The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-20

"Ln Vie Pnrisienne.o -


are familiar with Paris by night as well as by day
Into the bretto OF La Vie Parisenne they have con-
trved to introduce about much OF its rottenness
as could well be compressed into the space at their
command. Running through the dialogue there is a
stream OF NTH which surpasses in its unsavOry 0dor
anything to be found in all the operas boufes which
nave preceded La Vie Parisienne in this city. The
whole affair is simply carnival OF low intrigue,
dlrty and disgusting medley such could come only
from the slums OF Paris. Under such circumstances,
we certainly do not intend to defend La We Pdrtenne
against the charge of smuttness which our friends
OF the Evening Bulletin have hurled against Offen-
bach in general and this eXCrescence OF Onenbach in
particular. Yet we can, without saying q word In
pallaton of indecency point out the Inconsistencies
OF the Bulletins argument OF yesterday. Scarcely
week has elapsed since the Maretzek troupe per-
formed Don GioUdnni at the Academy Of Music in
this city The Bulletin compacently announced that
the opera would be produced, and on the following
afternoon having had opportunity to sleep upon
the subject was as mute the traditional oyster
Yet every opera-goer knows that the dialogue to
which Mozart set his grandest score is the
quntesscnce of vneness. "Leporelo," the
'Don's" OF all work in general
and OF dirty work in particular, is made in the ninth
scene OF the first act, to recount to "Elyra" the
achievements OF his gay and festive MASTER SO nu-
merous had they become that the faithful squire
dared longer trust his memory and had taken the
trouble to reduce the narrative to writing Almost
on par with Don GioUdnni is Rigoetto, in the
OF which are found some of the most brilliant NOR
ceaur of Verdi. But little lower in the same cata-
logue come DoniZettis La FaUorita and Verdi's La
Iavidtd, in the plots of all of which the element of
nastiness prevails over all others. And yet we do
not remember that the Bulletin has ever been thrown
into paroXysm of pious wrath at the announcement
of any of these operas that 1t has abored through
three-quarters of an editorial column to prove
that their performance at the Academy of Music
was a pollution Of that sacred edifce which was
buit the encouragement of art in its purest and
l~anN In, xyalig-
in politics, must be gradual and the Bulletin SIM
giles out Offenbach, and lunges at him with all the
ardOr Don Quixote manifested in his famous assault
upon the windmls 1t rides gallantly to the onset,
and smites poor jacques Ofenbach hip and thigh, in
blissfu forgetfulness that time and time again the
noble Academy of Music, built for the encourage
ment OF art in its best and purest FORMS" as eXem-
plied in Don Giovanni and Rigoetto, has been pros-
tituted to the exhibition Of vulgar dances and un-
seemly acting in pieces such as the Black
Crook, East Lynne; or, the ElopemeHt,
I'm BdltO in Mascherd, and Robert Ie Didble,
''that hold up to scorn and ridcule both art and
morality" If the dances OF the Black Crook not
vulgar if the elopement Of Lady Isabel is not
infringement upon morality, il the baets incident to
Robert and I'm Ballo not disgusting the
Cau-can, If the achievements Of 'Don Giovanni" are
exemplary il the revenge of Rgoletto" is in strict
compliance with all the commands OF the Decalogue
we are prepared to acknowledge that our ideas OF
vulgary and morality slightly mixed and to enter
u
La We Parisienne as the quintessence OF decency
La We Parisieine, the latest Of Ofenbach's eccen-
tricities which has been produced in this city,
given at the Academy Of Music last evening, before
large audience, every member OF Mr.. Grau's
troupe being included in the cast The scene is laid
in the Paris OF to-day, and, as we have intimated
above in plot and dialogue it is about on par
with Don Giovanni which means simply that it is
just about as nasty-we prefer the word nasty to
the Bulletins "good old English word" snsutty-as it
can be, and more. Yet the librettists have
contrved to turn everything to ridcule and in seve
raj of the scenes the element OF extravaganza COM
pletely overwhelms that of indecency. The gro
tesaue "Swiss Admiral" who wears spurs because,
although such may not be the custom in countries
which navy, it is not Objectionable in coun-
riss which have navy, presents the very consum-
nation of extravaganza Even more ridiculous than
the hereditary Admiral is M. Carriers
"Major Edouard"-not respectable SOL
der OF a major nor yet drum-maJor, but
table dhote major, quite incapable of description.
NJ. Carriers get-up in this role is unquestonably the
most remarkable that has ever been witnessed in
this city, and it is only to be regretted that such
unique and fantastcal caricature has not been in
troduced by Ofenbach into some Of his less objec-
tionable efusions NJ Carrier heretofore has earned
reputation in this city for tameness, but his person.
ation OF the "Maor" last evening totally dspelled
the notion that he has not tine conception of humor
and deserves to rank as trst-class low come
dian. OF the music but little can be said, for
there is comparatively little OF II, ana none
that presents anything novel, if we may except the
old Tyrolese air, "Hein Vater ist elm Schete which
is worked up, in its variations with all the dashng
extravaganza at Ofenbachs command Madame
Rose Bell perpetrated this with such exquisite
drollery that it was three times encOred and the
wild enthusiasm OF the audience proved that Offen-
bach is not yet played out in this city.
Glancing around upon the audience, in the mids
of the tuninlt, could recognize very large pro-
portion of the habitua operagoers, all so eager to
testify the intensity Of their delight, that they could
not suppress their enthusiasm until the end OF the
The cause Of the uproar was entirely charac-
terstc OF Oenbach, and the great favor with which
it received showed the source OF his popularity
and esewhere-a successful appeal to the sense
OF the ridiculous which exists in every human heart
Not until such audiences frOwn upon Ofienbach will
he be driven from the stage.
The CITY AmusemenJs.
At THE ACADEMY OF Music Onenbach's opera OF La
Vie Parisien,e will be repeated this evening. To-
morrow Herves opera OF L'EH CreCc will be given.
AT THE ARCH Lolita appeared last evening as Lit
tie Nell" and the 'Marchoness" in John Brougham