The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-27

i
In broken bits aud that moreover, having led such
| a peculary wandering career their knowledge Is
stunted a. 70 the manners and ways OF good society
Hence II il rare that they meet with any success
| In their Sisypnian labor or knocking at the
| doors OF the gods and goddesses OF high art-re-
| naming always fortunate whenever. the COOKS
allow them the run OF the Kitchen as to scraps. At
| NV first visit my ticket or admission was answered
thus:-sM offenbach Is ndispossd; he prays you to
pass In two or three days, and he will receive you
| with pleasure; rom four TO SIX" / called as per
4 programme and have just had a full survey OF and
| chat with the most popular OF purveyors in the
| tickling music line. Although in easy circum-
stances. M. oenbach does not belong to the golden
circle OF millionuaires lie has been rewarded with
pretty fair prices for his since he COM
meneed his career; but never have those prices
approached the relative fabulous sums that are now
being paid TO artists all over the world, and which,
In your metropolis, have from time mmemoral been
thrown, lasso-like at the royal heads OF art and
talent. 1t is only the accession 10 the throne
of her Royal Hghness la Grande Duchesse de Gerol-
| stein that both the fame and the purse OF the
maestro began to take somewhat unwonted dilnen-
sious. At present he lives in the most modest style
IN very unpretentious apartment at the top OF the
| fourth noor OF the house in rue Ladtte.
| The domestic who answered my summons at the
| door escorted me through siniil dnte-room lHbo
the salon and there requested me to wait little,
"Monsieuru was engaged in his study. Taking my
seat on a fetedete observed that the salon, rather
small ana low pitched, was very nicely furnished,
aud found t impossible to discover any traces OF
genius in the shape of stray instruments or music
sheets all OF which had calculated on finding, so
to speak, in the b0udoir OF her Highness OF Gerol-
stein.
Ny survey Of the scene had lasted few moments
only when the door opened and NJ. 0fenbach entered,
smoking cigar, his right hand being bandaged in
white handkerchief on account of brulse, duly
explained as he sauted me with cordial left
handed shake. Seating himself by ma, he continued
to smoke as long as our conversation lasted. lie
belongs to the Grant smoking order There was no
installing the fact that seated before the man
whose photograph Is so abundantly displayed in the
boulevard shop windows-the same keen, sharp
features and expression Of countenance, spare
physique and tidiness OF dress that had seen in the
portraits. As he quietly pulled his cigar his whole
look seemed to say, al am the man who conceived
all those sprightly airs. and who conceive
Of themn Omlttng the various queries and
responses that passed between us as preliminary
proceed TO resume the main points OF our CONVEX
sation:-
CoRREsPoNpENT-M. oGenbach, besides the plea
sure OF making your acquaintance must tell you
that come on an inqusitlve mission-viz to hear
little of your fde Rourees from yourself
after having read so much IN regard TO you IN the
newspapers.
MISUNDERSTANDING; for anything that you de-
sire to know In regard to my operate career ! am
cheerfuly at your service. Latery have been sick,
and in fact have just risen from bed to do some
writing. have been suffering from rheumatic pains
and the govt Yes have seen Dy the papers that
You had Mesdames Tostee and Rose Bell i'll New
| York last winter, and that my music IL played
| there ron joue de 7notJ. and as have heard
with some success. ! am surprised to learn that
Italian opera has not taken root there. glad 10
hear that my music Is so well known in America as
YOU say 1t is. would certainly like to go to New
York; but It Is SO far OF, and then can't bear the
| sea-'je fidtne pas Ia merp' But-who knows p
PERHAPS one day NAV go over there and it is not
decided that shall. never see your great CITY, New
York Is, as suppose, great emporium OF the COM
| merce OF the world, more engaged with business
| than with amusements; and 1t Is particularly on
that my operas have been SO widely circulated IN
your midst.
| CORES PoNpESr-rrom one end OF the Union to
the other your airs are hammed and whisted In the
streets, and am sure that you would be astOnished
to see how thoroughly the Sl0teurs have been-I may
| say inoculated with your music. You must know
that whlstlng Is not an uncultlvated art with many
| Of my conntrymen.
pecialy take great delight In singing and dancing,
| as wen as IN Whlstling. over here In Paris
in the great centre OF continual amusements Of all
kinds and hence this must needs long continue TO
be the rendezvous OF those who wish to amuse them
selves.
CoRREsPoSDESr-How long have You been eatab.
| shed III Paris
oPFENBAcH-f left Cologne, my birthplace, when
| was only thirteen years Old ana have been living
in Paris for the last thirty years. an now entirely
Parsian'.ie SttS tout rat PdrtsteH'f-and look
| upon Paris as my adopted home. | experienced
| much didlculiy when / lrst arrived here before
could procure abundance to the Conservatore. A
| short time after my arrival | became viooncelllst
music for S,, E vaudeville which was played
| forward my music was played with some success,
both on the stage and IL the salons until the revo
| undertakings in Parts. then visited and gave con-
ceris IN the principal capitals OF Germany When
returned TO lars, aud after the revolution was well
over was instrumental In establishing 0ps1d bou1e
al the little theatre OF the Boufes Parsiens. was
ITS director dur1g seven years. The or this
kind OF music. long in use IN Italy at became
remunerative to the theatre, and the pieces | com.
posed anu had represented were given rapid sue
| cesslon. IL was at the Boufes Parisiens that
"0rphec aux ENTERS" SGenevieve de Braoant"
| LA ChInson de FortunIon "Les Bavards,p &C.
| lrst appeared. In 1904 had motives Withdraw
| ing nom the dictatorship. ! then composed the
music for LA Belle aelene,n "Barbe Beue'' and
| la Grande Duchesse,n which were brought out at
| the varieties; and at the epoch OF the Universal
| Exposition IN 1867, LA Vie Parsiennen was com.
| posed for the Palas Royal You have just
Divan and ''Lre de Tuiipatan" performed at the
| Boudes. Several new pieces OF mine are to be
played very soon which you VIII also be able to see.
| am now wrltng-d ecrhe-and am kept con.
| stsntiy occupied on the work expected OF me-
| indeed, am every moment awaiting the visit OF
some OF those gentlemen-quelQles uns de ces mes
| ytsiHs-who have fixed to come here to-day. Where
ale you stopping? DO you intend staying some time
10 Parish II eau do anything for you, am entirely
| at your service. Dispose or me-
The maestro then plotted me to his front door and
| bade me du reroirl
| NJ. O1enbach's manner is characterized By marked
reserve yet does not partake OF GOODNESS: for
say that my Visit To MIN was most agreeable one.
| ne ~ afticted with myopia ana wears constantly q
double eyeglass attacked to a broad black ribbon
| hanging around his neck. The Emperor Napoleon
| III. decorated him with the Legion OF Honor
| the 10TH OF August 1851. He speaks the
| French language with Partisan purity not
the singest tnge OF the well known accent
80 common TO his c0mpatriots OF Cologne can be
detected IN his speech. He is still young In appear
ance as well as IN years, and as ne does not "be.
grldge WORK. IN the least t Is safe TO say that the
great public has not heard the last OF him. In the
earlier portion or his career he says that he never
| succeeded In obtaining iibretto OF any worth Til,
| weakness OF all the pieces submitted to him fol
| great deaf IN the non.deveiopment of his musical
powers AT Hrst he was restricted to the cold imam