The New York herald., 1879-09-16
ADJUSTMENTS.
poUrFE AT THE FIFTH AVENUE.


The Fifth Avenue Theatre filled to its utmost
extent last evening. That but natural in view
of the fact that NJ Victor Capoul, Mile. Paoa-Marie
and Mile Angelo were announced to appear. the
two latter for the first time before New York pub
lie. Capoul was already we'll known to us. He was
here with Nilson five or six years ago and sang in
martha Faust FRA Diavolo' and other operas
Since then he has the part OF Paul In Victor
MASSES paul and Virginia.. and later. the part OF
Romeo. in the Marquis d'Ivrys "Les Amants de
.yerone" Last season he sang in Italian at Covent
Garden London. For some time past NJ Capoui had
announced his intention Of retiring from the stage.
But the offers OF an enterprising manager induced
him to change his decision. He consented to leave
the higher realms of opera and to seek in America
new fortune in opera bouffe. His appearance here
was looked forward to with vast interest. People
have of late years heard much of Capoul. the
former premier tenor adored by the genter SEX the
son of a n,aitre dh6tel and the man whose photo
oraphs are said to be sold larger numbers than
those any other person in France that there was
very general desire to see If not to hear him. Well,
people went last night Victor Capoul. and they
came away with-what? The singing OF Nj. Capoul
as Ange Pitou will have left faint impression upon
the great audience assembled to greet him. The
new romance written expressly for MN by Lecocq
suit his present range OF voice. inserted IN the last
of the opera alone saved the actor ana Drought
back to him homage that his past career deserves
Otherwise NJ. Capoul did not occupy very promi-
nent position among the artists of last evening. His
entry was greeted with warm applause, his efforts to
sing in the first and second acts were decately ap
proved, he was the recipient of many favors and
bououets but he left the impression that he is
the Capoul OF yore He cannot help this, indeed
but he certainly can be proud OF the warm reception
given him by public who, not having enjoyedfor
any length OF time the privilege of hearing him in
his glory still meet him in generous spirit willing
20 listen atentively to the best that he Offer
Shall blame him for not being able to satisfy the
audience in only giving us one sweet WONDERFUL
memory of the past? The deficiencies of the first
two acts forgotten in the famous song, ''Je
lattends an rendezvous, which, sung in the upper
notes only in mezza voce produced wonderful
effect. But yesterday evenings performance of La
ressons besides the annearauce of M CanouI
Mile. Paoa- Marie, indeed. saved the even
ing from being semi-failure. Alone she
Avenue for many weeks to come. She is revea-
ton! When she is the stage all interest concen
trates in what she does and says and sings, be-
witchingly, naively and so modestly. Mile Paola
Marie the original Clarette of the and is said
to have play the part over five hundred times. Yet
she is charming to-day as on the evening when
''La File de Mme Angot" first produced,
and she is still young. Mile Paola-Marie born
III 1851, the 2Sth or March, the biographers say.
She was educated at the Convent OF the Sacred
Heart at Nancy, where she astonished her
companions by the beauty OF her voice She
was thoroughly trained in religious music. Her
two sisters, Irma and CALI Marie. already on
the stage, and thither she followed them. ap-
Potter called Madeleine which only lived for an
evening. Herve, who had just favor by his
of tne Galleries s Hubert ana
gagged her. Next summer she went to Lon
don with NJ Humbert's troupe. and thence
passed to the Folies Dramatiques at Paris,
under NJ. Cantin's management. She made her
debut Mephisto in Herves Little Faust" She
lived u quiet life at Paris, in daintiIy furnished
apartments, with her crochet, her cat and poodle
who used to follow her on the stage in IL cell
Creve." On February 81 1872 ola File de Nine.
Angot" first produced at the Folies Drama
tiques 1t had already been played at Brussels
by Nj. Humbert's company. Dark-eyed little
to The atter Success gave was plass ss
great the operetta's. Both unprecedented
Brandus. the music publisher paid 15,OOOf for the
score alone. During the first month the box Office
not once opened ut night. The triumphs Of ''La
Juive" and LES Huguenots" were outdone. NJ
Canin presented 10OoOf to the Association of Dra-
matte Artists On March % the piece was
played to an audience of princes The compliments
pa to the fair Cairette dazzled her not little.
The opera had been taken to Rouen. where Zulma
Bouffar played Clairette well that Lecocq the
composer. was said to have iselle
Paola wrote to know what he meant The unhappy
Lecocq replied I'm face OF the fact that your
talents have already made the pio,e 100 nights
it would be in the worst taste to contest them. :"
Whereupon Zulma Bouffar Indignantly repudiated
M. Lecocq and his compliments, and the following
neat triolet appeared
Entire ces deux Clairettes-Ia
. envc u fat brillcr les siaives;
Entire ces deux Ciairettes-ay
zulma ss, 1nge de mes reves;
L'onviea fat briller les glSivcs
And this is the same Paola that is with us now as
charming, bewitching and with as glorious q
voice and delicious art when she enraptured
Paris. To her belong the honors of last eyeninp !.
to her will belong the homage of the musical world
in this realm of opera long she shall stay with
us. The third of whom must speak is
Mile. Angelo specially engaged to play Venus in
"Orphee Enters." and the Parisians vowed she
wa born. however, not in the sea-foam. but Bor
deaux. The brothers Cogniard produced her in
spectacle. She played at the Theatre de Chateau
d'Eau, and became one of the pillars of the ca i
attached to that house Oenbach raised her sudden
glory. Managers tried to get her away from him. but
the maestro resisted them Mon public" said he
grille peu ~ tppo,te que les autres en- gsnf tan
gele)." And respecting her venus-like form we
can only say that Mile. Angelo displayed
quite enough to enable us to confirm
the Judgment of the Parisians. But
we think that Mile. Angelic must have been badly
act dress that not only unbecoming but
unsecInly. The dress may have been worn
in the period treated of in the operetta in a
certain world. and its necessities are described
slightly in the text, but we are quite sure
that she herself will be the first to sec how much
she sinned against good taste in displaying her
limbs to the public 50 generously. The waltz
scene at the conclusion of the
ond act was, to say the least. unnecessarily
indecent. Mile. Angelo is well formed, tall woman
and dress not open at the side to expose her hips
would give her stateliness which should he will
ing to admire Mile. Angeles great attraction is her
form her voice is not particularly pleasing in tone
nor is hcr acting either delicate dramatic
Respecting the separate scenes OF the opera it
would be wearisome TO go into details of the three
acts. With the exception of Mile. Paolo Ma
ries really wonderful impersonaton of Clairette.
the first two acts call for but little further notice
NJ. Capoul evidently reserved his powers for the
romance the third act. His appearance was not
strikingy picturesque. his dialogue unmusical.
indeed monotonous. his singing marked by
palpable Inability to compass the higher
register. except in His air
IN the first act, "Certainement Jaimas Cairette,"
sung with delicacy and feeling. The quarrel
scene between Clairette and Mile. Lange In the
third act made remarkably telling
by Mile. Paolo Marie's marvellous acting.
Mile. Delormes rendition of the burly fshwoman
Amaranthe was good. but the 'Marchande dc MArec"
song did not take the house IL usually does. AS
the not valiant and somewhat Jack -the-box
barber Pomponnct. NJ. Juteau sang and acted
well in his peculiar style. His opening song,
"Aujourd'hui prenons bion garde,' acceptable.
In the second act he was amusing. and in the last
scene between him and the disguised Larivaudere
Mt the ball admirably acted, and thoroughly on
joyod by the audience. M. Jouard has little use
for his voice in the part of Larivauderc,
but gave acceptable presentation of the
contemplate and much trickcd old man.
With the rrcnitz of NJ vIlano have fault TO find.