The record-union., 1896-10-04

enthusiasm with which these charac-
teristics in Sardou's heroine are greet
eQ"
The play viii be given in Sacramento
but one night, instead of two, as orig
il ally billed This is because the dates
OF the company require it to leave on
the second night late, and 1t cannot
mount the piece fully or give the play
in eXtenso and catch the train. 1T
remains one night, therefore, and leaves
the next day. thus inSuring full pre-
sentation and mounting OF the play IN
all completeness, so the play Will De
presented with the original cast ana
all the tapestries, bric-a-brac, costumes
and mist toric furniture that were useu
during it's run at the Broadway Theater,
New York, last season. The stage set
tirgs are magnificent, we are told, ana
the production in every respect is as
elaborate as it is possible to make IT,.
The cast is a large one and contains
forty-two speaking characters. Au-
gustus Cook is the Napoleon. Aside
from Napoleon the chief figure is Cath
crime Hubscher, the laundry girl who
married LeFebre in his youth and
shared with lie Febre the hOnOrS which
NAPOLEON heaped upon him for valiant
services in the army. The prologue is
a scene in the laundry during the rev.
olution of 1892. The street is filled
with skurrying soldiers and revolu-
tionists The noise of the battle is heard
from afar. Catherine (Madame Sans
Gene), a girl with rosy cheeks, a sharp
caustic tongue, warm heart and good
common sense is the proprietress OF the
laundry. She is engaged to Lettbre,
who at that time was a Sergeant in the
military. One of her customers was
young BnOaparte, then in humble cir
cumstances, who was obliged to ask the
girl for credit. Nineteen years are sup
posed to elapSe between the prologue
and the first act. Napoleon is then IN
the hight of his power. LeFebre is the
Marshal of France and the Duke OF
Dantzig He lives in sumptuous apart
ments and has everything that money
can buy, but his wife still speaks the
speech of the common people and cannot
shake off her early manners and ADOPT
the more grand and conventional ones
of the court One of her epigrams
arouses the anger of Napoleons sisters,
Queen Caroline and Princess Eliza, and
thew seek to have her disgraced. Napo-
leon directs LeFebre to divorce the
H..
pleads her own cause before the En-
peror and doesn't hesitate to present him
the bill for laundry service performed
twenty years before. She makes so IA
vorable an impression upon Napoleon
that she secures a place high in his fa-
vor. The rast of the plot deals with al
legged intrigue between N2poleon's sec
ond wife. Marie Louise. and young
ofE no Npinnar0 This iS
handled in regular Sardou fashion, and
is intensely interesting and at times
thrilling The cast is very excellent
one. comprising most of the original
PLAYERS seen in New York, Boston, Chi
cago and recently in San Francisco,
where it achieved the most brilliant dra-
matte triumph known in years, for a
period of three weeks.
The London Musical Times" for
September has an interesting article
on Bach in England" from which it
appears that there was once an Eng
llsh Bach. not in the metaphorical, but
in the literal sense. His name was
John Christian Bach, and he was the
eleventh son of the great John Sebas-
tian Bach He lived in London from
well known figure in musical and fash
ionable circles, and enjoyed all the
prestige attendant upon his appoint
nent of Music Master to the Queen"
He lived in great style in London and
kept his carriage; but he died in pow
erty and debt. one of his creditors being
his own coachman, from whom he bor-
rowed $500. He was a Bach in name
only, having none of the genius Of his
family. He used to say in relation to
his brother Emanuel: My brother
lives in order to compose; and | COM
pose in order to live" Consequently his
music is now forgotten, while Eman-
uels is still highly valued. The Lon
don Bach did nothing to bring forward
his fathers music, for which he had
splendid opportunities. Indeed, he al
luded to his father as the old wig"
and evidently had as little conception
of the immortal value Of his works as
musicians in general had at that time
The Musical Courier" wants a list Of