The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-24
MUSIC IN PARIS.
MEnMETs 'JEANNE D'ARc"-THE FIRST NEW
OPERA AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE--NoT
sUccEss-NERITs AND DEMENT'S OF THE
WORK.

OPERA AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE-Nor A
WORK.
PARIS, April I, 1876
The musical event Of the the production
OF Mermcts Jeanne dare At the Grand Opera last
night. II Is rarely that composer has the good for
tune OF being honored with such audience welcome
the creation Of his genius assembled this
casion II comprised nearly every person Of distinction
in Paris at the present tmo In OF the boxes Of tho
opont scene seated the Marshal President Of the
Republic, the Queen OF Holland and Mmc MacMahon.
whic nearly opposite Queen Isabella and the Infancs
Of Spain. The Prince OF Orange occupied box imme
diatcly underneath
FIRST NEW OPERA AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE.
IL is almost painful to write that TIE irst opera
produced under tho management Of NJ Halauzcr at the
grand new National Theatre is not a success. The
management has done ITS best the singers have done
their best and the painters have exhibited
marvellous trumphs OF their art; but tho result Is
satisfactory. The opera contains much that is good
and much that Is new; but that which is good is
new, and that which is now Is not good.
THE PLOT.
NJ. Mcrmct, the composer and also the poet OF this
opera is retired old bachelor Of melancholy habits
and nmiabc character who has not yet been convinced
BY nearly seventy years OF disappointment that he Is
neither poet musician THUS tue pot o hts opera
is wholly variance with the facts OF history, aud
his music Is either mere noise or arrant plagiarism
~ Mcrmci has lct out the acts OF all the chief war
and statesmen who paycd foremost parts IN the
grandcst drama OF the Middle Ages IN Europe, AMI in
place OF Dunols KANT rattle and La Hire he has subst
ucd some nancIcss personagcs of his u, who never
had any real EXISTENCE Flraily he has made tho cui
minntng point Of Tie maids lie her appearance IN
The Cathedral oil Rheims nj the coronation Of Charles
VII, when all the vineyards ci Champagne were
ploughcd by the English hosts In Hight Having THUS
aIsncd history he has called his scene painter 70 tho
rescue and presented ms audience with band OF
GHOSTS Axp rnASToNs rcR aks AND WOMEN
II was with something Ike anger, therefore, that
Frcnch spectators saw the most beautiful ANA romantic
OF their national legends turned into mockcry IA halt
ing lines winch could he neither scanne nor sung
Nine. krauss conrvcd indeed, 10 make all tat could
be made Of an aria the iirst beginning WALTON,
russrau sonDrc fcuiIlagc;' aud that Tue gem vi
the piece not because there any brightness In its
on but because u was dccIousy warbled by
OF the most sympathetic singers in Europe. More
over, the effect was marrcd by grotcsquc steel
plaster which affixed IN some occult manner 10
this charming German Lad Is stonacha plaster both
out Of time and out Of place, which was The moro
mnrkabc because Frcnchmcn do not generally err 10 de-
tails OF costume, both NM Sardou and fccocq aud
many other authors and composers who could b, cited
are amazingly well vcrscd IN the history OF costume
ANOTHER AIR.
beginning Lon dit que Ia mutt daus la Bruycrc," sung
by Madame Da, din, the character OF Agnes Sorei
the Kings nils rcss, though much talked of By the
authors friends during The rchcarsas, broke down
because this iady's voice. which unfortunate
resemblance The sounds produced ny hen
has Just ad IN egg was not equal 10 rcd,cming the
Again, NJ Faurc, as the KING absolutely sung bis
own music 10 the clumsy words oil
mcnclng, 'Salutl Verge lbcsatricc,n &C. and there
was soinc applause the notes or tho great
baritone died away tho But when
u. GalIhard, who can sing good music very de-
Gently, WINS put TO sing the music OF NJ Mcrnct some
his hearers gapcd others wont TO sleep and tie
INDUCED freely in Discourse about the stock Exchange
showing that the gentlemen who attend rst perform
IN Paris mostly moneycd men, inter, sted IN
monetary questions than abstract criticisms OF
art--at discount
TnE COMPOSER.
II is perhaps unucky for the iamo OF NJ Mcrmct that
the score Of his opera was rescued from the flames
which dcvourc the old Partisan National Opera House,
in the Ruc Lcpcieter. by two ndiscrcct friends Unu
week ago all the world o"t r. monde, by winch term
rs meant tho hai,-dozcn musical connoisscurs who
live on the Boulevard dc Capucincs) believed
that NJ. Mcrmct was great composer, mis-
understood and vi used; greater composer than
Auber or HaIcvygrcatcr, possibly. than Mozart But,
truth, the world very seldom III treats those who
rcaiiy know how 10 please H. aud had been really very
KIND to ~ Mermct IN postponiag tho mat overthrow
Of MS hopes for more than hall century ~ blissu
ant cipaou Even stil there are people who believe
In ~ Mcrmet, both MS poet aud as composer II Is
more than probable thai ne has acquired by time
rooted habit OF believing In himself, aud he Is pleas
ant. kindly and popular gentleman that no
person would like wantoniy 70 q. siroy hls Illusion.
the msE Ky scKSE
mentioned IN yuu VI iry former letters that
the mssc cR scsTs 70 exceptionally magn ncsaL IL