tor of the Conservatory. He enjoyed
perfect health up to the day of his death in 1871. Assiduous in his
duties at the Conservatory, and active in his social relations, which
took him into the most brilliant circles of an extended period, covering
the reigns of Napoleon I., Charles X., Louis Philippe, and Napoleon
III., he yet always found time to devote several hours a day to
composition. Auber was a small, delicate man, yet distinguished in
appearance, and noted for wit. His _bons mots_ were celebrated. While
directing a musical _soiree_ when over eighty, a gentleman having taken
a white hair from his shoulder, he said laughingly, "This hair must
belong to some old fellow who passed near me."

A good anecdote is told _a propos_ of an interview of Auber with Charles
X. in 1830. "Masaniello," a bold and revolutionary work, had just been
produced, and stirred up a powerful popular ferment. "Ah, M. Auber,"
said the King, "you have no idea of the good your work has done me."
"How, sire?" "All revolutions resemble each other. To sing one is
to provoke one. What can I do to please you?" "Ah, sire! I am not
ambitious." "I am disposed to name you director of the court concerts.
Be sure that I shall remember you. But," added he, taking the artist's
arm with a cordial and confidential air, "from this day forth you
understand me well, M. Auber, I expect you to bring out the 'Muette' but
_very seldom_." It is well known that the Brussels riots of 1830, which
resulted in driving the Dutch out of the country, occurred immediately
after a performance of this opera, which thus acted the part of
"Lillibulero" in English political annals. It is a striking coincidence
that the death of the author of this revolutionary inspiration, May 13,
1871, was partly caused by the terrors of the Paris Commune.

III.

Boieldieu and Auber are by far the most brilliant representatives of the
French school of Opera Comique. The work of the former which shows his
genius at its best is "La Dame Blanche." It possesses in a remarkable
degree dramatic _verve_, piquancy of rhythm, and beauty of structure.
Mr. Franz Hueffer speaks of this opera as follows:

"Peculiar to Boieldieu is a certain homely sweetness of melody which
proves its kinship to that source of all truly national music, the
popular song. The 'Dame Blanche' might be considered as the artistic
continuation of the _chanson_, in the same sense as Weber's 'Der
Freischtitz' has been called a dr