could be sung. It was not
always beautiful, but it was always practicable.

The original title of La Bohemienne has in its meaning nothing to do
with Bohemia, and therefore a literal translation does not seem to
have been especially applicable to the opera as Bunn made it. The
story is placed in Hungary and not in Bohemia, and the hero came from
Warsaw, hence the title is a misnomer all the way around. It was Balfe
who tried to establish English opera in London, and to that purpose he
wrote an opera or two in which his wife sang the principal roles; but
in the midst of that enterprise he received favourable propositions
from Paris, and therefore abandoned the London engagement. When he
went to Paris, The Bohemian Girl was only partly written, and he took
from its score several of its arias for use in a new opera. When he
returned to London he wrote new music for the old opera, and thus The
Bohemian Girl knew many vicissitudes off, as well as on, the stage.

The first city to hear this opera, outside of London, was New York. It
was produced in America at the Park Theatre, November 25, 1844. The
most remarkable thing about that performance was that the part of
Arline was sung in the same cast by two women, Miss Dyott and Mrs.
Seguin: the former singing it in the first act, the latter in the
second and third. When it was produced in London, Piccolomini (a most
famous singer) sang Arline and it was written that "applause from the
many loud enough to rend the heavens" followed.

Because of this inconsequent opera, Balfe was given the cross of the
Legion of Honour from Napoleon III., and was made Commander of the
Order of Carlos III. by the regent of Spain. This seems incredible,
for good music was perfectly well known from bad, but the undefined
element of popularity was there, and thus the opera became a living
thing.

A story is told of Balfe while he belonged to the Drury Lane
orchestra. "Vauxhall Gardens" were then in vogue, and there was a call
for the Drury Lane musicians to go there to play. The "Gardens" were a
long way off, and there was no tram-car or other means of
transportation for their patrons. Those who hadn't a coach had no way
of getting there, and it must have cost Balfe considerable to go and
come each day. He decided to find lodgings near the Gardens to save
himself expense. He looked and looked, on the day he first went out.
Others wanted the same thing, and it was not easy to place himself.
Howev