Stories of Famous Songs, Vol 1

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STORIES OF
French and English. There is M. Andre Theuriet's " Jean Marie," avowedly taken from the story of " Auld Robin Gray," which has been translated again into English by three or four different writers. One version, by George Roy, was given at the Imperial Theatre, Sep-tember 22nd, 1883. And an operetta bearing the same title was produced at the Surrey Theatre in April, 1858, with music by the " late Alexander Lee" who died in 1851. Lee com-posed the music as far back as 1838. The libretto was written by Edward Fitz-Ball, and the piece was intended for the English Opera at Drury Lane, but the continued illness of Mrs. Waylett, who was to have played Jenny, caused the operetta to be shelved for twenty years. Lee, by the way, married Mrs. Waylett, the celebrated actress. She died of a broken heart, it is said, soon after his death. There was a previous opera of the same name, written by S. J. Arnold, and composed by his father, Dr. Arnold, produced July' 26th, 1794, at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket The report of the play in the " Thespian Magazine" for September, 1794, says," The piece is ascribed to the son of Dr. Arnold, and bids fair to become a favourite ; the music is selected with great judgment by the father of the author from the most approved
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