The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-26 00:00:00

ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE.

A new comic operetta, in one act, entitled The Matrimonial
Ladder, was produced at this theatre last evening. It is re;
fessedly an adwtation from a French piece originally produeed.
at the Opera Comique. The scene is laid at the chateau of
the Marquise de Beausecours (Miss Emma Howard) near
Falaise. The Marquise, although passing as a wid";'
is married to the Seneschal of Falaise (Mr. Bar'l4.l'
but for certa:n reasons wishes to keep her warria.sn
a secret. The Seneschal's visits, however, are discovered 14
Pierre Garbareau (Duruset), an itinerant gardener, whose
_
ladder the Seneschal has on sundry occasions taken for,r,t,nev
purpose of climbing into the balcony of the chateau. PI
Marquise has refu,ed to permit her cousin, the Cheva''".
D'Orguevdle (Wthon), a rake of the Court tf Louis t,c
Fourteenth, to visit the chateau until he shall lie marliett..
and accordingly the Chevalier ann,unees his intention of Yi!ir
ing his cousin, bringing with him his wife, an uneduea!lti
country girl whom he has recently married. AnordinP,
they make their appearance, and Pierre to his horror,
covers that the pretended Madame D'Orttueville is his cnvu,
wife Susanna ( ‘liss Gould), whom be "had left quietly a'
home. Pierre claims her, and is treated as a drunken
offering insu'ts to a lady of rank ; his wife, however, contrives
to meet him, and. tells him that the Chevalier is her foster.
brother,who had that morning fetched her, and induced her top
as his wife, in order to get admission into the chateau, he nerer
doubting that once the. e he could not fail to captivate his Consul'
The Marquise having overheard this, determines to lock the,
Cheva'ier and Susanne into the pavilion, which is appreprlieratcrea
to the use of the pretended Madame D'Orgueviiie. P.
comes with his ladder to the same pavilion, and utters diver.
threats against the Chevalier if he should find him there coass
sealed; the double ladder is plated to the balcony, an_dike
Pierre gets up on one side the Chevalier gets down on :Cc
other. He see; a liAt in the Marquise's window in :;1:
opposite balcony—a signal to the Seneschal ; the Clvvalt!
removcs the ladder to the balcony, and the Senrse"'
arriving, wonders to find the ladder ready pieced
him. He, however, ascends on the one side. the Chevalier doe
the same on the other; thus situate I, Barker and Wilson sing',
a duet, which told amazingly, and was loudly-
The Chevalier challenges h's rival, and descends
great wrath, for the purpose of fighting a mortal cona?r,
while the Seneschal coolly walks on to the balcony, letting
self into the house with a pass key, throwing down the ladu,ll.
The Chevalier, in a fury, raises an alarm, and Pierre and t°-_,
sanne appear with candles in one balcony, and the Sevesena:.
and the Marquise with candles at the opposite one. The, wfatr,r
riage of the z.eneschal and the Marquise is explained, and 3t
to
being jeered by the two couples, the rakish Chevalier is lef
-:St•
pe
ass the night in the garden. The music, by
Thomas, which is of a light and pleasing character, is els
tially dramatic, and the piece was perfectly successful. Alt".,he
applaudqt
Emma Howard made a mast fascinating Marquise, an' „h
would be no preux Chevalier who would not risk 01e11
for such a dame. he acting of Miss Gouli, as bids
as her singing, in Susanne, was admirable ; she ds.
fair to make one of the . best soubrettes on the board
We are glad to see our old friend Duruset, who, by his Val.ntlite
ness as Garbareau, contributed materially to the success o.
9,
piece. Wilson, as the Chevalier, sang as he always dertAr
most sweetly—but on this occasion, he came out as an t
likewise. His affectation was rich, and elicited not
only applause, hut laughter. With a little "'fa it
'
ment the piece will have a run. As an afterpiecet
is infinitely superior to Belly. Keolanthe (which Pre,
ceded the Matrimonial Ladder) still pursues its sticae'tso
ful career. It requires to be heard more than opeetbe
be appreciated properly. The Nightingale Duett, in aiest
second act by Madame Balfe and Wilson, is one of the 74.
exquisite things we have ever heard, and would alone' be-„,e.
cient to ensure Balfe a high rank as a composer. The he--
was exceedingly well filled.

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