New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-22
a PASTORAL OPERA.
,p,sToCRATS REVIVE PLAYS IN WHICH,
MARIE ANToINETTE DELIGHTED.

Paris June s.
,6s dramatic fete at the Theatre of the Little
rr;anon. which the Empress Eugene turned into
, Marie Antoinette museum, was interesting to
,,osc who are we'll read in French history and
.re free from political bias. 1t was there that
,hs ill-starred wife of Louis XVI used TO act in
o,n,c opera and little plays of sentimental
character knew in childhood, and since, an old
lady whose Italian master, Signor Panormo a
Neapolitan, was engaged musician In that
oueen,s little orchestra and had often heard
from him that Marie Antoinette sang out Of tune
and had high piercing notes in her voice both in
speaking and singing that were unpleasant Panor-
mo was recommended to her by her sister Caroline,
Queen Of Naples, and was good deal petted by
her
The theatre in which she played is what might
now I've termed a bijou playhouse small, elegant
and not at all luxurious. There grated
boxes for persons who were not presented at
Court, but whom the Queen wished TO invite to
see her plays They are still there. So is the
gros de Tours a blue stuff which she chose to
fill the panels of the walls, which were painted
white. The upholstery OF the boxes ana
balcony was of lighter blue, and the bou-
doirs or dressing-roOms were in siken stuns
striped and Powered with covers in Chaiais
chintz for the sofas and chairs. One feit wheh
members of the Francois Company were the other
day playing Sedane's "Gageure lmprevu, and
artists from the Comic Opera were singing kous-
seau's lie Devin du Village" that people were
easy to amuse toward the end of the eighteenth
century. "Le Devin du Village" is fortune
teller of the monumental seX-a thing singularly
rare on the stage Colin is rustic; is Colette.
They are in love with each other, but she fancies
she has lost his heart and sings pathetic dittieS,
which set people weeping 100 years ago. She
goes to the fortune-teller and he tells her how to
win back Colin. His advice is followed, and the
result is happy, inasmuch the course of true
love runs smooth again, and the swain and shep-
herdess get married. The music is dainty ana
delicious, and the whole thing bouquet OF fresh
wild flowers In our time ears alone that are
highly educated could prize the beauties Of this
little comic opera. A ballet, in which Psyche
and Cupid were the leading characters, was danced
by star and some subject coryphees and other
votaries of Terpsichore from the Opera. They, as
much as they could, tried to be in the feeling of
the eighteenth century, but did not quite succeed.
procession of gods and goddesses, including
6acchuS -Sth nymphs fauns and bacchantes
closed the entertainment.
Weather did not favor this interesting theatrical
revival. the occasion for which was an appeal to
the Figaro in behalf of the HOudOn Statue Com
tor TO whom we are indebted for knowing en-
acty what manner of men Voltaire and Rousseau
were The Monarchcal world thought the OPP
pOrtunity good one for clarifying Marie Antoi-
uette the martyr of Republication. They took
steps 10 turn the fete into political demonstra-
ton. The leave granted to hold il at the TranOn
was Withdrawn by the Minister who had granted
it, and the Introduction was revoked when promise
was given not TO make the fete preteXt for
sedition. NJ Jules Clarete, seeing that the Sc
ditious feeling remained, found in the illness OF
Delauny, the actor, an excuse for Withdrawing
altogether pretty prologue which he had written
In this he had covered Marie Antoinette with
compliments which were liable to be misunder-
stood. He did not take any part in the fcte be-
yond sending some of the best members of the
Ffancsis Company TO act in Sedaine's play. The
weather was oppressivey sultry in the forenoon
and early afternoon. This sutfocating heat was
succeeded by thunderstorm and waterspout
which deIuged the beautiful TrianOn Park and de-
feated the ROyalist design to have garden party
when the theatrical part Of the programme was
finished. Ladies of the highest quality
dressed in musns and other cheap stufis,
as Marie Antoinette used to do when play,
ing the part of dairymaid; They had
gone 70 Versailles with the aristocratl9
gentlemen who patronized the fete in carriages
and fours, some got up Ill the French posting s'Se
and driven by positions. They lltnched at the
Hotel des Reservoirs, where they found the En-
peror of Brazil and his daughter and sOn-n-a
Dom Pedro is staying that hotel living IN plain,
cheap style with diminished retinue. he has
as a neighbor on the same floor an aunt OF queen
Natalie, who will soon be due at the Reservoirs
The ex.Princess Imperial of Brazil lives mile
away in a small villa at Clagny. It is one OF a
group of villas inhabited by the late NJ. Laooulaye
and Senator Scherer the eminent critic and stands
in a narrow strip of garden. This is sad change
after her Botofoga residence and It's unTlVailed
avenue shaded with old and giant palms T. I.