New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-23
CRITIC AND COMPOSER.
DEATH OF AUGUSTA vITU, JOURNALIST, AND
HENRI LITOLFF. MUSICIAN, IN PARIS

and critic, Anguste Vitu who died August 5, after
n long and painful illness. Last October, while
visiting ON unfinished building near his house, ne
fell and broke his right arm. The fracture was
promptly attended TO, but owing to NJ Vitu's adj
vanced age and general feebleness, the bones re-
fused TO knit. In December heroic operation
was performed, in hopes Of saving his life, but IL
only succeeded in rendering his condition more
serious cardiac affection against which he had
struggled for years appeared with fresh violence,
and in addition to everything, VI. Vitu became
afflicted with singular distaste for food OF any
kind. 1t was only by the persistent supphcation
of his family that he was prevented from starving
himself to death.
His mind continued as clear and as active as
ever and he insisted, In spite of his pitable con-
dition, on fulfilling to the last his journalistic
duties The management Of Figaro" begged
him TO acccpt.a leave Of absence, but he steadily
refused, and continued to lle as regular feature
of irst-night performances at the theatres as ne
had for twenty years His criticisms, dictated TO
his son, lost none Of the simplicity, the keen
dlscernment, the elegance of dcton, that had pre-
viously characterized them. His appearance
changed rapidly, and his haggard face and
emaciated figure spoke eloquently Of his suferngs
To all inquiries he replied with forced smile
possible, but that be was dying-adding, with o
touch Of pride, in harness, you See"
On July 81 he attended the revival Of Solvent
hommc varic," at the Coincide Franchise. Shortly
afterward he was sitting at his desk, debating TO
bis son, when his speech became suddenly thick,
his words confused, and his head fell forward on
his breast Cerebral anaemia had set in He
was taken homo, where he fingered nearly week.
unconscious most Of the time, before death re-
leased his intrepid spirit The funeral, which was
attended by nearly every journalist in Paris took
place on Friday. lie was buried in the cemetery
of Pere La Chaise.
Auguste Vitu was born October z, 1923, at
Meudon His family was in very moderate circum-
stances, and Auguste was launched on the world
as a printers apprentice. He was an ambitious
boy with an omnivorous thirst for reading.
good-natured man Of letters TO whom Vitu carried
proofs interested himself In the lad and did
great deal to assist his education.
Vitu's literary life began while he was holding
some small Office in his native place, in ls4l He
wrote several little comedies for the smaller
theatres. year later he made his first appear
ance in journalism In series of brilliant sketches
satirical and artistic. These sketches, many Of
them have since been issued in book form, under
the titles Paris in Summer" and Paris Under
ground" lie soon became known as a daring and
original writer, and was attached TO a number OF
papers SUCCESSFULLY He was for time Editor OF
the Peuple Franchise" leaving that paper in 1870
for Figaro"
The present generation knows Vitu only as
dramatic critic, and has little idea of the versa
tiity Of his genius. He was from 1861 to 1858
manager-in-chief Of the Journal de Chemin de
Fer; he established the Journal dc Finances"
laser called "Moniteur do Finances" now
under the direction of his son, Maxine Vitu.
He had written several volumes on financial and
industrial topics, history of Typography, very
complete and exhaustive study Of the city OF Paris
preface to new editions of Moliere, Beaumarchais,
Crebillion and Poinsinet. beside dozen volumes
on dramatic subjects His early efforts were all
political. He was fierce BOnapartist and up to
the last fought the battles of the Prince President
with untring vigOr.
His debut on the Figaro staff was made in
series of remarkable political articles, Of which,
directed against General Trochu, was the occasion
of a libel suit and the Imprisonment of the author
of the offending article was the result Vitu
was very fond of relating the story of his short
confinement at the prison of ST. Pelagie, in the
cell vacated few days before by his bitterest
adversary, NJ Cantagrel. On his release, the man
agement offered him the position of dramatic critic,
and on the death Of Jouvin that of musical critic
also Since that time not single performance
of any importance has occurred that he has not
witnessed and criticised. In 1884 his critiques
were published in volume entitled A Thousand
and One Nights at the Theatre; in the preface
the author says: "Each of the pieces discussed
in this collection represents to the writer a night
of labor"
He was indeed an indefatigable worker. with a
capacity for sustained effort quite remarkable
His criticisms, il may be safely said were always
impartial Kindly, in the main even when an-
verse never unduly severe. No young dramatist
can charge Vitu with discounging him at the
outset of his career. His courtesy was proverbial
He would never allow the authorizations OF the
words Madame and Mademoise1c TO be USED, and
If in looking over his proofs he found that care
less printer had violated this rule, Vtus blue pen
ell would dash over the offending copy as savagey
as though an especially fine paragraph had been
ruined
From an artistic and literary point of view,
no finer criticisms than Vitus have been written
lie had profound knowledge of dramatic lite.a-
ture, classic and modern; quick appreciation OF
genius in others a delicate sense Of humor and
an intelligence keen as as napier. Ills literary
STYLE was terse. pointed and simple In
his removal Figaro" suffers a severe loss
Vitu's familiar figure will be greatly missed at
the theatres. He always appeared wrapped in
huge cloak, took his place, and very stiff and dig
nified, buttoned up tightly in his coat, he re-
sembled, with his white waved mustachcs and red
ribbon, an old soldier of the Empire. Unlike Sar-
cev whose mobile features and eloquent gestures
betrayed every emotion Of approval or disdain
which the play excited in him. Vitu always 70
NAMED perfectly impassve during performance,
very attentive and silent with that expression
of profound absorption peculiar to the nearsiShted
Among his friends he was extremely popular. lie
had a lively interest in all intellectual affairs,
and was at the time of his death. president of the
Cercle of Dramatic Criticism, ex-presldent Of the
Socete de rHistOire dc Paris ct de Tile de France,
and vice-presdent of the Societe de Gems de Let
tres.
Historian, ltterateur, critic, politician. fnancer
Augusta WITH possessed in marked degree all the