The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-01

standing at a church door, received aims from her
own mother, Nine. de Linieres But at last she is
too PROSTATE to beg any longer and sinks down on
pallet, refusing to stir when the old woman
Frochard, orders her TO go out as usual. Here
upon furious scene ensues. The old
woman and her scoundrel elder son.
Jacques, catch hold OF Louise to beat
her, as they have often done before; but at this
moment the blind girl finds a champion in a quar-
ter where she had not dared expect 1t. The
brutal Jacques has cripple brother-Pierre-
whose life has been long nartyrdom. Bullied by
his mother kicked and cuffed by lis brother he
had been spiritless abject being till Louise
into the house, and then, seeing poor creature
weaker than himself, he had set himself to watch
over and belriend her. On more than one occa-
sion he had succeeded In shielding her from blows
more than once he had 1lched money from his
mothers hoard that she might have
the necessarics Of life; and now at sight
OF Jacques raising his hand to hit
the fever stricken girl his evaporation
takes flame. He draws knife, murderous fight
follows between the two brothers, and jacques Is
Killed. At this juncture Henrette, released from
prison, arrives at the Frochards howell aids In the
rescue OF Louise and flies with her. Nothing re-
mains now but the last scene, in which virtue Is
rewarded in the approved way. The Countess de
ceives forgiveness and adopts Louise, to whom an
eminent doctor undertakes to restore her eye
sight; Henriette, on the other hand, pardons the
Count for mis- persecution OF her, and with his full
consent, marries his nephew, the Chevalier de
vaudrey.
Modified in few places Lies Deux Orpheines"
would lend itself very easily to English adaptation
and might insure a good run In New York. 1t
abounds in startling situations, to which a whole
picture cannot be done in q summary, and the
dialogue is brisk and pithy. This drama has been
remarkable for developing the talents OF two
actresses hitherto almost unknown-Mlle. Angelo
Moreau who plays the part of the blind Louise,
and Nine. Sophie Hamet, who takes that OF the in
famous widow Frochard. Both these ladies-the
one by her exquisite delineation Of prosecuted in
nocence the other by her realistic performance OF
repulsve and cruel hag-have mounted at one
step to the summit OF their profession.
Very different from lies Deux Orphelines' is
OLA BRANCHE CASSIE" BY NM. JANR, NORIAC AND
sERPETTE.
This Is an Operetta written for those two charm
ing singers OF the Bounes, Nine. Peschard and
Nine, Judic. 1t tells OF the loves OF peasant boy
and girl. but, unfortunately, as in the "Tmbale
d'Argent," and in most other pieces recently
brought out at the BOuIes, 30 in this "Branche
Cassee" the plot cannot be rendered into English.
VI
are responsible for it. n. serpette, the
composer, suffers by it. as did M.
vasseur, the composer OF Ga Tim
bale d'Argent above mentioned. 1t
Is q real pity that the American and British pub
lies should be deprived OF such delightful music as
that OF these operettas because the silly French
men who write the hbrett have chosen to enframe
In them indecent and offensive plots. An Amerl-
can manager with tact enough for the work would
do we'll to take the Timbale's music and get new
story woven in English for Its light, creamy melo-
dies; and when he had done this then he might
apply the same process to the 'Branche
Cassee," which positively sparkes with bril-
liant melodies. duet for soprano ana
contralto voices, ''Pleurons, pleurons," with &C.
compartment of kisses, Is q very gem. and q
drinking trio in the third act also waltz aria
for contralto, "Je suis Suzette Ia file du Jar
dinier," are the next two most noticeable pieces.
But the entire operetta teens with melody OF the
sweetest liveliest French sort and once again III.
Serpette must be pitied for having to bear the sins
against good taste and propriety committed by
NM. Jaime and NOriac. These twO-who are vet
eran offenders, by the way-disfgured the music
as men do who throw slime on flower.
The reproach Of improperly cannot be ad-
dressed to
"ORPHEE AUX ENTERS" BY N. OfFENBACH,
which, although very French in parts, never quite
oversteps the limits OF decorum. "Orpheen was
brought out some years ago at the BoufIes as
very small operetta. The narrow proportions Of
the stage trammelled the work, but now M. Onen-
BACH having possessed himself OF the Gates huge
stage, has expanded the operetta by means OF
new hbretto, new music, and, above all, by gor-
geOus scenery, into grand spectacular extrava-
ganza. All the Old music OF The original "Or-
phee," is so well known to dancers that the
mere jingle Of a note OF 1t on the piano
is enough to set one hopping. All this has
been retained, but the additions are numerous and
in every way up to par. There is in the first place,
q smart, headlOng overture; then pastoral ballet,
most fresh and tuneful; after this ballet OF the
Hours and Seasons, with recurring melody imi-
tating the Ginning OF q timepece, and destined to
figure on every pianoboard before long as the
o'clock Waltz" Next to this we have q lranticay
contagious Jig, danced by the god Mercury, who is
kept moving the whole time he is the stage, and
o chorus Of policemen, in sol major, altogether
unique. This last piece will vie with the
o'clock Waltz" in popularity, but we must
not omit grave chorus OF the Internal
Judges, eliminating in an epileptic hulaballoo and
cancan nor o similar bit Of meOdious madness
INDUCED in by the Town Council of Thebes
Finally, as browning jewel to this renovated
operetta, we have the Ely Ballet" one OF the most
graceful things which Onenbach has ever com.
posed and which, to use the playful term, Is
"rapturOusly applauded every night" The
scenery, particularly the tableau Of Olympus that
of Hades and the scenes round Thebes, where the
policemen, Town Councillors and others go through
their vagaries are truly spendid-the finest
yet mounted In France. But when this re-
vised "Orphee" Is transferred to New York,
as it must inevitably be before long, the
American manager will do well to copy, point for
point, the NEUROLOGICAL allegorical and fancy CO.'S
tunes sketched for the Gate by the artist Greyin