New-York tribune., 1875-12-11


F6rriop is still being PLAYED when the day comes
round, it will serve as a text.
The new Opera is open, and To all appearance very
prosperous. There many prophecies, beheNe,
that so elaborate an establishment could never be
paying enterprise, but the present fortune OF tDc
Opera seems TO he very positively committing them'
The Winter has not begun, the class OF people VINO
keep thelr opera-box as they keep their coupe has
not returned 20 Paris, and yet the magnificent house
is magnifcently full. On the other hand this is
season when strangers and provincials are MINER
Gus, and every has to a least once to see the
house. When the house mas been seen IT may pe less
crowded The new Opera has been for any time
these six wears the most obvious architectural phe-
nomenon in Paris. and this may seem rather late
day for speaking of il; but now that the whole
great edihce stands complete and that the regime
that produced 1t has crumbled away around it, 1T
has a sort of significance and dignity winch were
not down in the programme The Opera Is al
ready historical monument II resumes IN Nlslbc'
sensible shape what the Empire proposed to itself to
be- and il forms kind of symbol-a very favorable
one-of the Empires legacy to France. There may
be differences Of opinion about the beauty OF the
building; to my sense il is i'll high degree pietur-
esque and effective, but ii is not beautiful; hut no
one can deny that il is superbly characteristics that
it sayors of its time that it tells the story Of the
/
think is the prime duty of great building, the
Opera is an Incompatible success Ii seems TO me
that noble cdiice should say something 10 com
munity as well as of il, and that unless, III hoth
WAYS, il can speak aTeeably, il had better hold its
tongue. The outside Of the Opera is, repeat, how
ever an old story; il is only the great golden SdAe
itself that is a current question. III france Is down
in the world inst now, there is something fine in
seeing her make her protest, recover her balance,
where and how she can. Ii does it along certain
line just now at the Opera, where they are giving
the Hamlet of Ambrose Thomas, with Nine
Carvalho and Faure. II is the French genius
alone that pays the cost of the spectacle-french
architecture, French painting, French music, French
singers and certainly, III spite of Shakespeare,
French libretto. Ophelia, i'll her madness, comes
forth and delivers her and rosemary to the corps
de ballet. NJ. Thomass music is pOnderous and mo
uotonous but nobler singing and acting than
Faure's and more artistic vccali2aion than Nine.
Carvalhos it would he impossible to find. The
house is perhaps tThe disappOinting-a trlie less
fabulous and tremendous than encouraged to
suppose it. Reasonably viewed, it Is superb and
unintercsting. II is nothing but eold-gold upon
gold: it has been cilded till il is dark with gold.
This is doubtless from the picturesque point or view,
rather a fine effect for 4 theater TO produce The
really strong points at the Opera the staircase
though | think trine vulgar; an immense affair of
white marble oyerlaJ with pale agates and alahas-
terS climbing in divergent arms and crowned witha
erish fresco OF nymphs and muses., inlmitation lof
all people in the world of Luca Glordan9
If the world were ever reduced to the dominion OF
single gorgeous pOcntatc, the J0yer would do very
well for his thTOne-ToOn. Ii - a most magihcehI
apartment and like the auditorium, gildcd all over
a foot thick-a long golden corridor whose only
rerroach is that il leads nowhere Ii could lead I"
nothing grInder than itself Ia the iaI-away cell
ing dmly and Ipericctly through the dusty glo"
Of pas and gliding you make out the great series OF
frescoes 10y NJ Baudry. They are very noble and
beautiful and the most interesting things IN the
building You manage to perceive that much of this
is cx0uiste and you cannot help feeling certain
admiration for a building which can afford to con-
sign such costly work to the reign of cObwcbs.
Amonth ago the shop windows in New-York were
Glled with portraits Of Erneso RosSi. the Italian
tragedan. who coming over To tread IN the deep
footprints of Salyni-or as he hoped, suppose, 10
make new ones of his own. You will have perceived
bv this time that he has not arrived, Though E"n
NAV hut impcTfectly appreciate ms motives Tor
breaking his enga cement lie IS having qUtc eN-
troordinarv succcss in Paris and ne remembers The
adage about a bird in the hand. On his way to en-
bark for America he stopped might in Paris TO play
am very sure that his great psrt kean' would not
have encountered in America the prosperity II ENJOYS
here where il has been played steadily for the last
two weeks-a great triumph for drama III foreign
tongue "Kcan" is the late Edmund kean, the En-
pIish tragedan, as portrayed hy the late AleNmorc
Dumas. The part was created by FREDERICK Le-
maifre and wa, one of his most extraordinary
achievements listened to ROssi the other night III
company with an old gentleman of retrospective
,rrn. who would Jet nothing pass without assuring
ne that " Frederick did it fifty times better But
IN spite of my neignbor l enjoyed Rossl-in
snitc of INV neghbor and in spite OF
"Kean" Tie plsy is the most fantastic
far1ago of hgh-spritcd nonsense that even tie
i,opudent imagination of Alezaudrc Dumas could
offer as picture Of "insuaT" manners. The first
three quarter, of the piece mOraly duh an the
Italian yersionl and Rossi is remarkable but not eX-
citing But toward the end of the fourth act poor
Edmund Kean is represented as refusing 10 act hiN
part because he is in passion OF jealousy oi George
". who is making love to his mistress. lie RACES
M and down his dressing-rOOm, aud declines To 90
an tbouph manager and pr0mptcT and dresser are
all On their knees TO him. At last George ~ comes
in and Joins in the supDiiant chorus, hut h'an
laughs in his face and st keeps the house waiting
At last he is reminded that the performance Is i"i
,bo bcueft Of 4 criDpcd clown who was his couralo
in the days when he made ms living Dy turning
somcrsauts at fairs and at this hint he coliapaes'
wraps himself ia the mantle of Hamlet, aud punees
into his part la the next scene we see MN OF the
stage conserving with Ophelia and fevcFishly watch
ing George w. in the house. This scene IS Eie ana
rapid but il is admirably played and If decides ia
n moment the actors success. kcan, consumed Win
jealousy, sees George ". enter the box oI thf
woman ne loves, and from this moment he Is less
and less in his part and more and more certain 10
ding if aside and bctray himself II last he does 50
j., ,naqnIfcently grotesquc explosion of wrath at
tbc Prince and sarcastic abuse Of hmseli-tunbler,