"THE GRAND DUCHESS."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1490, 22 September 1883, Page 2

"THE GRAND DUCHESS."

Now that this beautiful little opera of ' Offenbach's is about to be produced at the Theatre Koyal on Monday evening ' a short description of the piece may , not prove uninteresting to our readers. : In the days before the smaller D.uchies ' were absorbed in the great German Empire, a certain Grand Duchess came to power at a very early age, under the guidance of an aged chamberlain— ' Baron Puck—and the first scene opens ! on the encampment of'the Grand ' Ducal Army, who aro about to have a ' review,. In the ranks is a good-look-ing recruit named Fritz, who has already contrived to awaken the jealousy of his commander, General ' Boom,, by'enlisting the .affection of a peasant) girl—Wanda—on whom the General-has cast'an eye of tender interest. Fritz also succeeds in attracting the attention of tbe Grand Duchess liorself, who, to tbe disgust of the General, calls Fritz from the ranks, enters into conversb with him, and finally raises him to the rank of lieutenant as a mark of her growing interest. The Grand Duchess, having first won the enthusiastic favor of her troops by joining in the regimental song, which she had previously been practising with Baron Puck, seals herself at the table and calls upon the General to open his description of the plan of battle. Fritz, who, in the meanwhile, has been charged with guarding the person of his august mistress, hears the details of, the General's intentions with a disgust he is unable to control, and openly declares the proposed operations to be downright nonsense, The General, incensed, is venting his choler on the interruption, when the Grand Duchess interposes, and requests Fritz to state his views, and is so pleased with them that she raises him to a general's rank, and (to the disgust of Boom) invests him with the command of tho army, the badge of which is an immense tall plume.. A suitor of the Duchess, Prince Paul, has been present at this scene, and shares with Boom and Puok the disappointment and jealousy at the sudden elevation of the Duchess' favorite. During the interval .between the first and second acts," the favorite has conquered the Duchess' enemies, and bis triumphal return is now witnessed, accompanied by the welcome of his mistress, and his own exciting recital of the victory., The Duchess still continue to show her extreme interest in the victorious Fritz, but he is too pro-occupied with thoughts of hid sweetheart Wanda, to accept the honor in jts intended light, till at last the Puchsss, mortified, by this manifestation of bad taste and indifference, resolves to revenge, herself,. Overhearing a conspiracy between Boom, Puck, and Prince Paul, against the life of Fritz, she offers to join in their design—a proposal joyfully accepted. In the third act a new actor comes on the. scene in tbe person of Baron Grog, emissary of Prince Paul's father to urge on his marriage with the Grand Duchess. He also joins ia the conspiracy against Fritz, and has the good fortune to capture the fancy, of the Duchess, who countermands the assasination of Fritz, allows him to marry Wanda, and the conspirators in lieu of taking his life to play a practical joke on his wedding night. He is summoned away by a false message to the field of battle, The denoument which seals the fate of all parties takes place, in the fourth act at another review of the troops ThejGraud Duchess has at last accepted the hand of Prince Paul, thebethrothal, is being celebrated, when Fritz bursts upon the scene in a delapidated condition, tbe emblems of his authority; including the sabre of the ancestors of the Duobess. .being in a' most battered condition. Fritz'havingV been waylaid by the wnnivance of General Boom, i and belaboured by a jealous husband in mistake, The Grand Duchess, ini censed at this degradation of her former favorite, deprives him of his ' command, and reinstates General Boom i to bis.former rank, Freely thengiv-

ing her..hand to Prince Paul, she resigns her liberty, and eventually be- , comes a married' and settled Grand Duchess.