National Republican., 1883-08-10
The French Capital in Prolonged Rain
Storm.
New Successes at the Opera-LasaIIe
and Dufrane.
Annual Closing Of the Conservatory and the Tiresome
Concerts Herewith Connected.
Ambrose Thomas Unpopular ms Director
OF tho schooI-The "Pean d'Anen
!SDscinI Letter.


undated. / have not seen day for two
weeks in which the rain has not poured in
torrents. Imagine the dullnes of the season,
besides the great inconvenience in getting
about the streets. Tho outdoor concerts con-
tinue to empty benches. as even the hardest
scarcely dare attempt sitting out in the night
air with such weather as this. The rain has
really washed out the city.
Sunday Is most questionable day to
drive, but ventured nevertheless to take
advantage of two hours of quasi sunshine to
20 out to the Bois de Boulogne. Dear me!
What poor sight it was. Except the beau-
ties of nature there were none others visible.
The Avenue des Accacias is now the fashion,
able drive, but / did not see one resident
Partisan of the grande monde and very few
a half dozen, perhaps-of the celebrated demi
monoainos, who never miss their turn in the
Bois.
There seems to be still plenty of men and q
great many Spanards. They have adopted
Paris as Americans did once upon q time. 1t
is now their paradise, If any place can at all
resemble that supposed enchanted spot during
such weather
How many times have I said "such
weather." l write enough am sure. will
try not to repeat the expression, but it is in
deed awful.
The Opera continues to be favorite resort.
Lasalle tho celebrated baritone, has just
made his e-entree as Nelusko in IL 'Africaine."
The house was packed and applause really
indiscriminate. What thing to be favorite
After having listened to the gentleman off
and on for FIVE or six years think l am quite
able to judge somewhat of his merits He
has one of the most powerful of voices and
sings with certain majesty of expression
quite imposing, but l have never heard him
sing q single solo or number in perfect tune.
During the whole of an evening he will get
off the key once during each act, sometimes
ofNener 1t is most astonishing, and L cannot
understand so grave fault in so fine an artist.
Mime. Dufrane is now singer who attempted
the role of Selika She sang at the opera two
years ago and was not great success. Her
voice is high, strong, and well cultivated, so
well, in fact, that she does great deal with
il and has scored a genuine success this time.
The poverty of dramatic voices is alarming.
Perhaps / should say the scarcity. Where,
then are they to be foundp Germany has
few, Sweden none, Italy few, America none,
count at all, while the other European nations
furnish dramatic voices in such moderate
quantity that the opera will have to 60 back
to representing the old light opera, or at
least the mezsO cdrdtteUe, to use an Italian eX-
preston meaning between light and heavy.
ing misplaced roles. The public will have
dramatic operas, but where is the requi-
site talent?
Mile. Lureau is the Inez in tho "Afri-
cane." She was a first prize at the Paris con-
servatory last year, and is now relegated to
the old position of Christine Nilsson at the
Opera. She has her position, but, alas, little
of her talent Her voice is strong, well cul-
tivated, but terribly metallic. Her person is
snowy, and she would be very handsome but
for the misfortune of a glass eye, which in
pathetic expression refuses absolutely refuses
to follow its sister orb. In consequence
well, imagine the consequences, please. L
hate to tell them. 1t seems almost like
calumnating charming artist for were it
not for that one eye she would be very &C
ceptable.
The conservatory has nearly finished with
It's usual annual closing. The little master
has heard aspirants so far in all of the mu-
sical branches. Next week we will have
tragedy, comedy, grand opera, and opera
comique. Any one who has the smallest wish
to assist at any of these examinations must
ponder the thing well over first.
Disposing of harp, flute violin, &C., we
will mention the class for piano, composed of
fourteen young men and thirty.nine young
women. The rondo capricio, opus a. of
Mendelsshon was chosen for the malo per-
formers. They commenced at o'clock q. M
The jury came in at o'clock p. M. with the
prizes for both classes What do you think of
fourteen different kinds of Mendassohu and
thirty-ninr consecutive different readings Of
Saint t-Saens's concerts in Sol minor?
The SdNe of the conservatory holds about
500 people, perhaps not SO many; 1000 always
20, and there is no ventilation, no getting up
and going out during performances, and the
only thing to do is to sit, sit patiently, per-
sistently, amiably, absolutely until the end
There is more variety in the singing and
operatic examinations, but | forewarn any
unsophisticated what day with piano or
violin cONcOurS means. Should one attempt
to 20 away, the woman who takes ones ticket
and attends to placing the public expresses un-
feigned surprise.
"What, monsieur Tor madame) is going away
now? He will miss the best pupil of the
day. that is If he (or she) is not tired out
through having waited too long. Impossible !
Monsieur ought to 20 back at once" and so
on. The ouUreuSes or women ushers arc
warm partizans of the scholars They have
their favorites, as Jockeys have their horses
at race, and they will tell you the names
of the singers, the piece they are to interpret,
and the quality of tn ir voices.
= L remember after five times listening to
;Qui " UOce l ventured out into the cOuloir or
corridor. The woman near my box seized
me. what Leaving? Why, Mile. A
Is just going to sing the grand air of The
Puritans She is very talented, has fine
voice. and her father is the janitor (concierge)
of the conservatory We are all very anx-
ious about her success. She is good girl
and works very hard. Do go backw
Who could resist such pleading? Beside I
wanted to SEQ how the concieTge's daughter
looked.
She had black silk gown that trained
after her at least three yards. Auguste, the
famous cofieur, had dressed her hair her
face shone with "Ninon de rEuclos" cos
metcs, her gloves would have shamed Mile.
Bernhard Us for length, and her whole getup
was so painfully exaggerated that l totally
forgot about her singing. She had deter
mined, however, upon creating a sensation.
She did 1t upon entrance and exit Poor
thing in her position to have been so foolish.
Who could have counseled her so unwisely ?
She so startled everybody with her airs that
think even the jury could scarce have told
what quality her voice was.
Apropos of iuries the head of the conserva-
tory, NJ. Ambrose Thomas, may be the au-
thor of "MignOn," Hamlet" and so on, but
he does not give great satisfaction as the direc-
tor and head of the conservatory. There is a
great disturbance over the injustice done a
certain Mile Berengier who was decidedly
the best of the singing class yesterday. The
pupils in toto have so fallen Oft in talent that
no first prize could be given. The second
was awarded to inferior singers, ono Mile.
Sunnonent the other Mile. Caudet and Mile.
Berengier, who received only a 'jiere accessit," "
The public was outraged, hissed the jury
Vrhan thaxy loft THAR bny and made n tre-