The New York herald., 1874-08-25
d, ANU MENTs.
Opening of the Opera Bouns Season.

city, was last pight crowded by brilliant audi
ence to witness the production OF Leon Vasseur's
"T1mbale d'Argent." The house looked brighter
and more comfortable than ever, the changes in
the decorations having been made with view to
increase the air OF lightness OF the theatre. The
piece selected for the opening obtained great sue
cess In Paris Its sparkling dialogue and the ex-
cellcnt quality OF the music deserve all the success
which the piece has obtained The story
on which the piece Is constructed Is Of
course absurd, and perhaps over SEN
sitive people would, be slightly shocked
by some OF the illusions; but delicate souls of this
kind ought to avoid opera oou1e on principle, for
its ann is to make people laugh at grotesque
aDsurdities And the person who can sit through
the "Timbale d'Argent' without indulging In q
hearty laugh must, indeed, be strangely consti-
tuted. The situations are very amusing, and
are well connected with an intelligent plot.
Two villages are rivals Tor musical honors,
and the Inhabitants OF one OF them manage
TO preserve their voices. while tue others can
not sing true note. The judge OF Feldkircle-
Raab-is terribly an9uisaed by the want of vocal
power among MS neighbors, He sends for his niece
and % fortune s Co w waoever WIN o aid II her to
win the 'Yimoal d Argent" at the coming compe-
ttlon. But the only person IN Feidktrck who can
sing Is Flchtei-Mlle. Gand0n--and ne has mys-
village, When al hope seems at an end Miller
Mdaaa Mole on tine Ms is
the competition by the promise 81 hsf hand and
i0rt1ne In the meantime the discovery IS made
the rival village is due TO the organization, Of g
ssSGS soSesy whose rules are q nature 0,,S TO be
20 and ane
tanning his divorce from his vile, in the
hope mss Obtaining her last hand and for
found out and the troubles his intrigues
have brought on the village are happily ended
ADMIRABLY Written Many very tH bright and ciever
songs are scattered through 1t, and the ch0ruses
are strong and well balanced. There Is, per-
as ''La File de Nine. Angot,n but the
songs. "Le Timbale au SONNET du Mat" "Pen-
Mareot" are likely to become popular favorites.
The artistes introduced to the American pubic
last ngnt made % very ay%ra6ie impression ana
has not hitherto occupied in this city.
Mile. Mnnelly, the new prlma donna. is great
was evident in the first scenes that the climate
had exercised an unfavOrable effect on ner voice,
but after she sung little tie slight hoarseness
quite disappeared and she achieved
very pleasing and sne will no doubt.
well and was IN excellent voice. She was evidently
bent on showing the public that she had lost none
Of the song "Pendant cue sUr la noppe 6ianche5
secured for her the honor Of recall, and during
the evening sne was the recipient Of many
played the rde or Hchtel, showed herself an ad-
mraole actress, exceedingly dro and with keen
sense OF lhe ridiculous. Mons. Dubouchet as Raab
was very acceptable, but the masculine aures
OF the evening ell Oh Mons. Debeer, whose exceed
ngly comical impersona,on Of pruth Kept the au,
on the stage. He is an admirable actor, with
wonderfully mobile mask, and In addition ne sings
ance before an American audience. did not have a
sufficiently important part to enable q judg.
sss he had 0s 70 90 he ns aid very we the
the management have kept their word by re-
ably strengthened and improved IN quality. once
or twice the chorus got slightly out OF hand, but
rehearssls The "Tmbaie d'Argent' has been pro-
duced IN most creditable manner, and marks q
new era in opera Bouiie in tins country.
ssThe Bride of Abydos'' at Niblo's.
Those admirers Of Byron who visited Nibo's last
evening in expectation OF seeing a creditable
dramatization OF his poem ''The Bride OF Aby-
dos" placed upon the boards were certainly dis
appointed. For q first night the attendance
was not large, and this may have exercised
q depressing influence on the actors, who,
under other circumstances. might have done
better. Taken as whole the drama as
presented last night was not equal to the previous
efforts OF the management. It was 9 pleasure to
note, however, that the scenery was OF superior
order, and the ladies' and gentlemen cast for the
leading parts acquitted themselves so creditably
that the audience overlooked the awkward
and ungainy efforts Of the lesser charac-
ters to make a presentable appearance. Mr.
Wheeler, as Seltm, the supposed son OF the Pachat
rom the moment he presented himself until he
audience, sustained his part admirably. MISS
lone Burke, as zuleka, the Bride was ire
quently 0pplauded, and in certain passages Mr.. f.
s.. TQrr. PaCha. AXhlbita0 a NJ
his part. Mr.. Dunn made . very presentable
Cadi, considering the support he had in Zoe. 70
whom he made love under difficulties, her articu-
laton being SO faulty that lew could tell whether
she spoke In the language in which Byron wrote
or In ChOctaw. Nevertheless Dunn was an
earnest woOer, and acquitted himself very accept
ably In the nrst act there was some difficulty ex-
perenced in the shifting OF the scenery, but the
past reputation Of this venerable playhouse. The
soldiers OF Osman Bey presented most sorry
rules OF marking timc.', A drill sergeant from
one OF the veteran regiments could be probably
employed in the next rehearsal: Mr.; Louis
Mr.. E. X. Collier, as Mira, the Pirate OF the
Isles, in the scene where he makes himself known
great deal OF spirit. The strange antics OF the
Governor OF the Harem were SO unnatural that
c in incident the tabeaux are excin@ pay ths Is
embellishments are as creditable as previous
efforts OF the management, and with q few days.
training OF the company aud the recastlng OF the
parts of Zoe, Osman Bey, Hassem and Con-
stantine there will be nothing to prevent the final
success OF the last effort OF Mr.. ThOrne to please
his patrons b
Olympic Theatre.
The reopening OF this popular establishment last
evening was marked by great deal OF good
humor on the part of the crowded and fashionable
audience that thronged the pretty little theatre.
1t would seem, indeed. that the Olympic had lost
none OF its attractions, and the character or the
entertainment evidently won general admiration.
Commencing with condensed version of the
famous Irish drama, "Peep o. Day." the represen-
tation OF which, by the way, afforded consider
able enjoyment the entertainment subsequently
embraced several features which &C ouce induced
the auditors to think that there still plenty Of
fun in New York. For instance, after very
amusing stump speech by Mr.. Talbot, there fol-
lowed some "Scenes In an Hospital" which,
If correctly depicted, would incline the unior-
tuna to proceed to Potters FIELD without delay.
n ekr ID h.Aa