New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-02
MUSIC,
FRENCH TnEATER-FLEUR DE THE.

FRENCH THEATER-FLEUR DE TIE.
The first production of a new oDer. bouffe
by new cOmposer-new, that is TO the public OF Amer
ica-was event interesting enough TO Ill the French
Theater, last night with eager audience, and leave
large number OF unfortunate latecOmers ont in the cold
LecOcqs Fleur de The" which Dir. Grau has selected
for his latest venture offers opportunities for the
painter tho property man. and the mistress Of the robes
which have been literally embraced and although the
fabulous magnifcenee Of the advertisements has not
been fully reflected in the performance, can honestly
say that the piece is richly mounted, and
that the first and last scenes especially
are arranged with picturesque effect There is gor
about the chorus and ballet which ought 20 III
the humble breasts Of those useful auxiares with the
happiness Of the peacock, and magnncence
in the solo fundamentally in tho stOm-
ach OF NJ. Boxers which plays prominent
part in the operate which poor pen is incapable Of
dong fun Justice For the music have less to say
There s strong family likeness between all the compO
sitiOns CO this class with which have yet been made
acquainted and Leeocq must impress most Of his listeners
as diluted and rather fat Ofenbach. In reality
we think he aims at higher kind Of music than the
composer La Grande Duchesse but his aim Is less
successful We miss the vvacity Of old acquaint-
ance whose songs they do not satisfy musicians, at
any rate please the popuace There are several airs in
"Fleur do The" however. which promise 20 be
in high favor; the best Of them song OF Carriers
" CGsari,e q pGtz." which was eDcored, pretty
duet for and soprano, Depids OngiempS" which
perhaps would have been encored II 1t had been better
sung, and the finale accompanying the inevitable
can. This IS dashng bacchanalian song, praise Of
the vintage Of the good reure Cliequ0L
The frst performance not without its little
troubles spIDgng from the sudden indisposition Of
Madame Rose Bell whose part at the last moment, had
to DO assumed by Descauzas. 1t late
when the play began. and the audience had
been for some time in nm uproarious
state OF good natured impatence At 81 o'clock bland
hn Will
the leeest demonstrations from the galleries MES
DANES ct MesseUrs began he; "Ah! say itIn English,
can't YET" shouted the gods. lie answered
with shrug. and then came tempest Of
cat-calls, and hootngs. Mesdapss et messiaTs-."
eli! hit" Mesdames-." "Hoorayw an" with
an eloquent look the gallery les lehas DIES Oisear
sont tOitjoaUs aOreea6es" " Hoi hoil ho-ii!" But
after while the poor gentleman managed to say, in
French that the sudden change in the cast had caused
the delay, and beg Tor cling Dintils dndL0enee"
Finally after the orchestra had played two oyertures
the curtain rose little before nine, and there
hitch from that time
The plot Of opera boufe is not thing to be dc
scrbed with due respect for the human intellect can
only be sketched or summarized. The story upon
tie adventures Of Pinsonnet (M CARRIER, cook OF a
French fgato which taken part the capture OF
Pekng and at the opening Of the opera anchored
In the river near that famous city. With his
wife C6sarine (ile. Desclauzas). PinsOnnet has
Fet-de The Qizarell daughter Of tho mandarin TEN
Ten M Beckers into his company. and he compelled
by the suspicious father TO choose between marrying tho
nh and being impaled With leyty which
we cannot too severely reprobate no chooses
bigamy rather than the stake, But HeuT
de TE connves with CtSarns TO introduce the latter
in disguise 70 tho bridal chamber, while she runs
away with her own true love Ka-O-Iin on PETIT.
This little plot is discovered and PinSonneI after
being kept awhile ia the ,cangue is about
TO DO impaled when the French sailors
rush TO the rescue, and all ends morry with general
kicking up Of heels. The characters have named
tho only prominent ones, and it will be seen that
several Of the best members Of the company
have nothing TO do Mile. DesClauzas was ex-
cellent in her part, and stood need Of
the request made In her behalf for the indulgence OF the
audience, Mile. or Madame Rzarelh has neither voice
nor vyaciy Carrier just what he always is all his
characters being precisely alike Deckers much
better than he Is usually, though he is always good;
ana NJ Petit In the part Of mbecile made most Of the
evenings fun The allowance Of fun indeed was a little
seanty' There has been some attempt to tone down
the lmproprieties Of tho dialogue and although
there are many passages which evoke those brutal
laughs and shouts at which the honest cheek must
burn the Objectionable parts not so conspicuous as
they were In Geneyeye do Brabant" aud some OF them
can easily be pruned away. "+ ...s ....
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