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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2020
In the repertory of the mature Rachel are to be found only four modern tragedies which were performed with some success. Two rôles among these were created by her: that of Virginie in the tragedy of that name by Latour Saint-Ybars (April 5, 1845) and the Cléopâtre of Mme de Girardin (November 13, 1847). The other two were revivals: Marie Stuart by Lebrun and Jeanne d'Arc by Soumet.
1 There were two others which are less important: a revival of N. Lemercier's Frédégonde et Brunehaut, November 5, 1842; and a new tragedy by Mme de Girardin, Judith, April 24, 1843. Both failed.
2 See L. Barthou, “La Vie artistique de Rachel,” Revue des Deux Mondes (1926), xxxi, 380.
3 Soumet, Les Scrupules littéraires de Mme de Staël (Paris, Delaunay, 1814).—The first adequate study of this curious and important brochure is to be found in I. A. Henning, “L'Allemagne” de Mme de Staël et la polémique romantique (Paris, Champion, 1929), pp. 85–111.
4 Saint-Beuve, Portraits Contemporains (1870), i, 410.
5 See A. de Bersaucourt, “Soumet Académicien,” in the Nouvelle Revue Critique (December 15, 1924), and S. I. Stone, “La Fin de ‘la Muse Française’,” in the Revue d'Histoire Littéraire de la France (April-June, 1929).
6 Cléopâtre, tragedy, 1824; Jeanne d'Arc, tragedy, 1825; Le Siège de Corinthe, opera, 1826; Emilia, drama, 1827; Elisabeth de France, tragedy, 1828; Une Fête de Néron, tragedy, 1829; Norma, tragedy, 1831.
7 In May, 1834, Soumet moved to 24, rue de Vaugirard, Sèvres. See Ch. Maurice, Histoire anecdotique du théâtre, de la littérature, etc. (Paris, H. Plon, 1856), ii, 89–90.
8 See J. Marsan, La Bataille Romantique (Paris, Hachette, 1912), pp. 253–254.
9 P. Lafond, L'Aube romantique (Paris, Mercure de France, 1910), p. 246. The tragedy mentioned is Le Gladiateur.
10 See L. Barthou, Rachel (Paris, F. Alcan, 1926), p. 21.
11 See Letter I, February 18, 1839, in which Soumet reminds Vedel of his “engagements formels.”
12 See P. Porel et G. Monval, L'Odéon (Paris, Lemerre, 1882), ii, 68, Le Moniteur Universel (March 15, 1825), and other daily papers.
13 See Le Constitutionnel (March 21, 1825) and Le Mercure du XIXe siècle (March 19, 1825), p. 523.
14 See P. Foucher, Entre Cour et jardin (Paris, Amyot, 1867), p. 170 and H. Lucas, Histoire du Théâtre Français (Bruxelles, Lacroix, 1862), ii, 240. Also Le Globe (March 17, 1825).
15 See Letter ii, September 5, 1839.
16 See Letter iii, September 7, 1839.
17 “Je suis parti de Paris enveloppé de couvertures et dans un état de faiblesse extrême … Les premiers jours de mon séjour à La Rochelle m'avaient un peu ranimé mais je suis retombé dans toutes mes souffrances.”—Letter from Soumet to Emile Deschamps, December 6, 1839. Marsan, La Bataille romantique, p. 60, note.
18 La Divine Epopée. Impr. de Maréchal, à La Rochelle (Paris, A. Bertrand, 1840), 2 vols. in-8. B. F. no. 6148.
19 Mme d'Altenheym, Les Fauteuils Illustres (Paris, Ducray, 1860), p. 185.
20 Jules Janin, in the Journal des Débats (April, 1841), reproduced in A. Soumet, Une Soirée du Théâtre Français (Paris, Delloye, 1841), p. x.—Janin's version of this episode is based upon a letter he received from Soumet in March, 1841, to be found now in the Bibliothèque de Rouen, Collection Blosseville. See A. Beffort, Alexandre Soumet, vie et œuvres (Luxembourg, 1908), p. 23. The time after publication given by Janin as “trois semaines, jour pour jour,” reads thirty-six days in the letter.
21 See A. Beffort, Alex. Soumet, pp. 92–96 for letters fromfriends and celebrities on this occasion.
22 See M.-L. Pailleron, Fr. Buloz et ses amis: La Revue des Deux Mondes et la Comédie Française (Paris, Firmin-Didot, 1930), pp. 203, 211.
23 See Letters iv and v, January 20, 1841.
24 See Letter vi, early February, 1841.
25 See Letter vii, February 24, 1841.
26 See Letter viii, February 26, 1841.
27 See Letter ix, March 19, 1841.
28 Letter from Soumet to Buloz. Pailleron, La Revue des Deux Mondes et la Comédie Française, p. 216. Mme Pailleron describes the letter of Rachel as “la lettre refusant de jouer Le Gladiateur.” We see from Letter viii that she actually said the opposite, i.e., that she was willing and laid the blame on the direction of the Comédie.
29 See Letter x, April 1, 1841.
30 See Letter xi, April 2, 1841.
31 Pailleron, La R. D. M. et la Comédie, pp. 169–170.
32 R. D. M., 1841, ii, 107 ff. Incidentally, in this article, Gautier expresses in prose some ideas that reappear sixteen years later in his famous poem, L'Art. See my note in Modern Philology (Feb. 1928), p. 385.
33 Pailleron, La R. D. M. et la Com., p. 217, note. Letter of April 9, 1841.
34 See Letter xii, April 10, 1841.
35 Le Moniteur Universel (April 28, 1841).
36 Les Coulisses du Passé (Paris, Dentu, 1873), p. 230.
37 See Une Soirée du Théâtre Français (1841), p. ix.
38 Ibid., pp. xvi-xvii.—For other optimistic views in divers papers, see pp. i-xxv here.
39 M. U., April 28, 1841.
40 Hist. de l'Art dram. en France … (Paris, Hetzel, 1859), ii, 114–115.
41 See Letters xiii and xiv, May 1841.
42 See Letters ix, x, xi, and xiv.
43 See Letter ix and his letter to Buloz above, p. 1136.
44 November 24, 1838.
45 See H. Malo, La Gloire du Vte de Launay (Paris, Émile-Paul frères, 1925), pp. 67–71.
46 Saül, 1822; Cléopâtre, 1824.
47 See Sainte-Beuve, Causeries de Lundi, 2e édition (Paris, Garnier frères, 1852), iii, p. 300.
48 L. Séché, Delphine Gay (Paris, Mercure de France, 1909), p. 39, note 3.
49 Postmarked March 27, 1841. Unpublished letter.
50 H. Malo, La Gloire du Vte de Launay, pp. 72–84.
51 L. Séché, Delphine Gay, p. 167.
52 See above pp. 1132 and 1135.
53 See G. D'Heyli, Rachel d'après sa correspondance (Paris, Librairie des Bibliophiles, 1882), pp. 28 and 30, for letters to Samson asking his aid in studying this rôle. These letters are not dated.
54 See, Pailleron, La R. D. M. et la Comédie, p. 214.
55 See Rachel's letter to Buloz, June 15, 1841, in Annales Romantiques (1909), p. 244.
56 See letter from Soumet to E. Deschamps about his troubles with Jane Grey in 1844: “J'ai demandé comme dédommagement la reprise de Jeanne d'Arc. Ils ne veulent pas.” H. Girard, E. Deschamps (Paris, Champion, 1921), p. 401. See also letter to the Ministre de l'Intérieur for funds toward the publication of his epic, Jeanne d'Arc, April 29, 1843. Bibliothéque de l'Institut. Fonds Moulin.
57 See letter Salvandy to Guiraud. C. Douais, “Lettres au Baron Guiraud” in Mélanges de litt, et d'hist. litt. (Paris, Picard, 1899), iii, pp. 215–216.
58 December 10, 1844. Unpublished letter, communicated by M. E. Charavay.
59 See note preceding Jeanne d'Arc, trilogie nationale (Paris, Impr. Royale, 1846).
60 See the dailies of April 3, 1845 and a series of articles in the Journal de Toulouse, April, 4, 6, 10, 12.
61 Soumet died so poor that the Académie defrayed part of his funeral expenses. See L'Illustration (April 12, 1845). Soumet was buried at Montmartre Cemetery.
62 November 29, 1845, although title-page bears date 1846. See Bibl. de la France.
63 Hist. de l'Art dram., iv, 227–228.—Jules Janin in Rachel et la tragédie (Paris, Amyot, 1859), pp. 315–330, compares the tragedies of Soumet and Schiller, finding neither entirely satisfactory.
64 Le Correspondant, 1875, ci, 1003.
65 (Paris, Techener, 1894), p. 816.
66 A reproduction of Rachel in costume may be seen in L'Illustration (March 14, 1846).
67 R. D. M. (1926), p. 380.
68 See d'Heyli, Rachel, d'après sa correspondance, pp. 277–278. Total performances: 29, see Ibid., p. 291.
69 See the contract in The Boston Atlas (August 25, 1855). Also in d'Heyli, op. cit., pp. 298–303.
70 New York Times (November 15, 1855).
71 New York Times (October 16, 1855).
72 Jeanne d'Arc—Joan of Arc, tragedy in five acts (New York, Darcie and Corbyn, 1855). Juana de Arco, tragedio en cinco actos por M. Soumet. Copia original francese con la traduccion literal española por Jules Mantegnes, preparada espresament para M. Raphael Felix, Director de la compania francese de M'lle Rachel (New York, Baker y Godwin, 1855).
73 See L. Beauvallet, Rachel et le nouveau monde (Paris, Cadot, 1856), p. 160.
74 As an echo of her visit, we find in the New York Tribune, Jan. 10, 1856, this curious appreciation of the French stage: “The success which has attended Mlle Rachel promises to result in the establishment of a permanent French theatrical company in this city. Certain it is that the largest supply of the best actors is in Paris, and drama-amateurs will, of course, greet the establishment of a theatre which promises the presence of such celbrities from time to time here in connection with a good regular company. There is only one qualification to be looked to, and that is censorship of the proposed French drama here, so that the mass of shameless plays and comedies, which are a reflex of life in Paris, where over one-third of the inhabitants are born out of wedlock, may not be transplanted to this city, to swell the tide of domestic and civic corruption. On this head we wish to speak plainly. Too many of the French plays are unfit for performances except before an audience of pimps and prostitutes. We speak from a positive knowledge of the French stage.”
75 See d'Heyli, Rachel, pp. 106–121.
76 Post-office stamp, 19 février 1839.
77 Madame d'Altenheym, (née Gabrielle Soumet).
78 (Originally, je me vois contraint de renoncer à la distribution …). I give the erased readings which are visible since they indicate plainly the nervous impatience of M. Vedel in this transaction.
79 (Orig., établie).
80 Madame d'Altenheym.
81 (Orig., de votre part une rupture que j'aurais éte heureux de pouvoir prévenir).
82 M. François Buloz, Commissaire Royal, près le Théâtre-français.
83 This letter was inclosed in Letter iv.
84 Le Chéne du Roi.
85 Letter of early February, 1841. A MS. copy of Le Gladiateur in the Archives of the Comédie Française bears these captions: “Reçu à la Comédie française le 1er février 1841,” “Approuvé par M. le Ministre de l'Intérieur le 18 février 1841 pour le théâtre français”
86 Post-marked, 24 février 1841.
87 This letter, from which I had taken the above notes when I first saw the collection, was missing later when I consulted the collection more carefully.
88 Le Comité de la Comédie française.
89 Deuxième régisseur du Théâtre-français.
90 This was Soumet's tragedy, Jane Grey, written in collaboration with his daughter, which was finally performed at the Odéon, March 30, 1844.
91 Actually, the “sommations judiciaires” were sent February 24; the letter from Mlle Rachel was received on February 26.
92 I.e., rehearsals of his pieces.
93 M. Buloz.
94 Article by Théophile Gautier on “la Divine Épopée,” April, 1841, t. ii, pp. 107 ff., one of the most adverse, affecting the success of Soumet's epic in no small way.