely de-
serving the prominence we have given to them.
As to the music—there is no denying that it possesses
(especially the first act) an impulse and exuberant viva-
, city, and • tuneful prettyness that may largely account
for its popularity ; but the incessant succession of abort
dance tunes (lively and pretty as some of them unques-
tionably are), and the want of any real continuous power
as displayed in constructive art or development, soon pro-
duce, on an ear of any degree of musical cultivation, an
impression of flippancy and shallowness that becomes irk-
some and annoying when prolonged through three acts,
occupying • space of time that ought not to be
devoted to any work but one of real thought
and mature art. M. Offenbach's music may be acceptable
enough allied to a short piece of avowedly farcical charac-
ter, pleasantly filling up • brief hour, without demanding
either much attention or any afterthought; but an "opera-
bouffe " in three acts and four tableaux, playing from
eight o'clock till just upon midnight, should possess
stranger musical claims than waxen recognise in La Grande
Dwasate. The overture, so called, is merely a very brief
potpourri of themes from the opera itself, loosely tacked
together. The chief pieces noticeable in the first act are
Ihritz's song, " Round in circles flying," the Grand Duchess's
made, " Oh, I doat on the military," and her celebrated
sabre song,"Lo here the sabre of royal's," which m Ade so peat
a sensation in Paris. In the second act • rather pretty
duo and rondo, in which the Duchess makes love to Fritz,
and a legendary ballad for the Duchess in the third act
(" There liv'd in times now long gone by ") are among the
most salient points in the remaining portion of the piece.
There are finales and concerted movements, but these con-
sist of such mere scraps and detached phrases that they
cannot be treated seriously as musical composition. Miss
Julia Mathews, who performed the part of the Grand
Duchess, comes from Australia, and made her first ap-
pearance in England on this occasion. This lady's talents
are rather as an actress than as a singer. In the former
capacity she possesses much vivacity and a distinct enun-
ciation ; while as a vocalist she made somewhat too free
use, at first, of that ad /11.ituat intonation which is
only admissible in the burlesque school. As she
progressed, however, and gained more confidence, she sang
with more decision, and in several points gained consider
able applause, especially in the finale to the first act, and
the legendary ballad in the last act. Miss Augusta Thom-
son was a lively representative of Wanda, and sang her
mulct with archness and point, particularly the little
ballad "Oft rite-a-lite." Mr. Harrison in the character
of Fritz looked and acted with commendable stolidity, and
gave his mimic with burlesque energy. The preposterously
extravagant part of General Boom—who is always defying
an unseen enemy, and instead of taking snuff discharges
double-barrelled pistol and sniffs the smoke—was by no
means underplayed by Mr. Arm* Cook ; while Mr.
Frank Matthews as Baron Puck, the Grand
Duchess's preceptor, was amusing in his costume,
somewhat resembling that of a parish beadle,
with • plethoric gingham umbrella. The small part of
Nepomuc, an aide-de-amp, was rendered emotionally
prominent by Mr. F. Payne's pantomimic talent for
grotesque gestures. Mr. Odell was sententious as Baron
Grog, whose name affords the theme for sundry jokes; and
Mr. Stolle threw some humour into the part of the
simpering and inane Prince Paid. In two respects the per-
formance hers has the advantage over that of Paris : the
elaborate stage arrangements and the effective orchestra
(00(144tted b 7 Mr. Boiltmana) Mona feat= is tbi
present version ;but it cannot be concealed that the piece
loses much of such power as it may have by trans-
ference into a foreign language, and a large
theatre. Neither in its dramatic nor its musical
aspect is the Grand Duda' suited to such a theatre
as the Royal Italian Opera, or worthy of the
antecedents of that home. The translation has been very
carefully and cleverly effected by Mr. Kenney, who has
made several necessary modifications in the situations and
the text. The holies was well filled, and the enplanes was
loud throughout the piece—qualified at the close, however,
by some few dissentient signs. With some curtailment
and compression (especially in the long dialogue near the
commencement of the third set), the pretty dance tunes in
the Grand Dockets may, perhaps, draw audiences until the
production of the next attraction in preparation—the
Christmas pantomime. At the conclusion of the per-
formance the National Anthem was sung.