New-York tribune., 1886-08-03
A MUSICAL PILGRIMAGE.

III.
NOTES OF A DULL PARIsIAN WEEK.

C,tv of the Seine dull and uninterestine The
social season being ended most OF the theatres are
| closed and where Obligations to the Government
compel a maintenance OF performances, as az
the Grand Opera and the Comedie Fran
| case an air of perfInctOriness pervades
| them which reduces pleasurable interest to
| a minimum. So far as the Grand opera -
concerned have no hesitation III saying thas
it would be vastly better for the reputation OF the
institution if such performances as have recently
witnessed had never taken place Not that they
we're extremely bad in any particular, but thas
they fell far short Of being so preeminently good
MS one has right to expect from great historical
| institution enjoying a magnificent subyenton
| from the State, and living in the light OF
| glorious past. The pride OF the Parisians -
| on tho wane 1t has been appealed 70
IN vain in behalf of the Grand Opera by those wiso
enough to know that appeal to the artistic
sense of the people would be worse folly. But tho
odor of decay which taints every activity In Pars
| is not kept out by Carriers glded walls. Tho
people seem to be sinking into lethargy which
| is proof against all stlmuants. Tomorrow
they will celebrate the national fese
of the Republic Preparations have been
making for days; there will be miles
of gas lights hundreds of of bunting, and an
effort will be made to call up spirit OF patriotism
| by means of review of the troops returned from
Tonquln. The preparations have shown the hoi-
lowness Of the spirit invoked; everything
is superficial and artificial The people
want to be stirred into the state "
mad merriment which characterized the Second
Empire and there are no means at hand. Ihey are
like the old topper of the Far West who sighed Tor
louor that would irritate his gullet. bottle OF
aqua fortis profered by sympathetic friend was
returned with a mournful SMILE but temporary
gleam of pleasure overspread his features when ha
was shown how to persuade dozen hornets to
enter and sting his throat. Do not miss the cte to-
morrow" SAID Parlsian at the Grand Hotel. when
Iexpressed purpose to escape the noise ana crowds
| There are many VINO think it will be the last Is
the toper crying again for the not drinks which
h. We m tic him drunken in the pastf 1t Will ram
tomorrow and many will smile derisvely az the
Republic and think of the Princes beyond the
border,
But my business is with the Opera House and not
the Chamber of Deputies. A repre- esentation of
az Africline" eight days ago caused the
apprehension that there even dan
ger of the Grand Opera losing its
prestige pre-eminently the home of Mcyerbeerian
spectacle. rhe ship of the third act was An impo'-
ing if not bewIdering architectural structure bnt
saw none of that marvellous stage mechanism
which, | had fondIy believed, produced SO natural
sea motion that prma donnas could not stag in this
Was it not Nine. Viardot who used to safer from
,easckness instead of stage fright n ~ ifricane"f
Il Is true that the great ship with all its four decks
and high fantastic stern did seem to shift its couro
at the long lrawn-out suggestion OF AttasE1, and
the port side did sink several feet and pu the deck
IN slant, but iterward 1t remained rs rigid as tho
ST aye mana cement and wnen the sayages sauntered
out OF the Wings AMI lelsurely GROUPED themselves
d OF the rsns saea at iGr he yeS
York Academy OF Music and the vigorous attack
| OF the kowery snpernumerarIes baritone naned
Melo h!ssc lee the NeltSkO OF the evening. aud
savlug that he exhibited soma modern vocal wees
| which du. not cOnsOlt well with his ancient BbI-
cal name he dld remarkably well, proving him self
| alt Jsetncr finer hero than JdScO d Gdml whose
original Instability of affection was emphasized
| on this occasion by the circumstance that one OF
| the two women betw cen whom he wavered ike
Hdcaedth in " The Besgars Opera" was really his
| wife. The tenor. Esca.als, young singer who IS
inhs Soua no'u""S i, ;nIi, i.7 dicnup,,n, %
igurc ls the heroic Portuguese crcumnav gator. but
| he sang with good effect albeit with toe Iiuch ot
the >trIdent screlIdng hch mars the work of tho
| majority of French tenors. The chorus sang
| wrctchcdly and the orchestra was guilty OF much
,lIp,hod work which seemet TO be DE in a large
| degree t. the Ii,tle,s manner OF the conductor.
lne band has noble proportiOn, an. ouSlt to
| produce thrilling effects. found much to admire
IN the iiro OF Its strings ana the sorority OF its
brass but >Sel the mcllownes, Ot the wOod-wlnd
cAoir of the Nc~-lork Philharmonic Society,
especially IL WAS When the lately deceased
| clarinet player Boehn was alive. The tone quality
Wa, OF course the same, but the performance was
much mole precise aad passionate IN "A representa-.
ton Ct Nas>euets lie Cid. the latest novelty Of
the tirand Opera, which hal Its first performances
on the :iuth ot last November. The music OF this
opera found To be less lntcresting than that of
"Manou I.c>,Aut" by the same composer. to which
the New York public were introduced last season:
| 1t has i few inspired p gees bnt Is full OF bad
quarter tones. These Frenchmen manufacture
| music with a wonderful c"mniaud Of tue devices
which occasionally strike lire. Lut they ran no
more evoko strAdy dramatic Ilale than they can
ouancipatc thenIst Ives from Meyerb,er when m
dcrtaling work on large lines. he book OF le
| Cid" was constructed by MM II ..nncry Louis
| Gallet aud Edward Blau after q. tie Castro and
Cornrillc. It's ballots. consisting of SIX Spauisl
| .ances IN the second act and Moorish dance vi
most suggestive kind IN the third. are mere likely
20 keep It tho list than th literary or musical
| treatment Oi the old story and this will not te
because of the music of the dance bnt because of
the spectacle. In fact the Grand Opera exists Tor
the eye alone. One admlres the staircase. then the
foyer then the ballet ami thinks tile OF the music.
| II would almost be ptv to introduce the modern
German operate Ieportory here the effect would
he too dIstractlrg.
The iorce of tradition was illustrated in tho
| rg'Iity OF the stage management IN LAir'calnr.'
In every concerted number the characters sOu-i.t
their specified places the boards with "A carriul
ness which male freedom Of dramatic a, tlor mpps-
| sbe. Ine:. Heiikd. dSc1. NotaSkO and ION Pare
divided the spaces of tie stage with math"-la
| nicely. spoke OF the constraped effect OF thIs 10
.n artist VINO has had experience on the ParlsL.n
| stage. "Stil no one would 'iare To alter II. wds
| the reply: at the Grand Opera the question IN
the case Of their principal reportory piece, i> How
| did Mcycr0ccr want IT, And at the Corlcdie they
will yet cite tn you the example of Moliere.' lhs
recalls an incident at the Graui Il few years
| which do not remember to have seen in print.
| I.asale had succeeded Faure IN the character Of
| Hdmht in Ambrose lhomass opera. Fauro Lad
created the part, ana OF course hXc. the ira IL
| tons All Iarls SAW that III the duet with the
tpultH. at . certain point he turned aside aui with
Il angular gesture hId his .ace from the au,lienr
but neither al Paris nor the critics krtw why tie
| gesture WAS made. Neither did Lasalic. who omit
ted II when lie catered the east. His shOrtcOmIns
was pointed ont. and he IN his eNtrelnt ~
| to Fanre To learn the significance OF the mystical
| 80 rl
| had invented the aet To enable hIm In clear his
throat by decidedly unrsthetIc performance.
| give the story ~ IL told 10 j youch for
no part of !t.
| The next novelty at tho Grand Opera is exciting