çais are such that they sometimes have much such an effect on the aspect of his performance as that of the assembled pictures in the Academy upon a work previously glorious in the safe solítude of the studio.

Les Cinq Francs d'un Bourgeois de Paris is the name of the last light thing at the Théâtre des Folies Dramatiques.

M. CHARLES MONSELET is something of a scholar, more of a wit, most of a bon vivant; and we see him, to some extent, as all three in his new little piece L'Ilote, at the Théâtre Français. There is some good fooling in it. The scene is in Sparta, where one Chremès, a good follower of Lycurgus, is anxious for the fate of his young nephew, who has already perceived the excellence of a woman, and may at any moment discover the excellence of wine.

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Fait grave et capital!
Chez Léandre a parlé la voix de la nature,
Hélas! Et je vais voir, pour peu que ceci dure,
En lui l'austérité fléchir sensiblement.
De plus, il me paraît incliner par moment
Vers l'attrait des festins. O Lycurgue! ô Lycurgue!
L'intéressant neveu que jour et nuit j'objurgue
Tourne à l'ivrognerie. A son dernier repas
Il but trois verres d'eau, c'est là le premier pas.
D'abord l'eau pure, et puis le vin pur. Il s'expose
A de réels dangers.

Pour en faire un sujet exemplaire, il faudrait
Le tableau d'un ilote abruti par l'orgie.
Mais, oui c'est bien cela. . . . Face immonde et
rougie.

Un ilote complet, bien à point, odieux,
D'une horreur salutaire éclairerait ses yeux.
Il le faudrait aussi montrer à Fleur-de-Sauge,"-
Fleur-de-Sauge is the young woman of whose
excellence Léandre has become aware. 66
faudrait," donc, "aussi montrer à Fleur-de-
Sauge,"

"Il le

"Afin qu'à cet aspect la petite restât Dans la timidité conforme à son état. C'est justement le jour qu'à Sparte nos éphores Ont en grande appareil débouché les amphores Et fait griser, ainsi que l'ordonnent nos lois, Abominablement vingt ilotes de choix, Vingt ivrognes gonflés des vins des côtes grecques, Trébuchans et roulans, ronds comme des pastèques." The lote arrives, or rather he is a false one, who does as well for M. Monselet. He is from Athens, and by no means of opinion that wine is only good to excess now and then as a warning to the prudent. Léandre is given something to drink; so is Fleur-de-Sauge; after which that young woman dances a dance with Gnathon; and what use, then, is the following lesson which l'Ilote had conveyed?

"Il faut hair encore Tout ce qui charme Athène et ce que Sparte ignore; Tout ce qu'un peuple ardent, né sous les oliviers, Voit naître et glorifie, et partout enviés, Les arts triomphateurs, les beaux vers, les statues, L'immortelle Véaus, les grâces peu vêtues, La danse ionienne et les douces chansons."

by heart, both expense and trouble are saved in rehearsal; and, however much we may regret it, it would be unreasonable to expect that Mr. Gye or Mr. Mapleson would for the sake of art be at the trouble and expense of bringing out works which, however interesting to the musician, would fail in all probability to attract their fashionable supporters, and would most likely result in a loss. Of all Auber's works there are only four or five which are ever to be heard at our opera houses, and even these-with the exception of Masaniello, which is what the French call a "grand opera "that is to say, sung throughout-are spoilt by the substitution of recitative for the spoken dialogue of the original, to say nothing of the inevitable damage to the works by the translation of the original French text into Italian. The best thanks of all who really love music for its own sake are therefore due to the managers of the Gaiety Theatre for the opportunities at present being afforded of hearing some of these charming and sparkling works not only in their original form, but, as has been previously said in these columns, presented with a completeness and perfecttion of ensemble that leave absolutely nothing to desire. No apology is necessary to our readers for recurring to this subject week after week, because each week presents some fresh novelty, and there is certainly no entertainment at present in London which has such claims upon the attention of musicians as these truly admirable perform

ances.

Two of Auber's most charming_comic operasLes Diamans de la Couronne and Le Domino Noir had been previously produced at the Gaiety, and, beside the Haydee which was brought out last Saturday, Fra Diavolo, Sirène, and La Part du Diable are announced as in preparation. Such an opportunity will therefore be afforded of making acquaintance with the genius of one of the greatest French composers as has seldom before offered itself in this country.

Haydee is Auber's thirty-first opera. It was first performed at the Opéra Comique, Paris, on December 21, 1847, having been preceded by La Barcarolle and followed by L'Enfant Prodigue. The libretto, as with many of its composer's works, is from the pen of M. Scribe, and though perhaps on the whole hardly one of his best, contains good situations, and is by no means devoid of interest. Lorédan, the Venetian admiral, had in early life by cheating at dice ruined a companion of his, Andrea Donato, who in consequence committed suicide. Remorse preys upon Lorédan, who, as a partial reparation for the wrong he has done, has adopted Rafaela, the niece of Donato, and intends to marry her, and to leave her half his property, and the other half to the son of Donato if he can be found. Rafaela herself, however, loves a young man, Andrea, who, to be near her, enlists in Lorédan's ship, and when asked his other name, simply replies that he is going to make one. Lorédan himself is beloved by Haydée, a Greek slave whom he has bought to ensure her One of his officers, Malipieri, who is jealous of him, finds him in a state of somnambulism, to which he is subject, and from his disjointed words, and from a written confession intended for young Donato, which, while still asleep he gives to Malipieri, the latter obtains possession of his secret. The young Andrea greatly distinguishes himself in a naval engagement, and being appointed by Lorédan as commander of a ship, confesses his second name to be Donato; and Lorédan discovers in him the youth whom he was seeking. Being made aware of his passion for Rafaela, he consents to their union the more readily as his intention of marrying Rafaela himself was not the result of affection, but simply of a desire to make reparation for the wrong he had done. On their arrival at Venice, Malipieri demands the hand of Rafaela for himself, and on Lorédan's refusal threatens him with exposure and shows him his own confession. Lorédan is still firm, and defies him to do his

MUSIC.

AUBER'S "HAYDÉE.”

Or some forty operas which Auber composed, it would be remarkable that so very few are known in this country were it not for the well-known fact that the patrons of our opera houses care much less what than whom they hear, and it consequently answers the purpose of managers better to produce such threadbare works as Norma, Sonrambula, Lucrezia Borgia, Lucia di Lammermoor or La Traviata, than to go in search of novelties. By confining their répertoire chiefly to works in which opportunities are given for display to the popular soprano or tenor, and which at the same time every member of the orchestra knows nearly

worst. Haydée has overheard their conversation, and, confessing her love to her master, undertakes to save him. Meanwhile news has come that the supposed slave is a princess of Cyprus, and as Cyprus is now a part of the Venetian Republic, she is consequently a Venetian and free. She, however, refuses to leave him, and meeting Malipieri she tells him she knows his secret, and asks him to name the price of it. He offers to give her the paper if she will be his wife, and to save Lorédan. She consents. Having obtained the paper, she gives it to Lorédan, who has meanwhile been chosen as Doge; and Andrea meeting Malipieri kills him in a duel, thus releasing Haydée, to whom Lorédan (as may be anticipated) offers his hand.

The music of this work, though containing some charming numbers, is not as a whole in Auber's best vein. The opera can hardly be called "comic," except in the French sense of

66

The

opéra comique," that is, an opera with spoken dialogue. There is only one humorous part in Haydée-that of Domenico, the old servant of Loredan; on the other hand, the whole part of Malipieri, and such portions as the sleep-walking scene in the first act, are serious rather than comic in their tone. Auber's unfailing stream of melody and piquancy of rhythm do not forsake him; but the sparkling vivacity of the Diamans or the Domino Noir is seldom to be found here. opera nevertheless contains a few musical gems of the first water. Foremost among these is Haydée's song with chorus, in the second act "C'est la corvette," in which the effect of the bouche fermée for the chorus, so often abused in modern French music, is admirably employed. Very beautiful, too, are Andrea's song "Glisse, glisse, ô ma gondole," the duet for Haydée and Lorédan in the third act "Je t'aime, ô mon maître, je t'aime," and some other numbers which might be named; but on the whole the charm of the performance at the Gaiety arises from the excellence of the acting rather than of the music.

To speak first of the new tenor, M. Tournié, whose first appearance (as Zampa) was briefly recorded last week. This gentleman possesses a very good and powerful tenor voice, and though, like most of his countrymen, somewhat addicted to the tremolo, he sings like an artist. His great success, however, is as an actor. The finale of the first act, in which Lorédan in a state of somnambulism goes through the whole of the gambling scene in which he had ruined Donato, makes great demands upon the performer. It is not too much to say that M. Tournié was fully equal to the requirements of the part. Throughout the whole opera, however, his acting was so uniformly good that it is difficult to select any portion for special notice. No less excellent was M. Dauphin, as Malipieri, the villain of the piece. His singing of the song "A toi seul la puissance," in which he expresses his jealousy of and hatred to Lorédan, was given with much power, and with an intense malignity of expression which showed M. Dauphin as an actor of great ability. M. Barbet was thoroughly satisfactory as Andrea, and M. Sujol has hardly been better suited with any part (unless perhaps that of Hortensius in the Fille du Régiment) than with that of Domenico, in which he was at times exceedingly droll. Mdme. Naddi as Haydée was most charming. nearly all the company, she unfortunately indulges too much in the vibrato, but with this qualification, she can be unreservedly praised. She was irresistibly encored in the song "C'est la corvette," already referred to: but perhaps her greatest effect was made in the duet with Lorédan. She sang with great brilliancy her air in the third act "Pour punir pareille offense;" but this movement is musically by no means one of the best pieces in the work. The part of Rafaela was sustained by Mdlle. Mary Albert, a young lady pleasing though not remarkable as a singer, but a most excellent and versatile actress. The finished ensemble of the whole performance was

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