New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-27
TOPICS IN PARIS.


,osrR,s OWN IIRE-DgATH OF AN ARisrocRATic
,.,avp--a CURIOUS TALE OF AvARICE AND IN
SANITY.
s,,ox THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE
PARIS, Feb. i1.-Ohenbach's last work. to which
ha vas about TO give the finishing touches wheh
death clutched him, was brought out last night
.omnoser of delicate taste, NJ Ernest Guiraud, was
CHARGED by the maestros widow to achieve the OF
cbestraton of the score The applause at the rising
~ the cnrtain was almost tumultuous When Ohen-
bach was the favorte of the Tuileres be was re-
rarded as an archcorrupter of public morals by the
Republicans, who last night mustered IN very iuii
force at tho Opera Comique, and were disposed 10
grant Maitre Jacques an apotheoss. M. jules Ferty
was in stage box along with MS wiie anu ner SIS
ters Musical qualities of high order were taken
for granted at the start by public OF connoisseus
dilletanti and artists of the lyric stage, amongst
whom was Christina Nilsson. As the piece advanced
the spectators showed themselves captivated Dy the
variety and the penetrating harmony OF the meiouy
of the score which Ia iu many places OF more sou
texture than the Offepbacbanallan music Win
vb;ch the world is familiar. Then the hDretto was
cdd. arrange. amusing fantastcal. clever. and lhti
mstely welded to the music. Scenic decorat'ons
were of rare perfection and the dresses quaint &C.
centric and in most OF the acts OF extraordinaiy
richness They were worthy Of figuring at the court
of hobgoblin monarch. There is something weiru
in MANY passages of the score which Ia suggestive
of the vista said to be opened to dying men, OH O
snpersensuous realm entirely different from any
thing this world presents. One can Ill conceive
Jacaues Offenbach going to the Paradise OF just
souls made perfect Of the many mansions which
there are beyond the grave, the one opened 10 MIN
nv his elective anies as his spirit was Just ABOUT
40 take its fight must have been phantasmagorial
one albeit not entirely devoid of sweet flowers oil
the Better Land
noBGoBLIN OPERA.
The first act is an Introductory one. It IS the
tavern Of one Master Luther. Great wine ana peer
barrels in the antique German manner are ranged
round cellar, in the midst of which is a long table,
very massive and firm on the legs and stools 1or
Luther's customers Spirits of the beer and wine
issue from the tubs in which they are imprisoned
and dance madcap rOndO. The cellar is in SEMI
obscurity and there is Just enough of light to see
that spir,ts of wine are clothed in purple and
crowned with branches of grape-bearing vine' ana
that spirits of beer are in golden tunics with their
heads wreathed with the hop with corn"howers ana
ripe barley Anything pretter than this odd ballet
have never witnessed. Behind the
scenes, students vocalze in chorus
spirited Rhenssh song which has Tor Jus
TERRAIN, "Drig. Orig, Maitre Luther" Lindorf, the
baritone does the solo parts. He has full, strong,
to their places of captivity. tine choristers enter
dressed as Heidelberg students in the time OF
Goethe's youth. They wear ornate tobacco pouches
attached to their sword belts. Query, Did students
smoke as we'll as snuff as the last century drew
toward an end Van Corbeil sent the best choris-
ters Of the Opera House, and some OF the most
promising pupils of the COnservatoire to reinforce
the party of studious youth in Master Luther's
tavern Chenevieres, the winner of the first vocal
prize last autumn at the Conservatoire, made him.
self heard 10 the "Drig, drug" song. Marguerite
Uqaldi was boy tapster, and Engall whose voice
sounded like clarion, insisted upon mixing with
The wild customers of Maitre Luther. Hoffman,,
The storytelling Prussian jadge. is beer-bibber
and friend of studious. rampageous German youth.
He ia dressed like Muscadln of the Directory. sings
ntes fdntastoues at the table of Master Luther and
kndeayoring to explain his love for three women
koiled up into one, Antonio, Olympia and Souettee'
THO appears in the succeeding acts as an automa tic
igure Of q young girl, as q courtesan and bright
theatrical star. This trune character Is supported
Nv Mile. Isaacs who won last night rich harvest OF
,ouauets. Her singing and her playing were really
Admirable. She was most applauded In the wilo
waltz in which, inner spring being set to work In
Ter. she gyrates round the stage dragging Hoffman,
with her. Here abe Is supposed to be the autOmaon.
Her action is jerking, like that of doll on wires
The ewes. usually so expressive have no speculation
IN them. Hoffman, eventually gives her a soul by
Weakening her up to love and when she loves MIN,
she dies singing her life out in delicious melody.
ENTRANCE OF THE foul FIEND"
The Devil Ia brought upon the stage as Doctor
Miracle. He can accomplish everything that can be
wrought out by head full of light but unsupported
BY q heart. Dr.. Miracle is science pcarnate de is
the Tree of knowledge beneath which the serpent
cravIed in Eden. In opening eyes to see he strips
ucffn MI N a
lent willing ear to him, cries in the end in fit OF
despair "Out upon winel Out upon love, upon
art. upon beauty" His muse comes to him and
says: "Poet awake to a new existence!" But he
spurns her. and she, wounded to the quick at being
cepulsed gives her arm to Doctor Miracle, who: as
be leads her ON 70 eef E, ssd aad dabo
icai. 0ffenbach, one weuld have said, had been
meditating on his own life when he composed this
Dart of the score He, too, bad entered into pact
with the Evil Spirit of the nineteenth century, and
had discarded the promptings OF the muse. 10 pun
lsh him she went of with the Demon: VINO only aI
allowed her, when she revisited the Maestro 10 ap-
peal to his baser sentiments.
PORTRAYAL OF SELF.
The libretto is disconnected. 1t has the want OF
continuity of q vivid dream. But one no more
tires than when one rambles in the wonderland
into which we find our way in sleep. have never
seen the old proverb that the Devil is cheating
paymaster more forcibly illustrated. This idea
doubtless was strongly borne upon the mind OF
OAenbach in his latter years. He had seen the I'm
perial Court which turned Paris into modern
Babylon 90 down as suddenly as The Royal George
when she foundered in Portsmouth Harbor, and the
great fortune which he had made In pandering to
the vicious tastes of the court had been swallowed
an in the Gaietc Theatre. He attempted there t.
appeal to the heroic qualities Of the French nation
10 touch the patriotic chord. To that end h'
brought upon the stage Gounod's Jeanne dare
: IBut he was punished by the corruption which ht
had sown. The patrons on whom he had reckonel
deserted him. Locoo and Herne took the vino n
conc OF with Doctor Miracle and would only re-
Visit him on the conditions prescribed by that evil