The New York herald., 1879-10-07
PARIS At THE THEATRE.
With Blare Of Trumpets the Curtain
Rises for the Season.
PLAYERS AND PANTOMIMISTS
/Histrionic Explorers of the Realms Of
the Black Venus.
rams. Sept. 10. 1879.

this is to some extent an annual custom there mas
never been year in which it has been SO general.
Last summer. owing to the Universal Exhibition All
the theatres remained open the contrast this year
has. therefore, been all the more striking. During
the months of July and August Paris has resembled
large provincial town. The theatre constitutes the
life Of the great city. The Senators and Deputies
may sit as long they please at Versailles; their
absence will not prevent Paris from remaining at the
capital It will only to be SO the day that the
actors, great and small. meritorious ana OBSCURE
take it into their heads to desert its walls need
scarcely say. therefore. that the reopenng OF the
theatres was looked forward to with eager impa-
tience. The announcement Of tho resumption OF
their performances came upon us like al. avalanche
Ten theatres opened their doors simultaneously.
And yet tho commencement Of the season is not
as brilliant as it might have been. This is to be
attributed mainly to atmospheric influences. AS
regards summer, it has been veritable
winter. During the period that the theatres
remained closed the weather cold
that people compelled to wear their winter
slothing and furs, apd that in the very middle Of
July. Just now. on the contrary, tho evenings are
beautiful and very warm. The consequences have
been lamentable deceptons for the unfortunate man.
ayers. who maddened when they think OF the
profits they might have realized by not closing and
Of the losses they have sustained by opening too
soon. They all anxiously watch for the HERALD
weather dispatches in the hope Of finding in them
The announcement Of approaching storms and con-
tinuous rains. The need of making satisfactory
cepts makes itself all the more felt from the fact
that during the almost all the managers have
been prodigal in their expenditure in demolitions,
reconsructions and embellishments in their respec-
tive establishments. Our theatres have all been
more less renovated, or, the phrase goes.
shave made their toilet" At the Opera Comique
for instance where the work has been so compli-
Gated that it necessitated the postponement Of the
reopening Of the theatre for two months startling
discoveries were made Of which the Parisians have
not the slightest suspicion.
REPULsIvE DISCOVERY.
One repulsive fact will give an idea Of the condi-
tion in which the temple Of Auber and Boieldieu
was found. When it was attempted to disturb the
old bamqets to replace the autels OF the orchestra
and the balcony it was discovered that instead of
horsehair they contained merely layers OF worms.
The horsehair had been devoured and replaced by
this filthy and moving mass. The seats were not
the less soft-quite the contrary. One trembles
when reflects that things have remained in this
state during long years and that two generations Of
spectators have been seated on the thin and worm
out velvet which imperfecty protected them against
this mass of disgusting vermin There were
ancient worms there that must have been
surprised to find themselves thus disturbed.
For years they have felt very much at
home. many of them having. doubt.
assisted at the first representation of LA Dame
Blanche Unfortunately. this reconstruction Of
the Opera Comique has led to troublesome complies
tions. NJ. Carvalho. fortifying himself behind
of force ajeure, resulting from the duration Of
the repairs and the postponement of the reopening
of the theatre refuses to pay his artists The latter
protest. They pretend that the repairs should have
fixed duration; that they not notified in time;
that the theatre receives large subvention from the
State and that they have right to portion of it.
In short they clamor and discuss the matter in
undignifed manner. while the public is astonished
to find that the government hesitates to intervene
NJ Carvalho receives these protests with the calm
ness Of q man who means to pay no attention to
them. and he continues quietly to pocket his sub
vention without paying cent Of it to his clamorous
troupe
THE MALcoNTENrs OF THE GRAND OPERA
Fortunately. if the Opera Comique is closed. the
Grand Opera is open and well open. This lat
eclipses. It is continuous in it's operations
ana does not select its seasons, for the
simple reason that it is always sure of realizing
superb receipts whether the weather be hot cold.
whether 1t Is dry or rains. 1t is pleasure to be-
come the director Of theatre like this and we
readily understand why such large number of can
ddates intrigued to obtain this exceptional privi-
ege. There is at profit and satisfaction in di-
recting the opera. Take, for instance the Of
the new director. NJ vancorben. He has scarcely
been Installed. believe that he will make a good
directors that he will do good work and merit our
sulogums artist and administrator but after all.
these merely express our hopes. In reality he has
done nothing yet, and could not in short
II Ortu N of
We must wait little and him work before
passing judgment upon him.
In the meanwhile there is being played around
him comedy which is very amusing to OBJ
server. In the time of his predecessor there
small group of malcontents among tho opera sub
scribers. According to them nothing went right in
the establishment. The passages Of the theatre
s'-hoed with their complaints and protests. They
snied to NJ. Halanzier the merit even of his most
-vident qualities. Our first lyrical theatre was If
We were to believe them in full decadence 1t was
impossible to meet them either singy collec-
lively. without hearing them indulge in their favor
lite rcfrain-
''what an unfortunate theatrei What . detest-
able troupe! 1t is dcplorabloi Not first class
artist All second rate! Krauss, Rosine Bloch,
ALassalle, vllaretl And to tho rtpevtoirei One
WIS heartily tired of itl''
Tow it so happens that NJ. vancorbeil has for tho
ney hackers OF his administration large portion
he discontented group who waged such fierce
war against that of M. Haanzer. Up to the present
timo. Notwithstanding his excellent revolutionary in
tcntons and proposed internal bouleverscmcnts, the
new director must have been compelled to gradually
recognize tho fact that his predecessor accomplished
excellent things. The latter lett to his
chance of making the pretended reforms which
affirmed to be urgent Therefore M. VAN
bell has adopted the wiso course of making no
anqes. He has re-engagcd the former artists of
lsnzer and has followed his traditions. Ho
st revived LA Muettc dc Portici." which M.
A-zier bequcathed to him, and yet his bac kers-
mnlcontcnts OF yesterda y--patrol the passages
the theatre telling those that arc disposed to
stem to them:--
"What q thcatrel What an admirable troupcl II
II superb. All saJcs All artists of tho first order
krauss. kosine Bloch, Lassalle, viaret. And what
rtpcrtorei One never gets tired of it,
These excellent personages adorng to-day what
they abused yesterday do every thing they can to
render NJ. vancorbels task easy. Under such con-