Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-14

Scribe, the Dramatlst, and Hts Works.
The NORTH Briton teamer has already an
nounced The death Of Augustine Eugene
Scribe, 20 whom, more than 70 any other
one men, the modern French stage owes its
popularity aud pre-eminence, and TO whose
fscile pen and ingenious brain Euglish and
American dramatists are 90 frequently IN
debted for the plots and incidents which
they palm of as original.
We have as yet received no particulars as
10 the death Of this distinguished writer,
but merely the bare announcement Of his
decease, He was quite an old man, having
been born in the Rue ST Denis, Paris, on the
oath Of December, 1871. His father, who
was a prosperous silk-mercer, sent Eugene
to tho college of 81. Barbe, where he showed
bis aptitude in the line in which be after
ward achieved 20 high a rank. When
t~wepty-one years old be wrote his first com
position for the stage-a vaudeville for The
Gymnase-and for nearly half a century
since that time he has written necessarily.
his works including some twenty five com.
edies, over l50 vaudevilles and as many
operas. He was a member Of the French
Academy, and had received decorations from
almost every sovereign in Europe.
To give a list Of the successful plays of
Scribe would fill 8 column. So perfectly did
be understand all the details and miuutie of
stage life, and so familiar was he with the
effect of dramatic incident and stage situs-
ton, that his later works never failed, and
very many of them lave been again and
again translated and played under different
titles a. the various theaters 10 this country
and England. But Scribe is known here
quite ss much from his opera Hbrsttos as from
his plays.
Almost all the great operas produced by
other than purely Italian composers are
based upon his plots and language. With
Auber and Meyerbeer he has long ben a
literary partner, and be has also been asso-
GATED with Verdi, Halevy and Donizetti.
TIT hbrettOs of the Star of ths North, Robert
le Didbie, lie Prophete, Pardon dc HoermeL,
Siciiian Vespers composed by Verdi for the
French opera6 hasanieito, Gusta0uS HI(and
through that of the BatO fH Hdschsrd) and,
iude,6, almost all Of Auber's works, and
Bslevy's Hagiciefne, TempeStu aud La JuiUe
are samples of the extraordinary versatility
Of Srribe.
They prove that, admirable and popular as
he was in comedy, his talent was by nc
means confined to this; for there are scenes
and situations in these opera plots which are
unsurpassed ia the entire range of moderr
drama. For instance. The great cathedra
scene in The Prophete, in which John o
Leyden.' without speaking to her, make
his mother deny hen son; tue scenes witt
hOutTi btTlTtm anu ALICE IN HOOer
lie Didble, and several situations in la JuiOt
The last work of Scribe was a comic opera
in three acts, to which Auber composed tn
music, the entire affair thus being the resui
of the JOINT labors of a septuagenarian az.
an octogenarisn, for Scribe was seventy an
Auber over eighty years old when they pre-
duced La CtrcoSsifHne, which was first playe
AT Paris atout six weeks since. Yet, bot
words and music are as fresh aud happy a
though Scribe and Auber were in the prtm
Of life, or rather the bey-day of youth. Pei
haps the world will never see again such
remarkable pair of young old men" as thes
Paris critics term La GrcdSsieRne a veri
able model of omic opera.
Scribe has been the fortune of Meyerbee
Hslevy. and of theatrical managers all ov(
the word. Nor was fortune chary of favo,
to himself. He received a p~rincely iucon
frou his works, and his motel at the FrenC
capital, his Domain in the country, and g
elegant villa at Meudon, near Paris. Scarce
a man of the present generation could ha'
prepared a more delightful aulobiograph
For years be had mingled with the best lite
airy ard musical society OF Europe, and asst
Glazed intimately with the leading celvbfirit
OF bus age. 1t is to be hoped that IA man VII
hes enjoy ed such unusual facilities bias LEI
behind him materials for u memoir whic
could not fail to prove lively aud interesting