lds its place as one of the grandest
dramatic works the world has ever seen. In 1838 Scribe furnished him
the libretto of "L'Africaine," but before the music was finished he
had changed the text so much that Scribe withdrew it altogether. He
was consoled, however, by Meyerbeer's taking from him the libretto of
"Le Prophete," this opera being finished in 1843. During the following
year he wrote several miscellaneous pieces besides the three-act
German opera, "Ein Feldlager in Schlesien," in which Jenny Lind made
her Berlin debut. In 1846 he composed the overture and incidental
music to his brother's drama of "Struensee," and in 1847 he not only
prepared the way for Wagner's "Flying Dutchman" in Paris, but
personally produced "Rienzi,"--services which Wagner poorly requited.
In 1849 "Le Prophete" was given in Paris; in 1854, "L'Etoile du Nord;"
and in 1859, "Dinorah;" but none of them reached the fame of "The
Huguenots." In 1860 he wrote two cantatas and commenced a musical
drama called "Goethe's Jugendzeit," which was never finished. In 1862
and 1863 he worked upon "L'Africaine," and at last brought it forward
as far as a rehearsal; but he died April 23, 1863, and it was not
performed until two years after his death.

THE HUGUENOTS.

"Les Huguenots," a grand opera in five acts, words by Scribe and
Deschamps, was first produced at the Academie, Paris, Feb. 29, 1836,
with the following cast of the principal parts:--

VALENTIN Mlle. FALCON.
MARGUERITE DE VALOIS Mme. DORUS-GRAS.
URBAIN Mlle. FLECHEUX.
COUNT DE ST. BRIS M. LERDA.
COUNT DE NEVERS M. DERIVIS.
RAOUL DE NANGIS M. NOURRIT.
MARCEL M. LEVASSEUR.

At its first production in London in Italian, as "Gli Ugonotti," July
20, 1848, the cast was even more remarkable than that above. Meyerbeer
specially adapted the opera for the performance, transposed the part
of the page, which was written for a soprano, and expressly composed a
cavatina to be sung by Mme. Alboni, in the scene of the chateau and
gardens of Chenonceaux, forming the second act of the original work,
but now given as the second scene of the first act in the Italian
version. The cast was as follows:--

VALENTIN Mme. PAULINE VIARDOT.
MARGUERITE DE VALOIS Mme. CASTELLAN.
URBAIN Mlle. ALBONI.
COUNT DE ST. BRIS Sig. TAMBURINI.
COUNT DE NEVERS Sig. TAGLIAFIC